TechnoLawyer: Email/Messaging/Telephony

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an online service for tracking rivals (see article below), a content management system for blogs, wikis, and internal discussions, and a Firefox plugin for tracking online forum threads of interest. Don't miss the next issue.

Spies Like Us
By Neil J. Squillante

If you operate a gas station at a busy intersection, it's pretty easy to keep tabs on your competitors on the other three corners. Just walk outside and take a look through your binoculars. Because neither you nor your clients work at a gas station, you'll need a more sophisticated strategy.

Enter RivalSoft's RivalMap, a Web-based service that enables you, your colleagues, and your clients to share information about other organizations of interest — especially rivals.

You start by setting up profiles of the organizations you want to track. You can categorize as needed. For example, you might organize rival law firms by the practice area in which you compete for business.

Once you complete the set-up process, you and others can post comments such as anecdotes, links, etc. You can also share files such as brochures, proposals, photos, briefs, and anything else that comes into your possession (legally of course).

If a rival engages in an action that troubles you or a client, you can create a "Concern" and then track that particular issue separately from more general posts. A "Concern" could of course result in legal action, which means RivalMap could help you generate more business.

RivalMap features a number of "social bookmarking" tools. For example, the bookmark tool creates a live link. The clipping tool enables you to quickly capture and share the relevant portion of a Web page. To facilitate finding all the information associated with a given issue, you can apply "tags" to your posts. You can also search RivalMap using Boolean queries.

Like many knowledge management products nowadays, RivalMap provides a dashboard so that you can see the most recent and most urgent information at a glance.

RivalMap comes in five versions — Free, Small Team ($49/month), Team ($99/month), Company ($199/month), and Enterprise (price varies). The versions differ regarding the number of users and storage space. Also, the Free version lacks encryption. You can upgrade or downgrade anytime, and need not commit for longer than one month. You can try any version for free for 30 days. Learn more about RivalMap.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming February 15, 2008 to Fat Friday: Jerry Nicholson adds his two cents to the heated debate about software design and training, Jean Mahserjian responds to the thread on biglaw associate salaries with her own personal success story, Paul Nosek explains an old NASA trick for recovering data from a troubled hard drive, David Young waxes philosophical about Word and WordPerfect, and Thomas Daly reviews Winfax Pro for desktop faxing (and we explain the difference between desktop fax software and fax server software). Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming February 7, 2008 to Answers to Questions: Nathaniel Barber shares several tips for customizing the Microsoft Word toolbar and buttons, Will Batchler reviews QuickFile4Outlook - Lawyers Edition, John Tousley reviews his Matrox DualHeadToGo accessory for multiple monitors, Katrina Curfiss reviews PracticeMaster for small to large case loads, and Gerard Stubbert provides clear-cut file naming tips for the paperless law office. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming February 8, 2008 to Fat Friday: Stephen Lambeth discusses four reasons why a lawyer would want to run Windows on a Mac, Mary Hallman provides several helpful tips for long-term storage of images and other files on CD and DVD, Harry Steinmetz reviews his experience using an iPhone, Neal Rogers responds to an ongoing thread about Dell's customer service (or lack thereof), and Doug Jacobs reviews Graffiti Anywhere for the Treo 650. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers document automation software for estate planning and other lawyers (see article below), software that enables you to send slide shows via email, and an online research service for European Union case law. Don't miss the next issue.

Stiffs and Gifts on Steroids
By Neil J. Squillante

"Computer, please draft a trust for Mr. Jones." "Hey computer, I said please draft a trust for Mr. Jones." "I'm talking to you!" "Hello, anyone home?" "Is this thing on?"

Too bad computers are still in their infancy. Although you can't give them complex tasks to do that require thinking, you can have them handle repetitive tasks. The latest entrant in the document automation space is Fore! Trust Software, which recently shipped Trusts & Wills. As its name suggests, Trusts & Wills aims to help estate planning lawyers crank out said documents for their clients.

Covering the District of Columbia and every state except Louisiana, Trusts & Wills features HotDocs-based templates that walk you through a series of questions. The company emphatically states that these templates are much more advanced than "canned forms." The company also claims that any lawyer can use them — even those without much estate planning experience. HotDocs is hidden from view so you also don't need any document assembly experience. You do need a pulse though.

Trusts & Wills includes templates for joint trusts, reciprocal trusts, A/B trusts, QTIPs, probate avoidance trusts, QDOT, gifts, debt forgiveness, special needs trusts, pet trusts, charitable foundations, family pots, per stripes, unequal distributions, delay trusts, generation-skipping trusts, pour-over wills, power-of-attorney, marital property agreement, living wills, codicils, amendments, model letters (including CYA letters for funding and holding original documents), revocation of trust, appointment of co-trustee, transfer documents, and much more.

Trusts & Wills requires Windows. In the preferences, you can elect which terms to use (e.g., settlor or trustor), whether to use familiar or traditional language, and whether to use unitrust or net income. Unlike most software, licensing is relatively simple — you can choose between a single-user version priced at $995 or a multiple user version priced at $1,990 that everyone in your office can use. Learn more about Trusts & Wills.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a new visual mapping technology for reviewing email and other discovery documents (see article below), a multifunction printer with special legal-specific features, and a software application with a new twist on backups. Don't miss the next issue.

See Discovery Documents in a Whole New Way
By Neil J. Squillante

You need to get from Point A to Point B, the only problem being that you haven't made this journey before. So you ask a couple of friends. One scribbles down some instructions for you. The other hands you a GPS device, which combines turn-by-turn instructions with a map that shows you the way. Bingo!

Litigators already know from trial exhibits that visuals used in conjunction with verbal and written testimony can dramatically enhance comprehension. So why limit visuals to the end of the litigation process? So asks InterLegis, which has added a new component called "Visual Analytics" to Discovery360, its soup-to-nuts Web-based discovery tool.

Visual Analytics essentially maps the data within a collection of discovery documents (including email). In doing so, it can show you clusters of related documents as well as spikes in activity related to a key issue or term. As a result, you can focus your attention on the documents most likely to contain important evidence, thus making the review process faster.

Visual Analytics also shows you relationships among documents that might otherwise remain hidden. For example, reviewers can map out all of a custodian's documents, cluster them by file type and link those documents to all recipients in order to uncover unique patterns of activity. Also, the mapping that Visual Analytics generates can serve as the basis for a timeline and improve your understanding of the case, especially in the early going.

Let's face it — few lawyers enjoy document review. It's both difficult and tedious, a rare combination that results in a vicious cycle. InterLegis claims that Visual Analytics can make document review more enjoyable not only by speeding it up, but by enabling you to focus more on the facts and issues (the difficult component) and less on administration and logistics (the tedious component).

The new Visual Analytics component is built into the core of Discovery360 so you can use it throughout the discovery lifecycle. As we reported last year, Discovery360 includes tools for all stages of electronic discovery, including collection, processing, review, analysis, and production.  Learn more about Discovery360 and its new Visual Analytics component.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming January 25, 2008 to Fat Friday: Michael Caldwell compares his old Treo 650 to his new Treo 680, Douglas Thomas explains how to host your own legal technology trade show in your hometown, WIlliam Lloyd shares the details of his office's backup system and a new online system he's testing, Jay Brice discusses his experience trying to downgrade Amicus Attorney, and Daniel Fennick reviews the attorney ratings site Avvo. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers the world's thinnest laptop, a new convertible tablet PC, and telephone/answering machine for the digital era (see article below). Don't miss the next issue.

The Answering Machine Reborn
By Neil J. Squillante

Nowadays, we have more options for calling people than people to call. The latest method comes from ooma's ooma Hub, which looks like the love-child of an answering machine and telephone. Funny since that's essentially what ooma Hub is, albeit for the digital age.

ooma Hub plugs into your home or office network, and also into any analog telephone. Once activated, you can make unlimited domestic calls free of charge and without any monthly fees (low cost overseas packages are available if needed). ooma makes its money from the hardware.

If you keep your existing landline, ooma will work with that phone number (which you would use only if your Internet connection is down or if you need to call 911). If you eliminate your landline, you'll need to contact ooma for a new telephone number.

ooma features a "Broadband Answering Machine," which enables you to screen calls, pick up in the middle of a message, or send calls to voicemail. Also built-in, call waiting enables you to answer an incoming call, make a call, and convert two calls to a conference call. A "Do Not Disturb" button sends all calls to voicemail without ringing. Also included are Caller ID and Caller ID Blocking.

If you want a second line at the same number, you can add an ooma Scout, a companion device that plugs into a standard phone jack. ooma Scout also extends the above features to other rooms in your house or other areas at your office.

Naturally, ooma has an online component. In the ooma Lounge, you can customize features, listen to voicemail, and more. ooma Hub sells for $399. ooma Scout sells for $39.95. Learn more about ooma Hub.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming January 18, 2008 to Fat Friday: Edward Zohn compares Microsoft Exchange to plain old IMAP for email, Paul Stanley reviews switching to a BlackBerry and using BlackBerry Enterprise Server with Amicus Attorney, Charles Stokes explains why Word 2007 resembles WordPerfect, David Caracappa shares his experiences with network-attached storage systems over the years, and Steven Schwaber provides a workaround for slow remote access speed. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming January 11, 2008 to Fat Friday: Steven Schwaber lays down the gauntlet on the feisty debate regarding biglaw associate salaries and the role of general counsel,  Andrew Simpson provides an interesting spin on a previous post about the litigation risks of voicemail, Myer Sankary reviews the State Bar of California's online MCLE programs and shares anecdotal evidence to rebut the recent assertion that lawyers cannot provide useful CLE, Harry Steinmetz reviews his Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse, and Charles Beach explains which word processor remains the only choice to handle his "real work." Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.