TechnoLawyer: Email/Messaging/Telephony

Coming May 9, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Frank Lanigan reviews the Olympus D-S330 digital recorder, Scott Bassett explains why savvy dictation users in law firms may prefer the Olympus DS-4000 instead of the Olympus DS-330, Maggie Fisher explains how she manages electronic case file (ECF) e-mail messages and their attached PDF files, Paul McCarthy explores whether unshielded ethernet cables can cause network problems, and Dan Pinnington provides a sample Internet and Email Use Policy for law firms. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice 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 May 4, 2005 to TechnoLawyer NewsWire: In this issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about a hot new legal-oriented PDF utility for creating, editing, compiling, securing, and adding comments to PDF files, a free image-viewing and editing application, a free contact and calendar program (PIM) that rivals its more costly competitors, a business-oriented blog service that could give TypePad a run for the money, and a service for conducting Web surveys.

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 May 2, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Jason Havens reviews the Panasonic KXT-G4000B 4-line cordless telephone system after two months of use in his law office, Ken Laska points to a resource other than TechnoLawyer for unbiased reviews of scanners and other law office equipment, Dianna Reynolds discusses Amicus Attorney's integration with GroupWise, Stephen Donovan reviews Dell's 1600n MFP printer/scanner, Linscott Hanson reviews an outliner that you can use on your PC and your PDA, and Mary Allen reviews a consultancy that specializes in creating WordPerfect macros for law firms. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a twice 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 April 25, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Byron Lane reviews the equipment and software he uses for the virtual private network (VPN) between his office and his home office, Charles Rathburn reviews a new sub-$1,000 scanner that he claims puts the popular Fujitsu ScanSnap to shame, William Brown reviews ProLaw in a firm with 11 lawyers and two offices, Frank Feilmeyer discusses a free PDF search tool for advanced Acrobat users, and Sean Fosmire reviews an online service (that we have not previously covered) for securely sending large files. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a twice 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.

Below you'll find one of the five articles from today's edition of TechnoLawyer NewsWire:

Improve Your Outlook
By Brett Burney
Lots of lawyers use Outlook, but so do lots of nonlawyers. As a result, Microsoft usually doesn't place lawyer feature requests high on its to-do list. That's okay because You Software does. The company recently released You Perform, a set of "15 indispensable Outlook add-ins" designed to improve the efficiency of lawyers and other knowledge workers. Among its most lawyer-friendly features, the "Reply to All Monitor" prevents you from inadvertently sending a private message to a group, and also removes your address from such replies to help eliminate inbox clutter. The "Save Attachments" add-in provides for a rules-based system through which you can automatically or manually move attachments from your e-mail messages into designated client/matter folders for safekeeping. The original message provides a link to the saved file. If you eventually delete the original message, You Perform asks if you also wish to delete the accompanying file. Mobile lawyers will appreciate "Add Appointments by Email," which enables you to create new appointments via e-mail from your cell phone or PDA. On the other hand, deskbound lawyers will like "Quick Text Hotkeys," which enables you to assign frequently-used text to hotkeys. Other You Perform add-ins can eliminate duplicate messages, contacts, and events, prevent you from mistakenly omitting attachments, hide fax numbers when you compose messages, and transform e-mail addresses into contacts. You Perform works with Outlook 2000 or later, and sells for $49.95. You can download a 15-day free trial. Learn more about You Perform.

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.

This past week in TechnoRelease:

• Anthony Vlahos of LexisNexis used lyrics from Radiohead's critically-acclaimed album OK Computer to discuss the increasingly time-constrained and gadget-dependent legal profession. He then explained how lawyers can use Lexis Nexis Time Matters 6 as part of a "personal action plan" to regain control over their life and practice.

• Fios announced a free April 19th Webcast entitled Understanding the Proposed FRCP Amendments — with Adam Cohen of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Listen in as Adam discusses everything from planning for and dealing with damaging e-mail to the ease of manipulating and altering electronic information.

• Insys Development introduced Escrow Organizer, which enables you to manage the receipts and disbursements of client funds. Insys is offering a $35 discount to TechnoLawyer members until April 30, 2005.

• CleanerInbox.com invited TechnoLawyer members to try its Postini e-mail filtering, which "provides comprehensive protection effectively eliminating threats before they impact your network." CleanerInbox.com is offering TechnoLawyer members a discount plus free setup.

How to Receive this Newsletter
TechnoRelease is a weekly newsletter in which legal vendors tell an ongoing story about their products and services, often providing freebies, discounts, and other special offers to TechnoLawyer members in the process. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 20, 2005 to TechnoLawyer NewsWire: In this issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about a new set of Outlook add-ins designed to increase your efficiency, a Web site that compiles all the best deals on tech gear, a Google-like search engine that facilitates searching public records, a new service for cyberspace meetings and collaboration, and an intuitive e-mail filtering system.

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.

Recently in our TechnoGuide newsletter, TechnoLawyer member Diane Targovnik asked for help synchronizing her Treo with Group. Fellow TechnoLawyer member Nancy Crow has come to her rescue, writing "Intellisync syncs my Handspring Visor with GroupWise quite nicely. I'm sure it will work with a Treo." TechnoLawyer member Sharon Taylor seconds Nancy's recommendation: "We have been able to use the Intellisync software to transfer data to GroupWise and sync calendar and address information from Palm Pilot databases into Groupwise databases." You can try Intellisync before you buy a copy.

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Nearly every day, the mainstream media reports that the amount of spam sent continues to increase. To which I say: So what? The amount of spam sent is irrelevant. What matters is the amount of spam received by end users like me and you. Thanks to a shift from content filters (which tend to block legitimate e-mail) to more sophisticated methods (such as sender authentication) at large ISPs, the amount of spam received has steadily declined. Thankfully, one mainstream publication — TechNewsWorld — is reporting on this important development. Read more.

Update: I may have to change the title of this Post. AdWeek has published an article about the decline of spam. According to the article, "Microsoft said Hotmail users are receiving 60 percent less spam than a year ago, and AOL said user spam complaints in March were down 85 percent from a year earlier." Read more (abstract available for free; full article requires paid subscription).

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Regarding the recent discussion in Fat Friday about bans on smartphones in courthouses, TechnoLawyer member Steve Minor reports that at least one court — the Eastern District of Tennessee — is "willing to make a deal with you." What about the courts in your jurisdiction?

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.