TechnoLawyer: Law Office Management

Coming January 24, 2006 to TechnoFeature: Many pundits contend that law firms will replace their paper documents sooner rather than later with databases, disks, and hard drives. In this article, legal coach and consultant Edward Poll discusses how such predictions ignore the fundamental advantages of paper as a creative tool, as a source of emotional satisfaction, and as a low-cost, permanent, and environmentally sensitive method of information management. Add generational preferences and legal tradition, and Ed believes paper will be with us for many years more. Read the article (on your screen or on paper) to see if Ed makes a convincing case.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming January 27, 2006 to Fat Friday:  Ross Kodner reacts to a recent TechnoFeature about online backup services, Darrell Stewart chimes in on the "prying eyes" debate concerning attorney-client privilege and e-mail, Jerry Pepper shares his personal experience as a lawyer in post-Katrina Louisiana, James Degnan reviews his 15 years of experience with Tabs3/PracticeMaster tech support, and Sam Buckland reviews a new application that makes any PC behave like a Tablet PC. 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 December 6, 2005 to TechnoFeature: It's easy to get wrapped up in all that technology has to offer — the difficulty lies in exercising restraint and making informed, calculated decisions. In this article, management consultant and lawyer coach Ed Poll discusses some of the most common technology traps and how to avoid them — especially when time and money is at stake.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming November 29, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Many forays into document assembly never get past the pilot phase. Firms develop a few templates and use them for a period of time, but then these templates languish for lack of regular updating. In this article, legal technology consultant Seth Rowland examines how to get past the pilot, and provides you with a roadmap for finishing such projects, and transforming your firm into a document assembly-driven law practice. Perhaps most importantly, Seth discusses how to sell the pilot internally to other attorneys within the firm — and how to sell it externally to lure more business.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

TechnoLawyer member Mark Lieb has helped many law firms with litigation support projects over the years. Now, those who cannot consult with Mark personally can still take advantage of his experience thanks to his new book and accompanying CD, Litigation Support Department.

According to Mark, "This book outlines standard operating procedures for running your litigation support department as a business. It does not matter if the department bills for goods and services. What matters is that it provide the legal team, firm, and third parties with a consistent experience of the highest quality."

TechnoLawyer members have already weighed in on Mark's book.

CaseSoft CEO Greg Krehel writes: "Mark has distilled his extensive real-world case management experience into a set of standards that make it easy for law firms to organize the litigation support function and shows us how to use technology to tame case complexity. Very impressive stuff!"

LexThink co-founder and e-discovery consultant Dennis Kennedy writes: "It's a thorough, hands-on roadmap of how to set up a litigation support department and how to make an existing department better, written by someone with actual experience in creating a successful lit support department. In short, it's exactly what you would like to have at hand when building a lit support department. It includes checklists, useful files on CDs and a detailed roadmap of the steps in the litigation process where lit support personnel can be employed effectively. If you have the task of creating, building or managing a lit support department, get a copy of this book as your starting guide. It'll take you a long way."

Read the Preface.

Review the Table of Contents.

Read an excerpt.

About Member News
TechnoLawyer members are among the most gifted and prominent in the legal profession. In the Member News section of TechnoLawyer Blog, we report on their latest accomplishments and success stories — everything from court victories to articles and books to new partner announcements — and much more. If you're a newsmaker, but not yet a member, join TechnoLawyer now, and then contact our newsdesk.

Chris Cardell has published an insightful article entitled Destroy Your Business in Five Easy Steps, which certainly applies to law firms. The five steps?

• Not communicating effectively with your existing customers.

• Relying on just one or two main forms of marketing.

• Running ineffective advertising.

• Failing to focus on the benefits that your product or service offers your customers and clients.

• Not using e-mail marketing effectively.

Read the article.

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.

Coming November 15, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Bringing work on the road? If so, you probably have two questions — what do I need and how will I carry it?  In this article, attorney and technology enthusiast Jeffrey Allen explains how to assess your individual techno-travel needs, and how to create your personal mobile tool kit. If you're a lawyer on the go, Jeff can show you how to stay connected and remain productive — from anywhere.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Regarding my Post Maximize Your Google Searches, TechnoLawyer member Vusumzi Msi writes: "The post on Google was absolutely bloody marvellous! I'm already using both the maps and news service." Regarding my Post on Hurricane Katrina, TechnoLawyer member Carroll Straus writes: "Your general statement [about the long-standing ability to hold back massive amounts of water] is true ... but how much do you really know about the reasons humans make the decisions about risk that they do? We let thousands of children die of lack of prenatal care or hunger every day ... that too, is preventable. But preventing it is not "sexy" and gets no rants, no press, no attention, no money. It's not good politics. Better to ask why we don't understand OURSELVES well enough to make wise choices. And BTW — does the term hubris seem at all applicable here, to you? Cuz it does to me." On a more mundane note, TechnoLawyer member Jason Howie writes: "There is only one way I can avoid a major catastrophe like Katrina. I have my system and my 2 legal assistants' systems backed up by an Internet based recovery system weekly. It is inexpensive, off-site (a few hundred miles away), and done automatically in the middle of the night. When I look at the victims of Katrina, I think, But for the grace of God go I."

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.

Coming November 11, 2005 to Fat Friday: Zachary Price provides an in-depth guide to law firm security, Lawrence Brownlee shares his experience using Linux at a law firm while Michael Harnois compares Linux to Windows, Bob Walsh reviews FileCenter for document management and backup, and Andrea Cannavina explains why outsourcing your back office and even some of your legal work could boost your bottom line. 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 October 31, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Marilyn King offers advice on how to use PCLaw for trust accounting and generate accurate P&L reports, Catriona Prictor explains how to enhance Outlook with Access, Manuel Quilichini reviews Dell laptops, Martin Dean suggests a scan quality experiment, and Douglas Thomas deems a fellow TechnoLawyer member's trust accounting practice "unacceptable." 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.