TechnoLawyer: Law Office Management

Coming November 28, 2006 to TechnoFeature: For many of us, preparing for a trip means buying a new bathing suit, selecting a good book, and stocking up on sunscreen. Unfortunately, preparing for a business trip requires a bit more planning and effort. In this article, legal technology consultants Pat Nemish and John "Tim" Mellitz share their top ten tips for business travel, leading to happier, more productive, and efficient executives in the field. Learn everything from how to pack your socks to where to find Wifi hotspots — and remember to always travel light and pack right!

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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 17, 2006 to Fat Friday:  W. James Slaughter unveils the secrets to being a happy lawyer, Jay Solomon shares an anecdote that will make you think twice about automating your business correspondence, David Caracappa discusses computers with sex appeal (no, really), and Arthur Rieman reviews the Brother HL-5170DN laser printer. 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 November 7, 2006 to TechnoFeature: Hiring and training a new attorney is costly and time-consuming so firms must choose the right candidate. In this article, legal management consultant Wendy Werner discusses the top ten items a firm should consider prior to the interview process. She'll show you why firms need to learn more about their own organization and about the position they wish to fill before the first candidate walks through the office door for an interview. See why putting in the work now may save you from an HR nightmare down the road.

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.

You have the comfy chair with lumbar support, the state-of-the-art coffee machine, and the fancy full spectrum lamp for natural lighting. You're ready to work. Or are you? In this article, attorney, legal technology expert, and former journalist Jeffrey Lisson discusses ten tech-related must-haves for solos and small firms based on his experiences at his current small firm and previously as a solo practitioner. Jeffrey explores virus protection, case management, digital dictation, and much more. How does your firm measure up?

Coming November 10, 2006 to Fat Friday:  John Starkweather explains how he has embraced branding and technology at his small firm, James Zuffoletto discusses the "unhappy lawyer" phenomenon, Diane Hopkins shares a real-life client story involving Tabs3 that teaches an important technology lesson, Arshia Javaherian reviews Sonnet's PodFreq FM Transmitter for the iPod, and Aaron Morris discusses his unique multiple monitor setup. 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, 2006 to TechnoFeature: Does walking into your law firm feel like walking into a time warp? If your office looks more like 1950 than 2006, perhaps some design, structural, and, most importantly, technological adjustments are in order. In this article, architect and office planner Richey Madison shares the story of a recent project — renovating the largest law firm in St. Louis. Whether your law office just needs a few minor updates or a complete makeover, Richey's detailed account will at least give you a few good ideas on how to move from the dark ages to the 21st century!

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 October 27, 2006 to Fat Friday:  Mazyar Hedayat waxes poetic about the future of law and technology, Jeff Lisson responds to criticism of his "False Economy of DIY Technology" TechnoFeature, John Mavridis reviews NetDocuments for Web-based document management, Tim Hughes comments on Denise Howell's termination from Reed Smith, and Glenn Curran reviews Copernic Desktop Search (plus he points to a helpful desktop search handbook). 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 20, 2006 to Fat Friday: Mark Lieb discusses how a firm's litigation support department should operate, John Dorst reviews Sonnet's PodFreq FM transmitter for the iPod, Douglas Simpson reviews his experience using Copernic Desktop Search over the past year, Thomas Shigo chimes in on the DIY v. hire a consultant debate, and Jeff Wyatt reviews the Brother HL-5250DN laser printer. 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 17, 2006 to TechnoFeature: The once genteel practice of law has declined with breathtaking speed. So says lawyer and technology enthusiast Mazyar M. Hedayat. In this article, Mazyar presents a field guide to survival in the modern legal jungle. Among his conclusions — the law isn't everything it's cracked up to be, history is not on the side of the lawyer who tries to do well while doing good, and client loyalty is dead (RIP). But fear not — while Mazyar paints a bleak portrait, he also suggests a way to eliminate these problems and move the practice of law into a golden age. So sit back and let Mazyar show you the way to greater success and well-being. You can thank him later.

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.

William Shilling, What Makes a Happy Lawyer

TechnoLawyer publisher Neil Squillante asks:
"Why are so many lawyers unhappy? What qualities, personal and otherwise, tend to distinguish happy lawyers from unhappy lawyers?"

I think the happy lawyers are the ones that can do an excellent job of lawyering, and also do an excellent job of leaving work at the end of each day and having a great, non-lawyer life. Perspective and the ability to put one's own family before a client on a Saturday morning when your seven year old wants to go shoot off model rockets. It's all about choices; the happy lawyers choose to have a life outside their legal careers.

William R. Shilling
Attorney
Macon County Department of Social Services
Franklin, NC

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Posts like the one above appear exclusively in Fat Friday, 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. You can subscribe here.