TechnoLawyer

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Paul Purdue reviews GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar, Steven Schwaber reviews ZoneAlarm Free Firewall and GoToMyPC, Tom Trottier reviews Pegasus mail and POPfile, Alan Garber compares Windows Media Encoder and Any Video Converter, and Jeffrey Schoen reviews Time Matters and Billing Matters (and LexisNexis responds). Don't miss this issue.

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Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? In Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers. This newsletter's popularity stems from the relevance of the questions and answers to virtually everyone in the legal profession. The Answers to Questions newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an eDiscovery program designed to shorten the document review process (see article below), two other new litigation support programs, an automated time capture application, and an iPhone app for attending online presentations. Don't miss the next issue.

A Discovery Document Reviewer's Best Friend

What's worse — being laid off or assigned to review discovery documents? That you can now review documents on your computer while lying in bed with your dog and a glass of wine has not exactly transformed it into a desirable activity. In fact, it has become more of a chore than ever thanks to the explosion of electronic documents collected nowadays. Yet it remains a critically important task (mum's the word on that glass of wine). Your dog can't help you, but some new technology can.

iQ Review … in One Sentence
Epiq Systems' iQ Review is an online eDiscovery application designed to shorten the document review process.

The Killer Feature
Litigation has and has not changed. Even in the largest cases you're likely to focus on no more than a few hundred key documents if that. Usually fewer. But the number of documents has skyrocketed so finding that dirty dozen has become incredibly challenging.

iQ Review's Prioritized Review technology enables you to find the relevant documents more efficiently. Someone on your team starts by reviewing a random sample of the entire document collection, and rating the responsiveness of each document.

This process repeats about 20-50 times (15-25 hours) until iQ Review can rank the responsiveness of every document in the collection. At this point, iQ Review re-orders the document collection with the most critical documents to review at the top of the list.

Other Notable Features
iQ Review also incorporates Epiq Systems' eDataMatrix and DocuMatrix technologies.

eDataMatrix enables you to review documents in their native format, eliminating the need to convert to PDF or TIFF formats while preserving metadata.

DocuMatrix offers a number of tools to further shorten document review, including email threading, near-duplicate analysis, and document categorization. DocuMatrix also enables you to monitor the progress of document reviewers and assign projects to them.

What Else Should You Know?
When you finish reviewing your client's documents, DocuMatrix facilitates review by opposing counsel. Learn more about iQ Review.

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So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: Serious computer users usually have their own list of software and Web site "greatest hits" that they use constantly. Lawyer Joshua Stein, one of our earliest subscribers, started using computers for all his written work in 1982. Who better to ask to share his list of greatest hits. Joshua covers just about every topic, including email, document management, VoIP, fax-to-email, backup software, desktop publishing, online printing, conference calls, legal research, social bookmarking, and more.

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Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 67 articles from the past week worthy of your attention, including our Post of the Week. Here's a sample:

Legal Thought Leaders Spotlight: Jim Calloway

ABA's Smart Phone Buying Guide

Law Firms Now Outsourcers?

The Three Es of Cold Emails

Don't miss this issue or future issues.

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Originally published on February 22, 2010 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

I had lunch with a lawyer recently and left wondering if the guy had been raised by wolves. His table manners were abysmal. Seriously, I'm no Emily Post. My elbows sometimes end up on the table. I'm never sure which bread plate is mine. But this guy was ridiculous.

The most basic form of marketing is lunch. You sit down for a meal with a prospective client or referral source. You make small talk and get to know one another. If all goes well, you shake hands and leave with a plan to meet again. Usually, if there's a need for legal services, your lunch will lead to an engagement.

I'm not the only person who thinks about business dining etiquette. I've asked around, and confirmed that you can kill your credibility by eating like an animal. We don't need to have perfect manners. I'm not talking about extending your pinkie over tea or anything. We do, however, need to have the basics under control.

15 Rules of Etiquette For Business Dining

Below I've listed 15 basic etiquette rules that will leave you well fed, credible, and with a reasonable expectation of winning a new client or a referral.

1. Put your napkin in your lap immediately upon sitting down.


2. Your water glass is the one on the right.


3. Wait until everyone has their food before you dig into yours.


4. Don't gesture with your silverware.


5. Don't talk with food in your mouth (even if you hold your hand in front of your mouth).


6. Chew with your mouth closed.


7. Cut only enough food for the next mouthful.


8. Keep your elbows off the table (and remind me to do the same if we're together, okay?).


9. Don't lick your fingers.


10. Don't use a toothpick or apply makeup at the table.


11. Go to the restroom if you get something stuck in your teeth. Deal with it privately.


12. Don't push your plate away or stack up your dishes when you're finished.


13. Don't put your dirty silverware back on the table. When you're finished, put the dirty silverware on your plate in the 10 O'clock position.


14. Don't answer your cell phone during lunch. Don't even put it on the table. Don't check your email either.


15. Don't complain about the restaurant if your guest selected it.

Many other etiquette rules exist. I've only touched on the most basic of basics. You can read any of a number of business etiquette books, which I consider a reasonable investment of your time.

I hired an etiquette coach for my firm on one occasion. The coach took us out for a multi-course lunch at a beautiful restaurant. He walked us through which silver to use, which glasses to use, etc. He did it all in an entertaining manner without offending anyone. It was a good investment.

Maybe you already know these rules. That's great. Maybe you think think they're a waste of your time. Here's the deal — the person sitting on the other side of the table may think they matter. Like it or not, people judge you based on your manners. The last thing you want to do is lose business because you talked with your mouth full.

Pay attention to the basic rules I've mentioned and you'll be well on your way to generating some business. Lunch works. Do it more often and you'll steadily grow your practice. Oh, and one more thing — your bread plate is to your left.

Written by Lee Rosen of Divorce Discourse.

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Small firm, big dreams. Published first via email newsletter and later here on our blog, SmallLaw provides you with a mix of practical advice that you can use today, and insight about what it will take for small law firms like yours to thrive in the future. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Fat Friday: PC-user David Hudgens discusses Macs in the law firm (specifically his), Michael Kelly compares his experience with an Acer Aspire laptop, an Asus EEE, and an Averatec, and Andrew Weltcheck compares BlueAnt Bluetooth headsets with the Nokia BH-200. Don't miss this issue.

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Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Fat Friday: Jay Geary reviews the Fujitsu ScanSnap S510, Bobby Abrams shares his thoughts on several document assembly options, and Harry Steinmetz reviews MobileMe and Daylite. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Fat Friday
Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers document assembly software (see article below), a legal hold compliance service, an online service for obtaining digital signatures, an online survey creation tool, and a remote control app for iPhone. Don't miss the next issue.

Document Assembly for Mere Mortals

Lawyers often find themselves too busy to figure out how to streamline their workload. They know software can help them, but find the learning curve daunting — especially document assembly software, which often requires programming knowledge. However, in recent years, a new breed of document assembly products have emerged with tools that novices can use in addition to the more advanced programming tools.

XpressDox … in One Sentence
O2Smart's XpressDox is a document assembly system that integrates with Microsoft Word.

The Killer Feature
XpressDox offers a gradual learning curve, enabling you to start using the software without any prior document assembly experience or technical ability beyond knowing how to use Microsoft Word.

XpressDox adds template creation tools to to Microsoft Word's ribbon or toolbar. You can create templates for letters and other documents by inserting and defining Fields.

Once you become comfortable with the basic fields, you can explore the "XpressDox Template Author's Toolkit," which contains more advanced document assembly tools such as choosing items from a list.

For advanced users, XpressDox offers an application programming interface (API) for customization and integration with other software such as practice management systems. You can also create standardized templates for use by everyone in your firm.

Other Notable Features
In addition to its document assembly tools, XpressDox also includes several productivity tools. For example, the Clause Library enables you to add frequently-used text to documents. Also, you can convert numbers to words.

With the Apply Formatting utility, you and your colleagues can apply your firm's predefined formatting requirements with one click — font, spacing, letterhead, etc.

What Else Should You Know?
XpressDox works with Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007, and runs on Windows XP/Vista/7. You can try it for free. Pricing starts at $149 for a single copy. Learn more about XpressDox.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Jim Perrier compares Interwoven Worksite (now Autonomy) and eDOCS, Blair Clark discusses the costs of switching from WordPerfect to Word, William Lloyd explains why he uses three monitors, James Degnan reviews Pensoft Payroll, and Mazyar Hedayat reviews ProLaw for small firms. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Answers to Questions
Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? In Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers. This newsletter's popularity stems from the relevance of the questions and answers to virtually everyone in the legal profession. The Answers to Questions newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: And now for something "completely different" in law firm practice management — HoudiniESQ, a new practice management system developed from LOGICBit. You can host HoudiniESQ on a Windows, Mac, or Linux server, and use it in any Web browser. Sounds good, but how well does it work? In this TechnoFeature, practice management and document assembly specialist Seth Rowland, Esq. takes HoudiniESQ for a spin and presents his findings — in considerable detail as always.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.