Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers document automation software (see article below), a flat fee legal research service, a secure communications and file exchange service, a utility that facilitates pen-based input into PDF files, and an iPhone app for controlling PowerPoint presentations. Don't miss the next issue.
Document Automation Comes of Age
By Neil J. Squillante
Someday, computers will learn how to think, which means
they'll learn how to draft legal documents. Relax. You'll
have long since retired by then. For the time being,
computers remain faithful servants, not threats. So why not
use them to their fullest potential? When it comes to
producing agreements and other legal documents, you should
do the thinking but let your computer do the formatting and
other grunt work. So-called document automation technology
has come of age. Have you?
iCreate 7.0 … in One Sentence
Esquire Innovations' iCreate 7.0 enables you to automate the
creation of routine documents in Microsoft Word without any
specialized programming knowledge.
The Killer Feature
The first rule of medicine is do no harm. Esquire
Innovations has embraced a similar rule for iCreate 7.0 — make it look like it's part of Word to reduce the learning
curve, integrate existing Word features that work well, fix
broken Word features, automate slow processes, etc.
Called "Enhanced Native Architecture," this philosophy has resulted in new features such as the iHyperstyles Toolbar, which appears within Word like any other toolbar.
With the iHyperstyles Toolbar, you can create and save
numbering systems for documents that your firm routinely
creates, create and apply Styles using your keyboard, create
a table of contents and authorities, and much more.
Other Notable Features
In addition to the iHyperstyles Toolbar, everyone in your firm can immediately benefit from the templates included in iCreate such as letters, memos, fax cover sheet, pleadings, expense report, check request, and more.
But the real power lies in creating your own customized templates, which you can do without heavy duty programming languages such as Visual Basic. Instead, iCreate uses XML-based open standards.
Once you create a template, everyone in your firm can access it from the Template Launcher (see above screenshot). Additionally, iCreate integrates with popular document management systems.
Also new is QuickMerge, which can dynamically place information from your firm's contact management system into documents. When the information changes, you can have the document update automatically.
What Else Should You Know?
iCreate works with Microsoft Office 2002 (XP), 2003, and 2007. QuickMerge works with Outlook, InterAction, GroupWise, and Lotus Notes. You can try iCreate for free for three months. Learn more about iCreate 7.0.
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Coming today to TechnoFeature: Do you find yourself continually searching for ways to become more productive? Speech recognition technology may provide you with a quantum leap, especially if you don't type well or suffer from repetitive stress injuries. In this article, lawyer John Starkweather reviews the latest offering from Nuance, Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Legal. John shares his first impressions, his thoughts on ease of use, performance, and features, and his wish list for future versions. Whether you're a newbie thinking about using speech recognition for the first time or a veteran wondering if you should upgrade to the new version, John's detailed review provides all the information you need.
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Legal netbook fans take note! Asus of netbook fame released a fascinating new product late last year, which was re-introduced at CES 2009. It's called the Asus EEE Top 1602.
The more I think about it, the more I think it isn't just yet another member of the burgeoning EEE family of mini-systems, but possibly something revolutionary. This may just be the perfect accessory for your small firm's primary workstations — a second workstation for your desk.
What Is the Asus EEE Top?
It's essentially the guts of Acer's popular 1000H netbook (see my review of the 1000H in an earlier SmallLaw column). The EEE Top is replete with an Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz) processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, N-series WiFi, built into a stand-up desktop, all-in-one-ish chassis with a 15.6" wide-mode display, and a wired keyboard and mouse.
One difference versus the Asus EEE netbooks is its use of an ATI Radeon 3450 discrete video system versus the earlier netbook's more minimalist integrated Intel graphic chipset — document image and digital photo viewing should benefit.
Plus the 15.6" wide-mode 16:9 format display. Ah, but that's no ordinary wide-mode LCD display … it's a touch-screen. Available in white or black, it's a little like either a smaller scale version of HP's pricey TouchSmart series of all-in-ones, or like an iMac "Junior" — with the white version having more than a passing resemblance to the previous generation of iMacs.
The operating system is Windows XP Home, commonplace in current netbooks — so we're spared the personal torture Vista would inflict on such a system. While it's no processing powerhouse, anyone who has used an Atom-equipped netbook has seen how zippy these systems are. And also, it's hard not to notice the quick boot-up and shut-down times versus regular Windows systems.
What is fascinating about these systems isn't Windows — certainly not. But Asus' "Dashboard" system evokes memories of its original netbook, the too-tiny to be useful EEE PC701 model. What I enjoyed about the 701 was its Linux GUI — elegantly simple, visually uncluttered and fast! Dashboard looks a lot like the 701's Linux GUI and includes a number of touch-enabled utilities with real promise. When you view the YouTube demo (see below) pay attention to the "memo" function. It literally lets you write memos on screen with your finger — very slick.
So What Would a Small Firm Do With an Asus EEE Top?
I can think of several scenarios. In the office, think of using it as a secondary network-connected PC, handling communication functions, and thereby unburdening one's primary system from those functions.
Use it as your Skype machine, have a browser open, run an intra-office IM system like the very slick Outlook Messenger, monitor your Twitter feeds, keep a posting window open for your practice's blog, monitor the news, etc.
Or what about placement at your receptionist's desk — use it to display your firm's marketing message via a slideshow running in a window — and one that welcomes visitors. Or take it much further and allow clients to check in when they visit. Let them press their own personalized welcome button on-screen, which could execute a Windows macro (using a program like MacroExpress) notifying their lawyer and his/her assistant, pulling up the client's matter in the case management system with the information about the appointment for a final briefing before the meeting (with the client's picture of course, to jog the memory).
How about another one for the kitchen counter at home? Use it to check the Food Network for the evening's recipe, place Peapod orders, and leave hand-touch-written memos for the kids about the lasagna in the fridge just needing to be heated in the convection oven.
Conclusion
So it is a KitchenTop? I think so. How about a ConnectTop for your office communications? Yes, I can see that. What about a SecondTop — just another PC to run secondary programs to unburden your primary PC? Whatever it may be, the Asus EEE Top seems to be much more than a low-budget iMac or TouchSmart. The Top may be hard to top for work and play. Sign me up — I can't wait to review it.
Postscript: A Message to the Mac Lawyers Who Dissed Me
Finally, a note to all the surprisingly unfriendly Mac Lawyers who trashed my pro-Mac SmallLaw column.
Guess what people, today's column was written in Microsoft Word 2008 on my 13" MacBook acquired in December 2008. Does that make me a "Mac person." Nope. Just like I'm not a "Windows person." Rather, I'm just a "person" not defined into a mere label by virtue of whatever computer or operating system I happen to use at any given moment. How ironic is it that devoted users of one of the friendliest technologies ever created are some of the least friendly legal technology consumers I've ever encountered?
How to Receive SmallLaw
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.
Two months have passed since I've written for SmallLaw. For the record, my absence was not entirely due to writer's block. Despite making changes in the way I work to make time for my writing, I'm busier than ever. Not that I'm doing better financially. I'm just putting in more time at the office. Much more. Why? Because for the past year and a half I've been truly "solo."
(Not) Solo by Choice
My status is not by choice. I'd like to make that clear. My associate took another position in Q3 2007 and, despite having trained him and worked with him through thick and thin for 6 years, he gave me 2-week notice and was gone.
Since then my office has been an experiment in sole-practitioner hell. Mind you, I tried to replace him. Well, not "replace." Instead, I reasoned that with scads of technology in place I ought to be able to hire paraprofessionals, even clerks, and maintain the quality of my work.
Instead, I have chewed through 16 employees over the past year and a half — attorneys, paralegals, and clerks. Not one of them could fulfill even the limited function for which they were hired.
Finally in April of last year I fired the remainder of my good-for-nothing staff and vowed to do every job in the office myself. Since then I've missed an average of 20 calls a day, have constantly missed deadlines, am always behind in my work, cannot find time to research anything, never get to complete more than a single draft of a pleading, letter, or contract, have not slept more than 5 hours, have not taken a vacation, work on weekends and holidays, have had virtually no preparation for any hearing or trial, see my family for an hour a night before falling asleep on the couch, and have twice worked myself into the hospital.
But the worst aspect of the past few years is that prospects who were ready and able to hire me ended up going elsewhere rather than waiting for me to get started on their cases or just respond to them (my average response time these days is about 14 days).
Do You Feel the Freedom?
But that is a small price to pay for the freedom of being solo, right?
Being referred to as "solo" implies that I cannot inspire a group of like-minded professionals to work with me, attract enough business to grow my practice beyond myself, and/or I am incapable of investing to keep up with client demand. Yet none of those things is true. I have had as many as 10 people working at my law office, plus 3 at my title company and another 10 at my Web company.
But once I admit to practicing alone people begin speculating as to why. Social misfit? Poor hygiene? Anger management problem? Functioning alcoholic? Disciplined by the bar?
Yet blogs like My Shingle, listservers like the ABA's Solo Sez, and a prodigious number of writers, continually wax poetic about how wonderful it is to practice alone. Just between us, that persistent cheeriness seems a little forced, don't you think? Like that friend on their second marriage who can't wait to tell everybody how very wonderful their new significant-other is. Who are they trying to convince anyway? If it's so great to be solo, why let everyone else in on the secret?
Of course sole-practitioners offer many reasons why being an army of one beats working with other lawyers. They don't compromise, live life on their own terms, are masters of their own destiny, determine their own work-life balance, make as much money as they want, take vacations at will, and most of all they [insert your favorite cliche].
Not only that, but they answer to no one except themselves. And clients. And judges. And staff. And creditors. And the attorney oversight authorities. And the IRS. And opposing counsel (who cam ruin their week just by filing two motions at the same time). And sole-practitioners handle it all without seeking guidance or obtaining support because who can you turn to when you're going it alone? Good for them.
Joining the Dark Side
Could it be that practicing solo isn't as cool as some would have us believe? I'm still thinking it over, but in the meantime I continue to look for that larger stage. That group or firm where I can practice without having to count pennies, call upon staff to research and orchestrate presentations, pleadings, and trials without having to be sleep-deprived in the process, get paid for my work rather than haggling with clients who nickel and dime my every move, and (dare I say it?) find time to write and blog ....
But let's talk about that another time. I have a brief due and haven't begun writing it yet.
How to Receive SmallLaw
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: David Copeland joins the debate over whether law firms should build their own custom PCs, Tom Trottier reviews POPFile for controlling spam, Malcolm Gregson shares an important integration issue between Compulaw Vision Docket and Peachtree, Lincoln Miller responds to Ross Kodner's recent SmallLaw column on the search for the perfect laptop, and Louis Rosner reviews LogMeIn Free. 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 Answers to Questions: Carlton Barnes reviews SharePoint 3.0 and SharePoint Server, Oskar Teran reviews several Mac and Linux alternatives to Microsoft Exchange, Peter Conway discusses digital dictation from the viewpoints of the lawyer and transcriber respectively, Neil Kaufman reviews PDF Converter Professional 5, and Fraser Page shares some helpful resources for online Word training. Don't miss this issue.
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Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers new practice management software (see article below), a Web application for time tracking and billing, inexpensive OCR software for law firms with modest needs, secure instant messaging software, and a time-billing application for Macs. Don't miss the next issue.
Your Practice, Your Way
By Neil J. Squillante
Having information at your fingertips won't do you much good if there's too much of it to thumb through. Nowadays, you don't just need access to information. You need intelligent access. This need is particularly acute within the context of practice management software because that's what you use to run your firm. Fortunately, help is at hand.
Amicus Attorney 2009 Premium Edition and Amicus Attorney 2009 Small Firm Edition … in One Sentence
Gavel & Gown Software's Amicus Attorney 2009 Premium Edition and Amicus Attorney 2009 Small Firm Edition (collectively, Amicus Attorney 2009) enables small firms and larger firms respectively to manage their practice, including calendars, contacts, document creation, email, tasks, and more.
The Killer Feature
As intimated above, sometimes you need to see the forest and sometimes you need to see the trees. The new Dashboard in Amicus Attorney 2009 offers the best of both worlds.
You can decide exactly what you want to see thanks to completely customizable screens. Also, you can create as many Dashboards as you want.
In addition to viewing data from within Amicus Attorney 2009, you can also view external information such as file servers (including specific folders and files) and Web sites.
"Amicus 2009 lets you do it your way," said Ron Collins, President of Gavel & Gown Software. "With over 24,000 law firms using our software, we've learned that no two law firms work the same way."
Other Notable Features
Among the other new features, the File Intake Form standardizes the creation of new accounts and matters, ensuring that you capture all the information you need at the outset. You can design your own templates and designate mandatory fields or use the included Client Matter Intake Form.
Of course, before you set up a new client, you'll want to take advantage of the improved conflict searching. You can designate which areas of Amicus Attorney 2009 to search, including custom fields, notes, and even time entries. You can run a conflict search for multiple names simultaneously. The report generated lists the names searched, the criteria you selected, the person who ran the search, the results, and any comments entered by the searcher.
Also new is the Communications Preview Pane, which enables you to preview email, phone calls, and phone messages at the bottom of your screen.
What Else Should You Know?
Last year saw the release of Amicus Mobile for the Windows Mobile platform. With the 2009 release, the company has created a version for BlackBerrys. Amicus Mobile 2009 works exclusively with Amicus Attorney 2009 Premium Edition.
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 today to TechnoFeature: Remember when document comparison meant laying two pages side by side and getting out your trusty red pen? Those days are gone thanks to document comparison software. For this article, legal technology consultant John Heckman took DocsCorp's pdfDocs compareDocs 3.1 for a test drive and reported his findings. John focused on accuracy, convenience, and security — the three most critical components of document comparison. His verdict? Read his comprehensive review to find out.
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.
We would like to thank the 102 people who braved the snow on February 3, 2009 to attend the TechnoLawyer Party (2009 Edition) in New York City. We'll have photos and a more detailed report on the festivities soon.
In the meantime, I'd like to share with you a short video interview of TechnoLawyer publisher Neil Squillante that was filmed just as our party was getting underway by West's senior communications specialist Angelique Schaffer and posted on West's Westblog. Angie was joined by Scott Augustin, West's director of communications. (You can see Angie, Scott, and Neil from left to right in the above photo.)
In the video below, Neil discusses one of his top five 2009 predictions for the legal profession — robust legal applications for next-generation smartphone platforms like the iPhone, BlackBerry Storm, and Palm Pre. Neil discussed this prediction and others in greater detail in his recent article, TechnoLawyer's 2009 Legal Industry Predictions.
Transcript What's the top legal tech trend for 2009?
Earlier this year I published an article with my top five predictions for 2009. I think one of the biggest is going to be the development, the explosion really, of mobile applications for lawyers. With the advent of the iPhone, the BlackBerry, the next version of Windows Mobile, Google's operating system for telephones, I think that's probably going to be the big story this year, although it may take till the end of the year for us to really start to see it gestate.
Why?
Well lawyers have always been pretty mobile, and while they've always been described as technology laggards, the one thing that lawyers really adapted to very early and quickly were these mobile smartphones like BlackBerrys, Treos, iPhones, etc. The fact that you can now almost do anything that you can do in your office on these phones, particularly with these rich applications that are coming out, will change the way lawyers work and make their lives a lot better actually. They won't have to go back to their office after court, for example, to do something. They can get it done right there and then go home.
About TechnoEditorials
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TechnoScore: 3.5
1 = Lowest Possible Score; 5 = Highest Possible Score
Military criminal defense attorney Michael Waddington of Gonzalez & Waddington serves up some heady practical advice in his straight-talking video that turns to mush.
Attorney Michael Waddington is the brute squad (see The Princess Bride) with a smile. I like his videos. I like his direct eye contact. I like the effort he makes to inform viewers about his area of law. He answers commonly asked questions, and does it in a friendly style. He's down to earth.
But this video turns to mush about 40 seconds into it. The sound becomes separated from the video. It reminded me of the old King Kong and martial arts movies with poorly dubbed dialogue. You'd see the action, and then seconds later hear the words. Same thing here.
I will tell you that I've watched his other videos and none of them have this problem. Why then am I "picking" on this one? Precisely because if you don't check your videos before they go live, you run the risk of making yourself look bad.
Tip #1: Body Language Is Very Important
Attorney Waddington tends to lean forward in his chair as if he's trying to reach forward. I got the subtle impression that he was overreaching. Remember what your mother always told you at the dinner table? "Sit up and pull your chair in." Don't lean forward in your chair. Your body language sends a message. Since your video shows who you are, you want to make the best impression possible.
Instead of sitting in your comfortable office chair which allows you to swivel and recline, use a stool for your video. It will force you to sit upright and you won't get that constant back and forth motion many people see when someone sits in an office chair.
Tip #2: Timing Is Everything
When you create and edit your own videos, you must understand that a viewer will not watch your entire clip if you ramble. If, after shooting your video, you realize you went on a verbal rampage with no clear line of thought, the best thing you can do for you and your viewers is to edit the garbage out.
I got the sense that this attorney was speaking off-the-cuff, which I appreciate. It comes across as more sincere and less formal. However, when you just go on and on, as here in the middle of the clip, you risk losing the attention of your audience.
When editing your video, you've got to know what to keep and what to throw away. I know. I learned it the hard way. You think every second of what you said is vitally important. Guess what? It's not.
I know what you're thinking, "These are my words; I thought of them, and I spoke them, and there's no way I'm going to cut them." Big mistake.
Watch a TV commercial tonight. Look at how quickly it transitions from one image to the next. Why do they do that? To keep the viewers' attention.
The bottom line — leave the excess verbiage on the "cutting room floor" where you can simply click "Delete." I guarantee that by making your video shorter and more focused, the more likely prospects will watch it to the end and contact you.
Tip #3: Check Your Video Before and After It Goes Live
An editor tells you to proofread, and then proofread again. A video editor tells you to watch your video in its entirety before compressing it for upload and then once online to watch the entire thing again. Why? So you can avoid having an embarrassing "Uh-oh" moment and realize what you just put out for public consumption simply doesn't work and ruins your street cred at the same time.
In Waddington's case, it sounds like something got screwed up when compressing the video to upload. Or, while editing, the sound was disconnected from the accompanying video. The point? Always, always check and re-check your complete video before uploading, and immediately after it appears on YouTube.
Just as a good video can help you, a bad video can destroy your credibility.
Tip #4: Google Is King
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to getting your video indexed by Google and other search engines. You've spent hours producing and creating your attorney video. You've edited everything just right. You adjusted the color, improved the sound and added titles and transitions to your unique message.
You're now ready to finish uploading your video to YouTube, and you enter your information into the section that says "Description." Many "do-it-yourself" lawyers fail to understand the importance of this task.
Waddington's search engine information is sorely lacking. I see lots of acronyms for military agencies, which is fine. However, there's no contact information listed except his Web address. Why make a viewer jump through hoops to get your phone number, address, or email? Make it easy for a viewer. Give it to them. They'll appreciate the effort you took to include it.
Conclusion
A good video gone bad. A good attorney with a good message who should improve the information in the description section of YouTube (you can edit this information anytime). Plus spend a few minutes on quality assurance and the next video will shine. My recommendation: Take this video off-line, and either fix it, or create a new one
To summarize, I deducted a full point for the mismatched audio/video, and 1/2 a point off for the lack of contact information. Till next time, see you on video!
The Back Bench
Certified Family Law Specialist and online video producer Kelly Chang Rickert says: "First, TOO LONG! I started zoning at 40 seconds. This video features Michael discussing inappropriate fraternizing, which could have been summarized in a 10 second presentation. Second, the sound and video is off! I felt like I was watching a badly-dubbed foreign film. Third, he starts off with a bang, but quickly falls apart in front of a camera and starts pausing and stuttering. I give this video a D+ for effort!"
Lawyer, journalist, and legal media consultant Robert Ambrogi says: "This military defense lawyer may have a good point to make about conflicts, but his video deserves a court martial. It has three main problems. First, his point gets lost as he rambles on too long about it. Second, the sound is horrible and out of sync with his lips. Last, he needs to lose the awkward and barely readable text slide he drops into the middle."
TechnoLawyer publisher and online video producer Neil Squillante says: "Michael Waddington makes a good point, but he needs to rehearse to tighten up his presentation. Some accompanying bullet points would help. Also, I half expected Godzilla to make an appearance given the poor sound syncing."
About YouLaw
YouTube offers law firms a free advertising platform with tens of millions of potential clients. But a poor video can hurt more than help. In this column, lawyer and online video expert Gerry Oginski reviews and rates the latest law firm videos. A panel of fellow experts (The Back Bench) add to Gerry's reviews with pithy remarks. We link to each new YouLaw column and all other noteworthy law firm marketing articles in our weekly BlawgWorld newsletter, which is free. Please subscribe now.
About Gerry Oginski
New York trial lawyer Gerry Oginski has created more than 150 informational online videos for his medical malpractice and personal injury practice. Realizing that most video producers don't have a deep understanding of the practice of law and what potential clients look for, Gerry launched The Lawyers' Video Studio, which provides free tutorials and video production services. If you need help producing a video, please contact Gerry now.
