TechnoLawyer

Legal Outsourcing Moves Beyond Document Review

Remember the early 1990s when outsourcing didn't apply to lawyers? Well you can forget those days because for the last decade outsourcing has become the name of the game for large discovery projects.

The theory is that firms shouldn't pay for an associate or paralegal here when they can have documents reviewed for less overseas. But where were all the legal process outsourcing (LPO) vendors at this year's show? Only one made the trip — SQ Global Solutions.

Of course it would be unfair to award one of my coveted Best of Show picks for that reason alone, so I spoke at length with company representative Tim Ninowski.

After many probing questions, I believe these guys have what it takes. Not only can they provide an instant discovery and document review department for law firms in need of manpower, but they have actually developed a lawyer ecosystem in their facility in Hyderabad, India.

The notion appears to be that if SQ Global Solutions nurtures an entire law firm (not just individual lawyers) overseas then it can handle nearly any size job on a temporary or long-term basis. In addition, the company provides services at a fraction of the cost of a full-time stateside associate or paralegal.

Yeah, it's kind of scary, but there's no point in burying our heads in the sand.

Read more firsthand reports from ABA TechShow 2008.

About TechnoLawyer Trade Show Reports
Even in today's wired world, trade shows continue to play an important role. But not everyone can attend trade shows. Hence, our trade show reports, which bring trade shows to you. You can find our trade show reports here in TechnoLawyer Blog, and also in TechnoGuide, a free newsletter that also contains exclusive content. Learn more about TechnoGuide.

Vendors and Attendees Say It's "The Best Damn TechShow in Years"

From a spectator's point of view this year's show was the largest and most complete in years, in terms of attendees, seminars, and vendors.

The crowd of attendees streaming into the Hilton may have come for a good time, but they stayed for the tremendous variety of products and players on the exhibit floor. And that crowd included both local lawyers and those who had flown in from around the country to find out firsthand what was on the technical horizon.

Most of the attendees with whom I conversed were small-firm lawyers or sole practitioners who had taken precious time away from their schedule, and in many cases had spent thousands out of their own pockets to be there. Every last one also declared that they would do so again next year.

But this year was about more than head-count or event vendor enthusiasm. TechShow 2008, under Tom Mighell's direction, brought something truly new to the equation — TechShow Buzz — a technological detente between traditional public relations and alternative media, including blogs, RSS feeds, podcasts, news aggregators, and even microblogging tools like Twitter. Taken together the use of these tools by the ABA signals a sea change in how lawyers practice, the effects of which will be felt for years.

In addition to looking at TechShow through a spectator's eyes as I had for years, this year I put on my journalist hat and spoke with vendors of all stripes — application service providers (once an exotic breed now here in force), the research giants, veterans, and new arrivals. All of them said that this was the most engaging, best attended, and in terms of their ability to connect with prospects, simply the best TechShow in years.

Congratulations on Doing Things Right. Welcome Law 2.0.

I have a feeling that the success of this year's TechShow owes much to the trends we've witnessed over the last two years; namely, the trend towards lighter, more manageable technology in place of the expensive hardware and software of a few short years ago. So while we saw Web 2.0 burst onto the legal technology scene with a flourish last year, TechShow 2008 demonstrated how these Web 2.0 technologies will combine with traditional technologies and give birth to Law 2.0. As Martha Stewart would say, it's a good thing.

Then Again Nobody's Perfect, So a Few Suggestions

I have a few thoughts for TechShow 2009:

1. If it Ain't Broke
TechShow Buzz and the Concierge Desk (see photo above) are both great ideas. Keep them but don't stop looking for ways to make them more effective. And continue to tap LPM section members for other innovative suggestions.

2. Get (Inter)Active
Keep attendees and LPM members engaged year-round by soliciting suggestions, ideas, questions, and feedback on technology issues in every communication. And speaking of communication, remember that you can't do enough so more is better. Often the best suggestions will come when you least expect them.

3. Can You Hear Me Now?
For the love of all that's holy, arrange for more WiFi, set up more computer terminals equipped with Microsoft Office (or at least Word), provide more work spaces, and give attendees half a chance to be productive.

Remember, most of the people at the show are self-employed practitioners for whom communication with the home base is critical. I positively felt a chill each time I descended onto the exhibit floor because I knew it would mean a total communications blackout. That's just crazy.

4. Give Diversity a Chance
Seek out, encourage, and accommodate small vendors by lowering exhibitor fees, letting vendors share booth space (alternative days, time), providing more opportunities to showcase products via continuous mini-seminars, and so forth.

By giving small companies a chance you open the door to a generation of practitioners marginalized by their inability to purchase big iron. Of course this means taking some focus away from the larger vendors on whom the show depends, but you'll thank me in a few years as the new relationships you've cultivated bear fruit.

5. New Media Can Be Your Friend
Want to double or triple your audience over-night? Deliver seminars to paying attendees via podcast and Webinar, creating a new tier of attendance in the process — "media only."

And Webcast from the exhibit floor to the whole world. Subsidize the cost of doing so by selling advertising on the video feed.

And last but not least, actively solicit bloggers and journalists to cover TechShow. Our coverage, no matter how complete, will encourage more people to attend.

Final Thoughts on TechShow

My sincerest thanks to TechnoLawyer for publishing my reports and opinion pieces on TechShow, all the members of the board for their hard work, the generous speakers, the attendees, and the exhibitors.

I guess that does it for TechShow 2008 ... for me. Now, it's time for your firsthand reports. Just click the Comment link below. TechnoLawyer will fast-track your TechShow report for publication in its Fat Friday newsletter. I'm especially looking forward to reading someone else's reports for a change!

Read more firsthand reports from ABA TechShow 2008.

About TechnoLawyer Trade Show Reports
Even in today's wired world, trade shows continue to play an important role. But not everyone can attend trade shows. Hence, our trade show reports, which bring trade shows to you. You can find our trade show reports here in TechnoLawyer Blog, and also in TechnoGuide, a free newsletter that also contains exclusive content. Learn more about TechnoGuide.

Blawg Review #152, TechnoLawyer Style

Blawg Review is not just a blog, it's a clever social networking concept. Every week, a different blawg hosts Blawg Review, pointing out what it deems the most interesting blawg Posts from the previous week. Sometimes, the hosting blog will develop a theme around Blawg Review.

As you can see, 151 Blawg Reviews have preceded this one. Today, at last, it's our turn. Don't worry. You're in good hands. Blawg Review is similar to our BlawgWorld eBook.

The former contains links to Posts whereas the latter reprints entire Posts. Both have the same goal — expose people to blawgs and the excellent content they publish free of charge.

Given our BlawgWorld legacy, we thought we would canvas the 77 blawgs that comprise the latest edition of our eBook to see what they've published lately.

And then we realized that 77 is quite a large number. Fine for an eBook, but maybe not for a blog post. Time for Plan B.

This being TechnoLawyer, we decided to canvas the law practice management and legal technology blawgs within BlawgWorld. A few of these blawgs have fallen off the radar, but most of them (29) continue to crank out great content as evidenced by our selections below. (My commentary appears in parentheses.)

Because many other bloggers were kind enough to send us submissions for Blawg Review, we have also showcased our favorite submissions.

Our Picks from the Practice Management and Technology Blawgs in BlawgWorld ...

Above the Law reports on the most shocking court transcript of the year. (Are you sure this isn't the latest Quentin Tarantino script?)

Adam Smith, Esq. debates whether a blog can benefit a large law firm. (No comment from Kevin O'Keefe yet. Three, two, one ...)

Anonymous Lawyer explains why there's not much Anonymous Lawyer lately. (We suggest Jeremy work as a contract lawyer for a month on one of the inevitable Bear Stearns lawsuits. That'll provide some inspiration.)

Between Lawyers announces a new book by Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell, The Lawyer's Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies: Smart Ways to Work Together. (We're awaiting our review copy.)

DennisKennedy.blog dishes out some advice to lawyers who want to start a solo practice. (Trail Carolyn Elefant for a week.)

Futurelawyer's Rick Georges further criticizes PaperPort 11, this time by proxy. (The joys of activation.)

Golden Practices provides some tips on responding to RFPs, including when not to respond. (How about wearing a swimsuit to your next beauty contest?)

In Search of Perfect Client Service reports on the "lost generation" of large firm associates. (I'm a proud member.)

JD Bliss Blog reports on a group of Stanford Law School students who have started a movement — 1,000 strong on Facebook — to improve associate life at large law firms. (Until they become partners, that is.)

Jim Calloway's Law Practice Tips Blog discusses the most important button on your mobile phone. (Try guessing before you click.)

LawBiz Blog finds a law firm profitability lesson in a college hoops game. (Go Bruins!)

Leadership for Lawyers comments on the ABA's "Blawg 100," a list of the top 100 legal blogs. (For the record, we was robbed!)

Legal Business Development explains why ignoring "good ideas" for growing your practice might actually help you achieve that goal. (Okay then, no swimsuit at your next beauty contest.)

Legal Ease Blog explores the risks associated with evaluating lawyers on the number of hours they bill. (Attach this Post when submitting your time.)

Legal Marketing Blog provides six tips on effective marketing in a weakening economy. (Tip Number 7: Stop reading this blog post and get back to work.)

Legal Sanity applies the broken windows theory to law practice, particularly keeping clients happy. (It's the little things ... like returning phone calls.)

Life at the Bar explains what it's like when a lawyer becomes a party to a lawsuit and needs to hire a lawyer. (If you really want to blow your mind, think about a lawyer hiring a lawyer to sue a lawyer for malpractice.)

Want an extra $100,000 on your W-2 this year? More Partner Income explains how. (No, you won't have to send a check or money order for $59.95 for a set of videotapes.)

Nerino Petro's Compujurist.com recently published an in-depth review of Microsoft OneNote 2007. (Shame on us for not doing so.)

Passion, People and Principles has assembled the 20 worst Beatles songs as proof that "no-one ever achieves a consistently high standard." (Someone doesn't like the White Album.)

Ross Ipsa Loquitur tells you how to email Steve Ballmer. (Because of the volume of messages he receives, his reply may come from a retirement community 40 years from now.)

Slaw unveils the Slaw Timeline, a PDF file that summarizes each blog Post published during the past week using a timeline. (Did they use TimeMap? TimelineXpress? Timeline Maker Professional? Do tell.)

Strategic Legal Technology discusses two new social networks for lawyers, JD Supra and Legal Onramp, describing them as "conceptually similar to Counsel Connect." (Let's not forget LawCommerce.com.)

The Common Scold's Monica Bay becomes the last person on the planet to buy an iPod. (Her Walkman bypassed eBay and went straight to the Smithsonian.)

The Mac Lawyer summarizes a recent seminar on using a Mac for trial presentations. (Tip: Hire Steve Jobs to give your closing argument.)

The Marcus Perspective delves into the world of surveys, and provides some tips on how to use and not misuse them. (Take that Richard Dawson.)

The [Non]Billable Hour concludes that the only real difference between a large law firm and a venture-backed startup company is the $5,000 espresso machine. (Does anyone sell cost recovery software for macchiatos?)

What About Clients? reports that cost cutting at large companies may benefit small law firms. (Or perhaps law firms in India.)

Wired GC explores the problems general counsel face when they cut legal costs. (Like having to pay in Rupees.)

Our Picks from This Week's Blawg Review Submissions ...

Slate's new legal blog, Convictions, argues that the Supreme Court has a pro-business bias. (Well, the Framers were wealthy businessmen.)

Death and Taxes has an excellent cross-selling suggestion for family law practitioners. (Ka-ching!)

Small Business Trends echoes our sentiments about the foolishness of not listing executive bios on your Web site. (We told you so.)

Sharp Brains suggests you try to relax a little. (Maybe we should have linked to just one blog post in this Blawg Review.)

Professor Marc John Randazza of the Legal Satyricon took Sharp Brains' advice and makes two important announcements as a result. (Congratulations.)

And that's all for Blawg Review 152! Next week, 153 at Declarations and Exclusions.

Blawg Review has information about next week's host, and instructions how to get your blawg posts reviewed in upcoming issues.

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.

Presenters: Carolyn Elefant and David Masters
Friday, March 14 at 8:30 am

A small firm or solo attorney could hardly ask for more. Before me, on the second day of what was already shaping up to be the most interesting TechShow in years, sat a pair of legends in solo practice — Carolyn Elefant and David Masters.

They needed no introduction to the standing-room-only crowd that had packed the Hilton meeting room that morning. Nor do they need an introduction to any of us who believe in the Internet as the great leveler. They were here to discuss how to make smart technology decisions as a small firm and solo practice lawyer. They wasted no time setting out the factors to consider:

• Cost
• Mobility
• Ease of Use
• Available Support
• Compatibility
• Security

With these in mind, technology decisions can be narrowed down to:

• Mac v. PC
• Laptops v. Desktops
• Multiple Monitors
• Multifunction Machines
• Handheld Computers
• Software
• Collaboration
• Adobe Acrobat
• Backup Strategies
• Communications Tools
• Email Tools

Mac v. PC

Proponents of the Mac will tell you they are more stable, virtually virus-proof, easy to use, intuitive, and have more third party applications being built for them all the time. PC people on the other hand point out that PC's have a lower overall operating cost, are slightly less expensive to acquire, have far more third party applications available, and simply represent the flagship of business computing. Since neither side has been proven 100% right or wrong yet, the speakers suggested an integration strategy. Since PCs and Macs can coexist on the same network, bi-curious practitioners should mix and match to determine which system works better for them.

[They can also co-exist in the same computer with virtualization software like Parallels and Fusion.]

Laptop v. Desktop

David was quite clear about his preference for a laptop, citing its inherent mobility, fewer moving parts to damage, synchronization with your home office, and the drop in price in recent years. Desktops on the other hand remain the champs when it comes to power, applications, and configuration options. In the end, all that extra RAM and ROM will secure the position of the desktop as ruler of the law office until laptops establish an insurmountable advantage or can't-do-without-it set of features (MacBook Air anyone?).

[While tablet PC's were not discussed, I'd bet money they will be on next year's agenda].

Note: When selecting a laptop, look for

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
• At least 1 GB of RAM
• At least 80 GB Hard Drive
• CD/RW-DVD capability
• At least a 14" screen

Multiple Monitors

Dual monitors were generally acknowledged to increase productivity and therefore ROI. In that regard the UltraMon utility was recommended by David. The point is to situate programs on the various screens (one or two per monitor) and reduce the number of clicks it takes to complete a task or switch between tasks. There was really no dispute from those present.

[Incidentally, the University of Utah just released a study finding that a 24 inch monitor is ideal for maximizing productivity. It did not study dual monitor use. See Ben Worthen, Bigger Computer Monitors = More Productivity, Wall Street Journal.]

Multifunction Machines

The topic of multifunction machines that print, scan, copy, and fax went without much fanfare. Who could object? In fact the very idea of a single-use machine seems archaic nowadays — although David expressed his wistfulness for some fine machines from his past. Added features to keep in mind include 2-sided printing and scanning, as well as faxing both in "hard copy" form and electronically (though electronic faxing is generally done from the desktop via software such as eFax and WinFax).

Handheld Computers

There was much to discuss here, with the debate centering on whether a PDA needs to be bundled with a phone and whether its true purpose is to unify communications, enhance mobility, un-tether users from the office, or act as a low-resolution laptop replacement. At this point an audience member asked whether anything inhabited the space in-between handhelds and laptops. Enter the sub-notebook. Another audience member had one to show. In the end the speakers ticked off a list of suitable units including:

• iPhone
• Palm Treo
• BlackBerry
• Sony
• Motorola Q

Software

Nowadays software is everywhere and nowhere. Lawyers can't work without good software, but often try to make their software do what it can't. Stick to the basics:

Word-Processing
The usual suspects here include Microsoft Word (2003, 2007, etc.) and of course Corel's sentimental favorite WordPerfect product. Less traditional but more interesting alternatives include OpenOffice (now NeoOffice) and Google Docs. There is an abundance of choice in this department.

Digital Dictation
Again, the standards were trotted out here including Dragon NaturallySpeaking and (surprise!) outsourcing in India or even near-sourcing in the U.S. by using a digital dictation and transcription service.

[Last year at TechShow, a company called QuickSek had a booth. This company transcribes overnight or even the same day — you can dictate by phone. No booth this year.]

Practice Management
Amicus Attorney, Time Matters, PracticeMaster, and ProLaw were mentioned by the speakers; and although Outlook 2007 appears to be creeping into the space traditionally occupied by such products, it was specifically not recommended as a practice management solution. The speakers were clear on that.

Time and Billing
In this category Timeslips, Tabs3, and PCLaw were the favorites.

[Again, Outlook was not mentioned although the Journal feature includes a timer. Also missing was new market entrant Bill4Time, a Web application.]

Collaboration

The speakers mixed things up a bit here, beginning with the more traditional concept of the Extranet and proceeding to the more exotic offerings from BaseCamp, Zoho, Google Apps, and the wonderful world of Wikis. It's no coincidence that the ABA just published an entire book on this subject. For the audience at this event however, there was no need to go into any great detail. Any of the suggested solutions was adequate for the needs of a small firm or sole-practitioner.

Adobe Acrobat

David Masters wrote the book on Adobe Acrobat for lawyers. No, really; he wrote The Lawyer's Guide to Adobe Acrobat, now in its second edition. So it was no surprise that David considers Acrobat to be the most efficient document format in the market, as well as the standard for e-filing and scanning. He recommended using a sheet-fed, flatbed scanner for best results.

Backup Strategies

Already the source of much confusion and fear, backing up is essential. With that in mind both Carolyn and David suggested:

• Daily backup is essential — develop the discipline.
• Make sure you're catching relevant files in each backup.
• Make sure you can restore reliably using this system.
• Backup off-site as well as on-site.

Communications Tools

Sure, voice over IP (VoIP) is less expensive than using traditional telephone lines and cell towers, but is it time for a small-firm or sole-practitioner to take the plunge? According to these speakers yes — the time has come. In addition, users now have an unprecedented choice of Internet-based calling, messaging, and communication options including:

• Free Conference Call
• Grand Central

Email Tools

As the price of email technology and storage has plummeted the small-firm and solo attorney has been deluged with the same range of choices as a big-firm practitioner: desk-based, Web-based, POP3, IMAP, Exchange, etc. The point is to use the safest alternative and always get a good spam filtering system.

Conclusion

At the end of presentation the audience gave the speakers a well-deserved ovation. Also, I'm guessing they left better off than they arrived. I know I did. Unfortunately however, I had to be in court by mid-day so this was the end of day two of TechShow for me. Still, if I had to pick only one session to attend this was it.

Read more firsthand reports from ABA TechShow 2008.

About TechnoLawyer Trade Show Reports
Even in today's wired world, trade shows continue to play an important role. But not everyone can attend trade shows. Hence, our trade show reports, which bring trade shows to you. You can find our trade show reports here in TechnoLawyer Blog, and also in TechnoGuide, a free newsletter that also contains exclusive content. Learn more about TechnoGuide.

Coming March 25, 2008 to TechnoFeature: LegalTech exemplifies why trade shows still matter — they bring together many of the best minds in the industry. This year, Envision Agency hosted the InsideLegal Summit, a new venue for learning and networking. In this article, our insiders — legal technology superstars Brett Burney and Ross Kodner — provide an exclusive look into this year's InsideLegal Summit — who attended and what they discussed. The topics run the gamut from vendor roles at trade shows and conferences to industry consolidation to the difference between US and UK legal markets. Wish you were a fly on the wall? Our inside scoop is the next best thing.

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 March 27, 2008 to Answers to Questions: Nathaniel Barber discusses the role of technology in the grand scheme of being a good and competent lawyer, Gray Strickland suggests using VNC remote access software for accessing your server and also reviews his dual monitors, Erin Baldwin reviews the Defense Research Institute case database for finding expert witnesses plus a new LexisNexis service, Gregory Landry explains two ways to avoid showing your computer's desktop to the audience during a presentation, and Thomas F. McDow reviews Loislaw. Don't miss this issue.

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

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an email archiving and disaster recovery solution (see article below), a turnkey hardware/software paperless office system that works with any scanner or MFP, and a new 46 inch plasma TV for movie buffs and gamers alike. Don't miss the next issue.

Hold Everything
By Neil J. Squillante

Have you ever rummaged through a shoe box of old photos trying to decide which ones to have scanned and which ones to discard only to realize making case by case decisions is incredibly slow and inefficient? Chance are you'll just send the entire shoe box off for scanning.

Email archiving is similar. While most email archiving solutions encourage you to develop policies as to what to keep and what to discard, Forensic and Compliance System takes a different approach with its Cryoserver email archiving appliance — keep everything.

As a result, the company claims that Cryoserver is the only solution that has a complete record of all your email and attachments, including metadata. And because Cryoserver consists of a software-hardware combination, the company further claims that your data is collected in a forensically-sound and tamper-proof manner. The need for a litigation hold doesn't exist in a Cryoserver world because you're always holding everything.

When you first install Cryoserver, it can transparently offload email from Microsoft Exchange servers. Because of the volume of data Cryoserver stores, it provides robust tools for finding what you need in seconds for eDiscovery purposes or simply because you mistakenly deleted a message. You can access Cryoserver through your email program or a Web browser, both of which offer a familiar interface to reduce the learning curve.

Cryoserver offers protection against disasters through it's replication technology, which requires one or more Cryoserver appliances in other locations. Also, Cryoserver can scale from just a handful of email accounts at a small firm to more than one hundred thousand accounts at large corporations. Learn more about Cryoserver.

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.

Presenters: Sharon Nelson, Timothy Johnson, and Dan Pinnington
Thursday, March 13 at 5:15 pm

You'd think that a session held at the end of a very long first day of the TechShow would be a drag, right? But you'd be wrong. Timothy Johnson, Executive Director of the Law Practice Management Publishing, Sharon Nelson, President of Sensei Enterprises and Chair of the Law Practice Management Publishing Board, and Dan Pinnington, Director of practicePRO and Chair of the Webzine Board for Law Practice Today, delivered a helpful presentation for the prospective authors in attendance.

Publishing a Book

The speakers demystified the book publishing process by breaking it down into five simple steps:

1. Informal Proposal
Propose an idea to Sharon and Tim. It's probably a good idea to review what the ABA's Law Practice Management Section has already published. If they think your proposal has merit and it does not duplicate something already in the works by another author, you are off to the races.

2. Proposal Form
Complete a proposal form on the ABA's Web site. Your proposal will then be reviewed by the Publication Board and, if approved, then you are on your way to being immortalized in print, ABA-style.

3. Write the Book
Now, for the hard part. To help you with the process of actually writing your book, the ABA will assign a Project Manager-Editor. Hey, someone has to keep you on schedule. At this point you'll:

• Sign an authorship agreement.
• Propose a timeline (usually 6-12 months).

And remember, this isn't a law review! It's a practical way to share your knowledge and best-practices with lawyers like yourself. Don't forget to include such value-added features as:

• Checklists
• Diagrams
• Lists
• Practice Pointers
• Charts
• Tables
• Data, data, and more data

Once your oeuvre is complete, the time until publication will be about four months. The ABA retains the copyright.

4. Marketing Your Book
The ABA does its share of marketing on your behalf, but it doesn't hurt to sell, sell, sell. Turn to fellow authors, bloggers, Internet talk-shows (podcasts), and don't forget online publications like TechnoLawyer.

5. Royalties
Watch the royalties roll in at the rate of 10% of gross sales. Most books don't make it past their first edition, which is generally about 1,000 copies (although this ranges from as few as one hundred to several thousand). Who knows, maybe you'll become the Stephen King of the legal world, but 1,000 copies is still a good return on investment.

Additional Publishing Opportunities

The ABA has a number of other publications as well, including:

• Magazines
• eZines
• Podcasts
• eBooks
• Blogs
• Form Banks

Magazine Publishing

Law Practice is the flagship publication of the Law Practice Management Section.

• Submissions should be about 1,500-2,000 words.
• Topics should be informative and practical too.
• Circulation of the magazine is 20,000+.
• Authors are not paid.
• The magazine retains copyright (or right of first refusal).

eZine Publishing

Dan Pinnington encouraged people to contact him to discuss submissions to the ABA's eZine, Law Technology Today.

• Submissions should be about 1,000 words.
• Topics should be educational and practical.
• There is usually quick editorial turnaround.
• Expect good exposure due to high traffic.
• Authors are not paid.

Party Time?

And with that, day one of TechShow ended ... at least the official part. At 6:30 in the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton the ABA hosted a wingding of sorts known simply as TechShow After Dark. In addition, a series of working social dinners assembled around discrete topics. As for your humble reporter, I had a quick look around upstairs and went home to write. It was a long day.

Read more firsthand reports from ABA TechShow 2008.

About TechnoLawyer Trade Show Reports
Even in today's wired world, trade shows continue to play an important role. But not everyone can attend trade shows. Hence, our trade show reports, which bring trade shows to you. You can find our trade show reports here in TechnoLawyer Blog, and also in TechnoGuide, a free newsletter that also contains exclusive content. Learn more about TechnoGuide.

Presenters: Adriana Linares and Catherine Sanders Reach
Thursday, March 13 at 4:15 pm

Every year the LPM Section includes a series of "roundtable" sessions designed for attendees to share real-world experiences with colleagues. However, these roundtable sessions are presided over by speakers with a great deal of experience.

This session featured uber-trainer and TechShow board member Adriana Linares of LawTech Partners and Catherine Sanders Reach of the ABA's Legal Technology Resource Center, both of whom shared their insights on one of the most ubiquitous and vexing of all office applications — Outlook.

The discussion/lecture covered Outlook 2003 and 2007 based on a 50/50 show of hands from the audience — meaning presumably that nobody in the audience used an older version than that, or was willing to fess up if they did. In any case I was lucky to be seated up-front because it was a packed house with the speakers and the audience engaged in a rapid-fire exchange. The allotted hour hardly seemed adequate for the number of useful tidbits flying from the speakers or the many questions lobbed from those in attendance. I've tried to capture the highlights of the discussion by topic for the benefit of our readers. Enjoy.

Searching

The principal difference between Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2007 when it comes to searching is that the latter has search built-in, while the former uses the anemic search utility that comes bundled with Windows. Outlook 2007 even highlights search terms automatically and with a simple right-click can accommodate some of the most common searches such as "related messages" and messages from a particular sender or conversation thread. Popular add-ons for searching in Outlook include:

• Google Desktop
• Copernic Desktop
• X1
• LookOut (Outlook 2003 only)

Another useful practice is to save and re-use effective search strings and put the results into a particular folder, such as "Today's Mail," "Messages from Mom," etc. Using pre-written searches in conjunction with follow up flags, deadlines, tasks, and labels (aka 'tags' by name, event, etc.) will provide the most effective search results.

Backup

When backing up items related to you look for your particular .pst file. You can download a Personal Folder Backup tool at the Outlook Web site that automatically backs up your .pst's. Yet another backup technique involves creating a shortcut to your .pst folders (once you find them 7 levels deep in the file hierarchy) and periodically backing up to that location. The resulting backup folder can be password protected for security and saved to a CD for permanency. The speakers suggest keeping all personal information in such folders, including not just email but calendar items, contacts, tasks, etc. so that you can restore your identity in the event of corruption, destruction, damage, etc.

Archiving

Yet another way to use .pst files is to archive and remove all messages, calendar items, tasks, and contacts related to a closed case. The speakers pointed out that archived files should be saved as searchable PDF documents rather than in native format to ensure longevity. One advantage of using PDF in such situations is that it preserves the attachments as well their host email messages. But be sure to keep it uniform — for example, Outlook 2003 saves archived items as PDF files while Outlook 2007 saves them as more complete (but space-intensive) PDF packages.

Sorting

A truly useful alternative to searching for items is to sort them to a reliable location in the first place. That's where the use of Outlook Rules comes in. Adriana Linares suggests using Rules retroactively as well to gather all like messages, contacts, calendar items, and tasks in a single place. But before you set up a gaggle of rules that could actually counter-act one another, consider this handy scenario proposed by Adriana Linares:

• Add a "To" field in your Inbox to identify items sent directly to you by name as opposed to those sent to a group of which you are a member, a discussion forum, your company, etc.

• Further categorize messages by color-coding or sorting, with only the ones sent directly to you visible up-front (or identified in an eye-catching color).

Simple but effective. Likewise, consider this tip for viewing multiple or like calendar items on the same page: hold down the Control key and select multiple items or dates with your mouse to display your schedule for all of those items on a single page (which you can print, or save as a custom calendar view).

Contacts

To take advantage of the built-in contact relationship management (CRM) feature in Outlook, drag all the items (calendar, task, etc.) related to that contact into their "notes" panel. While it is tempting to including documents related to a contact in this easy-to-use drag-and-drop area, the speakers strongly counsel against it. Once you've done this you can keep related items connected going forward by using the "related contact" field.

To speed the process further hold down Alt K and put in portion of a contact's name — Outlook finds the rest and fills it in for you. After that you can spread your own contact information by including vCards in your email messages and downloading vCard attachments from those with whom you communicate. Once a contact has been included in your system the process of connecting them to the right items and staying connected begins all over again.

Outlook as Case Management System

On this topic the ABA will soon publish a series by Ben Shore. Until then the question remains whether Outlook can be used as a kind of case-management system. According to the speakers: short answer is "no ... but" and long answer is "yes ... if." Got that?

Case Management Systems with two-way Outlook integration:

• Amicus Attorney
• Tabs 3
• ProLaw
• Time Matters

Third party plug-ins that almost make Outlook into a Case Management System:

• Anagram
• LinkedIn Toolbar
• Hiddenbcc
• SpeedFiler
• QuickFile 4Outlook - Lawyer's Edition
• GTD Plug-In for Outlook
• Payne Metadata Assistant
• Xobni (currently in beta, look for coverage in TechnoLawyer NewsWire when released)

[I myself suggest Agendus and 4Team.]

Finally, oh ye of little faith behold: Outlook now synchronizes with Google Calendar! Hallelujah! Also worth noting in this department is Plaxo, which has attempted to become your universal online calendar, contact manager, and social networking hub — and yes, it synchronizes with Outlook, Google, MSN, AOL, and the rest of the Internet alphabet soup.

Read more firsthand reports from ABA TechShow 2008.

About TechnoLawyer Trade Show Reports
Even in today's wired world, trade shows continue to play an important role. But not everyone can attend trade shows. Hence, our trade show reports, which bring trade shows to you. You can find our trade show reports here in TechnoLawyer Blog, and also in TechnoGuide, a free newsletter that also contains exclusive content. Learn more about TechnoGuide.

Presenters: Brett Burney and Dominic Jaar
Saturday, March 15 at 8:30 am

It turns out I already knew one of the speakers at this seminar. Dominic Jaar works at Bell Canada and has been a correspondent of mine on FaceBook for a while.

Brett Burney started us off with a joke and led seamlessly into Dominic's first demonstration: sending a presentation to the projector wirelessly via his BlackBerry. That was met with a well-earned round of applause, and was a great way to demonstrate what this session was all about — remote control, mobile style.

With that, the panel launched into the meat of the presentation: an assessment of what was out there for the road warrior. The discussion focused on the most popular and powerful hand-held multi-task devices:

• BlackBerry
• Treo (and Palm)
• iPhone

BlackBerry

According to Dominic Jaar the Blackberry is the "default phone" for mobile lawyers. Device manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) provides a number of ways in which users can make BlackBerry their own and enhance productivity including:

1. Customizing the look and feel.

2. Customizing the ring tones.

3. Full suite of built-in options.

4. Gaggle of 3rd party applications.

BlackBerry presentation tools such as the one demonstrated by Dominic include:

• BBScreenStream (real-time stream and record)
• Jl_Cmder (wiping out sensitive information)

Joining a user community can also enhance and extend the BlackBerry experience. Some of Dominic's favorites include:

• PinStack
• CrackBerry
• BlackBerry Cool
• Berry Review

If you're going mobile then you've got to use digital dictation. Regardless of the system you choose the idea is to record and send wirelessly. Dominic uses a combination of RDM Plus, VR+, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking to dictate and send documents directly to his desktop for later editing or right to his secretary/assistant for real-time productivity.

Speaking of documents, BlackBerry does not use the Microsoft Office suite. Instead RIM has prompted a number of third party vendors like e-Office whose products allow you to create and even edit documents on the fly. You can send the output wirelessly to a Bluetooth enabled printer or fax machine.

In fact honest-to-goodness mobile lawyering requires Bluetooth in abundance: from phones and ear pieces to printers and computers. This means that you can skip the bulk by using peripherals wherever you are as long as you have plenty of onboard storage (such as a 2 GB memory stick) or are "tethering" — that is, constantly connected to a virtual private network (VPN) at the office. But the real advantage to tethering is when you start with an unlimited data plan then use your BlackBerry as a modem to interact with the VPN and its members. For now tethering is a large-firm technique but as costs come down its use will continue to grow.

When it comes to saving money and making the BlackBerry (or any mobile solution) affordable, it's hard to beat solutions that use voice over IP (VOIP) to replace toll-calls with calls via fixed-fee data plans (often at a fraction of regular cell service).  Such applications include:

• Iskoot (best — as it uses Skype)
• Jajah
• Eqo
• Raketu

BlackBerry's email capabilities are legendary, but dealing with voluminous mail is another story. To cleanly and painlessly review reams of email (or just check your messages from a week ago), Dominic recommended:

• SmartView
• Empower

Google is Here and BlackBerry May Never Be the Same

While its suite of lightweight applications is ideal for the BlackBerry, Google was long rumored to be coming out with its own mobile "phone." That is, until it turned out that rumors of the gPhone had been greatly exaggerated and the real deal turned out to be "Android," Google's mobile platform designed to allow innovative small companies to create applications (much like RIM has done with BlackBerry itself).

Compare Apple's proprietary iPhone and its recent release of its software development kit (SDK) to developers to Google's commitment to open standards. Despite the cachet of the iPhone, Google and RIM may take the day — consider Google's current mobile platform — maps, mail, documents, calendar, RSS reader, the so-called Google Mobile Updater (really an all-in-one update), mobile search, and more.

Palm

Palm has been around the longest and is responsible for the beloved Treo line of smartphones such as:

• Treo 680
• Palm Centro [highly recommended]

One interesting note about Palm-enabled devices is that they can connect to the Internet without having to rely on WiFi by using applications such as those offered by June Networks. Both of these give you a choice of Sprint/Verizon or AT&T and, like all devices running the Palm operating system (OS), integrate with Palm Desktop as well as Outlook.

Of course Palm Desktop has become a bit of a dinosaur. It was the company's attempt to create a proprietary personal information manager (PIM) but was virtually abandoned in the shadow of Outlook. Just as well though, since it turns out that the ability to send and receive email is what really drives the popularity of mobile handsets and operating systems (hence BlackBerry's reign). In short, PIM RIP.

As for documents on Palm, users appear to be more interested in viewing them than composing them. The speaker's choice in this department was "Documents to Go" from DataViz, which opens all Microsoft Office documents including Office 2007 documents, as well as PDFs.

When it comes to email, for large firms, the name of the game is not pull but push. That is, lawyers whose home offices need to send them information want to have the right documents and messages pushed out to them (such as by means of a Microsoft Exchange client). Small-firm and solo attorneys however, generally pull messages, documents, and other information from a server using a POP3 or IMAP format.  In any case, applications of note in this department include

• SnapperMail
• ChatterEmail ["pull" clients — check server]
• VersaMail by GoodLink ["push" clients — constant sync]

iPhone

Short on time, the speakers blew through this part of the presentation and had precious little to say about the iPhone as a business tool in any event, pointing out that use of Apple in the business context remained an open question. They did list the following pros and cons:

Negatives

• Cannot add memory.
• Cannot replace battery easily.
• Lack of business applications.
• Lack of third party partners.
• Must use iTunes.
• Must use AT&T.
• ATT's Internet access ("Edge") sucks.
• No copy/paste.
• No to-do list.

Positives

This section intentionally left blank ... well okay, it's really cool.

The consensus was that having an iPhone was a blast, but using it for business was a chore. Maybe the next-generation iPhone will get it right.

Download Dominic's presentation (ppt).

Read more firsthand reports from ABA TechShow 2008.

About TechnoLawyer Trade Show Reports
Even in today's wired world, trade shows continue to play an important role. But not everyone can attend trade shows. Hence, our trade show reports, which bring trade shows to you. You can find our trade show reports here in TechnoLawyer Blog, and also in TechnoGuide, a free newsletter that also contains exclusive content. Learn more about TechnoGuide.