TechnoLawyer

The holiday shopping season has officially begun! I can't wait to worm my way through the crowds at the mall or better yet on Fifth Avenue. Yippee!

On second thought, I think I'll once again do all my Christmas shopping online. Below I've compiled some online shopping ideas for the lawyers in your life. Please reply to share your own tips.

The Billable Hour: This online store sells "clever gifts and greeting cards for legal professionals."

Carbolic Smoke Ball: This online store features kitschy merchandise with a legal theme. If you have any accountants, dentists, doctors, and/or politicians on your list, you'll find gifts for them as well.

LawGallery: In this online store, you'll find fine art depicting courtroom and other legal-oriented subjects. (LawGallery is featured on pages 273-274 of TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide.)

Law School in a Box: Though too late for you, this $15 item could save your kids from the financial burdens of law school.

Lawyer Cookie Arrangement: A cute collection of cookies shaped like books, briefcases, and gavels (see above photo).

2007 Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers: BlawgWorld blogger Reid Trautz has published his third consecutive list of gift ideas for lawyers. Among his suggestions, you'll find Office Pillows, SoundView Executive Book Summaries, and my favorite, the Dough-Nu-Matic.

Holiday Gift Guide for Librarians: Let's not forget your favorite law librarian. In this guide, BlawgWorld blogger Bonnie Shucha unearths some great finds, including librarian action figures and Secret Storage Books.

A tip of the blog to Legal Underground for inspiring this article.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Like everyone else who started an online media company at the end of last century, I let my common sense guide me when it came to creating the rules of the road since none of us had a manual.

The rules I created run decidedly counter to the rules that eventually emerged as the conventional wisdom. Nowhere is TechnoLawyer's divergence from the "norm" more evident than with user-generated content, particularly product reviews.

I don't profess to have had a Eureka moment, but it just seemed like a good idea to require all contributors to sign their real name and email address at a minimum (most provide all their contact information), and disclose any conflicts of interest. As you know, most online forums don't have such requirements.

Today I report some sad news: I no longer feel I can rely on user-generated content outside of TechnoLawyer.

Many unbiased reviews exist on blogs and even in online stores. But trying to distinguish them from fake and paid reviews has become challenging for me let alone the average consumer.

Savvy companies realize that people trust balanced reviews more than glowing reviews. Therefore, they anonymously post reviews of their own products that contain some (but usually not much) criticism. Conversely, they also post somewhat balanced though mostly negative reviews of competitive products. Balanced or not, a fake review remains useless.

I still enjoy reading these anonymous "user" reviews, but I no longer trust any of them. I trust ads more because they're authentic in the sense that you know their origin.

I bought a product recently even though every review of that product across the Web was written by the same person. But hey, it was just a $6 product. For more expensive purchases, if TechnoLawyer can't help I use my legal skills to grill a salesperson.

While fake product reviews are especially pernicious, the problem runs much deeper. For example, last week TechCrunch published an article entitled The Secret Strategies Behind Many Viral Videos that explored the tactics used to propel videos to the top of YouTube, including fake arguments in the comments.

Do you trust user-generated content on sites that don't require signatures and disclosures? If not, how do you evaluate products?

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 27, 2007 to TechnoFeature: t's 4:30. You need to fax a 40-page document to one person and email it in PDF format to another person ASAP before the close of business. Sound familiar? In this article, attorney David Hiersekorn reviews Zetafax Duo 2007, which combines PDF automation and desktop faxing, and integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Exchange. David shares how he has integrated Zetafax Duo 2007 into his practice as well as his likes and dislikes.

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

Coming November 30, 2007 to Fat Friday: Ted Brooks explains how to manage your trial exhibits with TrialDirector, Wandal Winn explains how he digitized 3,000 family slides, Time Matters CIC Thomas Caffrey discusses why he won't join the Time Matters-Clarion discussion, Thomas RuBane offers a clever way to create strong passwords for free, and James Keuning reviews Best Skins Ever's iPhone skin. 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 29, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Andrea Cannavina discusses the three primary options for digital dictation, Jeff Scott Olson reviews PaperPort used in conjunction with ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional, Caren Schwartz discusses the ins and outs of choosing the right accounting/time-billing software, Douglas Folk offers some sound advice to anyone having trouble with a faulty laptop touchpad, and Lewis Kinard provides a tip for using a laptop and an external monitor with Windows XP (plus a strange predicament you may experience with multiple monitors). 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.

Coming November 21, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Thomas Stirewalt explains how to link exhibits and deposition or trial transcripts using software you probably already have, Darren Cantor reviews LaserFiche for reviewing discovery documents, William E. Olson reviews UltraMon for dual monitors, Robert McNeill clarifies some misconceptions about Time Matters such as whether it's matter- or calendar-oriented, and Paul Bannon reviews his experience using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9. 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.

Coming November 19, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Barry Hubbard reports on how he uses Linux in his small practice, William Elias explains how to use your Treo 700p to provide wireless Internet access for your laptop, Susan Zachos provides a helpful tip for improving Time Matters' performance, Brian McCollum reviews RoboForm, and Gerri Martin points to some resources to help you choose your time-billing software (and we add to her list of resources with some our own recommendations). 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.

Coming November 20, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Caren Schwartz provides some tips on using QuickBooks for trust accounting, Thomas F. McDow explains how to make the most of your front and back office software, Paul Mathias shares his experiences with multiple monitors (and we point to nifty solution favored by hedge funds), Charlotte Quiroz discusses the costs associated with Tabs3 and the various training options, and Morris Tabush offers some suggested products for shared calendars (and we provide some suggestions of our own). 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 a deposition transcript and video management program (see below), automated document scanning software, and an Outlook add-on for sending email newsletters and email greeting cards. Don't miss the next issue.

The Next Best Thing to Live Testimony
By Taeho Lim

A long time ago, filmmaker George Lucas wrote the following in his screenplay for a movie called "Star Wars": "Luke pushes off and they swing across the treacherous abyss to the corresponding hatchway on the opposite side." As thrilling as it reads, it doesn't compare to the actual visual of Luke and Princess Leia's famous jump in the finished film.

Litigators understand the impact of visuals as well as any Hollywood filmmaker. As a result, video depositions have exploded in popularity. But there's a downside to video — the myriad of of providers, camera types, codecs, encoding formats, etc. Fortunately, inData Corporation's new DepoView 5.1 addresses this issue by providing a standardized, easy-to-use format. Just ask your court reporter or videographer to deliver your next video deposition in DepoView format, along with the synchronized video.

So what exactly does DepoView do? The primary screen displays the video on the right side and corresponding portion of the synchronized transcript on the left side. A Search box enables you to find keywords and watch that portion of the testimony. You can also use the hyperlinked index to jump to a relevant portion of the transcript.

When you find a section you'd like to "clip," simply select the testimony and click the "Make Clip" button. You can then export these clips and use them in inData's TrialDirector trial presentation software as well as in other programs such as LiveNote, PowerPoint, CT Summation, etc. You can also display your clips in full screen mode using DepoView itself.

DepoView also enables you to work with the transcript text and and view accompanying exhibits. You can print full or condensed transcripts and exhibits.

The new version of DepoView 5.1 features an updated interface and enhanced compatibility with popular litigation support tools such as the ability to export true Summation .sbf files. DepoView users also now have the option to send transcript text with or without video when creating a new PowerPoint presentation. Rendering of condensed transcript printing has also been improved in the latest version.

DepoView is usually offered at little or no charge from your local videographer or court reporter, as part of their video syncing services. Learn more about DepoView 5.1.

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.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a deposition transcript and video management program, automated document scanning software, and an Outlook add-on for sending email newsletters and email greeting cards (see below). Don't miss the next issue.

Use Outlook to Give Your Clients Steak and Sizzle
By Taeho Lim

In a perfect world, you would take every client out to a steak dinner every week. But that's not feasible even if you have only one client so your next best bet for staying in touch is an email newsletter. Or at least an annual holiday email greeting this time of year.

Just one wrinkle exists — how to email your clients en masse. Sending email to a group of people nowadays is fraught with risk because of spam filters. Outlook4Lawyers believes the answer lies right under your nose — use Microsoft Outlook in conjunction with its eMailMerge 4Outlook PRO, which adds email newsletter and email greeting card functionality to Outlook.

eMailMerge 4Outlook PRO uses a wizard to walk you through the process of creating and sending a newsletter or greeting card. It also adds a button to your Outlook toolbar so that you can easily get started. Because it resides in Outlook, you can access your address book, send attachments, and send your newsletter from any of your addresses. You can manage your mailing list in Outlook or in Access or Excel.

Among the notable features, you can personalize your newsletter to increase the open rate. For example, you can greet each recipient by name and list their company name in the subject line.

eMailMerge 4Outlook PRO can send plain text, rich text, or HTML email. The ability to use HTML means you can design and send visually-rich holiday greetings, thank you notes, invitations, and other communications.

To avoid spam filters, eMailMerge 4Outlook PRO sends each recipient a separate email message. In other words, it does not send bulk mail. Also, the Delayed Batch Sending feature sends the messages one at a time rather than all at once to further avoid traps.

eMailMerge 4Outlook PRO sells for $69.95. There is no limit on usage. It works with Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007.  Learn more about eMailMerge 4Outlook PRO.

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.