Verizon XV6700/6800/6900 Review; ActiveWords Review; A Modest CLE Proposal; Biglaw Salaries; Office 2007 Correction
By Debra Bruce, Christel Burris, Michael Caldwell, Wesley Y.S. Chang, & Stephen Seldin
In this issue of Fat Friday, Debra Bruce reviews the Verizon XV6700 Pocket PC (and we comment on its successors), Wesley Y.S. Chang reviews ActiveWords and explains how he uses it in his practice, Stephen Seldin discusses how the Internet has affected CLE and how a different pricing structure could help, Christel Burris discusses the method behind the madness of Microsoft's various Office 2007 suites, and Michael Caldwell responds to the continuing discussion about biglaw associate salaries.
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. You can subscribe here.
OpenOffice, Firefox, and Linux; Deleting Data; Passwords Plus Review; PracticeMaster Review; Wayback Machine
By Craig S. Clark, Daniel Fennick, Brad Jensen, Mark Manoukian, & Theo Yates
In this issue of Answers to Questions, Mark Manoukian discusses the benefits of open source software (and how you might use it every day and not know), Brad Jensen explores whether reformatting your hard drive provides enough protection from snoops, Craig S. Clark reviews Passwords Plus as well as the Treo 700wx, Daniel Fennick reviews his experience using PracticeMaster and Tabs3 together, and Theo Yates reviews PDF995 PDF converter plus the Wayback Machine.
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. You can subscribe here.
As many of you know, I have used a Mac as my main machine since 1990. As a company, we currently own 4 Macs and 3 PCs with 2 new Macs about to replace 2 old Macs and 1 PC (one of the new Macs — mine — will also run Windows). I even watch Steve Jobs' keynote presentations (they're more entertaining than most TV shows).
Mac users have a reputation for evangelizing their choice of computer platform to others — kind of like a missionary. I've done it myself. But I'll be the first to admit that when Mac users act with such speed and zeal that they miss the point and fail to make a cogent argument, they can become annoying.
Case in point.
In the April 2nd issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire we covered the Asus MK241H, a 24 inch LCD monitor with a built-in Webcam for video-conferencing.
Almost immediately, two Mac fans within Technolawyer responded. The first wrote:
"Or ... you could just get an Apple PowerBook — either the iBook or the MacBook Pro. Both have a camera built in along with video conferencing software which runs like ... well, like a Mac."
This response has several problems. First, a few factual errors. The iBook and PowerBook never had a built-in Webcam (iSight). Apple introduced this feature with the MacBook and MacBook Pro in 2006. The MacBook Air also has a Webcam.
Second, did he read the article? We covered a 24 inch display with a Webcam! Suggesting that those interested in such a display instead use a notebook with a 13, 15, or 17 inch display misses the point — by 7-11 inches.
Apparently, he forgot that Apple sells two "headless" Macs — Mac Pro and Mac mini. People who use these Macs need external displays just as much as those who use headless PCs. And I know that at least some of these people (like me) want an integrated Webcam. So the Asus MK241H doesn't appeal only to PC users, but to Mac users as well.
Unfortunately, Apple has ignored its very own customers in this regard. It has not updated its line of 20, 23, and 30 inch Cinema Displays since 2004. Yes, 2004! None of them have a built-in Webcam. (Apple changed the specifications slightly in 2006.)
The other person who responded wrote:
"For several years, Apple's iMacs (computers integrated with monitors) have included built in video cameras, along with their excellent video conferencing software iChat. It's good to see the PC world is catching up."
While the iMac line does include a model with a 24 inch display, the line about the PC world catching up again ignores all the Mac Pro and Mac mini users who want a display with an integrated Webcam.
So, why would someone want a Mac Pro or Mac mini in the first place? Many reasons exist.
For example, the Mac Pro is the fastest Mac by far. It supports dual displays out of the box. Its four hard drive bays eliminate the need for external drives and messy cables.
The Mac mini is extremely portable and cheaper than a laptop. Set up a 24 inch monitor, keyboard, and mouse at your home, office, and vacation home, and just shuttle the Mac mini among all three locations.
Sadly, this tale has a sad ending. The Webcam in the Asus MK241H does not work with iChat, the video-conferencing software in Mac OS X.
In other words, isn't it about time Apple caught up with the PC world?
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.
Why GCs Favor Biglaw; How to Use Surveillance Software to Bill Your Time; How to Improve Legal Trade Shows; Recruiting Legal Assistants; Much More
By Nathaniel Barber, Debra Bruce, Barbara Norris, Colleen O'Donnell, & Michael Schwartz
In this issue of Fat Friday, Debra Bruce lists five reasons why general counsel choose big law firms (plus she offers suggestions for reducing attrition rates at large firms), Barbara Norris reviews Spector Software for billing your time (it's surveillance software), Colleen O'Donnell shares her wish list for future legal technology trade shows, Michael Schwartz responds to a recent TechnoFeature about hiring a legal assistant, and Nathaniel Barber challenges the claim that WordPerfect is a "Rosetta Stone."
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. You can subscribe here.
Beyond Online Calendaring; Password Mnemonic Tip; Adhesion Contracts; Word and WordPerfect; LexisNexis Tip
By Bruce Brightwell, Harry Dreier, David Herdman, James Keuning, & John Starkweather
In this issue of Answers to Questions, John Starkweather reviews several online calendaring and project management solutions, James Keuning reviews RoboForm and suggests a clever (and free) way to create strong passwords, Bruce Brightwell explains why lawyers shouldn't worry about legal research service adhesion contracts, David Herdman discusses the benefits of learning both Word and WordPerfect, and Harry Dreier shares his LexisNexis search results for "out of title" cases.
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. You can subscribe here.
One of our favorite contributors, trial consultant Lynn Packer, posted a YouTube video two days ago that showcases his DepoDisplay paperless deposition system.
Lynn has written several TechnoFeature articles for us in which he recounted his struggle to modernize courtrooms in Utah. Therefore, it's encouraging to see his vision up and running, albeit not in a courtroom, but in a forward-thinking Utah law firm.
More impressive than the courtroom gear is the DepoDisplay deposition system, which features a large screen at the foot of the deposition table for displaying exhibits and two operator-controlled cameras for capturing all the action. Watching this video is like traveling forward in time to a deposition in 2015 (click here if you can't see the video below).
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.
Clipping Web Pages; GFI Faxmaker Review; Monitor Tips; Adhesion Contracts; Word and Excel Training Books
By Steven Brower, Christel Burris, Barbara Durkin, Terry Mazura, & James Sayre
In this issue of Answers to Questions, James Sayre discusses various ways to save Web pages for future use (plus a tip of our own), Christel Burris reviews GFI Faxmaker for Exchange, Terry Mazura provides helpful advice for those who want to use two computers with one monitor (and one keyboard, one mouse, etc.), Steven Brower shares his thoughts on adhesion contracts, and law student Barbara Durkin reviews Payne Consulting's books Word 2003 for Law Firms and Excel for Law Firms.
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. You can subscribe here.
You hear a lot these days about people live-blogging trade shows and other events. But with few exceptions live blogging (perhaps we lawyers should call it realtime blogging) fails because quality writing takes time. It's sort of like the speed of light or the force of gravity. There's just no getting around it.
So when we began discussing how to cover ABA TECHSHOW 2008, we nixed the idea of live-blogging this important event. Instead, we decided to publish reports as quickly as possible while maintaining high standards. Call it retrospective blogging. Or just call it good reporting.
But don't worry. We're done! Below you'll find our complete coverage of ABA TECHSHOW 2008 — 13 reports. If you're still hungry for even more coverage, you'll also find links to 33 additional reports in other publications.
Crazy Mazy ... Trade shows are unpredictable. Whenever you bring together thousands of smart, free-thinking people, sparks will fly. So who better to cover ABA TECHSHOW than our most unpredictable TechnoLawyer correspondent and the ultimate free thinker — Mazyar Hedayat. Or as we call him, Crazy Mazy, a name inspired by Apple's famous Think Different ad campaign about free thinkers, which begins, "Here's to the the crazy ones." When he's not reporting on trade shows, Mazy practices law in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
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: Tom Mighell & Friends Saturday, March 15 at 11:00 am
In addition to being a perennial favorite among both attendees and speakers, this TechShow staple is a great opportunity for the crowd to let its collective hair down and enjoy an often irreverent, free-form look at the Internet for lawyers.
This year was no exception as TechShow chairman Tom Mighell and colleagues took to the dais and led us all a journey of self-discovery and good fun. Of course your humble reporter was bushed by then so I just sat back and enjoyed the show.
Of the 60 sites, below you'll find my favorite 8 in no particular order plus 2 that I would have included:
When just one know-it-all site isn't enough, turn to this bulletin board forum where you might find for instance that you're not the only one who thought the "tab" button on your keyboard would order you a soda ... or who had a particular PDF question. Same difference.
Dodgeball was among the poster-children of the early Web 2.0 movement. The speakers agreed this site is great for reaching people with text messages when they get near a given location.
This site is just what you would guess: a remedy for what ails you. It also represents the pinnacle of "giving it away" when it comes to really useful information. Try to find something software-related that it doesn't address.
8. Google (including Google Docs, Google Calendar, Gmail, Goog411, etc., etc., etc.)
There is absolutely nothing I can add here that hasn't been written to death ... except maybe this:
• Nearly every aspect of the Google Office Suite is in the throes of being upgraded and improved on a constant basis.
• When I remember how Google Docs drew "oohs" and "aahs" at last year's TechShow it blows my mind to hear it tossed out in such a matter of fact manner as a viable office suite. What's the world coming to?
Twitter asks that you answer the question "What are you doing?" Respond in 140 characters or less and you're twittering. Join thousands around the world doing the same or keep the conversation private. It's a combination SMS system, social network, and cultural phenomenon.
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.
It's hard to pick one Best of Show in a category like electronic discovery in which the vendors outnumber the attendees. Okay maybe that's a slight exaggeration but the number of electronic discovery vendors significantly outnumbered vendors in any other category. Among the many contenders, I tip my virtual hat to a pair of companies that represent opposite (but equally important) extremes in this space.
Hot Neuron announced the release of Clustify, which uses both concept and literal search paradigms to eliminate "near duplicates" (a hot topic nowadays) and extract meaning from reams of eDiscovery information. The resulting output is displayed in "clusters" of related documents. Pricing is flexible as well.
Clustify exemplifies the trend towards keeping applications light and simple. Hence it runs on anything from a laptop to a server without sacrificing its raison d'etre — finding and sorting information.
Kroll Ontrack has gotten eDiscovery right as well. But if Clustify demonstrates what a lightweight, focused application can do, Kroll shows us that keeping a hand in multiple areas does not doom a company's products to mediocrity.
Born out of the insurance industry, Kroll has become a major player in the eDiscovey space by combining homegrown technology with strategic acquisitions. Its lineup includes software, search, and consulting.
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.
Who says my Best of Show picks need to be edgy and sexy? Consider Legal Bar, an add-on for Microsoft Word and Outlook from BEC Legal Systems.
Legal Bar occupies a thimble of space on your hard drive, but does something every lawyer can appreciate — it puts a law-centric faceplate on two of the most ubiquitous programs in the office.
But rather than wasting space here talking about all the features you can read about at the company's Web site, let me just point out that while watching a demo I must have thought to myself "I should have thought of that" or "I've wanted to do that for years" about a dozen times. And since Legal Bar costs about $160, I'm out of reasons not to incorporate it into my practice.
Overall, Legal Bar represents a clever concept executed well and priced right. It's win-win. Legal Bar works with Office 2003 and Office 2007.
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.
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.
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!
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 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?)
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.)
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.)
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.
Computer Literacy Nice But; VNC Server; Zenview Monitors; Expert Witness Research; PowerPoint 2007; Loislaw
By Erin Baldwin, Nathaniel Barber, Gregory Landry, Thomas F. McDow, & Gray Strickland
In this issue of 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.
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. You can subscribe here.
InsideLegal Summit: A Look Inside the Legal Technology Business World
By Brett Burney & Ross Kodner
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 containing in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. You can subscribe here.
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:
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.
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.
So it's Friday night, getting late, and I've been at ABA TECHSHOW 2008 (hereinafter TechShow), sponsored by the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association. In the past 48 hours I've been misdirected, lost, achy, breaky, sleepy, and mildly amused. But did I learn anything? No time for existential questions ... it's time give the legions of TechnoLawyer subscribers something to read and hopefully some useful tips in the process. In this first report, I'll try to give you a flavor of TechShow — the sights, sounds, smells ... you know the cliche.
Thursday, March 14, 2008
4:30 am: Unlike most attendees and speakers who have flown in from around the country and only have to fight jetlag, I live about 30 miles outside Chicago so I need to wrestle with traffic before setting foot in the hotel. It's a 2-hour commute into the city no matter what and the Thursday preceding St. Patrick's Day would be no exception. (Note to TechShow Planning Committee — please consider returning TechShow to April.)
6:00 am: You only get once chance to make a first impression. I chose a dark blue suit and a shirt with a fine windowpane check, paired with an orange tie and handkerchief. Yes, that's me in the photo. I also armed myself with a legal pad, Redweld file, a pen, a highlighter, my iPhone, a digital camera, and a digital recorder. By the time I walked out the front door, my pockets were swinging uncontrollably from the weight and momentum of my multiple devices. Worse, the messenger-style bag I donned for the occasion cut mercilessly into my shoulder. Now I was ready.
7:40 am: Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Well, almost comes together. TechShow chair Tom Mighell (of Inter Alia fame) was giving the keynote address at 8:00 so all I had to do was make it to the Sheraton by then ... and I was making great time. The Sheraton Chicago has been the home of TechShow for nearly 10 years. Funny thing though ... it turns out that the TechShow board wanted to shake things up, which included changing the dates and venue of the show. (Second note to self — always read the literature before you show up.)
8:00 am: As I sprinted to the registration desk at the Sheraton I couldn't help noticing the lack of ABA paraphernalia in the familiar lobby with its serene, elegant waterfalls. At first this seemed like a refreshing change — more subtle, less obtrusive. But the dark, unmanned desk was not reassuring. Nor did it help that I had to haul 40 pounds of technology gear up and down the first, second, and third mezzanines until it dawned on me that maybe the party was going to be held somewhere else.
8:20 am: It's not that I missed the keynote: I was just fashionably late. And what I saw in the cavernous Grand Ballroom at the Hilton (the real venue of TechShow) was a capacity crowd and Tom holding forth about TechShow and the bright techno-future that awaited us.
8:30 am: With the keynote over, it was time to embark on the day's seminars. First however, I headed to the makeshift media-room set up by the ABA Division for Media Relations and Communication Services.
No sooner had I entered than one of the young staffers asked who the heck I was and what I was doing there. Despite this charming greeting, I was actually impressed by the fact that the LPM Section has included such features as:
Of course it only took another 10 seconds before I remembered that the inclusion of such tools — cool as they are and useful as they can be — means squat when coupled with a population that by and large doesn't use them.
8:35 am: Time for my first seminar, Eliminating the Paper Chase: From Boxes to Bytes, a soup-to-nuts look at how to go paperless, if not entirely paperless, in an average law office. More on this seminar and all the others I attended in subsequent Posts.
My Initial Impressions
Making Tom chair of the TechShow was inspired: it shows that the ABA is acknowledging (if only a wee bit) that it needs to change the way it does things. At its best, TechShow is where a host of new, smaller, out of the way vendors get to present themselves each year and out of every new crop some make it and others opt out (legal is a tough market). This year was no different. If anything, Tom's influence will no doubt encourage a slightly different group of lawyers and vendors to participate, and that is de facto a good thing.
On the other hand, I loved the Sheraton, I don't care much for the space at the Hilton. It's literally in the basement of the building where the trucks dock — the signs are still up on the walls and the cinderblocks are apparent through the bad paint job. Come on ABA — you can do better. Even if you consider legal technology and LPM in general to be second-rate, you don't have to be so overt about it!
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.
From Vista to Mac OS X; Cross-Selling; Sticking With Dell; Greg Krehel; OpenOffice
By Bobby Abrams, Mark Fidel, Kevin Grierson, Doug Jacobs, & Carroll Straus
In this issue of Fat Friday, Mark Fidel reviews Windows Vista, Kevin Grierson explains the difference between cross-selling and upselling, Carroll Straus shares various thoughts on Dell, (the good, the bad, and the ugly), Bobby Abrams writes in with more kind words for CaseMap co-founder Greg Krehel, and Doug Jacobs reviews OpenOffice.
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. You can subscribe here.
