In this special issue, Law Practice celebrates the spirit of ABA TECHSHOW® by giving you a bounty of legal technology tips. For our format, we’ve taken a cue from the conference’s popular “60 Tips in 60 Minutes” sessions. The reason is simple: Without fail, these fast-paced sessions are always among the most highly rated at the conference because they are packed with practical nuggets of information. A tip might show you a simple way to trim expenses, connect more easily with clients or avoid an ethics trap. Whatever it’s about, you listen and you get it and you put the tip to use the very next day. In this issue, ABA TECHSHOW speakers and a few favorite writers bring you up to speed on some of the hottest trends and topics.

10 Ways to Stretch Your Research Dollars: How to Get the Facts on a Dime

It’s easier than ever to get your hands on information that once existed only on paper or in pricey databases. Here are ideas for tapping the Web’s amazing resources to keep your research overhead as low as possible.

Tips and Tools for Easy Collaboration: Six Ways to Work Better with Others Online

The explosion of inexpensive Internet collaboration tools, coupled with a down economy, has made many people hungry to learn more about ways to work with others online—and save money in the process. Here are ideas you can use.

• Eight Quick tips for Mastering Instant Messaging By Tom Mighell and Dennis Kennedy

Steps Along the Paperless Path: Keys to a Successful Scanning Implementation

Sustainability. Productivity. Cost savings. The pluses to moving to a paperless environment are hard to ignore—but you’ll need a good system for scanning all incoming paper and storing it so that documents are easy to retrieve.

Costly Technology Gotchas: A Dozen Tips for E-mail Security and More

In this excerpt from their upcoming book The Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Success, the authors explain how to ensure that technology doesn’t bite you where it can hurt most—in the form of ethics and malpractice threats.

• The Bad News About Message Recall by Dan Pinnington
• A Techno-Ethics Checklist: Basics for Being Safe, Not Sorry by Erik Mazzone and David Ries

Five Ways to Expand Your Online Presence: How to Put Your Practice Center Stage on the Web

If you like to inform, network and communicate to develop new business, then today’s Web tools are for you. Try these steps for pulling it all together.

• Essential Tips for E-Mail Newsletters By Lisa Salazar

E-Discovery Tips for Everyday Cases

You shouldn’t think that e-discovery is a break-the-bank proposition for smaller clients. Instead, focus on people, processes and proportionality to contain costs.

Technology Directory Law Practice magazine’s guide to the ABA TECHSHOW exhibitors.

Product Watch

A combination keyboard-document scanner packs a lot of punch into one package. It could solve cost and desktop space problems for some law offices.

Book Excerpt

Remote Access Tools and Tips

Advice on how to stay in touch with the office from afar, from the new 2009 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide.

New Column!

Legal Web 2.0 Online Social Networking: Is It a Productivity Bust or Boon for Law Firms?

Some firms are blocking access to social networking sites because they believe it translates to social not-working in the office. What’s the real scoop? A survey surfaces the issues.

• Web Only Content: Speaking Out on Social Networking: What the End Users Say

Profitability

Battling the Recession: Bottom-Line Client Development Tips

In this installment of Profitability’s series on recession survival tips, the focus is on smart ways to spend marketing dollars.

Marketing

Tips for Using Competitive Intelligence in Your Marketing Efforts

Competitive intelligence resources have clearly become more plentiful. Here are basic pointers for using the information.

Managing

Core Strength Training for Team Leaders

Playing “middle manager” can be taxing. Here are ideas for helping your lawyers build the strengths they need for this role.

New Column!

Taking the Lead

Steering Your Firm Through Uncharted Waters

For current and aspiring managing partners, thoughts on how to stay resilient and walk the fine line between optimism and realism—and between logic and values.