Selected presentations:

Dangerous Curves Ahead: The Crossroads of Ethics and Technology
Technology provides great benefits for attorneys, including highly efficient workflow, unprecedented access to information and rapid, cost-effective communications. Most lawyers, however, do not consider the dark side of technology. It can and does generate great risks to lawyers from the interaction of technology and professional responsibility requirements. In this session for the Arkansas Bar Association Midyear meeting in January 2008 we encouraged attendees to pause for a moment and identify these risks before launching into the latest and greatest technology. It will also show you how to take steps to address them.

Strategies For the "Less" Paper Office
Is it really practical for a solo or small firm to be paperless? What are the issues that need to be considered when exploring the possibilities? What technology is needed? Where do you start? This session at the 2006 Maryland State Bar Association Solo Conference was billed as "for those who are clueless about where to start or for those who need to tweak their own systems" See the overview of scanners and considerations for taking the plunge to a "less" paper office.

Ethics and Technology: In Perfect Harmony
Technology creates it own set of ethical slippery slopes. Hear how to handle some of the issues that may keep up you at night so that you do get into trouble. Some of the topics discussed will include metadata, advertising, disposing of computers, websites, email and other electronic ethical minefields. Check out this presentation from the 2006 Maryland State Bar Association Solo Conference to see what to keep in mind as you use technology to enhance your practice.

Security Issues When Preparing for Disasters
Part of a half day pre-conference session on Disaster Planning and Business Continuity for the 2006 Maryland State Bar Association Solo Conference, this presentation provides an overview of security leaks and blunders that can lead to a firm disaster, whether it be data loss or inadvertent disclosure of confidential client data.

Phoenix Rising: Rebirth of a Family Law Practice
Recent disasters have drawn attention to how lawyers plan, respond and rebuild tragedy, from the smallest to the catastrophic. This session from the ABA Section of Family Law Annual Conference 2006 provided practical tips on how best to prepare for office and community level disasters. New Orleans lawyers shared their experiences and advice on how to respond once a disaster strikes. In this presentation we explored rebuilding a practice from a fresh perspective, using new technologies and ideas to rebound from a disaster in a newer, leaner shape.

Managing Information Overload
Technology is both a boon and a curse to the busy law office. Technologies such as email, the Internet, and electronic document creation allow you to receive, retrieve, and synthesize information more rapidly than ever before. The dark side is that we are buried in information. In this session from July 2006 we will explore technological tips and best practices you can apply to such tasks as organizing information and email to better communicate with clients and colleagues, and find and retain firm and client documents.

Technology in the Law Office: A Lifecycle Approach
Presented at the Old Dominion Bar Association's 2006 Conference, this presentation compares the decision to incorporate legal technology into a law practice as a cycle that can be started at any point. Attorneys can decide for themselves what fits their needs and what technologies they might want to adopt. See also the bibliography of information about communication, collaboration and practice management.

See our presentations page for more presentations.

Selected articles:

New Year's resolution: clear out that e-mail in-box!
This article was published in YourABA, January 2009.
It’s that time again—time to live up to resolutions made for the coming year. The New Year provides a perfect opportunity to tackle such goals as organizing your professional life. One area to start with is e-mail. In-boxes can be flooded with spam or even with an overabundance of legitimate messages; and lawyers fret about the ethical implications of putting so much of their confidential work online.

Voice Over Internet Protocol: To VoIP or Not to VoIP
This article was published in the ABA Section of Family Law eNewsletter, January 2009.
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) was initially touted as a revolutionary way to make and receive free and low-cost phone calls over the Internet. However, despite the initial hype, some technology pundits are now referring to VoIP as mere plumbing and are focusing on the actual services provided--it may not matter whether your phone system is VoIP or not VoIP as long as you are getting quality, reliable service and features at a price you can live with.

Three Internet Scams and Solutions Lawyers Should Know About
This article was published in YourABA, November 2008.
As the Internet continues to grow in popularity it has spawned a corresponding industry of crime, inspiring thieves to pan for Internet gold in the form of various schemes and scams. Some scammers have specifically targeted lawyers, leaving them on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars, potentially ruining their practices and livelihoods, and in one case prompting a bank to sue the lawyer. Here are three noteworthy types of online threats to look out for and corresponding solutions (including phishing and spoofing, web browser vulnerabilities, and lawyer e-mail scams).

Improving Your Practice with Client/Server Networking
This article first appeared in the American Prepaid Legal Service Institute's NewsBriefs Newsletter, October 2008.
Effective computer networking, the sharing of files, printers, and other resources among law office computers, can allow law firms to operate in an organized and efficient manner. It is important to realize however that there are two main types of computer networks, peer to peer and client/server networks, and that client/server networks present many advantages over peer to peer networks for small law offices.

Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst: Protecting Your Firm from Disaster
This article was published in the ABA Section of Family Law eNewsletter, September 2008.
When disaster strikes a law firm, files and client materials may be destroyed, attorneys may be forced to abandon their offices, and communications may be slowed or stopped entirely. Thankfully, good preparation--aided by the latest technology--can help firms survive and even thrive even during the worst of times. Scroll to the "Tech Corner" to view.

Minimizing Metadata
This article first appeared in the ABA Section of Family Law eNewsletter, August 2008.
Metadata is the information hidden in the background of electronic documents; it includes the name of the author, the date created and last edited, as well as the undo/redo history. The disclosure of the metadata could lead to a breach of confidentiality, not to mention be highly embarrassing. Currently 8 states and the American Bar Association have ethics opinions on how lawyers should deal with removal and receipt of metadata. So, how do you get rid of it? Scroll to the bottom of the Family Law eNewsletter page to view.

To Catch a Thief - Tips and Tools to Protect Your Computer Investment
This article was published in YourABA, June 2008.
Tips and tools to protect your computer investment—data encryption, subscription services, security cables and more.

The Importance of Having Backups
Supplementary material for the program "Nuts & Bolts of Running a Law Practice" at the 7th National Conference for the Minority Lawyer, June 2005.
Do you have a disaster recovery plan? Have you ever tested it? Practices and procedures for backup, storage, disaster recovery, and restoration are crucial to your law practice. Become familiar with your firm’s backup procedures – don’t wait to “break glass in case of emergency".

New Security Threats – SpIM, Pharming, and More
This article first appeared in Law Technology News, May 2005.
What are the next security threats on the technology horizon? Cell phones and wireless devices, instant messaging, and websites are becoming targets for malicious or intrusive activity. Learn about these threats and how to protect yourself before they become prevalent.

Attack of the Pernicious Spyware
This article first appeared in Law Technology News, February 2005.
Spyware, malware, phishing, and other threats abound in the online world. What can you do to protect yourself and avoid the attacks? Read up on ways to protect yourself and your computer.

Practice Control: A Purchasing Guide for Practice Manangement Software
This article first appeared in American Lawyer Media's Small Firm Business, Fall 2004.
A major software purchase can be an ordeal for any small firm or solo practitioner. This article describes the must-have software features and other things to look out for.

Lemon Juice, Cornstarch, and Microsoft: Invisible Ink And Your Documents
This article first appeared in WI State Bar Section of Law Practice's Law Practice News, Summer 2004.
Did you know that electronic documents are often embedded with hiddent text that reveals information regarding authors, edits, text changes, and more? The information is called "metadata" and it has become the source of delight and disgust for many attorneys.

See our articles page for more articles.

For more information on Law Office Technology and a variety of other topics, visit our articles, presentations, and FYIs: Technology Overviews pages.

LTRC Hotline:
LTRC researchers can provide information on topics that are of special importance to your law office. LTRC staff are available via a Hotline (312) 988-5465 or via e-mail to help with your technology questions.

ABA Lawtech Discussion List
Lawtech is intended for members of the legal community who wish to discuss issues related to the use of technology by practitioners. Its subscribers include lawyers, law school and law firm IT staff, court staff and judges and other legal professionals. Subscribe, change your subscription or search the archives here: http://mail.abanet.org/archives/lawtech.html.

Data Backup
Information on data backup needs and solutions

Going Green
Ideas for making your office more environmentally friendly

Macintel
Using new Intel-based Macs in a legal environment

Records Management
Software solutions for managing records and information

Legal Software Purchasing Checklist
Suggested steps for researching, purchasing, and implementing software

Case/Practice Management
Comparison of solo and small firm case management solutions.

Time and Billing
Product comparison including features not normally associated with time and billing applications, focused on the solo and small firm lawyer.

Scanners, OCR, and Document Management
Information about scanning, optical character recognition (OCR), and document management software.

Calendar and Docketing
Applications for lawyers to manage docket and calendar information.

Corporate Counsel
Management software for corporate counsel.

Resources for Legal Technology Research
Select bibliography of print and electronic sources to locate reviews, expert advice, vendors, and tips for purchasing software and hardware.

To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade: Maximizing Your Technology Dollars
Overview of the need for technology planning to control the upgrade cycle of hardware and software in law firms. Part of a Chicago Legaltech 2001 panel. For more information, read the upgrade handout from the presentation.

Computer Rentals
Computer rental resource information.

Researching Law Office Technology
Selected resources to help you stay ontop of the latest law office technology.

More overviews on a variety of legal technology issues can be found on our FYIs: Technology Overviews page.