Asked and Answered

By John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Q. I am the managing partner of a 16-attorney insurance defense firm in Kansas City. Several of our insurance company clients have advised us that they are willing to send us cases in Texas. We have decided that we would like to establish an office in Texas. Our plan is to hire three lateral attorneys with seven to 12 years of experience with Texas-based insurance defense firms. We are not certain as to the best city to establish this office. We are thinking it should be a central location. We would appreciate your thoughts.

A. Unlike many states that have one or two major cities, Texas has several, including Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Ft. Worth, El Paso, Corpus Christi, and others. Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston are all desirable locations for branch offices. Austin is more centrally located if your goal is to service the entire state.

Need tips for marketing your practice or building a firm website on a limited budget? Want how-to’s for embracing the latest technology to boost your practice? Join us in Naperville for these take-aways and more, including: how to advertise cheaply; how to take advantage of keyword searches in Google; how to produce documents economically and securely without incurring liability or risking client confidentiality; knowing your billing software options; how to use Microsoft Outlook to its fullest potential; cybersecurity issues; using social media in your practice; and much more!

The program takes place on Friday, June 2, 2017 in Naperville, Illinois. It qualifies for 6.25 hours MCLE credit, including 6.25 hours Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

In light of the WannaCry ransomware attack over the weekend — which affected more than 200K computers in 150 countries — today's challenge is especially timely. (Read this if you were attacked by WannaCry and need help knowing what to do next.)

Today Tim and Brandt, ISBA's tech gurus, talk about how to protect your computer and data as best as you can from malware, ransomeware, and other cyber attacks.

13 Best Practices for Keeping Your Windows PC and Mac Secure

(In Italy, 13 is good luck!)

1. Backup your data. Back it up again somewhere else. If everything else fails, you'll be really glad you have all your data saved elsewhere. Check out this previous D4S post that was all about redundant backup.

2. Disable the remote desktop in Windows and only use secure remote software (like TeamViewer). See this document for instructions.

We're providing you with five more free tech resources today — all part of our Timesaving Tech Tips week. If you've found any other great free (or cheap) tech resources that have helped you at work, we're eager to hear from you. Share your tips with us and others by commenting below. 

Update your profile now to enter! Giveaway ends May 26!

IllinoisLawyerFinder – the ISBA's new online public member directory – is now live.

We've just rolled out a new member benefit to help you* enhance your online presence and attract potential clients. Now it's your turn to go online and expand upon your FREE profile listing.

Update your profile and accept the User Agreement by May 26 for a chance to win our Grand Prize – 12.9" iPad Pro with 128GB or 1 of 3 $100 Amazon Gift Cards.

Expand your profile by doing any of the following...

IllinoisLawyerFinder, the ISBA’s new online public member directory, is now live!  All members (except judges and government attorneys*) now have a unique profile in the directory. To make the most of your profile, enhance your online presence, and attract potential clients, we recommend taking the following steps:

• Access your profile, choose your basic settings via the “profile wizard” that will automatically launch on your first visit, and accept the directory’s user agreement.
• Upload a professional photo of yourself.
• Indicate whether or not you are accepting clients.
• Unhide your contact information (i.e., phone numbers, business address, and email address).
• Select your practice areas.

For detailed instructions (and a video!) on how to access and edit your new directory profile, please go here. If you do not want to participate in the directory, you can find instructions for removing your profile here.

* ISBA members who are either judges or government attorneys can “opt-in” to the directory by following the instructions here.

Welcome to Week 3 – Timesaving Tech Tips. ISBA's tech gurus,Tim and Brandt, are back on the clock providing you with five free tech tools today and five more tomorrow.

Lazarus (Chrome | Firefox): Never lose anything you type into a web form again! Lazarus autosaves everything you type so you can easily recover from form-killing timeouts, crashes and network errors.

Google Dictionary for Chrome: View definitions easily as you browse the web. Just highlight a word in chrome to see the definition in a balloon tip pop-up.

AdBlock: Blocks ads all over the web. There is a version for every major web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Opera & Firefox).

AdBlock for YouTube (Chrome | Firefox): Removes the video ads from YouTube.

Do you have the skills you need to handle evidence issues in a litigation case? Don’t miss this half-day seminar in Chicago on May 25, 2017 that examines a myriad of litigation matters, including the latest developments from the appellate courts. Experienced trial attorneys involved primarily in litigation who attend this seminar will better understand: how to draft, present, and argue motions in limine; how to successfully object during a deposition, jury selection and/or opening statement; laying foundations for medical records/bills, tape recordings, photographs, and more; how to use and introduce medical literature and exclude evidence of informed consent as a defense; the standard objections that are frequently raised during trial; how to preserve the record for appeal, including voir dire examination of witnesses; how to handle lien issues; the controversy regarding applicability of Medicare Set-Asides; and the ethical issues to consider when submitting evidence.

The program is presented by the ISBA Tort Law Section and qualifies for 4.25 hours MCLE credit, including 0.50 hour Professional Responsibility MCLE credit (subject to approval).

Click here for more information and to register.

Please enjoy this gift from our malpractice insurance partner, ISBA Mutual!

Despite our staid reputation, change has long been occurring in the legal profession.

• Technology continues to expand and evolve across law firms
• Internet technologies have empowered consumers, and are changing how legal services are delivered
• Hourly rates are giving way to flat fees in some practice areas
• Mobile devices and pervasive connectivity are changing clients' expectations of communication with their lawyers
• Non-lawyers are providing some legal services online, even across state lines that traditionally limit lawyers
• State bars and courts are exploring the licensing of non-lawyer alternatives to provide legal services

At ISBA Mutual - your success is ours - and we're recognizing that fact throughout ISBA Member Appreciation Month. To help you build upon your present success and flourish in an uncertain future, we are providing this complimentary download of our e-book normally available exclusively to lawyers and law firms insured by ISBA Mutual.