What is it worth to have a Web site?By Peter T. BoydYoung Lawyers Division, October 2003Every law firm has a Web site. So should you. But in today's competitive economy, it's no longer enough to simply post your firm name, address and phone number online and think that this will somehow gain you prestige and clients.
One person’s trash is another’s treasure…By Annemarie E. KillWomen and the Law, September 2003How much used computer equipment do you have lying around the office or at home?
Have you joined RISSNET?By James BumgarnerLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, August 2003If you are presently a member of VGTOF, Capps, TIA, or TIDISDM, you are also a member of RISSNET. What's good about this? If you are stopped by law enforcement, with a little bit of luck, you could be reported as a terrorist.
TechnoLawyer.com: No strings attached—Cutting the cord with wireless law practiceBy Ross L. KodnerLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, August 2003Those frustrating cables--they're everywhere! Intertwining and connecting seemingly plug-incompatible gadgets in our laptop cases; tangling purses and briefcases in a snakelike mass of plastic-encased cords; connecting Palms to PCs; going from headsets to cell phones; "conveniently" linking us to printers (when sometimes the cables weigh more than the laptop); stretching to scanners; retracting (or not) from telephones; coiling like a garden hose around the legs of our chairs while connecting us to a network.
Web Design 101: If you build it, they might comeBy Peter T. BoydYoung Lawyers Division, August 2003Every once in awhile, I receive blank stares from lawyers after I tell them how much a good Web site will cost.
It’s the little things that count: software utilities to make your system humBy Nerino J. Petro, Jr.Legal Technology, Standing Committee on, April 2003Man cannot live on bread alone and a lawyer can't survive without utility programs. What am I talking about? Let's start by defining the three broad categories of software:
Shackled to Microsoft: What it means to the legal professionBy Sharon D. Nelson & John W. SimekLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, April 2003Hating Microsoft is easy. Almost everyone does. There may now be as many Microsoft and Bill Gates jokes as there are lawyer jokes.
TechnoLawyer.com: Seeing is (not always) believingBy Arthur L. SmithLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, April 2003The Internet has become perhaps the most popular tool for conducting research, not only among lawyers but among other professionals as well.
How to talk softwareBy John EllsworthLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, February 2003While "software" sounds like something soft and wearable, it is neither. Software is a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do.
Office XP for law firms: A reviewBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, February 2003One day at the courthouse, I was complaining to a friend of mine that the secretaries in my office are always happy to use an automated document or spreadsheet after I took the time to create it, but would rarely go to the trouble of creating these forms themselves.
TechnoLawyer.com: Equipping the small law office for less than $10,000By Jeffrey S. LissonLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, February 2003This is Part Three of a three-part series that discusses what you need and don't need, when to cut corners, and when to go all out when equipping a solo or small law office for less than $10,000. In Part 1, Jeffrey outlined the hardware required for this endeavor and In Part 2, he discussed software.
The virtual courtroom—An updateBy Richard L. Turner & Sanford MorgansteinLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, December 2002Imagine sitting in your office, contemplating matters to complete in pretrial discovery in a case pending in a county three hours away.
Converting Word files to PDFBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, October 2002Converting Word files to PDF format can involve a confusing array of choices and can result in a huge file, or one that does not convert navigation links correctly or completely.
The benefits of digital dictation and transcriptionBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, May 2002A few months ago, there was a lengthy debate on the ISBA Internet discussion group about the relative benefits of digital recorders.
Formatting commands in wordBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, April 2002One of the most frustrating searches when learning Microsoft Word is for the commands and switches that set the desired format for words, numbers, and dates.
Selecting a microphone for use with voice recognition softwareBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, June 2001Users frequently complain that the same voice recognition software that works wonderfully for others simply will not recognize their voice when they try to use it.
Using the Mail Merge feature of Microsoft WordBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, June 2001In previous versions, the Mail Merge feature of Microsoft Word had so many limitations and was so difficult to use that it was not worth the hassle for any but the most sophisticated users.
Speech recognition software: try it—but don’t fire your secretary yetBy Carl R. DraperLaw Office Management and Economics, Standing Committee on, March 2001The introduction of personal computers came with the promise that computers would do routine tasks and free up valuable time for more important tasks. That promise may be realized sooner than we thought.
Carnivore is not a meat-eating animalBy James BumgarnerLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, January 2001"Carnivore" is Internet-surveillance software, a politically correct term for the FBI's electronic eavesdropping system.
Using the “if…then” field to automate documents in WordBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, January 2001Have you ever tried to set up fields in a pleading only to discover the next time you try to use them that it was more trouble to create than it was worth because of all the necessary editing for gender and tense?
Do I really need to backup?By Nerino J. PetroLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, October 2000You just finished the brief for the most important case this year. You get ready to leave for the day--you shut off the lights, set the alarm and lock the door behind you. You haven't forgotten a thing ... or have you?
To share or not to shareBy James BumgarnerLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, October 2000Would you like to share the files and programs on your computer with millions of other computers? J
AbacusLaw 13By Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, June 2000AbacusLaw 13 is a lawyer docketing and case management program. Installation was easy and intuitive.
Icalendar, the new interchange format for scheduling vcard, format for contactsBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, May 2000Have you upgraded your calendar or docketing program lately? If you are one of the savvy small business owners who have frustrated the software industry by deciding to upgrade only when there is a good reason to do so, you should look into upgrading now.
Newsletter editor’s cornerBy John T. PhippsGeneral Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, April 2000By the time this newsletter reaches each of you, the 2000 ABA Tech Show will be over.
Questions and answers from the ISBA discussion groupBy Adrienne W. AlbrechtLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, November 1999Frequently, legal technology questions are posed and answered on the ISBA main discussion group.
Merging technologyBy Jay GiustiLegal Technology, Standing Committee on, April 1999The merger of two Chicago small civil litigation firms during March 1999 required careful technology choices.
