Social media can be a useful tool for you , as a lawyer—as long you first set goals and then engage in social media in a targeted and efficient manner.
Lately, it seems like everyone is raving about social media’s potential as a business tool. But can it really work for lawyers, who provide professional services, as opposed to companies that sell products or consumer-oriented services, like a hair salon?
The short answer: yes, social media can work for lawyers–because its more than just a marketing tool. In fact, it can be used to benefit lawyers and their practices in a number of useful ways. Read more…
There are a number of tips and tricks that will make your time spent online more efficient and effective. The first tip is to use Feedly as your RSS feed reader—it’s a great tool that, among others things, makes it easy to read and share online content.
Many lawyers understand the importance of networking, but let’s face it — running a law practice takes time and no one ever seems to have enough of it. In fact, the lack of time is one of the main reasons lawyers offer as an excuse to avoid online networking. Read more…
Information gathering and note-taking apps can help busy attorneys manage the constant stream of information and avoid information overload.
Sometimes, in this new Web 2.0 world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with information. Organizing the flow of information, for both work and personal uses, is one way to manage the constant stream of information and reduce information overload. Read more…
There are many ways attorneys can make use of a virtual data room in their practice, including efficiently managing and storing data, securely transferring large volumes of documents outside the firewall and much more.
As I’ve discussed in the past, online collaboration platforms generally allow for far more secure communication than email and offer attorneys a secure online location for collaboration.
Web-based scheduling applications can greatly simplify the process of determining a mutually agreeable meeting time.
One of the more annoying tasks that many of us encounter on a nearly daily basis is attempting to coordinate a meeting or phone conference amongst a group of people. Generally, an agreed upon date and time is arrived upon only after a flurry of emails have gone back and forth between participants.
The Checklist Manifesto, a compelling book by Dr. Atul Gawande, explores the crucial improvements that following the template of a basic checklist can make to one’s life and workplace.
In The Checklist Manifesto, Dr. Atul Gawande examines how the use of checklists can significantly improve workflows and outcomes in the work environment. He focuses primarily on the aviation and construction industries, and analyzes where and how checklists are used. He speaks as well about his experience in a WHO-sponsored initiative bringing checklists to surgical operating theatres around the world. There are, I believe, possible applications of his ideas within a law firm.
Managing cloud computing risk using new products and services.
One of the primary concerns expressed by lawyers and other business owners when considering moving data and processes to the Cloud is risk. Understandably, business owners are wary of outsourcing confidential information and express concerns regarding the security of their data. Another concern involves the sense of lack of control over company data and the inability to monitor the software processes used to organize the information.
The North Carolina State Bar offers guidance to lawyers interested in using SaaS-based platforms in their law practice.
The North Carolina State Bar (NCSB) recently issued a proposed formal ethics opinion (proposed 2010 FEO 7), which may assist lawyers in assessing the risks of using a particular cloud computing product in their law practice.
At Firmex we provide virtual data room solutions to lawyers who seek to enhance and streamline their document exchange processes. Saving time for our clients is essential to Firmex and as such, the iPad, with its intelligent efficiencies, is appropriately aligned with our conviction.
On March 18, Firmex participated in the ALM’s Virtual LegalTech for the first time. In honour of the inaugural venture, our team held an iPad giveaway contest.
Billing and time tracking software can help to alleviate some of the problems encountered when attempting to track billable hours.
For most attorneys, billing and time tracking is a necessary evil. Tracking billable time can be an arduous task, but it’s important to stay on top of it; often practicing attorneys become so frantically busy that they are unable to recall what happened during the day. This scenario can be extraordinarily frustrating since lost time is lost money.
The recent advent of the kindle, the iPad and other paper eliminating devices serves as an interesting marker of just how archaic a practice it is to produce physical books for an industry as fast paced as M&A. Using a virtual data room to manage this process can accelerate the transaction process from the beginning, help manage costs and provide security measures that often fall through the cracks
Most of Firmex’s clients are now using the internet to distribute seller’s books or confidential information memorandums when managing a sell-side M&A transaction. However, there are firms that are continuing to create physical books, which can range from 50 to 200 pages. These books are typically distributed to a large number of potential buyers, particularly if an advisory firm routinely markets transactions to a database of private equity firms.
Lawyers considering whether to use cloud computing platforms in their practice must think about important security issues.
In prior posts I discussed basic cloud computing concepts and the ethical issues triggered by cloud computing. There are also security issues that lawyers must consider when deciding whether to use cloud computing products in their practice. Read more…
Virtual data rooms allow lawyers to store documents online, offering lawyers and their clients convenient access to important legal files.
In my last post we discussed how digital dictation systems can offer busy lawyers much-needed flexibility in the creation of legal documents. The next step, once you’ve created documents using digital dictation, is to store your documents online using virtual document management and collaboration systems. These convenient and efficient online platforms offer lawyers a 21st Century alternative to traditional document management systems.
Digital dictation is an efficient, time-saving alternative that offers lawyers many benefits over traditional dictation methods.
Most lawyers are familiar with old-fashioned analog tape dictation. First, you dictate into a hand held device, which records your voice onto a tape. Then you drop the tape, which holds an assortment of dictation projects, arranged sequentially rather than in order of importance, into your secretary’s desk. It’s a familiar song and dance and one that most attorneys despise. Eventually you receive the transcribed result of the dictation, which then needs to be reviewed, edited and returned to your secretary, who then must revise the document, return it to you, etc.
Tips regarding how the iPad can be used by attorneys in their law practice.
I’ve had my iPad for a few weeks now and am slowly but surely discovering how it fits into my daily routine. After using it for a while, I continue to believe that the iPad is primarily a media consumption device, but it does have some utility for lawyers and will become increasingly more useful as more third party applications are released.
With cloud computing, just as with any other type of storage of confidential client information, lawyers have the ethical obligation to exercise reasonable care to ensure that the cloud computing provider will preserve confidentiality and security of the data.
Lawyers have ethical duties to protect sensitive client data. When it comes to storing information in “the cloud,” just as with any other form of storage, taking steps to ensure that confidential client data is protected is imperative. Unfortunately, there are very few ethics opinions that have been issued on this topic, causing many lawyers to fear the potential ramifications of storing confidential client files via the cloud computing model.
Web-based law practice management software provides lawyers with flexibility and ease of use.
Law practice management software is crucial to managing the complexities of any modern law practice. However, traditional law office management software can be expensive, cumbersome to navigate and prone to such frequent glitches that your IT consultant becomes a permanent fixture in your law office.
An important consideration in the deployment of a Virtual Data Room is the question of who will serve as the gatekeeper to the Virtual Deal Room, determining what information is appropriate for posting and what level of security and access to assign to such information.
The use of a virtual deal room (“VDR”) has become commonplace in modern merger and acquisition practice, replacing the formerly prevalent document room. The advantages of a VDR include reduced cost; reduced security concerns; accessibility to multiple parties simultaneously and 24/7; reduction in actual deal time; and an electronic data trail establishing who saw what and when.
Law practice management systems can help attorneys streamline the process of handling a case from start to finish. Choosing the right system for your law practice makes all the difference.
Legal practice management software is a must-have for most law offices. It streamlines the process of handling and managing a case from start to finish. Law case management systems allow busy attorneys to keep track of contacts, documents, and calendaring, among other things, for each case that is added to the system; many offer time tracking and billing features as well.
Virtual LegalTech is an economical, innovative way for busy attorneys to learn about and stay on top of the rapidly changing legal technology issues that affect their law practice.
On March 18th, 2010 ALM Media Events will be holding live CLE events at Virtual LegalTech for the second time ever.
Lawyers and law firms can avoid costly air travel delays by taking advantage of innovative alternatives to face-to-face business meetings, such as virtual data rooms or online workspace services, which offer a cost-effective way to organize and deliver content online.
Let’s face it, these days, business air travel is a costly proposition—it’s expensive and takes up valuable time. Read more…
“An introduction to cloud computing for lawyers, this post explains how cloud computing can simplify the practice of law by increasing security, reducing overhead, and increasing flexibility, allowing attorneys to practice law anywhere, anytime.”
Over the last year I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about “cloud computing” and by now you’re probably wondering: what exactly is it? Read more…
