TechnoLawyer: Accounting/Billing/Time Capture

Coming January 18, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Susi Santa Maria, a former Timeslips Certified Consultant, shares her tips for getting the most out of this often misunderstood and improperly installed program, Brent Blanchard offers his take on the Word v. WordPerfect debate (our version of the Energizer bunny), Eugenie Rivers reviews a utility for archiving your Outlook email (and our publisher points to an alternative utility), Martin Dean explains why technology won't solve a general counsel's contract management needs (but our publisher points to an online service that might help), and Michael Burn reviews his experience using Microsoft Access to manage litigation documents. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming January 11, 2007 to Answers to Questions: D. Paul Dalton discusses the "build or buy" software dilemma, Caren Schwartz explains how to enter deposits to trust accounts in QuickBooks, Timothy Cleary reviews two estate planning tools, Michael Commins offers up a quick fix for slowly performing legal software on a network, and Stanley Tomlinson suggests a simple way to archive case-related e-mail. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

In every issue of TechnoGuide, we try to bring you a hot new online video related to legal practice. Fittingly, in this last issue of the year, we bring you the best video of the year — a music video parody entitled "I'm Billing Time."

Sung to Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," it feature lyrics such as:

If you come to my office or call my phone,
I'm billing time.
If you stop me at parties to whine and moan,
I'm billing time.
If I think of you when I am all alone,
I'm billing time.
If you're late for appointments,
I will be waiting and billing time.

You must watch this video! (Click here if you don't see the video below.)

Vickie Pynchon, founder of Settle it Now and the author of its eponymous blog, created this video to showcase this song, which was performed by the Bar & Grill Singers, a group of lawyers in Austin, Texas who create and sing parodies to raise money for public interest legal services.

The next video we bring you will put even this one to shame. Stay tuned. Until then, warm holiday wishes from all of us at TechnoLawyer, and a very happy and successful 2007 full of technology goodness!

PS: We'll publish the last TechnoLawyer newsletter of the year on Friday. Publishing resumes in 2007 on January 8th.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, lawyer and legal technology legend Dennis Kennedy covers a suite of security utilities for your laptop, an online personal finance tool that taps into Metcalfe's Law, and a network appliance that enables everyone at your law firm to securely send and receive large attachments. Don't miss the next issue.

Below you'll find one of the three articles from today's edition:

Transfer Large Files Securely Without Attachment Limits
By Dennis Kennedy
In the old days, sending a large document meant using a FedEx Pak instead of a FedEx Envelope. Nowadays, sending large electronic files poses more of a challenge than simply choosing the next size up in packaging. Notwithstanding multi-gigabyte mailboxes, many e-mail servers (including Gmail) impose limits on the size of file attachments. Plus, e-mail servers are notoriously lacking in security (by design actually). Free file transfer sites can handle large files, but also lack sufficient security. So what's a law firm to do? Dust off its FedEx number and send CDs and DVDs?

No way! Accellion's Courier Secure File Transfer Appliance (SFTA) Version 5.0 provides law firms with a secure option for sending and receiving large files both internally and externally. Accellion has a history of providing secure file transfer solutions on a global basis to enterprises of all sizes. As a dedicated appliance for business file transfers, SFTA requires minimal IT administration and support.

When you use SFTA to send files to third parties, they receive a secure download link. To send or receive a file, all you need is a Web browser. Your firm can set up accounts for its employees and clients in minutes. Accellion claims that some firms may witness an 80% reduction in e-mail load.

New in version 5 is the ability to send and receive entire folders, thus preserving a directory structure (especially useful for your client's discovery documents). Version 5 can handle files and folders up to 10GB in size.

New administrative tools enable you to control usage throughout your firm. Like previous versions, SFTA simply plugs into your network and starts working. SFTA uses the SSL standard, and generates an audit trail. Much easier to use than even FTP and SFTP, which require software on both ends, SFTA works with your existing network and software. Optional plug-ins exist for integration with Outlook and Lotus Notes, which enable you to use your e-mail program instead of a browser.

SFTA comes in a wide array of configurations, starting at $3,500. You can start small and add capabilities as needed.  Learn more about Accellion Courier Secure File Transfer Appliance (SFTA) Version 5.0.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming December 14, 2006 to Answers to Questions: Gerald Pinzino suggests six simple tips for keeping your wireless office network secure and weighs in on the WiFi analogy debate, Craig Humphrey discusses new integrated desktop and enterprise search tools, Norton Townsley offers up a solution to keep formatting and fonts in a PDF file, Katrina Curfiss reviews PracticeMaster for civil case management, and Craig Bayer reviews PCLaw for time-billing. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming December 7, 2006 to Answers to Questions: Steven J. Best offers up his thoughts on New Jersey retainer rules and some advice for managing these fees in PCLaw 8, Sharon Kirts shares which HP printers have served her practice well and why she believes you get what you pay for, Al Harrison reviews LogMeIn for remote access (really remote — South Africa to Houston, TX), Daniel Fennick reviews how he uses PracticeMaster to manage case-related e-mail messages, and Jay Stassen reviews his office's new case management software from CIBER. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, lawyer and legal technology legend Dennis Kennedy covers the new version of a popular integrated digital dictation and transcription system, an online time tracking utility, and an Outlook add-on to help you better manage and organize your calendar, email, and tasks. Don't miss the next issue.

Below you'll find one of the three articles from today's edition:

Stop Typing, Start Dictating
By Dennis Kennedy
Drafting documents from scratch is difficult work. Typing may not be the most efficient approach. For generating a good first draft, many lawyers rely on dictation and transcription.

HTH Engineering has more than ten years of experience providing turn-key solutions for the digital dictation needs of law offices. The latest version of its popular Start-Stop Universal Transcription System offers an integrated solution for transcription designed specifically for the needs of law firms.

Start-Stop Universal Transcription System combines software with hardware to turn your firm's PCs into a state-of-the-art transcription system. The software integrates with digital voice recorders (including those by Olympus, Phillips, and Sony), and foot pedals with 2 or 3 pedals. HTH Engineering doesn't just sell the software, but also a wide variety of compatible recorders, foot pedals, and more.

You use Start-Stop with a handheld digital recorder or other digital recording device. Placing the recorder into its cradle or using the "End of Letter" button instantly sends your dictation file to a transcriptionist. Start-Stop's "Job Manager" keeps track of waiting and finished files. The "Folder Mole Auto-Notifier" automatically sends notifications to your transcriptionist whenever you add a dictation file to a shared folder. As a result, your transcriptionists will not overlook dictation files and can easily assign and prioritize files.

New in version 9.7 is the "Network Support Feature," which enables multiple transcriptionists to work on the same file simultaneously — great for urgent jobs. Also new is the "Smart Word Line Counter," which provides you with a word and line count after transcription.

Start-Stop has a wealth of other nifty features, including a built-in FTP client for uploading files remotely, automatic backup of completed files, configurable hot keys, variable speed playback, and a sleek new interface designed with the help of professional transcriptionists.

Perhaps most importantly, Start-Stop can now handle just about any audio file format, including WAV, MP3, WMA, and dozens of popular proprietary formats such as Olympus DSS, Philips DSS, Sanyo Digital Recorder, VOX, TrueSpeech, Dictaphone Walkabout, and many more. It even works with audio CDs.

If you already have a voice recorder and foot pedal, HTH Engineering sells its Start-Stop software by itself for $99. If you also need accompanying hardware — digital voice recorders, headsets, foot pedals, telephone recorders, etc. — the company sells a number of bundles for the legal profession. Learn more about Start-Stop Universal Transcription System.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

David N. Ventker, Review: PCLaw for Small Firm Acounting/Time-Billing

TechnoLawyer member Diane Sherman asks:
"What is the best billing program for a solo practitioner? I am not interested in integrated practice management software.  I just want a billing program that is easy to use and which won't require me to hire costly consultants and spend hours of my otherwise billable consulting with the consultants."

My response is as follows:

I left a larger firm, went solo 4 years ago, and now have a partner and an associate — we have been using PCLaw from the beginning. I have been quite pleased with the integrated time and billing/accounting features of the program, and the technical support has proved to be a pleasant surprise (if you have been reading TechnoLawyer for any length of time, you'll find poor technical support is a major complaint with competing products). Though the developers have added various "practice management" features over time, these are not the strong suit of the program, and we generally ignore them.

The cost of a single license is $250.00, and adding additional licenses if you add paralegals or other lawyers is an additional $250.00 each. The program is very stable, works well on a peer-to-peer network if needed, is fairly easy to understand, and can be customized to suit your needs without much difficulty. When I can't figure out solutions on my own, a call to tech support generally provides the answer.

Hope this helps.

David N. Ventker
Ventker & Warman, PLLC
Norfolk, VA
www.ventkerlaw.com

[Publisher's Note: TechnoLawyer member and PCLaw CIC Matt Stone has written a white paper for LexisNexis entitled Improving Back Office Efficiency with PCLaw Version 8, which you can download from his Web site. — Sara Skiff]

About Answers to Questions
Posts like the one above appear exclusively in Answers to Questions, a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 16, 2006 to Answers to Questions:Wilson C. Muhlheim discusses how his firm successfully implemented a paperless workflow and the resulting benefits, Paul Bannon reviews the latest version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Charles Tievsky reviews RemotelyAnywhere and compares it to other remote access tools, Fred Brock discusses the use of uninterrupted power supplies in law offices (plus we point you to 10 tips for a successful implementation), and Michael Mannes suggests a simple way to handle retainer fees in PCLaw. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, lawyer and legal technology legend Dennis Kennedy covers the new version of a popular transcript management program, a time tracking solution with four versions, and an online service for tracking your favorite blogs. Don't miss the next issue.

Below you'll find one of the three articles from today's edition:

Search, Annotate, Summarize, and Print Your Transcripts
By Dennis Kennedy
When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras, right? This aphorism derives from Occam's Razor — the simplest solution is usually the correct solution. So then why do lawyers often tackle specific tasks with ill-suited tools?

LexisNexis CaseSoft's new TextMap 3 aims to bring the discipline of Occam's Razor to deposition and trial transcripts. Recognizing that most litigators perform just a few tasks with transcripts — search, annotate, summarize, and print — LexisNexis CaseSoft designed TextMap 3 to do exactly that.

Unlike previous versions of TextMap, the new version exists as a free-standing tool, not part of CaseMap. That said, you can still use TextMap with CaseMap. In fact, LexisNexis CaseSoft has improved TextMap's integration with CaseMap, including the popular "Send to CaseMap" functionality.

TextMap 3 has a new Microsoft Outlook-based user interface that most lawyers should find familiar. It also sports enhanced annotation and reporting features. For example, you can annotate (select for display in a report) non-contiguous portions of a transcript and add notes to your annotations.

When you generate a report, you can print it or save it as a PDF file. In addition to the new annotations report, you can also generate a report that shows a search term in surrounding context. And as always, you can also generate a "condensed" report with 4 transcript pages on each page.

TextMap 3 doesn't only integrate with CaseMap, it also integrates with third party products such as LiveNote and Concordance with full import/export capabilities for transcripts and your annotations.

TextMap 3 sells for less than $150 per year for a three-year subscription that includes all support and upgrades, including major ones like TextMap 4 and TextMap 5. You can try it for free for 30 days. TextMap 2 users can upgrade for free. Learn more about TextMap 3.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.