TechnoLawyer: Accounting/Billing/Time Capture

Coming October 26, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Cynthia Shippam reviews Inteum, an intellectual property licensing management program, Paul Lepine provides two killer Outlook printing tips, Mike Burke reviews a listserver and time-billing solution for Mac-using lawyers, Manuel Quilichini provides scanning tips for those concerned about file size and quality, and William Brown suggests a more thorough way to combat spyware. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice 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 October 21, 2005 to Fat Friday: Dean Kirby discusses his impression of CaseSoft's DepPrep, Faith Drewry offers her take on the CSS in RSS issue, Kikis Talarides reviews Time Matters (and pleads for a Greek version), Peter Pike chastises the Delaware government, and Brad Jensen takes another look at 9/11 from a technology perspective. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

For years, many in legal profession have urged law firms to move beyond the billable hour and instead charge by the project or task. Despite the fact that ad agencies, investment banks, and management consulting firms routinely earn more per hour than law firms using this business model, I doubt lawyers will give up the billable hour anytime soon.

However, I do believe that the billable hour model will soon undergo its biggest transformation ever thanks to "mobile billing automation" (MBA). Quite simply, MBA refers to using technology to automatically track "mobile time" — the time you spend working on your Blackberrys, Treos, and other such devices.

Two competing companies that offer MBA solutions recently launched advertising campaigns in TechnoLawyer — Airtime Management and Element55. On Airtime Management's Web site, you'll find a clever demo of its MBA solution, and on Element55's Web site you'll find a brief white paper entitled Zero Click Time Capture. Also, those of you with TechnoLawyer Archive subscriptions can read each company's TechnoReleases.

If mobile billing automation becomes as big as I think it will, remember you heard it here first.

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.

Coming October 11, 2005 to TechnoFeature: In this article, tax and estate planning attorney Jason Havens discusses his quest for the perfect case management and time-billing software. Jason's quest took him on a journey through several products, including Abacus Law, Amicus Attorney, and PCLaw. But ultimately, he settled on Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Premier Edition. Why? Read the article to find out.

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Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming October 6, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Jason Havens reviews STI's PracticeMaster/Tabs3 combo, Jack Turnquist explains his simple Windows backup solution using DOS, Jeanetta Stewart reviews the pros and cons of Stamps.com (she has used the service for five years), Perry Adanick provides some helpful tips regarding our ongoing spyware discussion, and Lee King offers more reasons why you may prefer a trackball over a mouse. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice 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 October 5, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Rob Howard reviews a reliable online backup service, William Shilling reviews several accounting/time-billing applications for Mac users, Craig Bramley reviews programs for Bates stamping TIFF files, Stephen Seldin writes in with a promising input device for disabled lawyers who have trouble using a mouse, and Joseph Sferrazza discusses his experience using PCLaw for time-billing over the past three years. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice 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.

Regarding our ongoing discussion in Answers to Questions about accounting software that integrates with case management software, TechnoLawyer member Dana Yaffee writes: "I bought PC Law to go with Amicus Attorney and think it is more sophisticated than what is necessary for a solo practitioner. I have been looking for something less complex and the consensus from colleagues is that Quickbooks integrates pretty well with most of the case management software programs. Many bookkeepers are familiar with Quickbooks and Timeslips, if you are planning to farm out your billing activities." If you use Amicus Attorney, listen up — Gavel & Gown recently pre-announced Amicus Accounting, which it plans to release in 2006. Amicus Accounting will feature accounting as well as time-billing components. You heard it here first.

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming October 7, 2005 to Fat Friday: Kath Gilliam reviews a broadcast e-mail program, Ron Fox reviews CaseSoft's DepPrep for witness preparation, Maggie Fisher reviews WordPerfect and its macro capabilities, Caren Schwartz offers a contrarian view of using QuickBooks' sub accounts for trust accounting, and Corey Rich suggests how to permanently destroy your old hard drive. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming September 23, 2005 to Fat Friday: Barron Henley explains why he believes the metadata security issue is over-hyped (and that's just for starters), Martin Dean explains why technology does not necessarily guarantee success, Gerard Stubbert shares his European perspective on confidential client data, Yvonne Renfrew reviews a little-known software utility for QuickBooks trust accounting, and John Ahern reviews cross-cut paper shredders. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming September 8, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Joe Sewell offers a great tip for a secure wireless network that only requires your DSL/cable modem, an adapter, and a nearby electric outlet (look ma, no WiFi), Howard Raab reviews Software Technology's technical support as well as its product development practices, Faith Drewry reviews a remote access tool with an added bonus, Gary Redenbacher reviews the HP LaserJet 3200's fax capabilities, and John Tousley reviews a remote access tool that accommodates dual monitors. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice 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.