TechnoLawyer: Dictation/OCR/Speech Recognition

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers speech recognition software for Mac-based lawyers (see article below), a free online forms creation service, a social network for gadget enthusiasts, organization and search software for Outlook, and an iPhone app for searching patents. Don't miss the next issue.

Speech Recognition for Mac-Based Lawyers

People communicate best through spoken language. Because that's not always possible, we developed written communication. But we don't have such luxuries with our computers. Instead, we use the keyboard and mouse. For lawyers of a certain generation, typing slows them down. And even younger lawyers can run into repetitive stress injuries. PC users have long relied on Dragon NaturallySpeaking Legal Edition to address these issues, but Mac users were out of luck. Until now that is.

MacSpeech Dictate Legal 1.5 … in One Sentence
MacSpeech Dictate Legal 1.5 is a speech recognition program for Macs with a 30,000 word legal dictionary.

The Killer Feature
When you beat IBM, you know you're good. Microsoft beat IBM (Windows versus OS/2). So did Dragon (now Nuance) with its NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software.

Given that NaturallySpeaking is the gold standard, MacSpeech licensed it for MacSpeech Dictate Legal. Importantly, MacSpeech didn't license an old version. MacSpeech Dictate Legal 1.5 uses the current NaturallySpeaking 10 Legal "engine," including the same 30,000 word legal dictionary.

In short, the two products are more than just kissing cousins. They're more like fraternal twins.

Other Notable Features
MacSpeech claims up to 99% accuracy with just a few minutes of initial training required. You can create multiple profiles if you share your Mac or switch between different microphones. If the legal dictionary does not contain a word or phrase you often use, you can train it (e.g., client and matter names). MacSpeech Dictate Legal works with most documents, including those initially created by typing.

In addition to writing with MacSpeech Dictate Legal, you can also use it to control your Mac and edit documents. The software understands keyboard commands such as "Press the Key Combo Command Return." For more elaborate tasks, you can create voice macros such as "Insert Signature" to add your full email signature to an email message. For editing documents, you can select and delete words and phrases, and even pinpoint where to place the cursor.

MacSpeech optimized MacSpeech Dictate Legal to work with Microsoft Word and TextEdit. It also works with virtually all software that supports text, including iChat, iPhoto, and the iWork suite.

What Else Should You Know?
MacSpeech Dictate Legal requires an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later. MacSpeech bundles the VXI TalkPro Xpress USB headset microphone with MacSpeech Dictate Legal at a price of $595. You can instead order the Revolabs xTag Wireless Mic for an extra $200, the Voice Tracker USB Array for an additional $240, or the Samson Airline 77 Wireless UHF for an additional $300. Learn more about MacSpeech Dictate Legal 1.5.

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Coming today to Fat Friday: Miriam Jacobson shares her experiences as a solo for 22 years, Bryan Keenan discusses email challenge response software, Michael Gibney reviews Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 and Nuance tech support, Eric F. Fagan reviews RTG Bills and RTG Timer, and Andrew Weltchek reviews Everglades Technologies for VoIP service. Don't miss this issue.

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Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Kenneth G. Miller reviews using Amicus Attorney on his iPhone, Channing Strother shares his latest struggles with Nuance software and support, Lee D. Cumbie shares some Bates stamping shortcuts, Julian Garcia explains how to switch word processors, and Wandal Winn reviews magicJack. Don't miss this issue.

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Originally published on June 8, 2009 in our free BigLaw newsletter.

McCarthy Tétrault had a problem. Many of its lawyers rely on dictation devices, but with analog technology quickly becoming obsolete, McCarthy's IT department sought a product designed for this century rather than the last one. The 600+ lawyer firm first tried standalone digital software, but found it slow and inadequate to meet its administrative and workflow needs. Thom Oakes, McCarthy's Director of Information Technology, explains, "We were also restructuring the legal assistants into teams. We had been trying to use a standalone product to scale up to manage workflow, but we found that we had to move up to a more robust product."

Workflow Management Drives Bighand Past Its Rivals

Enter BigHand Digital Dictation. Developed by BigHand, a voice productivity software company with offices in Chicago, Toronto, London, and Sydney, BigHand essentially works by transferring encrypted .wav and .dss files to an internal firm server, and routing them to the appropriate source such as an available transcriptionist. Eight hundred firms worldwide currently use BigHand, including 100 in the United States.

McCarthy chose BigHand over digital dictation competitors such as Crescendo and WinScribe because it found the interface more functional from a transcription perspective and preferred the robust administrative features. It also felt BigHand better addressed the primary problem — workflow management.

McCarthy first rolled out the new technology in March 2008 and implemented an upgrade in November 2008. For remote access, the firm uses BigHand's telephony module rather than its Blackberry app. Lawyers simply call a number and dictate via telephone. The rollouts, according to Oakes, "went very smoothly" and required minimal training for attorneys and secretaries.

Bighand Gets Thumbs Up From Dictation Veterans

More than a year after the initial rollout, Oakes reports that BigHand is "heavily used" by McCarthy personnel. The application provides a level of workflow visibility that many in the firm find helpful.

The lawyers like it because they can send dictation files directly to their secretaries for transcription and can see their files' positions in the network queue. Deal and litigation team leaders like it because they can evaluate team member performance and monitor workload. And administrative managers have restructured deployment of their staff to optimize practice groups, per the firm's original objective.

But BigHand has not converted keyboard jockeys. McCarthy has not seen a general uptick in use of dictation since BigHand arrived. Also, Oakes says that it is hard to tell whether attorneys use BigHand's remote capabilities, which is one of the benefits over standalone digital recorders.

Oakes does not characterize BigHand as a cost savings initiative for McCarthy given BigHand's price, which can range from $300-$500 per user, depending on firm size. Still, Oakes is more than satisfied with his firm's choice of BigHand. "As far as other deployment projects have gone, BigHand went smoothly, quickly, and with overall user acceptance. I can rate it a 10 out of 10. No real complaints from anyone. We're very happy with the entire project."

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Coming today to TechnoFeature: Jott converts voicemail messages into text and emails them to you. It also uses its voice-to-text technology to make a growing number of tasks accessible by voice. But how well does it work? We asked business attorney and frequent TechnoLawyer contributor Mike Schley to test Jott Voicemail and Jott Assistant, and assess their usefulness for the legal profession.

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Coming today to Answers to Questions: Peter Conway shares the details of his dual monitor setup and his thoughts about integrating a third, Channing Strother discusses Nuance's products and tech support, Nicholas Corona Jr. reviews the many versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Charles Diorio reviews the MacBook Pro, VMWare Fusion, and other related products, and Adam Drennen shares some tips for creating macros in Word. Don't miss this issue.

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Coming today to Fat Friday: Senior Marketing Manager Conrad Saam responds to our criticism of Avvo's Top Legal Blogs list, Edward Zohn defends his position on whether lawyers should know how to build a PC, Ron Murphy describes his Mac-based backup routine, Thomas Sennett shares a tip about using Dragon NaturallySpeaking on a computer with iTunes installed, and Michael Gibney discusses his problem with the marketing of iCreate. Don't miss this issue.

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Originally published on May 11, 2009 in our free SmallLaw newsletter.

In my last two columns, I introduced the idea of the MDTR — the "Minimum Daily Technology Requirements" for every solo and small firm's technology needs.

Part 1 discussed hardware needs.

Part 2 discussed software needs.

This third and final segment explores some important ancillary subjects from electrical protection to choosing and using consultants.

MDTR: Electrical Protection

UPS and Surge Protectors

Round out the MDTR for hardware with a battery backup such as the cost effective APC Back-UPS 500 for around $100 to provide both surge protection and electrical backup in the event of power dips or short outages without crashing your PC.

Plug all other components like your printer into professional grade surge protection from companies like APC, Tripplite, or Belkin (general rule — if a "surge protector" is under $15, skip it — not enough protection — you want a stated rating of "surge clamping capacity" of 700 "joules" or better).

Mobile Surge Protectors

Mobile lawyers should always plug their laptops/netbooks into a portable surge protector. Three suitable models include:

Tripplite Traveler ($20)

APC Notebook SurgeArrest ($20)

Belkin Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger ($25)

MDTR: Routers, Switches, Firewalls and Such

A dizzying array of network gear exists for sharing Internet connections (routers and switches), and for keeping the "bad guys" out (firewalls). Some devices even offer the trifecta of shared Internet connectivity, firewalling, and WiFi wireless capabilities. So for simplicity's sake, we'll list one model and discuss the topic more fully at another time.

One possible approach (among many — I could write 50 pages on this subject alone) would be the Netgear FWG114p PROSAFE 802.11G wireless firewall 4 port 10/100 network switch and USB print server. Quite a mouthful, but the gist of it is that it provides Internet sharing, wireless capability, network firewall functions, and network connectivity for about $125.

Extend the network ports with any other 10/100 (Fast Ethernet) switch. If you have a larger budget and proper cabling throughout your firm, consider Gigabit Ethernet.

MDTR: Smartphone

Why would anyone want to practice law without one? Clients, especially in this tight economy, expect you to have this capability (like it or not). I don't care what you have as long as it integrates with the MDTR software list — integrating as easily as possible with your practice management system of choice and Outlook 2007. So whether it's a BlackBerry, an iPhone, a Treo/Centro/(soon to be available) Pre model from Palm, or a Windows Mobile-equipped device, any smartphone is better than, well ... a dumb-phone.

The ultimate selection criterion for any smartphone should be a positive answer to the question: "Does this device easily integrate/synchronize with my software systems?"

MDTR: Virtualize Yourself v. Adding Staff and Paid Services

Think about a Virtual Assistant — to help with anything and everything including your dictation transcription (yes, dictations can be efficient, especially with a digital approach). The be all, end all is probably LegalTypist, the brainchild of master virtual assistant Andrea Cannavina.

A laundry list of tools for your MDTR arsenal:

FreeConferenceCall.com: Never pay a cent for conference calling.

Internet-based PC Faxing: MaxEmail, MyFax, or RapidFax. You'll need a scanner to make the most of these services. Physical fax machines are so 1990s.

Phones: Skype (free Internet-based phone services). Also OneBox for a "virtual PBX" phone system (large firm phone functionality, small firm budget).

Jott: "Digital sticky notes for your brain."

Google Voice: Keeps you connected no matter where you are.

Google Apps: Gmail offers the best Web mail on the planet with the most storage and Google searchability.

MDTR: Daily Dosage of Legal Tech Smarts

Being a legal technopeasant in 2009 just doesn't cut it any longer — clients won't tolerate it or subsidize tech ignorance or lack of general sophistication.

In addition to continuing to read SmallLaw (thank you) and TechnoLawyer's other newsletters, check out the following resources as well:

• Get a free subscription to Law Technology News and scan it carefully each month.

• If you're an ABA member, join the GP|Solo Division and the Law Practice Management Section if for no other reason than to read their terrific magazines and ezines monthly.

• Also, look to the tremendous selection of practice management and technology books offered by the ABA Law Practice Management Section and the ABA GP|Solo Division.

• Subscribe to The Firm — otherwise known as the ABA's Solosez listserver for lively daily discussion of tech, practice management, and all aspects of small firm life with 4000+ fellow SSF lawyers and staffers. You don't have to be an ABA member to join.

MDTR: Putting It All Together

Find a capable, competent, legal-focused and legal-experienced consultant to manage a proper implementation. Don't attempt a DIY (do it yourself) approach. Do the economic math. Even in tight times, you can't afford it.

Practice smart, make more money, exceed client expectations with better work product quality and faster turnaround times at a reasonable price and above all, have more fun in practice. The MDTR will help get you there — cost-effectively — just the digital prescription for these tough and trying times.

Written by Ross Kodner of MicroLaw.

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Small firm, big dreams. Published first via email newsletter and later here on our blog, SmallLaw provides you with a mix of practical advice that you can use today, and insight about what it will take for small law firms like yours to thrive in the future. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Roger Neils reviews the Philips Digital Pocket Memo 9500 with SpeechExec Pro Dictate, Paul Purdue reviews Carbonite for online backup, Frank Lanigan reviews PDF Converter Pro and Nuance's customer support, Elizabeth Travis explains how to create a macro in Word 2003, and Michael Schwartz offers a money-saving Time Matters tip. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Answers to Questions
Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? In Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers. This newsletter's popularity stems from the relevance of the questions and answers to virtually everyone in the legal profession. The Answers to Questions newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.