TechnoLawyer: SmallLaw

Coming today to SmallLaw: Microsoft's Office 365 is the new way to license Microsoft Office. And 37 different packages exist! You need a user guide to figure out which one to choose. That's exactly what law firm technology consultant Ben Schorr has written in this issue of SmallLaw. Ben explains how Office 365 works, which products it contains, and the five packages, including pricing, that best suit solo practices and small law firms. Thanks to Ben's deconstruction of the options and advice, you won't waste any time. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the scoop on a new cloud practice management system.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles (and podcasts and videos) about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to SmallLaw: When you return from a business trip, would you prefer scanning a pile of documents or relaxing with a glass of Grand Cru burgundy? Enter the mobile scanner, which enables you to scan documents on the spot. In this issue of SmallLaw, alternative corporate entity lawyer and road warrior Scott Waxman comparatively reviews three mobile scanners. From build quality to real-life scanning speed to setup and ease of use to wireless scanning, Scott covers every angle. We think you'll agree that he deserves a glass of Grand Cru for his work here on behalf of small law firms. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week to learn how to measure your law firm's profitability.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles (and podcasts and videos) about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to SmallLaw: The more you use your iPad, the more you realize it needs some assistance. In this issue of SmallLaw, iPad for lawyers expert Jeff Richardson has put together a guide of the best iPad accessories for lawyers based on his tests of dozens of products. You'll find recommendations for an adapter for displaying your screen, a kit for cleaning your screen, an external keyboard, a battery charger, a carrying case, two styluses, and more. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a story about how the founder of a small law firm boosted her income from five to six figures.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles (and podcasts and videos) about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to SmallLaw: QuickBooks gives many small law firms a proverbial heart attack because of its lackluster time-tracking tools. But they can't stomach a heart transplant so they search for a bypass instead. In this issue of SmallLaw, New Jersey lawyer Edward Zohn reviews Minute7, a cloud application that enables you to record billable time and expenses in desktop and mobile web browsers and send it to QuickBooks for bill creation. It sounds good in theory. Thanks to Ed's extensive testing, you'll learn how well it works in practice. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for another tip on using BCC effectively, this time for introductions.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles (and podcasts and videos) about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the December 4, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Having someone proofread your legal writing can result in dramatically better work product and results for your clients. However, proofreaders don't come cheap nor are they all equally talented. Software seems like a more reliable bet. In TL NewsWire, we recently reported on WordRake, a Microsoft Word add-on created by legal writing expert Gary Kinder. WordRake makes grammatical and stylistic suggestions that you can accept or reject. In this issue of SmallLaw, appellate legal writing expert and Ph.D. candidate Joshua Auriemma reviews WordRake to see how well it works — using a recent Supreme Court opinion as his test document. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week to learn how to assess marketing initiatives before you approve them.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the November 28, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: You're reading this issue of SmallLaw on a PC, Mac, iPad, smartphone, etc. Right now it's working well. But someday it will fail. Hopefully, you will have replaced it before then. Below you will read about a cascade of failures (including one involving Dropbox and another an iPad) that beset a radiologist who relies on technology as much as we all do nowadays. After discussing these recent events, she provides some advice on how you can prevent a technology nightmare from occurring in your solo practice or small law firm. In other words, advice for how to ensure sweet technology dreams. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for tips on how to prevent your law firm from its own fiscal cliff.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to SmallLaw: Whipping out your smartphone to snap photos of 10 signature pages won't make your client think you're cool. It'll make your client think you're cheap or trying to pad your bill or both. In this issue of SmallLaw, alternative corporate entity lawyer and road warrior Scott Waxman reviews Canon's imageFORMULA P-215 Scan-tini, a mobile duplex scanner with an automatic document feeder that works with Macs and PCs. Scott has field tested many mobile scanners so he has developed a set of criteria. After setting forth his criteria, he discusses how the imageFORMULA P-215 measures up after traveling with it a few times on business. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for tips on how to practice law stress free.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles (and podcasts and videos) about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the November 27, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Change management is a business term but it also applies to legal documents. If you work on documents with others or you simply want the ability to undo your own changes after closing a document, Word's Track Changes feature is essential. It beats paper redlines and even PDF annotations. In this issue of SmallLaw, law firm technology consultant Ben Schorr explains how to use Track Changes along with some best practices. Don't edit another document until you read Ben's advice. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the telltale signs of a someone trying to harm your law firm web site's Google search rank and tips on how to prevent or reverse any damage.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the November 13, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Abe Lincoln quipped about time being a lawyer's stock in trade decades before Hale & Dorr invented the billable hours business model. Talk about prescience. But if Abe practiced today, he'd be in the same boat as you — how best to track and bill for your time. In this issue of SmallLaw, Atlanta business construction lawyer Al Malena reviews Bill4Time, a cloud-based legal billing application. Al started testing Bill4Time one month after founding his own solo practice alongside a competing cloud product, resulting in a more informed review. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the top 12 technologies for solos and small law firms (written by TechnoLawyer of the Year winner Bryan Sims).

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the November 9, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Many small law firms are profitable but not growing. Some are in worse shape — shrinking and even losing money. In this issue of SmallLaw, law practice advisor Erik Mazzone has some advice that can help you get your groove back. The strategy Erik lays out is easy to understand but not so easy to implement. However, it's worth trying because the most successful entrepreneur of our time — Steve Jobs — espoused this strategy. So ignore Erik's advice at your firm's peril. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a look at how a lawyer uses an iPad in client meetings.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.