TechnoLawyer: SmallLaw

Originally published in the October 12, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Legal technology consultant Seth Rowland thought he had seen it all given his many years in the industry. And he had until ActionStep arrived on the scene. A cloud application, ActionStep combines practice management (including accounting and billing) with document assembly, enabling solos and small law firms to automate document creation and their other business processes. Intrigued, Seth spend the last few months extensively testing ActionStep on his PC, iPad, and smartphone. In this issue of SmallLaw, Seth discusses ActionStep's Workflow technology and other key features and how well they work. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the unwritten rules of law practice.

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: Google proved that search is king. Too bad the Gmail web interface looks like it was designed by Jackson Pollock. Fortunately, Microsoft Outlook has many powerful search tools — but most are hidden so as not to overwhelm casual users. In this issue of SmallLaw, law firm technology consultant Ben Schorr shows you where to find and how to use advanced search tools such as Boolean queries, fields, relative dates, scope, and many others. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for an explanation of when lawyers should and shouldn't use BCC.

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 October 9, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Given that the iPad now features dictation and remains far more portable than a laptop, it makes sense to invest in a quality word processor — preferably one that works with DOC and DOCX formats for better interoperability with Microsoft Office on your Mac or PC. In this issue of SmallLaw, legal technology consultant Brett Burney reviews three such apps. He evaluates their word processing features, file management tools, import/export options, and more. Don't shop until you know Brett's iVerdict. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the magic revenue number small law firms must achieve to cross the chasm from hobby to real business.

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 October 2, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Small law firms have the same document needs as large law firms, just not the same budget. Therefore, many make do with inefficient manual systems. In this issue of SmallLaw, Seattle estate planning attorney John Creahan reviews SAFE Cloud, a web-based document management system with large firm features like secure access via a virtual private network at a small firm price. In his review, John discusses set up and customization, importing documents and email, search capabilities, security, technical support, and more. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for 10 safety tips for high-risk practice areas.

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 September 28, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: If teenagers across the country can efficiently churn out Big Macs that taste identical, certainly you can more efficiently churn out error-free legal documents. In this issue of SmallLaw, law firm technology consultant Ben Schorr explains how to use AutoCorrect and AutoText Quick Parts to build documents that contain specific words, phrases, paragraphs, and even pages. Because they're features of Microsoft Word you need not buy anything. You just need to learn how to use them by following Ben's instructions. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a review of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 Premium.

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: For most lawyers, lunch is a respite. For family lawyer Lee Rosen it's serious business. At his growing small law firm, networking lunches with referral sources generate about $1 million per lawyer in fees. In this issue of SmallLaw, Lee explains the 10 steps for successfully building referral sources (starting with a lunch) who continually send you new clients. Listen to Lee — and save your respites for dinner or better yet your early retirement. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the story of a small law firm that opened its doors at the worst possible time, but managed to succeed against the odds.

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 September 28, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: MyCaseOnline is an online document management system that can handle your work product as well as discovery documents at a low price. In this issue of SmallLaw, estate planning lawyer Chandra Lewnau reviews MyCaseOnline after using it in her practice for several months. You'll learn how well MyCaseOnline organizes documents, and enables you to search them, restrict access to them within your firm, and keep them secure from the outside world. Chandra also discusses pricing and usability before bestowing her TechnoScore. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for the six people your law practice needs (other than you and your staff).

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 September 28, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: With digital signatures still in their infancy and too hard for normal people to use, the fax stills reigns supreme for signed documents. In this issue of SmallLaw, New Jersey legal malpractice lawyer Edward Grossi reviews FaxLogic, a fax-to-email service that can also work with existing fax machines if needed. It also includes secure cloud storage. Edward used FaxLogic in his solo practice for about six months before writing his review, which covers the various plans and of course how well the service works. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a review of Chrometa 2012, an automatic billable time capture service.

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 September 18, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: There's nothing unethical about charging flat fees for legal documents, and keeping your prices intact even if you reduce the amount of time you spend per document. So how can you crank our documents faster? Typing lessons? Nope. Document assembly software (some call it document automation). In this issue of SmallLaw, New Jersey lawyer Ed Zohn reviews Pathagoras 2013, which works inside Microsoft Word. Ed explains how Pathagoras works (and how well it works), how much time it takes to learn, what types of legal documents it best suits, and whether it's worth your time and money. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a business plan that will doom a new solo practice.

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 September 12, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: In his popular series of SmallLaw articles on the best iPad apps for solos and small law firms, legal technology consultant Brett Burney has tackled note-taking from several angles, including handwritten notes and audio-synced notes. Today he reviews three note-taking apps for lawyers who prefer typing to handwriting. In his review, Brett focuses on critical features such as simplicity, speed, syncing, and organization. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a rundown the major players that provide law firms with prospective clients (leads).

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.