TechnoLawyer: TechnoFeature

Coming August 23, 2005 to TechnoFeature: You may have heard of Wikipedia, the collaborative online encyclopedia, but what exactly is a wiki and how can one help your firm? When someone in your firm leaves, most likely some of their professional knowledge goes with them. Some departments may develop manuals for complex procedures, and many lawyers keep personal notes. But what if you could collect all that information in one place, readily accessible to everyone in your office? In this article, open source advocate and all-around tech guru Eric Skiff discusses the use of wikis for law firm knowledge management. Learn how to create, develop, and maintain an "internal wiki" and discover the many benefits for your firm.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 August 16, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Almost every law firm wonders how to "renovate" or "fix" their workplace. In this article, Office Planning expert Richey Madison provides some insight on the latest trends in law firm design, as well as what you need to know about mock courtrooms, conference centers, lunchrooms, libraries, and videoconferencing so that your firm can use technology to better serve your clients. In short, Richey's sage advice will help you maintain your firm's competitive edge through innovative planning.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 August 9, 2005 to TechnoFeature: When trial technology expert Lynn Kenneth Packer tried to persuade Utah's Administrative Office of the Courts to adopt off-the-shelf PC technology instead of Courtroom 21's e-podiums for Utah's state courts, they walked out in the middle of his presentation! In this article, you'll gain an insider's perspective of the rough-and-tumble politics of courtroom technology. What happened in Utah may also happen in your state — or maybe it already has. Join Lynn as he discusses his concerns regarding the Courtroom 21 model in the context of its adoption in his home state of Utah. Whether you agree with Lynn or not, his tale serves as a reminder that spending lots of money on technology does not necessarily provide for best solution.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 August 2, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Electronic discovery is the biggest story in litigation. Soon, every case will involve at least some documents in electronic format. In this article, e-discovery expert David Moon provides an e-discovery primer packed with everything you never knew you needed to know, including the two most common pitfalls, and priceless tips on where to find data, how to preserve it, and how to request it in a reasonable manner that won't be deemed a fishing expedition.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 July 26, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Eager to work your sales speil on anyone with a pulse? Don't assume prospects need your services or expertise before they indicate a genuine interest — or before you know their true needs. Otherwise, you end up making a self-promotional pitch, which, at best, leads to wasteful, premature selling and, at worst, kills the opportunity.  Let Susan Saltonsall Duncan show you the best way to secure a new client, and how to make the most of current professional relationships.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 July 19, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Using an expert witness in an upcoming case? In this article, veteran trial consultant Timothy Piganelli offers some helpful tips and suggestions for enhancing your expert's testimony and presentation through the use of technology and strategic visual aids. Specifically, Timothy discusses how to work with academic experts, the best way to present the experts report, breaking down complex topics into a simple explanation, and the coordination between the expert, lawyer, and technology manager.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 July 12, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Law firms fear change. But raising your profits requires change. Only a few methods exist that can increase profits go up over time ... and some of them are deceptive. Others are harmful. In this article, legal marketing consultant Andy Havens helps you make sense of it all by discussing the factors underlying law firm profits. Before raising rates, requiring more billable hours, hiring more lawyers, or considering a merger, read Andy's take on what will and what won't work for your law firm.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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.

Because it has generated so much controversy, we have posted in full Joe Hartley's critique of legal blogs. This article ran earlier last week in our TechnoFeature newsletter.

Synopsis
Legal blogs have become the latest rage, but are they worth all the time and effort? In this article, Joe Hartley explores the role of blogs in a law firm's business plan — especially as compared to a traditional Web site. The results of his investigation, which consisted of a review of dozens of blogs and interviews with several legal bloggers, may surprise you.

Coming June 28, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Who wants to rifle through thousands of pieces of paper when you can just point and click?  Enter digital briefs.  In this article, lawyer and digital briefs pioneer Deborah Ausburn discusses several basic principles lawyers need to follow to ensure that they get the most out of this increasingly popular litigation technology.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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 June 21, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Legal blogs have become the latest rage, but are they worth all the time and effort? In this article, Joe Hartley explores the role of blogs in a law firm's business plan — especially as compared to a traditional Web site. The results of his investigation, which entailed reviewing dozens of blogs and interviewing several legal bloggers, may surprise you.

How to Receive this Newsletter
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.