TechnoLawyer: TechnoFeature

Coming today to TechnoFeature: "I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." That was Michael Dell's suggestion when asked about Apple in October 1997. Apple is now worth 10.5 times as much as Dell. Even the smart look foolish when they try to predict the future. But some people can't help themselves. In this TechnoFeature article, law firm technology expert and TechnoLawyer publisher Neil Squillante analyzes the looming battle in the legal industry between traditional client/server software and Web applications. Three years ago, Neil thought that Web apps had a lock on the future, but now he's not so sure thanks to … Apple. Who is Napoleon at Austerlitz and who is Napoleon at Waterloo? Or will both camps win? Read Neil's tea leaves to find out.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: Restaurants don't exist purely to feed you. They exist so that you can commune with clients, friends, family, lovers, and sometimes even strangers. Similarly, trade shows like ABA TechShow don't exist purely to learn about new products. They enable you to network with the legal technology industry's best and brightest. In this TechnoFeature article, Chicago lawyer and TechShow veteran Mazyar Hedayat bypasses the exhibit floor to reflect on this aspect of TechShow, particularly in light of its 25th anniversary. In doing so, he name drops some luminaries you should connect with, summarizes Professor Lawrence Lessig's keynote speech, and profiles two companies poised to help law firms survive and thrive as the legal services industry becomes increasingly commoditized.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: A lawsuit here, a lawsuit there. Pretty soon you're talking real money. An archive system that automatically captures electronically stored information (ESI) across your organization can significantly reduce the costs of discovery and make it defensible to boot. Your outside counsel will also approve as they will gladly trade fewer billable hours for a reduced risk of sanctions. But given the number of vendors and solutions available, you can easily spend a boatload of capital on a system that fails to meet your needs. In this TechnoFeature, legal project management expert Paul Easton and eDiscovery expert Allen Gurney discuss the seven most common pitfalls involved in implementing an ESI archive system. More importantly, they explain how to avoid these pitfalls. In other words, required reading for all in-house and outside litigation counsel.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: A lawyer is to a document as an actor is to a stage. It's the vehicle through which you perform. But what if you can't get to the theater (find a document on which you need to work)? Actors have understudies. You don't. A document management system can help you prevent show stoppers. In this TechnoFeature, Hamptons real estate lawyer Roy Greenberg reviews Lucion's FileCenter Pro Plus 7, a desktop document management system designed to help law offices become paperless. Roy thoroughly evaluated its features — automated document management, search, optical character recognition, PDF file creation, Outlook, scanner, and other integrations, and more. How well does FileCenter Pro Plus work. Read Roy's in-depth review to find out.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: When lawyers perform client work, they focus like nobody's business. But when you lock them in a conference room, and ask them to choose a new document management system, practice management system, or some other technology, many lawyers will agree to just about anything to escape. However, technology decisions ultimately impact your firm's ability to perform work for its clients. Thanks to knowledge system architect Marc Lauritsen it need not be a painful or thankless process. In this TechnoFeature, Marc lays out a dozen recommended practices for making sound technology choices. You'll learn how to isolate essential features, evaluate vendors, prevent groupthink, and much more.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: The PDF format has become the lingua franca for documents in the legal profession — and many PDF programs exist from which law firms can choose. Competition is good since it generally results in lower prices and better products — but it makes choosing a product much more difficult. In this TechnoFeature, legal technology consultant and Solo Practice University faculty member Caren Schwartz reviews Nuance's PDF Converter Enterprise 7, the latest version of its enterprise-class PDF software, which sells for about $150. From conversion to redaction to Bates stamping to OCR to Web capture to Microsoft Office integration and more, Caren thoroughly evaluates the features lawyers care about most. If you're searching for PDF software, start by reading Caren's exhaustive review.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: As children, we all used the not-so-persuasive argument, "Because." Since the 2006 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, many litigators have successfully used two adult variations of this argument to escape demands for electronically stored information (ESI) — "It's too expensive" and "It's impossible." But the times are changing. In this TechnoFeature, eDiscovery expert and lawyer Josh Gilliland explains why judges increasingly find such arguments unpersuasive. If you want to obtain ESI from your adversary, Josh offers essential tips on how to overcome an "unduly burdensome" claim. On the flip-side, if you want to escape an ESI request, Josh explains what you need to show beyond the above two catchphrases.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: Never let a crisis go to waste. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. One new and one old aphorism. Both truer now than ever. In this TechnoFeature article, former law firm partner and current law firm coach Allison Shields explains how to manage your way through the current economic doldrums. Whether your law firm is firing on all cylinders, in financial distress, or somewhere in between, Allison's advice on client retention, office space, cash flow, productivity, and more will help your law firm put the pedal to the metal and speed past these troubled times.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: The next generation of lawyers risks becoming a lost generation. With poorer job prospects and more debt than any previous generation, today's law students may not obtain the skills they need in an increasingly complex world that will give rise to challenging and novel legal issues. For most, hanging out a shingle is not an option given the competition from far more experienced downsized lawyers starting their own solo practices (BigSolos). In this TechnoFeature, 2012 Seton Hall JD/MBA candidate Frank Gonnello Jr. explains how small law firms can step up and save his generation — not through traditional associate jobs but through less expensive quasi-legal jobs that law students and recent graduates are uniquely qualified to handle, and that can help these savvy small firms boost their revenue in the process.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: Many lawyers write poorly. However, the blame lies not with them, but with their teachers in elementary school, high school, college, and law school. If our teachers possessed exceptional writing skills, they would pursue more lucrative careers such as copywriting, screenwriting, litigating, etc. — a conundrum. Fortunately, you and your colleagues can improve your writing skills dramatically by reading this TechnoFeature article written by lawyer and law firm writer-in-residence C. Edward Good. Originally published on December 17, 2002 in a newsletter of ours that no longer exists, most of you have never read it before. Ed's writing tip will give your law firm a competitive advantage that your adversaries will never figure out for themselves.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.