TechnoLawyer: TL NewsWire

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a touchscreen smartphone, a freeform database (see article below), and a file viewer. Don't miss the next issue.

Ask and Ye Shall Find
By Neil J. Squillante

In the hit song, She Blinded Me With Science, Thomas Dolby complains that he can no longer find anything in his lab after his assistant "tidied up." Many lawyers have trouble finding files even without anyone else meddling in their office. And the situation on their PCs is even more dire. Good heavens Miss Sakamoto, what's a lawyer to do?

askSam 7 ... in One Sentence
Seaside Software's askSam 7 is a freeform database in which you can organize and search email, files, and databases.

The Killer Feature
Many lawyers crave simple software with which to perform challenging tasks. Of course, simple software often cannot perform such tasks. What lawyers really need is powerful software with a simple interface.

askSam 7 addresses this need with its new Start Page. From this screen, you can create a new database, open existing databases, select from your favorites or recently opened files, and obtain help. If you choose to create a new database, a wizard walks you through the steps.

Other Notable Features
askSam 7 offers improved search results. You can search within searches, sort columns, and select multiple documents for review or extraction. You can also right click on any word to search for it on the Web.

askSam 7 supports Boolean, wild card, proximity, date, numeric, fuzzy, and other advanced search techniques. You can store and search Word, PDF, PST, HTML, and many other file types.

Other enhancements include a tabbed sidebar that enables you to access functions faster, improved importing of documents (including drag and drop and Web page capture), the ability to jump to a specific document, improved image support (GIF files), and tracking of last modified time and date.

What Else Should You Know?
askSam Standard costs $149.95 and askSam Professional costs $395. The latter offers full-text indexing for faster searches. Upgrades cost $89.95 for the same version or $139.95 for an upgrade from Standard to Pro. askSam runs on Windows. Learn more about askSam 7.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a Web-based practice management application (see article below), an online meeting and Webinar services, and a video extender. Don't miss the next issue.

Web-Based Practice Management Arrives for Small Firms
By Neil J. Squillante

"Hello, I'm a Mac." "And I'm a small firm." "We get no respect. We need case management, time tracking, billing, document management, trust accounting, and calendaring. And we don't want any up-front costs. Is anyone out there listening?" Funny you guys should ask that question today.

Clio ... in One Sentence
Launching today, Themis Solutions' Clio is a Web-based practice management system designed specifically for sole practitioners and small firms regardless of whether they use Macs or PCs.

The Killer Feature
Web applications have a lot going for them, but many lawyers have legitimate concerns about data security since the servers that house Web applications don't reside at their law firm.

Themis Solutions has addressed these concerns with three layers of security. First, the company houses the servers that run Clio in a secure facility and backs up your Clio data daily to an offsite location that is itself secure. Also, when you use Clio, bank-grade 256-bit SSL encryption secures all data transmissions.

Second, within your firm, you can restrict access to confidential client records and other information by individual or group. Third, Themis Solutions makes it clear in its agreement that you own your data. Clio contains tools that enable you to export your data if you decide to switch to a different product.

"When considering Web-based solutions like Clio, lawyers are justly concerned about ensuring the security of their client data," Themis Solutions President Jack Newton told us. "Clio has state-of-the art security to ensure the confidentiality and safety of attorneys' sensitive information."

Other Notable Features
Like traditional case management software, Clio enables you to organize case, matter, and client information. However, it also has a contact management component, which means you can track leads and other contacts in addition to the people associated with your clients.

With Clio, you can track your time and expenses by client, matter, and task. Clio uses this data to generate customized invoices and bill reminders. A number of reports enable you to analyze your finances and firm performance.

Clio also includes a dedicated trust accounting component to help ensure compliance with your jurisdiction's rules regarding client funds in your possession.

You can view Clio's calendar in one of four views — daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. You can also set reminders and export your calendar data to third-party applications.

What Else Should You Know?
Clio costs $49/month per lawyer and $25/month per support staff member. This subscription fee includes all new features and technical support. Clio works in Internet Explorer 6 or later, Firefox 2 or later, Safari 3 or later, and Google Chrome on any Mac, Linux, or Windows computer. It also runs in Mobile Safari on the iPhone and iPod touch. Learn more about Clio.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers real estate automation software (see article below), an application for local and remote backups, and a Web clipping service with an optional iPhone counterpart. Don't miss the next issue.

Automate Your Real Estate Closings
By Neil J. Squillante

In today's real estate market, buyers and sellers want their lawyers to work more efficiently to reduce costs. That means you can either wring your hands and reminisce about the good old days or you can streamline your closings so that you can undercut the competition without reducing your profitability. If you choose the latter strategy, you'll need some help from your trusty PC.

Easy HUD ... in One Sentence
Easy Soft's Easy HUD real estate closing software automates the entire real estate closing process, enabling you to enter information once and create all the statements needed for a transaction, including HUD-1 and HUD-1A.

The Killer Feature
For real estate lawyers, the job doesn't end when the parties sign the closing documents. Other responsibilities include disbursement of and accounting for client trust monies and reporting sales proceeds to the Internal Revenue Service on form 1099-S.

With Easy HUD, you can electronically file 1099-S forms, and also print copies for the seller. This automation reduces the risk of error while also eliminating the time required to re-enter closing data.

Other Notable Features
Easy HUD doesn't only fill in forms for you, but performs calculations as well for more than 40 jurisdictions (if your state is not included, Easy Soft will add it for you). Easy HUD can handle just about any situation, including transactions with two loans, and up to 8 buyers and 8 sellers.

If you handle many similar transactions, you can create templates for HUD-1 and HUD-1A and share them throughout your firm. You can output completed forms in PDF or Word format. A case log lists all transactions and their status.

An integrated ledger can automatically adjust for pre-disbursements, earned deposits, and mortgage yield spread premiums. You can combine or split checks, print checks, and print an itemized ledger for each real estate closing.

Easy HUD integrates with two other offerings from Easy Soft — Easy Trust for managing client trust accounts, and 1099-S electronic filing service.

What Else Should You Know?
According to Easy Soft, Easy HUD's automation can reduce the time required for preparing closing documents by 70%. Easy HUD runs on Windows and costs $149.50 for a one year license with tech support and upgrades. Additional annual licenses cost $49.50 each. Learn more about Easy HUD.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers document comparison software that extends beyond Microsoft Word (see article below), a time-billing program with conflict checking, and a Web-based discovery review and litigation analysis application. Don't miss the next issue.

Compare Apples to Oranges
By Peter R. Olson

While the human eye may not be able to discern the difference between Sarah Palin and Tina Fey, being unable to see what opposing counsel changed in the agreement you're drafting is no laughing matter. Technology usually comes in two varieties — must have and nice to have. Document comparison resides firmly in the must-have category. But what happens when opposing counsel throws you a curveball and returns the agreement in PDF format, or worse, faxes it back to you?

pdfDocs compareDocs 3.1 ... in One Sentence
DocsCorp's pdfDocs compareDocs enables you to compare any two versions of a document regardless of their respective formats.

The Killer Feature
Many document comparison tools use their own proprietary format for the file in which you review, accept, and reject the changes. By contrast, compareDocs outputs the changes in your choice of Word or PDF format — the two major document format standards.

For example, if you compare two Word files with compareDocs, you review the changes in Word. As a result, you can continue to work in the document. You won't have to switch between documents or applications.

Other Notable Features
compareDocs can compare two versions of a document in different formats. It works its magic thanks to its inclusion in the pdfDocs Suite, which includes robust PDF tools. Thus, if you send opposing counsel a Word file and receive a PDF file back, compareDocs can convert your original file to PDF format to facilitate the comparison. An optional OCR component even enables you to compare two PDF documents and output the marked up document as a Word document.

compareDocs 3.1 adds support for the .docx format in Microsoft Office 2007. It also includes better handling of tables, headers, and footers. The comparison engine also runs faster.

compareDocs has long integrated with document management systems such as Interwoven, Open Text, and Worldox. The new version adds Web-based document management system NetDocuments to this list.

What Else Should You Know?
As noted above, pdfDocs compareDocs 3.1 resides within the pdfDocs Suite, which sells for $189. The suite also includes pdfDocs formFiller and pdfDocs Desktop, the latter of which provides law firms with PDF creation, collation, redaction, file splitting, bates numbering, automatic document binding for closing or deal books, and other tools. pdfDocs OCR Server is available for an additional charge. Learn more about pdfDocs compareDocs 3.1.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a new format for video depositions (see article below), a telephone system for small and midsize firms, and a network appliance for archiving email. Don't miss the next issue.

Depositions Hit the Big Screen
By Peter R. Olson

Video has revolutionized depositions. Remember those depositions of Bill Gates with a scowl on his face, speaking in a monotone? Powerful stuff — assuming you can see it that is. Until now deposition videos have primarily existed in MPEG-1 format. Translation — grainy quality not exactly up to Hollywood standards. Time to shake things up.

DepoView DVD ... in One Sentence
inData Corporation's DepoView DVD enables you to use a DVD player to view your deposition video and the accompanying transcript at very high quality (MPEG-2) on a television or a computer monitor.

The Killer Feature
Using your DVD player's remote control, you can switch among three modes — watching the video only, reading the transcript only, or a combination in which the transcript appears below the video as subtitles. You can jump to any page as well. The high-quality video enables you (and eventually the judge and jury) to see every nuance as the deponent answers questions — from facial expressions to body language.

Other Notable Features
A DepoView DVD provides you with everything you need — the ability to view depositions on any television as noted above plus the ability to work with the transcript and video on your computer.

For example, each DepoView DVD also includes nonproprietary formats such as ASCII as well as proprietary load files for popular litigation software such as inData TrialDirector, CT Summation, LiveNote, Sanction, etc. The MPEG-2/DVD codec on the DepoView DVD disc guarantees accurate playback of video.

In addition, DepoView DVD includes a complimentary copy of DepoView software for your Windows PC. DepoView, which we covered in the November 14, 2007 issue of this newsletter, enables you to clip and export video clips to PowerPoint and other presentation applications, search for keywords, print condensed transcripts, take snapshots of any frame, view exhibits, and more.

What Else Should You Know?
Every court reporter should be able to provide your transcript in DepoView DVD format. They can obtain the necessary software from inData. The cost to order a video deposition in DepoView DVD format starts at $5 per deposition, plus any related syncing costs. While the DepoView application requires a Windows PC, DepoView DVD works in any DVD player whether attached to a television or in your computer. Learn more about DepoView DVD.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers document assembly software with built-in knowledge management (see article below), a document archiving system, and a practice management and electronic billing system for corporate legal departments. Don't miss the next issue.

Shift Your Document Drafting Into Overdrive
By Peter R. Olson

Lawyers will never admit it even behind closed doors, but the profession's dirty little secret is that much of time billed during document drafting involves non-legal work like chasing down templates and formatting documents. Eliminating these inefficiencies can boost revenue in the case of law firms (charge the same for less work) and reduce costs in the case of corporate legal departments. But how?

Ixio Legal QShift Version 2.0 ... in One Sentence
Ixio Legal QShift 2.0 is a clause-based document assembly system that automates document drafting by enabling everyone in your office to use your best templates along with alternative clauses and instructions on how and when to use them.

The Killer Feature
Ixio Legal QShift captures the knowledge associated with each document. It keeps track of who drafted it and when, the best practice template used as the source and where it's stored, and most importantly why the clauses in the document were selected.

By capturing the author's thought processes while drafting the document, Ixio Legal QShift creates a contemporaneous log of the author's expressed intention — helpful if questions, problems, or disputes later arise.

Other Notable Features
When creating templates, you can elect to make clauses optional or required. In alternative clause situations, you can designate one as the default, and also create rules such as "choose at least one," "choose only one," etc. To further help those using the templates, you can annotate templates and clauses.

Ixio Legal QShift enables you to create a consistent look to documents, eliminating the need for your colleagues to waste time formatting. The template-based system also makes it easy to update templates firm-wide since you need only make the changes in one place. There's no need to worry about several different versions floating around the office.

If drafters have a question, they can email the author from within Ixio Legal QShift. These dialogues are saved along with the annotations for the benefit of others. Similarly, you can use this email capture technology with opposing counsel to save time when renewing a contract or negotiating multiple contracts for similar deals with the same parties.

What Else Should You Know?
Ixio Legal QShift requires Windows 2000 or XP. Ixio licenses the software on a subscription basis and also offers template creation and training services. An Author License (create and use templates) sells for $99 per user per month, whereas a Drafter License (use templates) sells for $59 per user per month. The licenses include upgrades and technical support. Learn more about Ixio Legal QShift 2.0.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a culling solution for electronic discovery documents (see article below), a network-ready multifunction inkjet printer, and an online service in which your clients can store their estate planning documents and you can earn referral revenue. Don't miss the next issue.

Make a Mountain Into a Molehill
By Peter R. Olson

Your latest case involves 200GB of data. Piece of cake, right? After all, it can all fit on a cheap $80 hard drive. Guess again. That could easily mean 15 million pages and hundreds of thousands of dollars in processing costs. Now, how exactly can you and your team get through that amount of data on deadline while justifying the costs?

Discovery360 DataMapper ... in One Sentence
InterLegis' Discovery360 DataMapper module enables you to cull irrelevant and duplicate documents prior to full processing, thus saving time and money.

The Killer Feature
Used by both corporate counsel and their outside counsel, Discovery360 DataMapper saves money by eliminating irrelevant documents before you spend time actively reviewing documents. By creating a smaller collection of documents to review, it also reduces the risk of inadvertently producing privileged information.

Discovery360 DataMapper can reduce irrelevant documents in your dataset by 20-80% prior to processing. The extent of the reduction depends on the nature of your document collection.

Other Notable Features
Traditional culling processes typically involve manual labor and don't afford much flexibility. Discovery360 DataMapper takes a new approach by enabling you to run as many "what if" scenarios as you want before you commit to a particular set of documents to process. You can even generate reports to further explore the various options.

To help you with this task, Discovery360 DataMapper employs InterLegis' visual analytics tools. For example, you can extract and index metadata and text from native files (discovery documents in their original formats), and visually group them by concept as well as search them. Discovery360 DataMapper also features on-the-fly de-duplication technology so that you can eliminate duplicate documents.

Once you've settled on your final dataset, you can "seamlessly" load the selected files into your preferred review environment, including of course Discovery360 Reviewer.

What Else Should You Know?
Discovery360 users can use Discovery360 DataMapper at no additional charge. Learn more about Discovery360 DataMapper.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a document management system (see article below), a digital pen that records what you write, and an application hosting service. Don't miss the next issue.

No More Document Management Excuses
By Peter R. Olson

Although every law firm needs a document management system, not every law firm has one — or at least a real one (files and folders don't suffice the minute you add a second person to the mix). But don't blame law firms. Many document management systems require a significant start up investment and learning curve. No wonder so many law firms have opted out even though they end up hurting themselves the most.

FileHold'08 ... in One Sentence
FileHold Systems' FileHold'08 is a document management software system that uses Microsoft technologies designed to reduce its cost and simplify its implementation.

The Killer Feature
FileHold makes your firm's documents available from any computer with access to the Internet, and keeps track of each version automatically thanks to "Smart Check Out/In."

For example, when you open a document and make changes, FileHold will prompt you to check out the document. When you close the document, FileHold will prompt you to check it back in, thus providing a version history and preventing lost documents and changes.

"Thanks to Smart Check Out/In, FileHold becomes the single version of the truth in a law firm," said Larry Oliver, President of FileHold Systems, when we asked him about this feature.

Other Notable Features
FileHold stores email and other electronic documents directly from your desktop. It also integrates with scanners and multifunction machines to convert paper files into organized, searchable electronic documents. Thanks to integrated OCR, you can search all scanned documents including full text and metadata (e.g., the matter) using the Google-like search bar.

FileHold files and tags (e.g., client, matter, document type, issues, etc.) documents using an automated process called "Auto Tagging" or via drop down menus.

You can view more than 150 different document formats, including WordPerfect and CAD. With one click, you can convert these documents and save them in PDF format. FileHold can apply Bates numbers to document pages, making it useful for discovery.

FileHold's workflow tools facilitate document review and approval within your firm and with clients as well via the Web. This workflow technology works hand in hand with FileHold's security features, which enable you to restrict user access to files which may contain sensitive documents.

What Else Should You Know?
FileHold comes in two versions — FileHold Express for offices with up to 10 users, and FileHold Enterprise for larger offices. FileHold Express starts at $3,795 for five users.  To help law firms contain costs, this fee includes the software,  remote installation, and two "train the trainer" training sessions. That's all most firms typically need, but you can purchase additional training if necessary. Learn more about FileHold'08.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a business class color inkjet printer, an email marketing service (see article below), and a biometric accessory for entering passwords on your computer. Don't miss the next issue.

Gift Wrap Every Email You Send
By Peter R. Olson

Lawyers often overlook an important marketing tool — the email signature. In well-managed firms, everyone uses the same signature, perhaps linking to recent articles and news on the firm's blog or Web site. However, the larger your firm, the more difficult it becomes to keep signatures up to date. And even if you can do that, email signatures are easily overlooked by recipients.

WrapMail ... in One Sentence
WrapMail enables your firm to literally wrap every outbound email message with an interactive letterhead that you can use to point recipients to pages on your Web site.

The Killer Feature
Unlike an email signature, which resides locally in an email client, WrapMail is Web-based so there's nothing to install and no training required for your staff. Instead, they just send out the same old email as always. But when these messages leave your firm, WrapMail places your firm's custom wrap around them, transforming everyone in your firm into a marketer.

Other Notable Features
Wraps consist of graphics and text. You can color the background as well. Most importantly, you can embed links and track the number of clicks using WrapMail's control panel. If you don't have access to a Web designer, WrapMail can design your wraps for you for $250 each.

You can create as many wraps as you want and assign them to specific people in your firm. For example, if you accept online payments, create a wrap for your office manager that links to your online billing page. If your partners publish articles, create wraps for each of them with their photo and links that point to their respective articles. Your marketing department can keep all your wraps updated using a Web browser.

What Else Should You Know?
Wrapmail offers a free Personal edition plus both Small Business and Enterprise editions. The Personal version works only with a wrapmail.com email address.

With the Small Business edition, your email from your existing address gets wrapped by WrapMail's server en route to the recipient. WrapMail does not store the content of your email messages, only the date, sender, and recipient for reporting purposes. WrapMail charges $40 to set up your account, and then $5 per user per month.

Larger firms or firms concerned about security can opt for the Enterprise edition, which entitles you to your own on-site WrapServer. You also received extended customer support and reporting. This edition sells for $2,500.

Learn more about Wrapmail.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a document management application that doesn't require a database (see article below), a business intelligence program that analyzes your firm's financial data, and litigation support software that handles discovery documents and deposition transcripts as well as trial presentations. Don't miss the next issue.

A Place For Your Stuff
By Peter R. Olson

The late comedian George Carlin had a famous routine called "A Place For Your Stuff" in which he made many keen observations about our propensity to collect "stuff." Law firms, of course, are notorious for all the "stuff" they collect. These days, much of it is electronic, but many lawyers still can't find anything. As it turns out, we don't only need a place for our stuff. We also need a better way to manage it.

Novabrain Business Explorer 4.0 ... in One Sentence
Novabrain Technologies' Novabrain Business Explorer 4.0 enables you to better organize, find, and share structured and unstructured data such as contacts, events, email, documents, and more on your own computer and across your firm.

The Killer Feature
Unlike most document management systems, Novabrain Business Explorer does not use a database to store your data. Instead, it uses XML files either on your local hard drive or a file server. As a result, you don't need a technician to get up and running.

Also, you need not upload email and documents nor must you check them out. Instead, you store everything where you normally store it, the difference being that Novabrain Business Explorer keeps track it. Think of it like iTunes for your email and documents.

Other Notable Features
Novabrain Business Explorer integrates with Microsoft Office, bringing with it a true client/matter classification system as opposed to the nested folders in Windows that many law firms use. Thus, you can save email and documents into Novabrain's index automatically by client and matter so that you can easily search for and find them later. Novabrain Business Explorer also provides version tracking so that you can access all prior versions of a document.

Novabrain Business Explorer's search goes beyond the many free desktop search tools that exist thanks to its context search capabilities. For example, instead of simply searching for a keyword, you can search for attributes such as matter and date range to improve relevancy.

What Else Should You Know?
Novabrain comes in three versions — Free, Pro, and Enterprise. The Free version is for single users. The Pro and Enterprise editions include collaboration features and the ability to search across your firm. The Enterprise edition also includes document numbering, Microsoft SharePoint integration, and centralized administration and customization. The Pro version costs $199. The price of the Enterprise version depends on various factors. Learn more about Novabrain Business Explorer 4.0.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.