Carol Schlein Presentation Leveraging Technology in your new law practice

Leveraging Technology in your New Law Practice
Presented by
Carol L. Schlein, Esq.
Legal Technology Consultant
Law Office Systems, Inc.
a proud member of Lawtopia™ LLC
carol@losinc.com
973-746-6454

Plan!
Budget!
Do your homework!
Small firm tools are not the same as those for bigger firms
Set up, establish and document systems to plan for growth and turnover
Using technology to serve your clients and grow your practice

Computer:
Desktop or Laptop?
PC or Mac?
Dual Monitors or Wide Screen?
Internet Connection: Cable/ DSL/ Fiber (FIOS)
Printer/ Scanner/ Copier/ Fax combination
Backup (remote or removable USB drives)
Getting Started: Hardware (Solo)

Multiple locations?
Data in existing systems?
Familiarity with available applications?
Server-based or virtual?
Need remote access?
Smart phone data policy?
Getting Started with Partners

Server
Self-hosted
Remote hosted (virtual)
Minimum Specifications
Small Business Server
Microsoft Exchange (installed or hosted)
Terminal Services / Citrix (for remote access)
Static IP connection for internet access
Printer / Digital Copier / Scanner
Remote backup of dedicated server data
Anticipate Future Needs

Equipping an office

Phone systems
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
Cell / Smartphones
Outsourced Virtual Services

Microsoft Office/ Google Docs (Business)
Billing
Accounting
Practice Management
Adobe Acrobat Standard
Antivirus / Antispam
Practice Area Specific applications
Getting Started: Software
Separate or Combined

Options for Sharing Data
GotoMyPC
Logmein
Windows Remote Desktop
Terminal Services
Citrix
Hosted solution
Microsoft Exchange for larger sites
Make sure you know who has access to your data

Not recommended for direct access to databases (eg. billing, case management)
Make sure to use encryption options
Use WPA instead of WEP if available
Be careful in public locations
Wireless or Not?

Ethical Considerations Risks and Rewards
Who else has access to your data?
Security
How long will the vendors stay in business?
What happens if they go out of business?
Password policy
NYTimes 1-20-10 article

Staff and Client access to selected data
Schedule appointments via website or internet tools
Obtain forms and status remotely
Intake process
Social Media
Website and Marketing

Sample Total Costs of Self-Hosted Solutions (5 Users)
Source: Houdini Esq Website

Sample Costs SaaS 5 Users Per Month
Costs range from $2880 to $4200 per year

Opportunity to streamline workflow
Better delivery of services to clients
Immigration clients outside US
Collaboration with groups of clients
Attract better clients
Benefits of Rethinking Your Practice

Other Considerations
Need for conference rooms or meeting space depending on practice
Use remote collaboration tools to work remotely with staff, clients and adversaries
Manage work done by staff
Plan for major changes in technology
Generational Differences

Tradeoffs to Consider
Convenience v. safety of your data
Do you have a password policy?
What data is on your cell phone/ laptop?
Take precautions on public networks
Staff Quality of Life v. 24/7 Burnout
Ease of access v. client confidentiality
Who has access to your firm’s data?
What happens if provider goes out of business?
If Google can be hacked, how safe can your data be?

Presented by
Carol L. Schlein, Esq.
Legal Technology Consultant
Law Office Systems, Inc.
a Founding Member of Lawtopia™ LLC
carol@losinc.com
973-746-6454

Carol Schlein Presentation Leveraging Technology in your new law practice

by cschlein on Nov 18, 2010

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Carol Schlein Presentation Leveraging Technology in your new law practice Presentation Transcript