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Presented by Carol Schlein, Esq. for the Basic Skills CLE series for the New Jersey State Bar Association on November 17, 2010. Carol is President of Law Office Systems, Inc., Montclair NJ and a founding member of Lawtopia LLC
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Presented by Carol L. Schlein, Esq.
Legal Technology Consultant Law Office Systems, Inc.
a proud member of Lawtopia™ [email protected]
973-746-6454
Leveraging Technology in your New Law Practice
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
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) Cell / Smartphones Outsourced Virtual Services
Phone systems
Microsoft Office/ Google Docs (Business) Billing Accounting Practice Management Adobe Acrobat Standard Antivirus / Antispam
Practice Area Specific applications
Getting Started: Software
Separate or Combined
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
Options for Sharing 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?
◦ 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
Ethical Considerations Risks and Rewards
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
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
Other Considerations
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?
Tradeoffs to Consider
Presented by
Carol L. Schlein, Esq.Legal Technology Consultant
Law Office Systems, Inc.a Founding Member of Lawtopia™ LLC
