The Presidential Election is Over – Now What (at least as it has to do with our law-office technology needs)?

Courtrooms are going to be empty for a while until this Pandemic is under control; are you professionally competent to be Virtual!

This blog is not about politics.  But regardless of your politics, we could not escape the noise from the recent election.  It has added a lot of stress for everyone.  While the pressure is not entirely over (and may not be entirely over for many days, months, or years), we always need to be focused on our law-practice obligations.  So, as I asked in my headline:  Now What (at least as it has to do with our office technology needs)?

Nothing.  We still need to maintain tech competence in our work.  We are still dealing with an ongoing pandemic.  You may feel your rights are being violated by having to wear a mask, keeping social distance from others, and appear in places by video. But businesses, courts, and law offices are not moving back to full-time in-person office work-life, depositions, or hearings for the foreseeable future.

First, the Pandemic is not over.  The possible vaccine is not out yet and the means of distribution has not been established.  And that whole process will likely take many (not a couple) of months if not at least a year.

Second, businesses, law firms, and courthouses are realizing there is great time-saving convenience and effectiveness in conducting business, hearing, depositions, etc., remotely.  No travel, no traffic, no hassle!

Lastly, $MONEY$!  Everyone is realizing that video conferencing is saving a lot of MONEY!  Law firms do not need to have everyone in the office for work to be accomplished – this cuts down on overhead – office space, associated furnishing, associated liability insurance, associated electric and internet, time-money loss traveling to and from work every day, and so on.  Lawyers, like any business, are capitalists.

It is the nature of the capitalist beast to make money by saving money.  And it is clear our capitalist society is beginning to adapt to the virtual world (especially since the Pandemic is not going away anytime soon).  Granted, not everything can be done remotely.  But we are still young in this new millennium and have only tapped into what technology can do.  Time will only allow technology to 1. Advance even more and 2. Decrease in costs.  This will likely produce a more virtual legal world that our ethics requires us to be prepared.  Are you ready?

To learn more follow my blog, listen to my podcasts and if you find you need more personal one-on-one help, reach out to me.  I do offer services to help other attorneys one-on-one – in person or virtually.

MTC

Videoconferencing: Do I need an external webcam? Probably not!

Videoconferencing has become essential given the COVID-19 pandemic.  It has allowed us to remain in contact as a society.  Moreover, it is becoming a necessary utility for lawyers.  We use videoconferencing programs (listed below) to conduct meetings, depositions, and hearings.  With this accelerated use, businesses, including lawyers, are finding that videoconferencing is a more economically efficient means of conducting work.  Simply put, it saves money, time, and effort to travel, whether it be in town or long-distance.  But, the question remains, do I need an external webcam?  Probably not.

I have a Logitech Webcam that I had purchased over 15 years ago - it works great - even at 720 dpi ("dots per square inch" - I'll do a post on webcam resolution in a future post). But, when I purchased it, videocamming from our electronic devices was still not a "thing."  As social media pushed forward, so did the desire to communicate via video and with it, accessibility to video from our personal electronic devices.

Webcams are provided internally in almost all of our laptops, tablets, and smartphones.  For the most part, they work quite well (and in some cases better than my old webcam and even the video cam built into my iMac).  And in all of those devices, which I find it unlikely that any attorney does not have at least one of the three listed, videocasting programs can be downloaded and utilized with ease.

Granted, most desktop computers do not have a webcam built in, although some external monitors do have them embedded.  But if you have a laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a cam, why waste the money for an external webcam.  Unless you are getting into video casting or are appearing on the news for interviews, you simply don't need a fancy, expensive webcam.  Meanwhile, you won't have to worry about draining your computer's resources while camming.

A LIST OF POPULAR VIDEOCASTING PLATFORMS FOR BUSINESSES FOR YOUR REFERENCE

• Adobe Connect

• Cisco WebEx Meetings

• Google Hangouts Meet

• GoToMeeting

• join.me

• Microsoft Teams

• Skype

• Zoom

First Day Thoughts at ABA Techshow 2020

I'm attending my second ABA Techshow this year!

Its great being around people interested in better-utilizing technology in their practice. On my first day, I attended several sessions on some core concepts using pdfs, automating workflows, and better marketing online. 

These sessions have been perfect for the new and moderate tech users. As a more advanced computer user, I would have appreciated a more granular (step-by-step) approach. But, I can confidently say that from each session, I have learned at least one new thing that will individually enhance my practice. I have a feeling that regardless of your technology skills are you can learn something - perhaps at ABA Techshow 2021!

2020 - What was the Big Tech advancement that helped attorneys this past decade?

Happy New Year!

Lately, I have been reading many blogs and articles about what was the most significant technological advancement in the past decade. It got me thinking about what has been the best tech advancement for attorneys these past ten years? The advancement of technology has been a constant exponential boom since the transistor and Alan Turing's Machine and clearly has had an impact on the way we practice law.

These devices led us to home personal computers, then smartphones, and now we can have information everywhere, at any time, and on almost any electronic device. Computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones allow attorneys to be more flexible in how they work, when they work, and where they work. No longer do we have to carry massive files of documents to court, depositions, or even home (when we have to work from home - like that ever happens! 😉). This thinking brings me to what I believe to be the most essential technological advancement was for attorneys this past decade - cloud sync/storage.

The ability to work anywhere can only happen if we have our files with us. Regardless of the number of records we have, they are essential and likely necessary when we work on a client's case. Missing that one crucial document can defeat your plans to work - imagine what happens if you forget it for your client's trial, deposition, or meeting - Malpractice Alert!

Dropbox and Box are two leading cloud sync/storage popular with attorneys. Cloud sync/storage is something that has helped me, many of my friends and colleagues, and possibly you.

Need some tech help, shoot me an e-mail, I may be able to assist!