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
ICT role in 21st century education and its challenges
Carol Schlein Presentation Leveraging Technology in your new law practice
1. 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
2. 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
3. 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)
4. Multiple locations?
Data in existing systems?
Familiarity with available applications?
Server-based or virtual?
Need remote access?
Smart phone data policy?
5. 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
6. Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP)
Cell / Smartphones
Outsourced Virtual Services
7. Microsoft Office/ Google Docs (Business)
Billing
Accounting
Practice Management
Adobe Acrobat Standard
Antivirus / Antispam
Practice Area Specific applications
Separate or Combined
8. 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
9. 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
10. ◦ 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
11. Staff and Client access to selected data
Schedule appointments via website or
internet tools
Obtain forms and status remotely
Intake process
Social Media
14. Opportunity to streamline workflow
Better delivery of services to clients
◦ Immigration clients outside US
◦ Collaboration with groups of clients
Attract better clients
15. 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
16. 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?
17. 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
Hinweis der Redaktion
Using technology to serve your clients and grow your practice.
Make smart technology purchases and decisions.
Phone, Internet and Mobile service; managing e-mail
Document production and case management
Purchasing laptops, printers copiers and other equipment
Backing up and otherwise protecting your data.
If google can be hacked, how safe is your data?
NYTimes 1/9/2010 “children of cyberspace: old fogies by their 20s”