Presented by Carol L. Schlein, Esq.

Legal Technology Consultant Law Office Systems, Inc.

a proud member of Lawtopia™ LLCcarol@losinc.com

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

carol@losinc.com973-746-6454