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Make 2010 The Year You Become Untethered!

January 1, 2010 By

The world is changing at such a rapid pace it seems as if nothing is the same from day to day.  We went from a cell phone to an iPhone (and, for some, to an Android or Palm Pre).  We went from desktops to laptops to netbooks.  Our Internet service went from dial-up to Ethernet to wireless.

We used to work in office buildings.  Now we can work anywhere.

But you’re still slogging into the office day in and day out.  You feel confined to the four walls, and wish you could get the heck out of there.

You can.  But there’s a catch (and it’s a biggie).

In order to change your work patterns, you’ve got to want to do something different.

And I’m not talking about that pie-in-the-sky, “Wouldn’t it be nice,” sort of want.  You’ve got to really, truly, obsessively covet the change.

In 2010 we’re going to be talking a lot about breaking those work habits and building new ones.  It isn’t an overnight process, but it is a fun one.  Stay with me and we’ll rock 2010 together.

As for me, I’ve got a lot of incredible things going on in my life – personally and professionally.  I’ve got a bunch of new podcasting opportunities, some awesome stuff happening in my lawyer world, and I’m turning 40 this year (the same year my son turns 3).  Things haven’t been this good … well, ever.

Keep on hanging out with me in 2010 and we’ll have a fun time.  Remember to subscribe to the email updates (just enter your email address in the box at the top of the page) so you won’t miss anything.

Happy New Year!

Filed Under: Virtual Law Office

Virtual Lawyer And The Kindle – Paperless Goes Mobile

December 8, 2009 By

Kindle Helps The Virtual Law OfficeI got my Amazon Kindle eReader when I landed home from my recent trip out to Oklahoma City, where I had the privilege and honor to speak at the Oklahoma Bar Association.  I enjoyed the trip and meeting awesome people including Jim Calloway, but I was itching to open the box when I got home.

My Kindle review wouldn’t add much except to say it’s as cool as they say it is.  But I did something that has already changed my practice.

First, take a step back.  I’ve got a bunch of bankruptcy books on my shelf, and they take up a lot of room.  Books that I refer to every single week, stuff that’s critical to my base of knowledge.  But I’m not near those books that often.

So I embarked on a massive scanning operation, digitizing all of the massive tomes.  I began with my NCLC bankruptcy manual and moved on from there.  The books went into a big box and got transferred to my closet.

Now that I got my Kindle I wondered if I could copy those books to my new portable reading device.

Yes I could!

So my Kindle now contains my entire bookshelf of professional books as well as the binders of NCLC Reports that I lovingly read on arrival.  No matter where I am, I have with me all of the books that were previously on a bookshelf.

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How A Virtual Lawyer Sends Non-Virtual Mail

November 23, 2009 By

snailmailr

Everything’s online these days.  My email’s here, my files are scanned and accessible here, even my faxes come to me by email.  The circle, however, is incomplete.

Some days you need to send out a piece of paper through the old-fashioned US Postal Service.

Well, maybe not.  There’s this cool service called SnailMailr.com.  The premise is so gloriously simple I nearly broke out into cheers when I heard about it.  You type in a return address, then type in your recipient’s address.  Once done you can either type a message for inclusion or (glory glory!) upload a PDF for them to print in 4-color (that’s full color, folks).  Pay $0.99 for up to two pages (including the postage stamp) via Amazon’s payment mechanism and you’re all set.

This isn’t a substitute for serving litigation-related documents (but you already use CertificateOfService.com, right?  RIGHT?), nor is it a really good idea for mass mailing needs.  But for the times when paper mail is the only option, this may be a winner.

For example, you’re on vacation and speak with a new client.  You need to get out a retainer agreement but the client doesn’t have email – or doesn’t have a printer so he or she can sign the document.  With SnailMailr you just upload the PDF and it gets mailed.  You go back to drinks with umbrellas on the beach, client gets the retainer for signature, and the world is good.

Sure it’s $0.99 to send out two pages, but it includes all the grunt work involved with sending out mail (print it, fold it, lick the envelope, affix the stamp, get to the mailbox) and it’s full color.  Not a bad price overall, I think.

Have you used it?  What do you think about it?  Sound off in the comments below!

Filed Under: Virtual Law Office Tagged With: , , , ,

Making A Decent Cup Of Coffee In A Hotel Room

November 6, 2009 By

Hotel Room Coffee That Doesn't SuckI’m in Tucson this weekend for the Members-Only Workshop being put on be the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.  The hotel is gorgeous, the weather beautiful, the company fantastic.  But I’ve got a problem, and that’s my caffeine addiction.

See, my morning ritual begins with a cup of coffee at home.  On the road, I have the choice of either doing without it entirely or slogging down to the hotel coffee shop for my morning fix.  After all, those little coffee makers in hotel rooms … well, they suck.  Coffee comes out thin, tasteless, and makes me even more ornery than I was when I woke up.

I found a fix awhile ago and wanted to share it.  I’d give attribution but I’ve forgotten who told me. If it was an online source it was probably Lifehacker, but who knows?

First, run your water through the coffee machine without any coffee.

Second, run the hot water back through the machine – this time with the coffee.

I think the problem is that the heating mechanism in these cheapo coffee machines doesn’t bring the water to a temperature sufficient to release the flavor from the coffee grinds.  But once you heat it and then re-run it through, the water is at a far better level.

I’ve just made my morning cup and am enjoying it before hitting the speaking circuit this morning, and I can tell you it works just fine.

Photo courtesy of svanes.
Filed Under: Virtual Law Office

4 Steps To Starting A Virtual Law Office

October 19, 2009 By

Virtual Law Office Basics

The economy is in the tank, your office rent is eating a hole in your pocket, and you keep reading about lawyers operating virtual law offices. You’re not sold on it, primarily because you can’t figure out how to make it work. You’re in the city, you’re in the country, you’ve got a big staff, a small staff … whatever your position, you can easily begin to transition to a virtual law office even if you stick with your current office setup.

That’s right – you can have a virtual law office without moving from your “real” office space.

Why? Because being virtual means, to some extent, giving yourself the freedom to work without the constraints of a four-walled office. It may or may not mean working in a way that doesn’t involve meeting clients in person. That part’s up to you.

So without further ado, here are my four steps to starting a virtual law office:

  1. Mobilize Your Telecommunications. When your phone line is plugged into the wall you’re limiting your freedom of motion. Consider either a cell phone or, even better, a virtual PBX system such as Grasshopper (formerly GotVMail). This is a terrific system that gives you a full-featured office phone system through an online interface, and lets you have each extension ring to whatever phone number you choose. At about $50 a month (at least, that’s what my bill comes out to) you can’t beat it.
  2. Minimize The Dead Trees. Paper is the bane of a lawyer’s existence, but the problem gets worse when you want to “take it on the run.” A decision to work from home turns into an entire production filled with boxes, Redwelds and sticky notes galore. With a good scanner (the Fujitsu ScanSnap is a lightweight machine you can keep on your desk) you can easily scan everything into handy PDF format. Leave your office behind without forgetting that critical pleading on your desk.
  3. Power In Your Lap. Your laptop is critical to being able to work remotely. Make sure it’s got a big enough hard drive so you can stuff it with all of your programs and files. Keep an extra charged battery handy for those “no outlet” situations. And make sure it’s sturdy enough to withstand life in your bag.
  4. Online All The Time. Face facts. We can’t live without the Internet. Email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, web surfing, research sites … how did we all survive without it? Anyway, the upshot is that you can’t be without Internet access. You have a few options. You can go out and link your smart phone with your laptop (assuming your phone supports this feature) or you can get yourself a broadband card for your laptop. I’ve had a Sprint 3G broadband card for a number of years and it’s very good (in spite of the fact that Sprint has awful cell phone service in my area).

Will these four steps get you all the way to a virtual law office?  No, but this will give you the chance to walk out of your office each day to get some work done, stretch your legs and maybe get some sun.

What technologies do you find indispensable for getting work done without being shackled to the desk?  Share your thoughts in the comments area below!

Photo courtesy of ToniVC.

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Filed Under: Paperless Law Office, Virtual Law Office Tagged With: , ,

How Can LogMeIn Help Lawyers Become Untethered?

October 15, 2009 By

LogMeIn Helps Lawyers Work Remotely

There are thousands of new web applications available and many of them offer incredible functionality for free.   However, it is not easy to know which tools to use or how to apply them to the legal profession.  It reminds me of an old expression about trying to read all of the information published on the Internet – It’s like drinking from a fire hose.  Even as an engineer (turned lawyer), I find it impossible to keep up with all the new technology related to the Internet.   But that doesn’t keep me from trying.

LogMeIn is the latest technology that I have adapted for use in my law practice.  In many ways, it is the critical piece for working virtually.  Why?  Because you cannot always bring your computer with you.  LogMeIn allows me to remotely access my computer from anywhere using a standard web browser.   LogMeIn is similar to GoToMyPC, which I used in the past.  The key distinguishing feature between GoToMyPC and LogMeIn is that LogMeIn is free.  Although LogMeIn offers a number upgrade options that cost money, the basic remote control functionality is available for free.

What is nice about “free” is that it encourages you to use the software on more computers.  If I had to pay for each copy, I would perhaps buy copies for one or two computers.  Free means that I can put it on all of my computers, at work and at home.  Every time I install the software, I find it more and more useful.

What can you do with LogMeIn?

Remote Control. After you download and install the program on your computer, you can control your computer from anywhere.  Simply open a web browser and go to the LogMeIn website.  Enter your email address and password to access your computer and then follow the instructions.  After a few clicks, your web browser becomes the desktop of the remote computer. If you maximize the screen it feels almost like you are sitting at the remote computer.

Access Information. By taking control of the remote computer, you can access any information on the computer.  So, if you happen to be traveling in another state and suddenly realize that the address or phone number you need to reach a client is embedded in a document on your computer hard drive, you can get it.  Or, if a client has an emergency and needs to ask you a question about an agreement you prepared, you can get it.  Or, if forget to copy a document you were drafting at the office, you can get it.

Run Applications. Between work and home, I use at least four computers.  There are many applications that I install on only one computer, either because I only have one license or because I don’t need the application on every computer.  For example, I occasionally use Adobe Acrobat Pro to create fillable forms.  Adobe has very strict licensing terms and technology that prevents the user from installing the software on more computers than the license permits.  So, if I happen to be away from my computer, I can still access and run the application without physically being in front of the computer.  I’m sure that Adobe would prefer that I purchase extra copies, but that is neither practical nor fair.  I can only use one copy at a time.

Group Demonstrations. I recently relocated to Boulder, Colorado.  My partner and other lawyers in my firm still work in Massachusetts.  Almost every day we have firm meetings, conversing over Skype or by telephone.  Often we talk about firm marketing, which inevitably leads us to reviewing various marketing plans or legal websites.  Rather than each of us separately looking at the documents or websites, we use LogMeIn to share the desktop of the computer in our conference room.  That way, we can look at the same document or website at the same time.  Also, LogMeIn has a cool “whiteboard” feature that allows us to mark up the document in red.  It is just like sitting next to someone and pointing at the relevant part of a document.  As soon as the whiteboard feature is turned off, the marks are erased.

Remote Presentations. Today, I used LogMeIn to give a slide presentation for the Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts even though I was in Colorado.  It was quite simple.  I prearranged with another attorney to install Skype and LogMeIn on their computer prior to the meeting.  Then, I made my appearance using Skype video and remotely controlled the slide presentation using LogMeIn.  Not only could I see and hear the audience and their questions, I could also use the whiteboard feature like a laser pointer.  From my perspective, it was better and easier than actually being at the event.

Upgrade Options. LogMeIn offers some valuable upgrade options that enable file transfer and print functions.  These are worth paying for if you need them.  However, there are other ways to accomplish these tasks.  If you have access to an email program, you can simply email the file to yourself and print it locally.  Alternatively, you can use other “free” tools like Dropbox to transfer files.

LogMeIn Isn’t Perfect.

For the price, LogMeIn work very well.  My biggest complaints are that LogMeIn requires a few more steps than GoToMyPC to take control of the computer and it has a few more bugs (particularly when using Vista).  If I had to pay for it, I would probably use GoToMyPC, but because it is free I am using LogMeIn much more than I would have expected.

Drinking from the fire hose can be a challenge, but if that is the best way to get water, you do it.  Today, learning to use and incorporate technology in your law practice is a necessity.  This is a great time to try out new web-based applications.  What new applications do you use?  How do they help your practice of law?

Roger Glovsky is co-manager of Indigo Venture Law Offices, a business law firm based in Massachusetts, which provides legal counsel to entrepreneurs and high-tech businesses. Mr. Glovsky is also the founder of LEXpertise.com, a collaboration and networking site for lawyers.

Photo courtesy of derjonas.
Filed Under: Virtual Law Office Tagged With: , , ,

Going Solo in a New Economy

May 26, 2009 By

Two of the top advocates of the solo attorney, Susan Cartier LIebel and Carolyn Elefant are offering a Teleseminar on Tuesday, June 9th Noon EST called, ‘Going Solo in a New Economy’

The Topics They Will Cover:

  • Why starting a law firm doesn’t have to be your first career choice; but it may be your only career choice
  • Why you don’t need a years worth of savings to start a law firm; nor may you have the luxury of a years worth of savings
  • Why you don’t need a ’sales-y’ personality to succeed as a solo; you just have to want to succeed as a lawyer
  • How to turn perceived disadvantages like lack of office space or shyness into selling points for your law firm; working with your personality instead of against it
  • How you can get clients even if you don’t have any experience; (now that should send some jurassic lawyers into a tail-spin)
  • Why going solo doesn’t mean being alone

Susan is offering a free 51 page eBook titled, ‘Going Solo: Confessions and Inspirations’. Even if she wasn’t offering this great resource, this is a teleseminar you don’t want to miss. You can register for ‘Going Solo in a New Economy’ below.

Filed Under: Virtual Law Office

Clio Update: Go "Off-Cloud" with Desktop Application Clio Express

April 4, 2009 By

If you haven’t heard the news, Clio just keeps getting better.

Clio (http://goclio.com) just released Clio Express – a desktop application that allows you to track time if you’re offline or out outside of a reliable wifi connection.

It was a logical next step and presumably a big draw for mobile lawyers and road warriors.

From the Clio Blog:

Clio Express is a desktop application for accessing Clio’s time tracking and expense tracking. Previously, Clio users were not able to track time without access to the web. Now with Clio Express, whether traveling on a plane, or sitting in the office, attorneys and staff can log time and record expenses from the desktop, either with or without an internet connection, using the intuitive easy-to-use interface for which Clio is well-known.

There’s never been a better time to consider web based practice management.  Solo and small firm lawyers, especially “just shingled” lawyers are practicing in an exciting time where overhead is getting cheaper and technology is getting better.  There is no question that Clio’s doing its part to stay at the crest of this wave.

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