As the legal marketplace becomes more globalized, many lawyers are venturing out and starting their own law firms. However, many attorneys also establish law firms without creating a company-wide strategic business plan to help guide future growth and company development. How do attorneys create a strategic business plan for their firm and what are the best ways to implement that plan? In this episode of The Digital Edge , hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with The Remsen Group President...
Jun 24, 2016•32 min•Season 1Ep. 104
The large volume of data that many law firms handle makes utilizing cloud computing services a very enticing prospect. What ethical standards should lawyers expect these companies to abide by? What should lawyers look for in a cloud computing provider? In this episode of The Digital Edge , hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway speak with Clio founder and CEO Jack Newton and Rocket Matter founder and CEO Larry Port about cloud computing and the new cloud security standards for legal professionals ...
May 20, 2016•31 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Over the past 100 years technology has made enormous leaps toward improving the ease of everyday living for the average citizen. This progress has also been reflected in the legal profession as tech becomes more integrated into the working lives of lawyers. However, in what ways has technology improved the profession and how can technological advancements aid us in the future? In this special centennial episode of The Digital Edge , hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway sit down with ABA Presiden...
May 04, 2016•27 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Recently, the legal publishing company Fastcase received a takedown notice from the parent company of another publishing company, Casemaker, claiming they had exclusive rights to distribute, for commercial use, the Georgia Administrative Rules and Regulations. Fastcase CEO Ed Walters was surprised by this demand, because public law is not copyrightable. As a response, Ed decided to initiate litigation with Casemaker for the rights to the regulations and also to set a countrywide precedent. But w...
Apr 01, 2016•28 min•Season 1Ep. 101
In 2009, the American Bar Association created the Commission on Ethics 20/20 to examine in depth how changes in technology affect the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The commission made many recommendations and, most notably, the ABA modified Rule 1.1 regarding lawyer competence. In the new version, Rule 1.1 Comment 8 reads “To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with...
Mar 10, 2016•26 min•Season 1Ep. 100
30 years ago, the legal community began to see the value in the intersection between technology and the law. Lawyers are now using new software and tech devices more than ever in their practices and the courtroom, making the ABA TECHSHOW’s 30th anniversary valuable to anyone working in the legal field. So what’s going on this year? In this episode of The Digital Edge , Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Steve Best, chair of ABA TECHSHOW’s Planning Board, about the popular technology topics...
Jan 27, 2016•23 min•Season 1Ep. 99
“The question is not can a machine exhibit empathy or judgement but instead for what problems are empathy, judgement, or creativity the solution? ” -Richard Susskind After years of writing and thinking about the future of the legal profession, Richard Susskind began to run into legal professionals whose careers are being affected by technology. In addition to lawyers, those in the medical, architecture, financial, and other fields have begun to notice a shift in the provision of professional ser...
Jan 19, 2016•40 min•Season 1Ep. 98
With the data breaches and ransomware that has plagued law firms (and other companies) of all sizes recently, clients and firm managers alike are seeking more advanced data security. Certifications like the ISO 27001 provide guidelines and standards for how to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information your firm holds. But what does implementing the high level of cybersecurity mean practically, how much will it cost, and what if a solo or small law firm can’t aff...
Jan 04, 2016•30 min•Season 1Ep. 97
How do people find lawyers these days? Although many attorneys believe they are discovered through a Google or Bing search, legal service consumers are actually still taking recommendations from people they know and trust. But technology has added a multitude of new ways that people perform research and journey to find lawyers. Potential clients will likely search for the lawyer or law firm’s website, Yelp or Avvo reviews, social media, and blogs before picking up the phone. So what should we, a...
Dec 17, 2015•27 min•Season 1Ep. 96
And we’re back with another year of gift ideas for the tech savvy lawyer. Whether you are looking for a Star Wars drone for… ahem… your children, a computer or printer that you can fit in your pocket, or a whiskey glass to bring to Mars, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway have the inside tip. Tune in to this episode of The Digital Edge for another year of tech toys for your friends, your family, or yourself. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow . Products Mentioned: The New Apple TV : More memory...
Nov 11, 2015•28 min•Season 1Ep. 95
In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview technologist and Microsoft expert Ben Schorr about the price, benefits, and downfalls of Windows 10 and what lawyers specifically need to know. Topics Include: What happened to Windows 9 The start menu and live tiles on desktops without touch screens Microsoft Edge versus Internet Explorer The quality of Cortana Rumors of peer-to-peer networks and bandwidth use New and existing hardware and software compatibility Wheth...
Oct 12, 2015•25 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview John Iezzi, author of “Results-Oriented Financial Management: A Step-by-Step Guide to Law Firm Profitability,” which is a book about compensation issues in small and mid-sized firms, what successful financial management looks like, and changes small firm lawyers need to make. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow and CloudMask .
Sep 10, 2015•24 min•Season 1Ep. 93
Legal marketing has changed dramatically in the past 20 years as we have reached “the digital era.” Some lawyers have embraced this new world of social media marketing, engaging website content, and cloud-based computing. But those who have not, particularly solo and small firm lawyers, are missing out on an opportunity for increased client base, client satisfaction, and competition with big law firms. Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Sona Pancholy, a business development director, about...
Aug 27, 2015•27 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Allison Shields, co-author of “How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Improving Your Productivity and Increasing Your Bottom Line.” Allison discusses why she wrote the book, productivity mistakes lawyers often make, and specific suggestions she has for increasing time efficiency.
Jul 27, 2015•24 min•Season 1Ep. 91
In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Judy Perry Martinez, chair of the ABA Presidential Commission on the Future of Legal Services. Martinez discusses specific actions the commission is taking to find solutions, including grassroots meetings across the country, a national summit, public hearings, and lawyer education. She explains how discussions with lawyers, judges, technology innovators, law students, academics, and law librarians bring awareness to is...
Jun 10, 2015•29 min•Season 1Ep. 90
In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview attorney and marketing consultant Jennifer Ellis about what SEO is, why it is so complicated and expensive, and steps lawyers and law firms can take to start marketing online. Fundamentally, she explains, SEO means optimizing your law firm’s website so that people searching for your services in your area will find you on the results page. For example, if you own a family law firm in Phoenix, you want people who are sea...
May 12, 2015•24 min•Season 1Ep. 89
In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview The Kennedy-Mighell Report host Tom Mighell, lawyer and author of “iPad in One Hour for Litigators,” about why the iPad is the best tablet for litigators and how to best use the tools and applications available on the iPad. Mighell makes many suggestions about which apps are most useful for litigation, including apps for note taking, case intake, document transfer, discovery, legal research, and trial presentation. In ...
Apr 21, 2015•26 min•Season 1Ep. 88
In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview law firm consultant Britt Lorish about today’s speech recognition and dictation solutions, added benefits of current dictation software, common misconceptions about Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and the best microphones and apps to consider. Lorish explains that most lawyers who use dictation have embraced digital recording and filing, but many lawyers are still wary of using speech recognition softwares due to previous ba...
Mar 10, 2015•21 min•Season 1Ep. 87
In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview lawyer and legal technology blogger Sam Glover about when technology became an issue for attorneys, how they can get in trouble due to ignorance, and what all attorneys need to know about hackers, cloud services, and the resulting ethical duties. First, Glover explains that lawyers are getting into trouble in the courtroom by not knowing about how technologies like Twitter work, therefore losing cases that could be eas...
Feb 17, 2015•24 min•Season 1Ep. 86
The ABA TECHSHOW is an annual legal technology conference in Chicago, sponsored by the Law Practice Division of the ABA. The goal of the conference is to educate lawyers, legal professionals, and law firm employees on using technology in their practice. The 2015 conference will be held April 16th through the 18th, and will feature many new and recurring educational topics that are trending in legal technology. Want to find out if this conference will benefit your practice? In this episode of The...
Jan 07, 2015•28 min•Season 1Ep. 85
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has been released and, according to these lawyers, it finally lives up to the standards of a laptop. It is lighter and more mobile than even the lightest laptop, which makes it better for travel. However, this tablet can download the software and applications that many lawyers use in business like Acrobat, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, while also supporting multiple users. The Digital Edge host Sharon Nelson purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 recently and has put it t...
Dec 11, 2014•23 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Are you a lawyer who always has the newest tech products and apps? Do you already have a drone even though most people think they are only in sci fi movies? Are you looking for a holiday gift for your tech junkie spouse? In this edition of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway present their favorite tech toys for the holidays. Nelson and Calloway have each picked out their choice of new electronics for themselves or loved ones. These new gadgets range in practicality from the Microsof...
Nov 19, 2014•28 min•Season 1Ep. 83
There are many exciting new Apple products available now or launching in the near future. Many lawyers love to use Apple products in their practice and personal lives and are often eager to learn about the newest change in the technology or services. The iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iOS 8 were released in September 2014, Apple Pay launches in October 2014, and the Apple Watch is set to be released in the spring of 2015. If attorneys want to know about what's new, there is one lawyer who is an ex...
Oct 21, 2014•28 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Lawyers now have the option to purchase Microsoft Office 365 for their small, medium, or big law firms. Microsoft Office 365 is a collection of products and services that can be purchased individually or in bundles known as stockkeeping units (SKUs). The products available include Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Lync, Yammer, Office Suite 2013, and Matter Center. These provide everything from document management, email and contacts, voice and text communication, to a corporat...
Sep 29, 2014•27 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Wearable technology like the smartwatch is the next in a long line of new technological advancements that are embraced by some, but viewed skeptically by most lawyers. Judges already discourage smart phones in court and many clients worry about a decrease in information security. But if used properly, a smartwatch can actually increase the productivity, availability, and even safety of any lawyer's practice with fewer disruptions. What are the best practices for using wearable technology to bene...
Sep 04, 2014•26 min•Season 1Ep. 80
When a law firm breaks up or a lawyer leaves to start a new practice, there are always clients, contingency arrangements, and hourly cases to split up. It is important to know what ethical steps a lawyer or law firm should take when parting ways. If the firm splits up, who has the rights to the name, brand, clients, or even client files? How can both parties ethically allocate unfinished business, accounts receivable, or unsettled contingency prearrangements? An ethical and professional split is...
Jul 14, 2014•27 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Many attorneys now use PowerPoint in trial to preview, highlight, and sum up the evidence for their arguments and organize their presentations. Effective PowerPoints garner the attention of court personnel and jury members and enhance their overall presentation. However, ineffective PowerPoints can be confusing, difficult to read, or distract the audience from the presentation's overall objective. Attorney and legal technology consultant Paul Unger argues that only with the proper skills and lea...
Jun 20, 2014•28 min•Season 1Ep. 78
There are a multitude of technology options to help run small firms and solo practices, but deciding on which ones can be a daunting endeavor. Mac vs. PC, practice management systems, and encryption of client data are among numerous issues attorneys must resolve. On this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview John Simek from Sensei Enterprises. Together, they discuss modern innovations that make running firms easier and keep client data safe. Tune in to learn...
May 14, 2014•26 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Breaking all of its previous attendance records, ABA TECHSHOW 2014 will certainly go down as one of the most successful. True-to-form, many of the attendees were from small firms and solo practices. With the introduction of How-To sessions, lawyers will be getting more out of ABA TECHSHOW for many years to come. On this episode of the Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview this year's ABA TECHSHOW Chair Natalie Kelly. Together, they cover the highlights of the 2014 show plu...
Apr 03, 2014•23 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Of the 46% of judges using social media, 80% are on Facebook and over 30% are on LinkedIn, but activity on social media presents a number of ethical dilemmas for judges, attorneys, jurors, and litigants. In a recent case in Georgia, a judge stepped down after being scrutinized for sending a friend request to a litigant on his upcoming trial calendar and later releasing her on a personal recognizance bond. Similar activities from other judges and attorneys have resulted in violations of both the ...
Mar 17, 2014•24 min•Season 1Ep. 75
