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You are here: Home / Archives for topics / Technology
PRODUCTIVITY

Technical issues and too many participants are biggest virtual meeting pet peeves

November 28, 2020 by

Have you had about enough of video meetings? If so, you’re not alone. A new study by global staffing firm Robert Half shows video calls may be wearing on workers. Almost three-quarters of professionals surveyed (72 per cent) said they participate in virtual meetings. Those respondents reported spending about a quarter of their workday (24 per cent) on camera with business contacts or colleagues. In addition: 44 per cent said they’ve experienced video call fatigue since the start of the pandemic. 59 per cent said video calls can be helpful but are not always necessary. 22 per cent noted that the practicality and novelty of video conferencing has worn off over the past eight months. 15 per cent confirmed they find virtual meetings inefficient and exhausting and prefer to communicate via… . . . read more

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TRAINING

Now is the time to train for technology

September 18, 2020 by

By Doug Striker bio I think it’s safe to say that the legal industry is not the most “agile” profession in the marketplace. The law actually breeds the opposite of agility. We tend to reward slow processes, long research endeavors, decisions-by-committee, slow turning of the ship to accommodate changes. So, it is no surprise that the rapid changes demanded by the COVID outbreak have rattled law firms to their cores. To put it more bluntly, I’ll quote a couple of people I recently heard speak at an ILTA Roundtable discussion regarding the legal industry’s use of tech tools to get work done “during these difficult and challenging times:” “I have a lot of self-represented litigants on my [virtual] docket and many of them are more comfortable with technology than the… . . . read more

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YOUR CAREER

Preparation is the key to a good ZOOM interview

September 7, 2020 by

By Lynne Curry bio Question: After unsuccessfully responding to job listings on LinkedIn and Indeed.com for five weeks, I finally received a request to interview. When I asked, “Where do I meet you?” I learned I’d be interviewed via Zoom. I’ve had bad experiences with Zoom. For some reason, they have my name misspelled; I’ve tried but haven’t been able to fix this. I can’t even get into my Zoom account; my password’s at my former office and Zoom insists on sending the password reset to my former, extinct email. And I find it distracting looking at my face when I’m speaking. My brother-in-law promises to help me fix the name thing, but I’m even more panicked about the interview itself. I need this job and need to know how… . . . read more

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CYBERSECURITY

Employees worse than hackers for putting firms at risk

July 27, 2020 by

By Jay Stromberg bio A recent study shows that cybersecurity breaches aren’t caused by issues with your firm’s hardware or software; it’s your people. But, come on, I’ve been saying this for years. Still, it’s nice to have (yet another) study to prove my point. In this case, SolarWinds reported that human error is by far the leading case of security breaches. I mean, seriously, humans are WAY outpacing the machines and other tools in terms of mistakes. HelpNetSecurity.com reported on the study, saying: “Internal user mistakes created the largest percentage of cybersecurity incidents over the past twelve months (80%), followed by exposures caused by poor network system or application security (36%), and external threat actors infiltrating the organization’s network or systems (31%).” Put another way, unwitting employees are actually doing… . . . read more

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TRAINING

How to implement remote learning in your law office

July 27, 2020 by

By Doug Striker bio I keep hearing from my IT and trainer friends at law firms, who tell me that their attorneys are really digging this work-from-home change. Of course, this shift also demands that attorneys work more independently, which is pushing their (often lax) tech skills to the limits. Enter remote training and learning Remote training gives your law firm the power to train each and every employee regardless of location, be it in one of your worldwide offices or in their home office. What is remote learning?  Remote learning, also referred to as distance learning, gives learners, who aren’t in a physical location for in-person education, access to online training materials. It’s become a go-to training method for law firms, as it enables them to train every employee… . . . read more

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TECHNOLOGY

Take advantage of case management software benefits

July 27, 2020 by

By Elizabeth Miller  bio Case management software is now so popular in law firms that it is rare to hear of a firm that does not have it. The problem is that even though firms have the software, they don’t take advantage of all the benefits. Managing incoming leads and cases Give your law firm an advantage over other firms by providing potential clients with an exceptional experience without the need for face to face interaction. Offer your clients e-signature to sign retainer agreements and other documents from anywhere. Digitize your client intake with forms making it efficient and convenient to sign on with your firm. Centralized case details The great thing about case management software is that all client information, communications, time entries and notes are in one place. … . . . read more

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TECHNOLOGY

Is COVID-19 ringing the death knell for on-premises servers?

June 17, 2020 by

By Doug Striker bio Back in the bucolic day of early January 2020, Aderant published an article predicting that more law firms would begin moving out of their on-premises servers to the cloud. Man, I wish we knew how many firms did that in March and April 2020 alone! When COVID-19 hit and we were all forced, en masse, to exit the building and head home, many firms left their precious servers behind. The IT wizards (aka “server nannies”) who manage those “server nurseries” were forced to continue working in the office, risking their health and the health of the people they returned home to. Not only that, but the IT wizards (they ARE actually wizards, not nannies, and they shouldn’t have to babysit servers) also had to move long-resistant firms… . . . read more

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Silver linings for legal industry in COVID-19 crisis

June 3, 2020 by

By Doug Striker bio  It would be tragic if nothing good came out of this worldwide pandemic. Yes, it is easy to focus on the terrible, awful things that are happening on a global scale and even in our own neighborhoods and families. But at the same time, we simply must also recognize that good things are developing out of this tragic, exceedingly difficult experience. I recently heard a podcast on “99% Invisible” about the surprising silver linings that are emerging around the world due to our collective quarantine. People in Jalandhar, India can see the Himalayas from their city for the first time in decades because their air is cleaner. Researchers in Alaska can study whales without the incessant, deep roar of cruise ships on whale-watching tours. Pandas in a zoo conceived for… . . . read more

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TRAINING & TECHNOLOGY

Proof of tech skills: Everybody’s doing it!

February 13, 2020 by

By Jay Stromberg bio When it comes to professional upward mobility, it’s looking like assessments are where it’s at. According to a recent article in TechCrunch.com, even LinkedIn is getting into the assessment game. “LinkedIn, the social networking service for the working world, is today taking the wraps off its latest effort to provide its users with better tools for presenting their professional selves, and to make the process of recruitment on the platform more effective. It will now offer a new feature called Skills Assessments: short, multiple-choice tests that users can take to verify their knowledge in areas like computer languages, software packages and other work-related skills.” In some ways, the legal industry is ahead of this curve. Ever since the American Bar Association updated their Model Rules in 2012 to include technological… . . . read more

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OFFICE PROCEDURES

5 benefits of rules-based calendaring software

September 13, 2019 by

1. Use of automated rules-based calendaring software may entitle your firm to discounts for…


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