Law Office Technology
Jargon-Free Software Training for Lawyers & Paralegals – By Lawyers & Paralegals
Software trainers may know about the products they support, but they may not know what you do. Legal software is the perfect example. Trainers often know their products, but couldn’t explain the difference between a pleading, discovery, or a contract, let alone the nuances that are so critical to successful lawyering. We do, we are practicing lawyers and practicing paralegals, who not only speak the language of law, we use it every day. What we don’t use is techno-geek-babble and other terms that trainers often use to show off their product knowledge, while also displaying a disconnect between what they train and their clients. At Integrated Technology Services, LLC, we […]
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Attorney/Legal Technologist Dan Siegel Named Technical Editor of New LISI Newsletter
Havertown Attorney & Legal Technology Dan Siegel has agreed to serve as Technical Editor and contributor to Leimberg Services’ newest newsletter, focusing on Practice Management. Dan is a practicing attorney, who also operated Integrated Technology Services, LLC, which provides workflow solutions for law firms and small businesses. Dan is the author of a number of best-selling books (The Ultimate Guide to LexisNexis Case Map, Checklists for Lawyers) and through ITS regularly consults with law firms about ways they can leverage technology to improve their practices. Dan also is a nationally recognized speaker and delivers 30+ CLE presentations a year. Leimberg Information Services, Inc. (LISI) provides Estate Planning, Employee Benefits and […]
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No wonder people hate computers – and dread tech support
People know that I love technology, and use it every chance I get, but sometimes I run into circumstances when something happens and I understand the frustration. That happened to me recently. Oh, and by the way, I later learned that the problem that the support line couldn’t fix was really my fault because I should have known what the company’s trained (?) support people didn’t seem to know. Here’s the scoop. We upgraded our office’s online/cloud backup, using Carbonite, the same product we used successfully for years. This upgrade, we were told, would be easy and seamless. Unfortunately not. And complaints received a consistent response of dead air. First, […]
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The Allegory of Septa Tokens & Law Office Technology
An old Ziploc bag sits on my desk, worn, a bit dirty, and empty. For over 12 years, the bag housed my Septa tokens. I loved my tokens, my quick way of getting through the turnstiles of the El. When I heard that Septa was discontinuing tokens, and replacing them with the Key, a new hi-tech substitute for tokens, I continued to buy tokens, hoping they would stay on sale forever. Hoping – despite recognizing the futility of my hopes. Then came the announcement. Septa stopped selling tokens. And I had to buy a Key card. I dreaded it. Not for any logical reason, it’s just that I loved my […]
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When you stick your head in the sand, you get a lousy tasting “sand”wich
The almost overly stale cliché that it is not good to stick your head in the sand applies to so many topics. But for lawyers, or at least a large number of them, mention technology and they want to scream “na na na na na” and ignore you. But more and more, sticking their heads in the sand won’t help lawyers. Lawyers are now bigger targets for cyberattacks, which is the point I highlight in my column in the May 1st issue of The Legal Intelligencer/Pennsylvania Law Weekly. The column, “Law Firms Must Be Proactive to Prevent Cyberattacks,” begins with a quiz, asking whether the readers know what these items […]
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Now Available – The Ultimate Guide to LexisNexis CaseMap
The Ultimate Guide to LexisNexis CaseMap is now available for purchase. Authored by Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, the book is the definitive guide to users of CaseMap, the premier litigation analysis software. LexisNexis CaseMap makes analyzing cases easier and allows lawyers to do a better job for their clients – in less time. Click here to buy the book, which is available in .epub or .mobi formats. With material (including step-by-step instructions and numerous screenshots) for everyone from new users to advanced CaseMap users, the book explains how to use every feature in CaseMap, and also provides Dan Siegel’s unique insights into the program. Many consider Siegel to be the most […]
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Ultimate Guide to Adobe Acrobat DC Is Now Available!
The Ultimate Guide to Adobe Acrobat DC is now available on both the ABA bookstore as well as Amazon! With 285 screenshots and easy to understand, jargon-free, step-by-step instructions, Dan and I have written what we believe is the most comprehensive book available on the software. As PDFs have become the standard in the legal and business communities for creating, analyzing, storing, and exchanging digital documents, and for filing documents in courts with electronic filing systems, you need our tutorial! The book will introduce you to the product’s many benefits, including: Sharing PDF files Sending PDF files electronically Redacting and Bates numbering documents Allowing users with the free version of the […]
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New Pennsylvania Policy Will Require Litigants to Remove Confidential Information From Filed Documents
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has adopted a new public access policy for court records that will dramatically change how lawyers file and access documents in all courts in the state. Attorney Daniel J. Siegel, President of Integrated Technology Services, LLC, was a member of the working group whose proposal the Court adopted. The policy, which goes into effect on January 8, 2018, will require litigants to remove confidential and sensitive information from documents filed with the courts in civil, criminal and family law cases. Click here to read the policy. The policy outlines how requests for access are to be handled, establishes a limit on copying fees and delineates what […]
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Lawyers – even those who aren’t techie – can make some changes to their software – and save time
When Allison Shields and I authored How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Productivity and Improving Your Bottom Line, we included tips for being more productive in how lawyers manage our days, and our staff, etc. We also included tips for improving a lawyer’s (and really anyone’s) use of technology. After all to be productive, we all must manage our time. While we’re at it, saving time with technology also means that if you learn to use your computer (and the many programs on it) more efficiently, you save time on each step. Just saving one minute a day saves you over four hours […]
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Dan Siegel to Discuss Social Media & Ethics in Pittsburgh & Philadelphia
Need a CLE credit? Or perhaps you have a concern about your use and your clients’ use of social media? Then Dan Siegel’s upcoming program, “Current Issues in Technology, Social Media & Ethics” is for you. Dan will present this one-hour program at PBI’s Pittsburgh center on Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 3 p.m. Click here for registration and other information. Dan will also present this one-hour program at PBI’s Philadelphia center on Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 3 p.m. Click here for registration and other information. These programs are part of PBI’s Ethics Potpourri program, a full day of ethics continuing legal education. For more information, go to www.pbi.org. Of […]