Software

Plagued by Outlook Crashes After November 10, 2015 Windows Updates?

Are you plagued by Outlook crashing after you installed the various Microsoft updates released on November 10, 2015? If so, there is a solution.

You need to uninstall updates 3097877 and 3101746. Then reboot your computer and, hopefully, all is well. These updates wreaked havoc in our office. In fact, in order to fix all of the problems they created, we had to uninstall and reinstall Office 365.… Read the rest

Yes – You Can Have Readable PDFs

When we work with law firms and courts to help them digitize their files – such as court filings – central to that work is to assure that they use the PDF format and that the PDFs are of a high quality. Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how easy it is to create high quality readable PDFs. When you do so, the PDFs can be OCRed – made into searchable text – that facilitates easy searching, and easy copying and pasting into other documents, like briefs and opinions.… Read the rest

I’ll Take “Advancements in Legal Technology” for $1,000 please, Alex

Recently, there has been some discussion out of IBM about the possibility of using Watson-like technology for legal research, litigation and discovery. While this sounds like a great idea in the abstract, in reality, it remains to be seen whether Watson is capable of such an undertaking.

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Watson is a room-sized computer created by IBM and named after its first president, Thomas J.Read the rest

Legaltech New York

Yesterday, my associates, Molly Gilligan, Diana D’Auria and I, spent the date (actually our annual jaunt) at Legaltech, New York, the large commercial legal technology show (not to be confused with the ABA’s Techshow, where I will be speaking in April). As usual, there were many vendors and we were able to visit with friends from our many partners, including LexisNexis TimeMatters, CaseMap and Concordance, Legal Files case and matter management software, AccessData Summation (I have just become a newly-minted Summation Support Specialist, which replaces my prior certification as a Summation Certified Trainer) and Payne Systems (Metadata Assistant).… Read the rest

Great Free Microsoft Office Manuals

Free is always a great price, but this time, free is not only a great price but a great product.  A company, Mouse Training, has release its training manuals and Quick Reference Guides for Office 2007, Office 2003, Office XP (2002) and Office 2000. The materials include Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access, Project and Visio.

All of the documents are in pdf format.… Read the rest

Free CaseMap 101 Webinars

I am very pleased to announce that I will be presenting a series of monthly webinars about LexisNexis CaseMap, the award-winning litigation management software – the webinars are based on my book The Lawyer’s Guide to LexisNexis CaseMap, which was recently published by the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section. The series will provide numerous tips designed to help you get the most from CaseMap.… Read the rest

History Repeats Itself – Don’t Let it Happen to You

In February 2009, I was contacted by a potential client, who was opening a law office. I recommended that he purchase case management software, Adobe Acrobat Professional and a scanner; he also needed time and billing software. Because he was just starting and wanted to focus on the time and billing software, I explained that the ideal product for him was one I did not support and offered to refer him to another consultant who is an expert on that product.… Read the rest

The Paperless Court

Apropos my last post about the Paperless Office, I was reading the March/April 2010 issue of Baseline Magazine, which ran a terrific article, “Disaster-Proofing IT After Katrina,” about how the Gulfport Municipal Court in Louisiana was devastated by Katrina and, as a result, the Court secured a grant from the Department of Justice and digitized the entire office (after the hurricane, they actually tried using Rubbermaid containers for filing).… Read the rest

When Tech & Ethics Collide

The latest issue of Lawyers USA has a interesting (albeit brief) summary of an ABA program, Dangerous Curves Ahead: When Legal Ethics and Technology Collide,” presented by Catherine Sanders Reach, Director of the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center. Knowing Catherine, I am sure that the program was interesting and thoguht-provoking. It covered issues, including the Model Rules, Metadata, Email, Social Networking, and Data Security.… Read the rest

Lexis for Microsoft Office

Admittedly, I’m skeptical about new software, and have always been leery of new developments in legal research, most of which has been more fluff than stuff. At ABA Techshow in Chicago yesterday, however, I drank the Kool Aid and saw the beta of Lexis for Microsoft Office, a very impressive product for conducting research within Word or Outlook. The software really does streamline the work, such as instantly compiling all the documents in a brief for download.… Read the rest