April 23, 2010 by Dan Siegel.

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). Now — after training — the Court runs efficiently - electronically, with everything scanned, calendars/dockets electronic, etc. No more paper files. As the article concluded:

By streamlining its infrastructure, investing in a digital imaging solution and storing data in multiple sites, Gulfport Municipal Court has created order from chaos. It is now prepared for the worst that hurricane season can dish out, while fervently hoping that nightmare never returns.

As we discussed in the PBI “Paperless Office” course, going paperless (or “less paper” as I call it), improves efficiency and avoids many nightmares. In fact, last week after the seminar I walked past the site of the former Meridian Building, that burned down before the digital age and commented how, if the tenants had access to today’s technology, they might have been up and running in new quarters in just a matter of days. I know it’s a leap, but the sooner you make the jump to “less paper,” the better off you and your staff will be.

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April 20, 2010 by Dan Siegel.

I’m just finished lecturing about “How to Go Paperless” for PBI in Philadelphia with attorneys Rachel Branson, Walter Robinson and Twanda Turner-Hawkins. I demonstrated the various software we support and use. Most positive was the very good attendance, with about 35 people at the program. More and more, lawyers are beginning to recognize the need to reduce their reliance on paper, and the need to focus more on how technology makes them more efficient. We’ll be reprising the seminar next week in Pittsburgh on April 29th. Key discussion points today were backups, restoring backups, security and encryption and social media privacy information.

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April 3, 2010 by Dan Siegel.

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. The topic paralleled a PBI in which I participated, “How Your Computer Can Get You Into Trouble;” it’s also the topic of an article I’m writing for Trial magazine (journal of the American Association for Justice) this fall.

Of greatest importance, the article (and Catherine’s program) highlight the need to be judicious with your use of technology; it’s so easy to take things for granted.

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April 1, 2010 by Dan Siegel.

On April 7, 2010, Dan Siegel will present “How to Do 90 Minutes of Work in 60,” his popular presentation featuring tips - for everyone, not just lawyers - about how to make your computer more user-friendly and accomplish more with fewer keystrokes and in less time. The presentation will be on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Jenkins Law Library, 833 Chestnut Street. For more information, go to cle.jenkinslaw.org. Unfortunately, Dan has so many tips that it takes 90 minutes to present all the tips you need to complete your work in 60. Contact Dan by visiting his website or by sending an email to arrange for this presentation at your law office (with CLE) or at your business (it’s not just for lawyers).

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