Top 10 Tips from TECHSHOW

By Mark Kuiack

The 2007 ABA TECHSHOW served up a bevy of valuable tips for forward-thinking lawyers, including an entire day of sessions devoted to solo and small firms. Here are 10 of the best tidbits of useful information discovered by this TECHSHOW attendee:

Create a “TripTik” for your clients – Remember those CAA roadmaps that were so helpful in the pre-Google days? Apply the same concept to guide your clients through the entire process, from engagement to closure. (Presented by Debbie Foster, InTouch Legal)

You can finally rely on speech recognition – With the release of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9, speech recognition and digital dictation are now viable options for the law office. Take full advantage. (Presented by Jim Calloway, Oklahoma Bar Association)

Don’t manage staff by e-mail – Recent surveys show that recipients correctly interpret the tone of e-mail only 50 per cent of the time. E-mail shouldn’t replace face-to-face interaction with staff. (Presented by Reid Trautz, American Immigration Lawyers Association)

Use client extranets – Clients appreciate the ease and immediacy of having electronic access to information on their matters. It can also save you having to report using billable time. Of course, be aware of the security of the information you make available. (Presented by Walt Karnstein, Kolisch Hartwell, P.C.)

Determine your effective hourly rate (EHR) – After factoring in the normal write-ups and write-downs that occur during the preparation of a bill, you may discover that your hourly rate is a tad misleading. Your EHR (the amount received divided by the hours actually spent on a file) shows why it’s critically important to record ALL of your time. (Presented by David Bilinsky, Law Society of B.C.)

Google yourself – Google yourself regularly to find out how potential clients see you through the eyes of the Web. Better yet, set up Google Alerts to ensure you’re not the last to know what’s being said about you online. (Presented by Dan Pinnington, LawPRO)

Create (and actually remember) better passwords – A good password should be unique, sufficiently long and include different character types (letters, numbers and symbols). Sites such as Roboform.com can help you create and safely store your passwords. (Presented by Tom Mighell, Cowles & Thompson, P.C.)

Bring e-discovery experts in early – Not everyone is knowledgeable in terms of e-discovery, so you’ll likely need to involve an expert early in the process. This can take the form of an e-discovery vendor, a computer forensics expert or even a specialized lawyer. (Presented by Bruce Olson, Davis & Kuelthau, S.C.)

Expose e-mail spoofing – E-mail ‘spoofing’ is a common dirty trick whereby an e-mailer masquerades as a different person by falsifying their name and e-mail address. Samspade.org is an online tool that can help you expose these culprits by decoding e-mail header information. (Presented by John Simek, Sensei Entreprises, Inc.)

Become a collaborator – With the growing popularity of wikis, Google Docs and project management tools (BaseCamp and activeCollab), not only do clients appreciate the convenience of online collaboration – they expect it. (Presented by Rick Klau, Feedburner, Inc.)

For more information on ABA TECHSHOW, visit www.techshow.com.

Mark Kuiack is editor of CBA PracticeLink and a regular TECHSHOW attendee.