The Mac Lawyer : Ben Stevens : Using Macs In The Practice Of Law

Much has been written about the MacBook Air since its introduction earlier this month.  Sure, its the world's thinnest notebook and it is visually stunning, but how does it really stand up to the other "heavy hitters" in the ultra-light notebook market?  AppleInsider published an article that compares the MacBook Air with the offerings from Sony, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Panasonic, and Asus.  For a summary, you can view the chart below, and for the detailed findings, you can click HERE.

Source:  "How the MacBook Air Stacks Up Against Other Ultra-Light Notebooks" by Prince McLean, published at AppleInsider.

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As I previously posted, I am honored to be speaking at the inaugural "Mac Track" at this year's TechShow 2008, sponsored by the American Bar Association.  If you are planning to attend, please note that the "early bird" discount expires this Friday, February 1, 2008.  Also, if your bar association is listed here, you may be entitled to a discount.  You can learn much more about TechShow 2008 by visiting my prior post or by clicking on the image below to visit its website.

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Erik Schmidt of the Mac Law Students blog published an article about a month ago about legal Mac blogs.  I thought that Erik did a great job of listing the major blogs in this area, and I wanted to feature his list here in case any of my readers are not familiar with these other excellent blogs:

• Home Office Lawyer ::  Grant Griffiths

• The Mac Lawyer  ::  Ben Stevens

• MacSparky  ::  David Sparks

• Criminal Defense Law with an Apple  ::  Aaron Pelley

• a mac lawyer's notebook  ::  Kevin Morton

• Apple Briefs  ::  Jeffrey Kabbe

If you are aware of any other blogs devoted to using Macs in the practice of law, please let me know so that this list can be updated.  Also, thanks to Erik for including my blog in his list and for referring to me as an early pioneer of Mac lawyer blogging.

Source:  "Lawyers with Macs are Everywhere" by Erik Schmidt, published at the Mac Law Students blog.

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Twenty-four years ago today (Jan. 24, 1984), Apple released the original Macintosh computer (pictured at right).  It was revolutionary at the time, as the Macintosh was the first commercially successful personal computer to use a mouse and a graphical user interface.  For the youngsters out there, prior to that time, computers operated via the use of text characters, i.e. typing commands instead of pointing and clicking.

Apple famously announced the Mac's arrival during a commercial aired on January 22, 1984, during Super Bowl XVIII.  That commercial pictured a woman hurling a sledgehammer at a huge "big-brother" like video screen, which represented IBM, manufacturer of the dominant computers of that time.  The video was directed by Ridley Scott, who would later become famous for major motion pictures such as Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Alien, among others.

Of course, over the last twenty-four years, there have been some ups and downs for Apple, but today many experts (including me) believe that Apple makes the best personal computer on the market today.  Apple is constantly breaking new ground with both their operating systems, software, and stunningly beautiful hardware.  As a tribute to the Mac, I have pasted the original "1984" commercial below, and I look forward to what Apple has in store for us over the next twenty-four years.

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Interesting statistics from a survey conducted by ChangeWave earlier this month:

• 81% of Apple buyers were "very satisfied" Leopard, while Windows XP buyers were at 53% and 51% and Windows Vista buyers were only 27% and 15%
• 79% of Apple buyers over the past 90 days are "very satisfied" with their purchases, while was Dell at 59% and Hewlett-Packard at 58%
• 26% of consumers say the Leopard OS is making them more likely to buy a Mac in the future
• 33% of planned PC buyers in the next 90 days say they'll purchase an Apple notebook and 29% say they''ll buy an Apple desktop

Source:  "Study: Leopard Satisfaction Driving 'Explosive' Mac Sales" by Katie Marsal, published at AppleInsider.

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The Tennessee Bar Association is sponsoring Law Technology 2008: Marketing, Management and Techology Solutions for Your Firm on February 22, 2008, at the Doubletree Hotel in Nashville.  I will be presenting two sessions at this CLE, which will focus on using Macs in your law practice.  I am looking forward to getting back to the Music City, and I hope that my readers will attend if they are able to do so.  Much more information about this seminar is listed below.

This year's program includes something for everyone! Hear about legal technology trends for 2008 and the latest technology in the courts. Lawyer, author and marketing guru Greg Siskind discusses marketing through webinars, blogs and podcasts. Dual track programming allows attendees to select the programs they want. Guest presenter Ben Stevens, publisher of the well known law office management blog, "The Mac Lawyer," will discuss why Macs are better than PCs and the equipment and software that can be used in a Mac law office.

Law Tech 2008 also offers ethics programming relating to management and technology and pluses and pitfalls of Microsoft Vista and Office 2007.

Don't miss this exciting opportunity to interact with a number of exhibitors! Vendors for a number of other technology-related products will also present at the program. A number of door prizes will be given away including an Apple iPod Shuffle, Best Buy Gift Certificate, Shell Gas Card, Blockbuster Gift Card and much more!

Save Money: TBA members can use the three prepaid CLE credits that come with their Complete Membership to reduce the cost of this program.  6 hours dual CLE • 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. -- REGISTER NOW

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One of my favorite Mac legal bloggers, David Sparks, attended this year's Macworld Conference & Expo, and he recently published the following thoughts about it at MacSparky:

In addition to being an affirmed Mac geek, I am also a lawyer.  So as I spent the last several days talking to developers and roaming the halls of Macworld, a few things in particular got me excited about practicing law with my Mac.

Macbook Air

Apple's new machine is a real eye catcher.  It is just three pounds and manages to keep a 13 inch monitor.  While this would be really nice for the roadwarrior or running around in depositions and trial, the $1800 price tag makes me look twice.  If you really need thin and are willing to sacrifice a bit of functionality (no ethernet or firewire) you may want to check it out.  I'm sticking with my Macbook Pro for the time being.

MacSpeech

For those of you former PC users who miss having DragonDictate in your toolbelt, fret no more.  I was never a big fan of iListen, but the folks at at iListen recently acquired the license for the Dragon recognition engine for use on the Mac.  Their new product, MacSpeech Dictate will be releasing next month and looks fantastic.  I spent about an hour at their booth and am very impressed.  I also watched David Pogue fawn over it as it produced very accurate and quick results.

I wasn't alone in my opinion that this product will change things.  It was one of the "Best of Show" award winners by several publications.  Put this one at the top of your list for productivity boosters.

OmniFocus

I'm a big fan of the Omni Group applications.  I use OmniOutline, OmniPlan, and OmniGraffle to manage much of my caseload.  I got in early on the beta of their OmniFocus task management application and it was just released as a 1.0.  This application is fantastic for keeping all the plates in the air.  I did an extended review of it at Macsparky.com.

I talked to the folks at Omni and they are going to do everything in their power to get these applications on the iPhone once the iPhone SDK releases.

BusySync

For the small offices that don't need the expense of a server but want to sync iCal calendars between multiple desks, there is a great little application called BusySync.  For a cost of $20 per computer, you get seamless bonjour and net syncing between machines.  They have a new version due out soon that will also allow for Google calendar syncing.

Bento

FileMaker is the best application for database intensive solutions.  If you are running a small practice, FileMaker's smaller application, Bento, looks really robust.

Billings and Daylite

Marketcircle continues its place at the top of small office management software.  They had a nice booth and made regular presentations.  I was unaware of some of their interesting add-on products like Daylite Delivery and the FileMaker connector.  These guys fill a very particular niche.

Fujitsu ScanSnap

I love my Fujitsu ScanSnap.  It is a reliable, fast scanner with a small footprint.  Now they have a portable version, the S300M, that retails at $295 and looks perfect for those depositions on the other side of the country.

Smart Board

Smart Technologies has a very impressive device you install over your LCD television that allows you to create a virtual white board like you are John Madden.  The price point is steep.  I was told "around $5,000" but it sure is nice.

Storage - Drobo and TimeCapsule

While TimeCapsule is aimed as a consumer device, 1TB storage with a built in wireless "N" router is a pretty attractive product.

I was also impressed with the Drobo that allows you to drop up to four swappable drives in with no headache.  Interestingly, if you pull out a drive while it is running (or if the drive dies), Drobo automatically moves the data around to protect its integrity.  The Drobo device costs $500 without any drives.

For all of you Mac lawyers, I highly recommend visiting Macworld sometime when you get a chance.  Not only will you find some great tools for your practice, you'll probably have a good time while you are at it.

Source:  "A Lawyer's Take on Macworld" by David Sparks, published at MacSparky.

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As I previously posted, the "Using Macs in Trial 2" seminar is scheduled for February 29 -- March 1, 2008, in Dallas, Texas.  It was announced last week that Rick Borstein will also be speaking at this seminar, in addition to the other fantastic speakers.

Rick is a Business Development Manager with Adobe, specializing in the Acrobat-Legal Market, and he publishes the Acrobat for Legal Professionals blog.  Rick's presentation will focus exclusively on legal examples and applications of Acrobat, and it should be great.

If you want to get more information about the "Using Macs in Trial 2" seminar, including the topics, location, cost, etc., simply click HERE.

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Apple introduced its ultra-compact laptop, the MacBook Air, at MacWorld yesterday.  Billed as "the world's thinnest notebook," it is a full-size notebook measuring only 0.16 to 0.76 inches thick and weighing just 3.0 pounds.  It comes with an LED backlit display comes standard, and a solid-state hard drive is optional.

I think that this new notebook computer looks incredibly cool, and those wanting a light, thin, cool laptop should look no further.  Some may lament the lack of a built-in CD/DVD drive, but the new Remote Disk function and optional external drive should serve the needs of almost everyone.  I have included a video below that shows Walt Mossberg's first impressions of the MacBook Air.

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Last May, I attended the inaugural "Using Macs in Trial" in Dallas, TX.  It was a great seminar, and it met my number one criteria for any seminar -- it contained many helpful, practical tips that I could immediately implement into my practice.   The subject matter was appropriate for both new and veteran Mac users, and the discussions with the other attendees were insightful as well.

The follow up seminar, cleverly titled "Using Macs in Trial 2", is scheduled for February 29 -- March 1, and it will again be held in Dallas.  This seminar looks to be as good as, if not better than, the one last year, and I urge you to make plans now to attend.  I will be there, and I am looking forward to both the seminar and seeing the friends that I made there last year.

Using Macs in Trial 2  :: Hosted by Foreman, Lewis & Hutchison

Date  ::  Friday February 29, 2008 (afternoon) and Saturday March 1, 2008 (all day)

Location  ::  Embassy Suites Outdoor World At DFW Hotel, Grapevine, Texas

Travel  ::  Recommend that you fly into Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport if possible. Dallas Love field is approx twenty minutes away if you want to rent a car or pay for a cab. 

Cost  ::  $150 for the Seminar and Meals [covers a per person charge for use of meeting rooms at hotel, refreshment breaks, dinner Friday evening (speaker presentation during dinner), lunch Saturday (presentation during lunch), and high speed internet connection in the seminar meeting room.]  The $150 seminar fee must be paid by February 8 so they can adjust the seminar facilities to larger space if needed.  You should send a check to Foreman, Lewis & Hutchison, 611 S Main, Ste 700, Grapevine, Texas 76051 or call 817-336-5533 and ask for Kristy to pay by credit card.

Accommodations  ::  Attendees are eligible for a discounted suite at the rate of $124 per night for Friday and Saturday night.  Reservations can be made online or by calling 972-724-2600 and asking for the MacLaw rate. Accommodations include a breakfast buffet and a cocktail reception. In-room internet is an additional charge. The Hotel has a complementary airport shuttle. The discount rate for hotel rooms will remain available until February 8th, pending availability.

Seminar Topics  ::  The seminar is directed to the use of Macintosh computers in a trial focused litigation practice. Some of the topics will be applicable to general law office use of Macs.  A favorite portion of the seminar last year was an open discussion / sharing of specific practice based problems and solutions. The seminar should be a wonderful tool for both advanced users and those new to or considering a conversion to a Mac based practice. The use of all programs will be demonstrated in a step by step form - bring your MacBook and work along with the speaker.  Topics will include: 

• The Electronic Trial Notebook / File Organization - Circus Ponies Notebook. [Jayson Adams - creator of Circus Ponies is planning to attend! - Worth the trip by itself!] 
• Adobe Acrobat  the less paper practice (there is no such thing as paperless) , scanning, pdf files, bookmarks and annotations, etc. 
• TrialSmart and DepoSmart - trial presentation of exhibits and depositions [John Callis creator of TrialSmart and DepoSmart will present] 
• Recording your own video depositions - Quicktime, iMovie and iDVD and presenting video at trial
• Keynote/Powerpoint presentations - use bulletpoints to bore your jury at your own risk  use anchor images to help tell your story 
• Case Management using Daylight and alternatives
• Technical Tips every litigator should know: internet via cellphone; wireless networking with co-counsel; portable printers and scanners; projectors, image and video file conversions, dealing with a windows based court staff, and lots of other things to make you look like a techno-nerd. 

Continuing Legal Education Credits  ::  The seminar received approval for CLE credit last year from the State Bar of Texas (with reciprocity available in other states per their rules). Similar accreditation will be applied for this year.

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As all Mac fans know, Steve Jobs' keynote address is scheduled for tomorrow (9:00 a.m. Pacific / Noon Eastern).  The big question that everyone is asking is "what's in the air"?  Apple posted banners on site and on its website that simply state "There's something in the air."  Speculation has raged that this could refer to the long-awaited sub-notebook computer, though no one outside of Cupertino, CA knows for sure -- until tomorrow.  Apple.com promises that you can watch Mr. Jobs' keynote online, and I'm certainly looking forward to it.

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I just noticed today that The Mac Lawyer and the Macs in Law Offices (MILO) discussion group were mentioned in the December, 2007 edition of the ABA Journal.  An article profiling Michael Grossman's path to becoming a sole practitioner stated, "He hit the estate planning books and boned up on law office technology via blogs like the Mac Lawyer and an e-mail discussion list called Macs in Law Offices."  If you haven't yet read A Conspiracy of One, you can do so by clicking HERE.

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Several weeks ago, I published a post from Todd Vachon about working with RealLegal's .ptx files on Macs.  Mr. Vachon has updated his article on this subject, and I urge you to check it out if you work with these types of files.  You can read his updated article by clicking HERE.

Source:  "Working with RealLegal .ptx Files on the Mac" by Todd Vachon, published at his Todd Vachon Photography blog.

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