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

Last week, PC/Mac Smackdown had an in-depth discussion on their podcast about the "Mac vs. PC" article in the ABA Journal.  The hosts, Cal David and David Flashner, called this article "a really good smackdown read."  It is always interesting to me to hear others discuss my work, particularly my thoughts on Macs, and I appreciate the nice things to say about me and my portion of the article.  You can access or download their podcast by clicking HERE.

Source:  "Episode #43 - Lawyers in Love" published at PC/Mac Smackdown.

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For some time, I have had both VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop for Mac on my MacBook.  As part of my Mac "diet" to slim down the data on my hard drive, I decided that I would only have one virtualization program on the MacBook Air, so that meant that one had to go.

I have used both programs, and there are things that I like about each of them.  They offer very simliar features and options across the board.  However, I have used Parallels more frequently and for a longer period of time.  Nonetheless, I wanted to give Fusion a fair opportunity before making my final decision.

I used the VMWare Importer Tool to pull a copy of my Parallels "virtual pc" into Fusion so that I could compare apples to apples (no pun intended). It did a pretty good job, after about 40 minutes, of pulling all of the programs, etc. into a Fusion virtual machine.  I installed the "Tools" functionality in Fusion, and I then began my comparison.

Both virtual machines used approximately the same amount of disk space (21 GB).  Both took approximately the same amount of time to start up and allow me to begin using the Windows programs, and the programs themselves seemed to run at a comparable speed on both virtual machines. 

Unfortunately, the VMWare Importer did not bring my print settings into Fusion, which proved to be a huge problem.  In fact, I tried for over an hour to configure the settlngs to be able use our network printer at the office, but in the end I gave up.  To be fair to Fusion, I also tried to print from another Fusion virtual machine I had previously installed, and it wouldn't allow me to print either.

So in the end, I decided to stick with Parallels and not install Fusion on the MacBook Air.  It should not be so difficult to set up printing in Fusion, and that ultimately proved to be the tie-breaker for me.  I invite you to submit comments as to which virtualization option you prefer and why.

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In anticipation of the move to my new MacBook Air, I decided to spend this past weekend trimming any unnecessary "fat" from my MacBook.  Before this "diet," my hard drive weighed in at just approximately 102 GB, which was too big for the Air's 80 GB hard drive.

After taking the steps set forth below, I managed to trim my hard drive down to a svelte 47.5 GB.  I was then able to use bring that data over to the Air using Migration Assistant.  As was the case with our new iMacs, this was a quick and easy process.

Here's what I did for the "diet":

• Removed extraneous language resources from Mac OS X, such as Afrikaans, Albanian, etc.  The free program Monolingual does an excellent job of removing these that I have never used and won't ever need.  This step yielded a savings of 3.2 GB.
• Removed printer drivers for printers that I didn't have.  I only use two printers now, and I can always download any other drivers in the future if the need arises.  To remove these, navigate to HD/Library/Printers/ and then simply drag the unneeded ones to the trash, which saved me another 2.29 GB.
• Downloaded and ran AppZapper to remove unwanted or unused programs.  After looking around, I found there were a few programs that I simply never use.  By zapping them, I was able to squeeze out another .5 GB.
• Decided whether to use Parallels or VM Ware Fusion.  I saw no reason to keep both, and one of them was removed, yielding a whopping 20 GB savings.  I will post an article tomorrow discussing which of the two I kept and why.
• Moved my iTunes library to an portable external hard drive.  I bought a Western Digital My Passport 250 GB drive that weighs only 3.7 ounces and is roughly the size of an iPhone.  It's USB powered, so it's extremely portable.  I can have my music and movies with me when I want to, yet avoid the extra weight the rest of the time.

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I will now confess that the new iMacs weren't my only purchase last week.  This morning, my new MacBook Air arrived.  I had been wanting one since they were announced, and I simply couldn't hold out any longer.

I used Apple's Migration Assistant to transfer all of my data over from my black MacBook to the new MB Air, and (of course), it worked flawlessly.  Unlike the iMacs, this process is done wirelessly with the MB Air, since it doesn't have a FireWire port.

I will share a tip and a complaint about the migration process:

• Tip  ::  Instead of letting the migration take place over your office network, create a Computer-to-Computer network.  The process will go quicker and not tie up your office network resources.
• Criticism  ::  It too waaaaaay too long to migrate the data.  How long?  Try over seven hours!  Frankly, I expected more from Apple than to allow this process slower than molasses.

I will have additional posts later this week about the new MacBook Air, the transition process, and my thoughts on using this beautiful new computer.

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As I posted last week, I recently ordered two new iMacs for our legal assistants.  They arrived early Friday morning (as scheduled), and I am pleased to report that they are now installed and running perfectly.  This post will explain how easy the transition process was.

I used Apple's Migration Assistant to copy all of the programs, passwords, and network settings from their old Mac Minis to the new iMacs.  This feature, included in Mac OS X, allows you to pull all of that informaiton over simply via FireWire.  Best of all, it only took about thirty to forty-five minutes to complete that process.

I would note that for some reason, the drivers for our network printer/copier/fax machine (Canon ImageRunner 3320i) didn't get copied over, but they only took a few minutes to reinstall.  The entire transition, including downloading the software updates to OS X and other programs, took approximately two hours per machine.

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My friend Kern Lewis published an article earlier this week in the Texas Lawyer which discussed his firm's transition to Macs four years ago and the benefits they have enjoyed since doing so.  I have summarized his article below, but I strongly recommend that you read the whole thing, as these excerpts don't do it justice.

Kern writes that Macs are in law offices for a number of good reasons, including:

• Productivity. No more lost time for lawyers or staff due to a computer virus. They can also connect to new networks without any configuration. If a program locks up, only that program has to be restarted, generally with no loss of information; all other open programs are unaffected.
• Creativity. "Trying a suit should be a creative process; if it's not, the trial lawyer needs a new process."  The Mac platform fosters creativity, rather than hindering it.  Lawyers should focus on their clients' cases, not how to make a program do what they want it to do.
• Better programs. While there is still a wider selection of legal software on the Windows platform, there are now numerous Mac programs can perform any task a law office might require.
  
  • Apple's iWork programs (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) cost about one-third of their Microsoft competitors but will still save their work files in Microsoft-compatible formats. No one who tries Keynote will ever want to touch PowerPoint again.
  • NoteBook by Circus Ponies (available only for Macs) by itself justifies my firm's move to Macs. I can literally try a case with that program and a legal pad -- no files, no boxes, no binders.
  • Marketcircle's Daylite handles calendaring, to-do lists, contacts, and other case management functions for a fraction of the cost of most of the legal industry-specific case-management programs. It also syncs its information to a BlackBerry, Treo or iPhone.
  • If there happens to be a Windows program that a lawyer just can't live without, virtualization software (such as Parallels, VM Ware Fusion, or Boot Camp) enables a Mac to run Windows programs side by side with Mac programs.
• Trial presentation. Macs make a trial lawyer's job much easier in court.  They automatically recognize projectors plugged into them and can easily utilize them as an extended desktop, making it easy to present evidence to a jury or play video depositions.
• Beneficial.  Jurors have told Kern that the seemingly effortless organization on my Mac was persuasive -- not to mention making him feel youthful, hip and laid back.

Source:  "Trial Preparation Made Simple With Macs" by Kern Lewis, published at Texas Lawyer.

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Since switching to Macs over three years ago, my firm has continued to use Microsoft Word.  Why?  Well, for no reason other than it is what we were used to, since we had used it back in our PC days.  Honestly, doing something a certain way because "it's always been done that way" is not a good enough reason.

I have wanted to switch our firm over to Apple's Pages for quite some time.  In fact, I had intended to do so before the end of 2007, but I simply didn't have time to do so between working on my clients' cases and my speaking engagements.  Not that I'm complaining, as being too busy is a wonderful "problem" to have.

Yesterday, I was completing a long document to fax to another attorney on a pressing matter.  Just as I finished it, #%&@ Word locked up on me and caused me to lose the whole document. As a result, I had to redo it at double-speed to meet the deadline, which is less than ideal.  I decided that was the straw that broke the camel's back, and I made the decision that we were making the move to Pages right now!

For quite some time, I have used Pages for my non-work writing, including both my personal correspondence and seminar presentation materials.  Simply put, it is an outstanding program.  It is very intuitive and easy to use, yet is has very powerful features.  Best of all, it is stable and has never locked up or frozen on me.  After all, if the best software program in the world isn't dependable, how useful is it?

I will keep you posted over the coming weeks as to how our transition goes, but I fully anticipate that it will be very smooth.  My assistant has never used Pages before, but I am confident that she will pick it up and master it in no time.  After all, she had never used a Mac until I replaced her PC with one, and within a day she was extremely comfortable with it.  Stay tuned ...

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One of the cool, under-publicized features of the Mac is the Apple Remote.  This little fellow is barely larger than a stick of gum, but it gives you the ability to control iTunes and even Keynote presentations from across the room.  Despite the fact that I have a third party "presenter" tool, I have stopped using it in my presentations because the Apple Remote is smaller and easier to use.

What happens if you lose the Remote or get a new computer that doesn't come with one, such as the MacBook Air?  As you might expect since this is an Apple product, it is easy enough to resolve this issue.  You simply have to "pair" it with the optical sensor off whatever machine your using at the time.  To do this, you hold "menu" and "forward" for 6 seconds.  If you later want to "unpair" it, you hold "menu" and "backwards" for the same length of time.  Voila!

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I am happy to announce that yesterday I ordered two new 20" iMacs for my law office.  When our firm made the switch from PCs to Macs over three years ago, I bought our two legal assistants Mac Minis, which have served admirably since that time.  I made these purchases through Apple's "Business Unit," which made the shopping experience quick and easy and also yielded a slight discount on certain items.

However, even though the Minis are still going strong, I decided that it was time for an update, and it was quite an easy decision to get the iMacs.  Not only are the iMacs beautiful, but they are also quite a good buy when considering the many features that they offer.  They are scheduled to arrive on Friday, though I would not be surprised for them to show up early, as typically happens with my purchases from Apple.

I also have plans for the used Minis.  I intend to convert one into a media server, as discussed in a recent guest post.   The other one will probably be used as a file/data repository in the office, which will hopefully enable us to get rid of our Windows server.  If not, I am sure that I can find another creative use for it, as it is still quite spry after all these years.

Oh, this was not my only hardware purchase made this week... Stay tuned.

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Sorry that this post is a little late, but I want to cover the three big announcements from last week's WWDC.  I have had several projects going on at work, which I will discuss in subsequent posts later this week.  Of course, the 3G iPhone was formally announced, as widely expected.  It not only includes 3G capability, but it also has GPS built-in and will support Microsoft Exchange ActiveSynch.  It will be available on July 11th in over 70 countries.  Best of all, Apple has reduced the price to $199 for the 8 GB model and $16 GB model.

Apple also announced its MobileMe service, which is a repackaged and improved version of .Mac.   This new service, described as "Exchange for the rest of us," uses "push" technology to give users the ability to synchronize their email, calendar, and contacts across multiple computers.  It also makes that information available via a web interface, and it provides a large iDisk online storage area too.  MobileMe will be available in early July and will cost $99 per year for a single user or $149 per year for a five user family pack.

Finally, Apple provided developers with information about Mac OS X 10.6, called "Snow Leopard."  Instead of an overhaul, this release is expected to focus on performance rather than new features.  Expected to ship sometime in late 2009, Snow Leopard aims to deliver "a new generation of core software technologies that will streamline Mac OS X, enhance its performance, and set new standards for quality. Snow Leopard dramatically reduces the footprint of Mac OS X, making it even more efficient for users, and giving them back valuable hard drive space for their music and photos."

Source: "WWDC 2008 Keynote: iPhone 3G, 2.0 Firmware, SDK, MobileMe, 10.6 Hints" published at MacRumors.com

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I want to give public kudos to David Sparks, who publishes the excellent Mac Sparky blog, for his efforts to help educate elementary school students.  You can read about David's efforts in the following post from his blog:

Every year, about early June, I volunteer at the local elementary school where I give a presentation about how laws are made and the role of the courts and lawyers. This all started when my oldest daughter was in fifth grade and the teachers keep asking me to come back. I love it. It is so fun going over these topics with the kids and they ask such good questions. Once I finish my dog and pony show, the kids have their own mini-trial where they all play roles like the judge, attorneys, witnesses and jury. The trial is about Humpty Dumpty. We all know he fell, but why? Was it an accident? Or was it Murder! The kids conduct their own trial and the jury returns a verdict.

In terms of Mac geekery, the presentation is built in keynote and presented off my MacBook Air into the school's projector. I use all sorts of flashy word effects and transitions. It is much more glitzy than my normal jury presentations. I think all the motion seems to keep the kids interested. I seem to have lost my third-party remote since my last trial so I had to use an Apple remote which worked fine.

It really was a blast to do it again this morning. My favorite question was one tiny little girl who asked, "Is it fun to stand up and yell objection?" to which I enthusiastically replied, "Yes!" If any of you would like the trial materials or the Keynote presentation for the fifth graders in your life, drop me a note. I even have a quicktime clickable version for those of you stuck with Windows laptops. I've seeded this out to lawyers and teachers all over the country the last few years and love to hear it is getting used.

Source:  "Return of Humpty Dumpty" by David Sparks, published at Mac Sparky.

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I have been asked to serve on the Advisory Board for the "Mac Track" at the 2009 ABA TechShow by track leader, Reid Trautz.  The focus of this track is to help lawyers better understand how Macs can be useful in their law practices, and we are currently in the process of discussing potential topics for next year's sessions. 

I want to hear from YOU, my loyal readers, as to what subjects / topics are most interesting to you, and which ones would make you more likely to attend TechShow and the Mac Track?  You are welcome to submit your ideas as comments below or by emailing them to me at Ben@StevensFirm.com.  Thanks in advance for your help with this project.

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As everyone knows, Apple's WWDC begins tomorrow in San Francisco.  There have been many rumors circulating about what will / won't be announced at this conference.  Steve Jobs will deliver the keynote speech at 10:00 a.m. (PDT), so in less than 24 hours we'll know for sure.  In the meantime, here are some of the most popular rumors from around the 'net:

• 3G iPhone Release  ::  It is widely expected to finally be released at the WWDC.  AT&T has completed  their 3G rollout, and it has prohibited  its employees from taking a vacation between June 15th and July 12th in preparation for an "exciting Summer Promotional Launch".
• New iPhone Features  ::  Most experts believe that it will have true GPS functionality.  Some sources report that the phone will be slightly thicker than the existing model, while others claim it will thinner.  It's possible that the new model will offer video conferencing, though this is far from confirmed. Some claim that the new iPhone will be lower in price, while others claim it may be higher.
• .Mac, Me, Mobile Me  ::  It is possible that .Mac might be revamped and possibly renamed to Me or Mobile Me.  The rumored new functions could include over the air synching, synching with Windows, and "push" email.
• Mac OS X 10.6  ::  Steve Jobs said some time ago that Apple plans to update OS X every 12 to 18 months.  Within the last few weeks, rumors have surfaced that OS X 10.6, code named "Snow Leopard", might be previewed at WWDC.  Instead of a complete overhaul, this update is expected to be more of a tweak that focuses on  security, stability, and performance.
• Tablet Computer  ::  Rumors have persisted for quite some time that Apple is working on a tablet computer.  However, it is not expected that any such device will be revealed at the WWDC.

Source:  "Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 Rumor Roundup" published at MacRumors.com.

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The following guest post is from my friend and blogger extraordinaire , David Swanner :

I have a wall of DVD's at home (probably about 175) and the bookcase is starting to get wobbly. I wanted a simple way to pull these movies onto the computer and store them all on a hard drive. I'd seen a number of media servers before, but didn't know how to get started.

I called my tech guy and he suggested keeping everything in iTunes on a Mac-Mini and a 2 Terabyte Western Digital Hard Drive.

What Can We Do?

• Access All Movies in iTunes - We have a triple bookcase of about 175 movies that we're importing into iTunes. My guess is with a 2 terabyte hard drive that is mirrored (automatic backup) we should be able to hold about 350-500 movies. We are using Mac the Ripper and Handbrake to get comercial movies onto the Mac-Mini.
• Use Apple's Front Row and Remote to Watch Movies - We can use the little white remote that comes with Mac's to watch movies. I change the tv to a different video input, click on the menu button and can navigate all of the movies and tv shows on the hard drive with the remote and not have to use a keyboard and mouse.
• Have All Music in the House in One Place - While both my wife and I like music, our tastes rarely overlap. I tend towards 80's synth pop and 60's blues, while my wife likes country and hip hop. But we do have some tastes that overlap. Both of our CD collections are loaded onto iTunes and we can set up playlists and put music on our iPods from either 'collection'. This keeps us from both buying the same song from iTunes Music Store.
• Have All Pictures in the House in One Place - It gives us a centralized location that is constantly backed up to have all of our family pictures.
• Allow us to Watch iTunes Video Purchases on the Big Screen - By hooking up the Mac-Mini to our stereo/tv system, it allows us to watch the movies and the tv shows that I've downloaded from iTunes Music Store on our 42" TV, instead of the 3" iPod Touch screen. Before, I was downloading seasons of Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Dexter and Weeds on my computer at the office and bringing home a few episodes at a time on my iPod and plugging my iPod directly into the TV. Now, I'm downloading the seasons on the Mac-Mini at home and transferring a few episodes as needed to the iPod when I do cardio at the gym and go out and about.
• Have All Music Hooked Into the Home Sound System - We have a nice Sony tuner with Polk speakers that sound great. However, with our music on iTunes and iPods, we mainly listen to it on a Bose Sound Dock or a Polk Audio iSonic2 speaker/alarm clock. Both of those are great, but aren't the same as the home stereo. By connecting up the Mac-Mini and iTunes, we're getting our entire music collection over the home stereo.
• Watch Streaming Internet on TV - A number of TV shows (Battlestar Galactica, Gray's Anatomy, Desparate Houswives) stream their entire episodes on the internet, with either limited or no commericals. My wife and I are becoming a fan of watching tv without commercials. We've watched the Battlestar Galactica on the computer the next morning without commercials, rather than staying up and watching it with commercials. With hooking the Mac-Mini and it's internet connection up to the TV, we can now watch the internet versions on a 42" TV. Cool stuff.
• YouTube on Your TV - Again, with the internet connection to the TV, you can watch full size YouTube clips with full sound.
• The Internet on TV - Anything you can find on the internet, can be put up on the TV in full color on full sound.
• Eliminate Bookcases of DVD's and Inserting Individual DVD's to Watch Movies - As we convert movies, one by one into digital format, we are eliminating the creeking, wobbly bookcase of DVD's that dominates one wall of our living room. Also, our 4 year old, which is just learning how to put disks in the DVD player (and our 1 year old who is learning how to put 'stuff' in the DVD player) can use the Apple Remote to pick her favorite movies without Mommy and Daddy having to put the disk in for her.

How Did We Do It?

It was actually very simple. The main thing was to consolidate all of the music and video onto a single computer. We also put everything onto the Western Digital Hard Drive. The hard drive is set up in a RAID 1 configuration. That means it is set up in a disk mirroring configuration that automatically backs things up, so there is a copy if the hard drive goes down. ALL of the music, video and pictures are put on the hard drive and not the Mac-Mini. That way if we have to upgrade the Mac-Mini, put a new OS on it, or anything, our movies, music and pictures won't be affected.

When importing movies from DVD into the computer, I used Mac The Ripper to pull the movie off the DVD. We then used Handbrake to convert the 'dvd files' into a single .mpg that iTunes can read. From there, it's a simple process to drag and drop the movie into iTunes. From there, it can be played in iTunes or from Front Row.

We have been saving just the movie portion of the DVD and stripping out the previews, extras and menu selections. That seems to work well.

We have a number of TV shows on DVD (Boston Legal, Adventures of Brisco County, Jr, ...), which have a number of episodes per disk. It seems to be much easier to just import each disk individually and not try to save each individual episode. So instead of 22 episodes of Brisco County, Jr., there are 5 disks, I have Season 1, Parts 1-5. Not perfect, but each disk is set up differently and I don't think it's worth the effort to peel each individual episode out. (Now I can watch Boston Legal on my iPod while I'm at the gym). Good stuff.

My sincere thanks to David Swanner for this guest post.  You can learn more about David by visiting his firm's website, DavidVsGoliath.com, or his blogs, SCTrialLaw.com and Trial Lawyer Resource Center.

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Source:  "The New iPhone Is Almost Here. How Will It Affect Your Practice?" by  Benson Varghese, published at his Res Ipsa Blog.  Photo from Engadget.

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TechnoLawyer issued a TechnoRelease last Friday featuring Rocket Matter, the premier web-based legal case management and time/billing program.  This article highlighted the following features that Rocket Matter offers:

• Designed to be simple to use
• Calendar, contacts, to-do's, and time/billing are integrated
• 'Bill as you Work'™ technology captures more billable time
• Easy to implement and maintain
• Cross-platform compatibility (Mac, PC, Linux, iPhone, etc.)

I believe that this article gives a great glimpse into the many benefits that Rocket Matter offers, and you can view it by clicking HERE.  If you haven't yet looked into Rocket Matter, I believe that you owe it to yourself to do so now.

Source:  "Introducing Rocket Matter -- The Web Generation of Legal Software," published by TechnoLawyer.

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