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

A Spartanburg-based family attorney is making a name for himself nationally. Ben Stevens is the Mac lawyer, the No. 3 blogger in the American Bar Association Journal's Blawg 100. On April 2-4, he headed two technology seminars at the annual ABA Techshow in Chicago. In addition to www.themadawyer.com, Stevens of Stevens-MacPhail PA shares his thoughts at www.scfamilylaw.com, fully embracing technology within the legal profession.

GSA Business: For starters, how did you become this guy enthralled with Mac computers?

Ben Stevens: The Mac part came about out of frustration in dealing with PCs. With the expense and downtime we got to the point we couldn't afford to have them in a busy practice.

Having worked with Macs in college and law school, I knew it was a stable platform, and we just decided as a firm to bite the bullet and make the switch. Since then our tech support and overhead has dropped to basically nothing. We do still have a (Microsoft) Windows server, so our computer guy comes every once in a while to do that. But as far as the Macs, they work and they keep us working.

GSA: I imagine some people would say you are limited in terms of software systems and compatibility.

Stevens: PC people have a lot of excuses why they shouldn't use Macs. And most of those are tech people who don't want to lose their jobs, and I understand that.

There are more programs written for Windows than Mac, especially in the legal software community. But there are two things.

One, most software is going Web based. The practice management software, our email and our electronic paper filing system are all Web based. As far as PC programs, we can run them virtually. I can do anything PC people can do and my Mac stuff, while they can just do their PC stuff.

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If you were not able to attend this year's ABA TechShow (or even if you were), you should check out the excellent video interviews conducted by attorney and legal technology expert Finis Price of the TechnoEsq blog. He interviewed some of the most popular vendors to discuss their products, including the following:

• Larry Port from Rocket Matter about their practice management software (view here)
• Derek Flower from Fujitsu about the ScanSnap S1500 (view here)
• Jack Newton from Clio about their practice management software (view here)

Source: Finis Price's TechnoEsq blog.

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There has been lots of speculation regarding what Apple has planned at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which will be held June 8–12 in San Francisco, CA. Most experts agree that there will be a focus on Snow Leopard, the next generation of Apple's OS X operating system.

The smart folks at Gizmodo predict that many other interesting items may be addressed at the WWDC. I, for one, hope that they are right. Their predictions are as follows:

• New iPhone :: They are virtually certain that an improved model will be announced that includes a better camera, video recording, and increased speed/storage.
• Apple Tablet / Netbook :: Possibly an iPhone OS-based tablet that will be similar to a netbook, though this is obviously not certain.
  
• Improved MacBook :: Rumors are circulating that MacBooks may become available with 3G capabilities built in.
  
• Steve Jobs :: Could this event mark Steve Jobs' return to Apple in a very public and dramatic way?

As for me, after playing with a netbook recently, I have all my fingers (and toes) crossed that Apple announces something along those lines. My experience with the "other" netbook was that it was very useful, but clearly not an Apple product. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too high, but I am really excited about this possibility.

Source: "What's Cooking for Apple WWDC '09" by Jesus Diaz, published at Gizmodo.com.

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The following post is from Jeff Richardson's excellent blog, iPhone J.D.:

Above the Law (ATL) is a website that accurately describes itself as a "legal tabloid." A large number of the posts relate to law firm gossip, but the site tackles just about anything of interest to lawyers at large law firms. It was voted the top news website on the 2008 ABA Journal Blawg 100.

Yesterday, ATL Associate Editor Kashmir Hill asked me to name the top ten iPhone apps for lawyers, a topic that has been covered before on this website. My response led to this post on the ATL website. The ABA Journal picked up on the story here, adding a note that the number of iPhone-using attorneys has soared in the latest ABA Technology Survey.

Here are some additional thoughts on the ten great third party apps that I mentioned in the ATL post:

1. QuickOffice. My full thoughts on QuickOffice are in these posts: 1, 2 and 3. I don't have much more to add except to note that the app works very well, and I especially like the new ability to have the app show up as a virtual hard drive on my Mac or PC so I can drag and drop documents. Of course, I am still very curious to see what DataViz's Documents To Go will look like, which DataViz says is due "early to mid May" and which I presume means very soon.
2. Cliff Maier reference apps. I've posted about these apps here: 1, 2, 3 and 4. I continue to use these great apps all of the time.
3. DaysFrom. I also like DateCalcPro, but most of the time I find myself using DaysFrom to calculate days, for the reasons I previously posted here.
4. Wikipanion. My review is here.
5. Google Mobile App. My review is here.
6. Various weather apps. I like The Weather Channel and AccuWeather apps, but I really love the version of the Weather Underground website that is formatted for the iPhone web browser. Just go to i.wund.com using Safari on your iPhone. Even better, once you are there, enter your zip code to see your local weather and then hit the + sign in Safari to "Add to Home Screen." That will give you an icon that you can easily tap to get your latest local weather. One nice new feature is an iPhone version of the "Interactive Wundermap" which I can only describe as sort of a cross between a weather radar and the Google Maps app. (Clickhere to see the Interactive Wundermap on a computer.) You can double-tap to zoom in and easily pan and scan on an iPhone to see the weather conditions. Very impressive stuff.
   
7. Twitterific. My first Twitter client on the iPhone was the 1.0 version of Twitterific. But that app had limitations, and the free TwitterFon app (which I mentioned here) soon became my favorite Twitter client. Earlier this month, TheIconfactory released Twitterific 2.0, and wow, what a difference a 2.0 makes. This app includes tons of advanced features, has a great interface, and is really a joy to use. I'm currently using the free version, and it is now my favorite iPhone Twitter app. It has ads, but the ads are unobtrusive, and for only $3.99 you can get a version without ads. If you use Twitter, I strongly encourage you to check it out. Click here to get Twitterific (free).
8. Facebook. I haven't posted a review of this app (although I mentioned it here) but this is a really useful app. If you use Facebook, you have no excuse not to get this free app.
   
9. Black's Law Dictionary. My review is here. There have been some minor tweaks and bug fixes since I posted my review. One large change (that I noted in my review was going to happen soon) is that if you now try to go to Westlaw on your iPhone by going to www.westlaw.com, you are redirected to wireless.westlaw.com. I understand the thinking here; wireless.westlaw.com is certainly much faster. Even so, I prefer the full Westlaw on my iPhone, and if you do too, you now need to go to web2.westlaw.com to get the "real" Westlaw on your iPhone.
   
10. NetNewsWire. I don't believe that I've mentioned this app before, but it is a great, free RSS reader on the iPhone. Click here to get NetNewsWire (free).
    

Thanks to ATL and the ABA Journal for these two posts and for recognizing the growing number of attorneys using iPhones.

Source: "Top Ten iPhone Apps for Lawyers (Above the Law)" by Jeff Richardson, posted at his iPhone J.D. blog.

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This month's The Legal Mac column from Law Practice Today, the ABA Law Practice Management Section's webzine, features an excellent discussion of the options available to those Mac-using attorneys who want or need to use Windows programs. I am pleased to present "Using Windows on Your Mac" by David Sparks:

One of the excuses that attorneys give for their reluctance to switch from PCs to Macs is that they "need" Windows for one reason or another. The good news is that Macs can run other operating systems, including Windows, whenever needed.

As a Mac-using attorney, I often raise eyebrows when people look over my shoulder to see Windows on my screen. They are even more surprised when they found out how easy it is to run Windows on a Mac.

In 2006, Apple moved the entire Macintosh line to Intel processors. This is the same hardware used by most PC manufacturers. While there are some small differences, Macs and PCs are all using compatible hardware. Almost immediately after this transition, Apple and third party software developers found ways to run Windows on Apple hardware. There are currently three primary methods:

Apple Boot Camp - One Operating System at a Time

Boot Camp is Apple's own free virtualization application built into every new Macintosh computer. It allows you to make two separate partitions on your hard drive, one for Windows and one for the Apple OS X operating system. Once you enable Boot Camp, you are presented a choice when you boot up, Windows or OS X? You simply click the desired operating system and away it goes.

If you choose Windows, your installed Windows partition will load no differently than if it were a Dell or Lenovo. You can run any Windows application your hardware will support. If you click the button for Apple OS X, your computer boots into the Macintosh operating system. This, in essence, gives you two computers in one.

One of the biggest advantages of Boot Camp is that it allows you to devote the entire resources of your computer to whichever operating system you choose. If you load Windows, the entire processor, memory, and operating components are driving Windows. People who operate graphics intensive video software often prefer to use Boot Camp for this reason.

The fact that Boot Camp only runs one operating system at a time is also its biggest detriment. A lot of Mac users want to have the benefits of Windows and Mac OS X at the same time. That is not possible with Boot Camp. This leads to the second method, third party virtualization solutions.

Third Party Virtualization - Peaceful Coexistence

While Boot Camp provides a free and easy solution to run Windows on your Mac, some users prefer to run both Windows and OS X at the same time. Using virtualization applications such as Parallels or VMWare Fusion, both of which cost $70, you can install Windows (or Linux) to run as its own OS X application. These applications support any version of Windows from Windows 95 up through the recently released Windows 7 beta.

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FREE Webinar! Using Macs in Your Law Firm
Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009
Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Space is limited! Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/458254538

Description:
Until recently, law firms needed PC's to run their practices. No longer. Scanners, software, printers, are now available to practice law on the Mac, and the iPhone is now a powerful business tool.

Ben Stevens, aka The Mac Lawyer, will get us up to speed on how a firm can transition to Macs for legal work. We'll answer audience questions, conduct interactive polls, and discuss the latest gear and software for the Mac platform.

For those of you on Twitter, follow our conversation with the hashtag "#rmwebinar"!

Your host will be The Mac Lawyer himself, Ben Stevens:
Ben Stevens is a practicing attorney located in Spartanburg, SC. After using Windows machines for over a decade, his office has been all Mac-based since August of 2005. Ben has given presentations on both technology and legal topics at continuing education seminars, and he enjoys speaking on those subjects. Ben’s blog, TheMacLawyer.com, is synonymous with the Mac legal movement as is the Google Group he co-created, Macs In Law Offices (MILO). Ben is also a co-host of the MILO podcast.

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

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The following Guest Post is from one of my readers, Marissa Clake, who is an International Business Management major at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in China:

Watching movies is an essential part of my leisure life on weekends. Having tons of DVDs, I had been using DVD Hunter to organize them on my Mac.  Unfortunately, this program required me to insert each DVD disc every time I wanted to watch it.

Fortunately, I discovered a terrific program called DVD-Library for Mac which enables me to backup my commercial DVDs.  It is a beta version, so it is not perfectly stable, but its main functions work quite well and it is free.  

I use it to make ISO file for all my encrypted DVDs, and because it doesn’t remove the protection, I don’t worry about breaking the law.  With only a few clicks, I can watch the backup movies on my Mac conveniently, and the quality of the ISO image is as good as the original DVDs.

This software has enabled me to built a virtual library for my DVDs on my Mac.  Because it records the information about each movie, I can easily find the movie I want to watch. It’s really cool software. You can find out more about it and/or download it for yourself by clicking HERE. 

Below is a quick tutorial for this software, but you can find a more detailed tutorial at the developer’s website.

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Larry Port from Rocket Matter and I will be conducting a free webinar next Thursday, May 21, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. entitled Using Macs in Your Law Firm.  The webinar description is listed below.  I hope that you can attend, and if you are interested, you can register by clicking HERE.

Until recently, law firms needed PC's to run their practices. No longer. Scanners, software, printers, are now available to practice law on the Mac, and the iPhone is now a powerful business tool.

Ben Stevens, aka The Mac Lawyer, will get us up to speed on how a firm can transition to Macs for legal work. We'll answer audience questions, conduct interactive polls, and discuss the latest gear and software for the Mac platform.

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I will be in New Orleans this Thursday through Saturday attending the ABA Law Practice Management Section Spring Conference at the Hotel Monteleone.  As I have mentioned before, I am on the editorial board of Law Practice Today webzine and serve as an advisor on the Technology Core Group, both of which will hold meetings at this conference.  

In addition, I am planning to have dinner Thursday evening with Ernest Svenson (publisher of Ernie the Attorney) and Jeff Richardson (publisher of iPhone, J.D.). If any of my readers will be at this conference or in the New Orleans area between now and Saturday, please let me know and perhaps we can meet in person.

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Earlier this week, I was interviewed by LexBlog about my two blogs (this one and the South Carolina Family Law Blog). If you are interested in learning more about me, how I got into blogging, and the benefits blogs provide, you can read this interview by clicking HERE.

Source: "Ben Stevens of The Mac Lawyer and The SC Family Law Blog: LexBlog Q&A" by Lisa Kennelly, published at Kevin O'Keefe's Real Lawyers Have Blogs.

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EasyTime [ + & - ] by Mark K. Funke

About two months ago I entered PC hell. My four year old XP machine started giving me random memory access error messages that just didn't sound good, most of the attachments coming into my email inbox ended up corrupted, and to top it all off, the server no longer recognized any of the tape drives. That was it. I needed a new system. My office-mate had updgraded all his machines to Vista with the usual horror stories. I instead blew $4,000 at the Apple Store, and I was up and running fairly quickly.

Unfortunately, I had not researched the question of billing software for Macs. With my XP machines dead or dying, I really didn't have much time to think about it. I did about 4 hours of research and concluded that EasyTime from Bright Light Software looked the best for me. I downloaded it, spent perhaps 30 minutes with it, and immediately paid the $99.00 registration fee. I didn't have much of a choice, as billable work was stacking up.

After one month of using EasyTime, I have listed my current thoughts below, mostly in comparison to Billings from Marketcircle, which I also briefly thought about purchasing.

Positives about Easytime:

1. I love the simple interface. It's easy and fast to enter time and a description. One of my complaints with Billings is that it seems cumbersome to quickly add new billed time and new lengthy descriptions in your slips. With Billings there are too many "clicks" required to finalize the slip - not so with Easytime. This was probably my biggest selling point. I have a habit of meticulously and quickly tracking my time.
   
2. Similarly, the setup with new cases, and clients and the general layout of the program is easy to use, and IMHO better than Billings. I like the idea of the color coded invoice tracking.
   
3. As a law specific application, the Retainer billing function makes more sense than Billings.
   
4. The developer is extremely responsive and helpful in fixing any problems you may have. That's just absolutely awesome!
   
5. I like the report function and the simplicity of many of the reports; similarly I like the way it saves PDFs of your past invoices in the support directory.

Negatives about Easytime:

1. Starting with the website where you download the program and all the way through the general interface of the program - it's not as, shall we say "refined" as Billings or as pretty. Mac users like pretty; I want pretty.
2. Some of the program functions, such as postage tracking, organizing files for individual clients, etc. appear useless to me. They aren't well-refined enough to use. For example, I doubt anyone uses the "schedule phone call" function. I believe that it's way easier just to use iCal. I suppose those functions are slightly beta, and I am waiting for a more comprehensive approach in version 2.0.
3. The the simple and the standard invoice form is just fine, but the customization is somewhat lacking. It would be nice to have 5-10 sample invoice forms that come with the program. In general, I like the concept of "pretty invoices" as Billings has, but the Billings invoices are a little too childlike for me. I would like better designed invoices, but with a professional look. Perhaps it would make sense for the developer to hire a graphic designer to design a few invoices.
4. The user manual is not complete. The program is very intuitive, which is good. It's easy to use, but the user manual could be more specific. There are several buttons and functions that I have no idea what they do or where to even look up that info.

If you are a current or past EasyTime user I would love to hear your thoughts on the software. I can be reached at mark@funkelaw.com.

Mark K. Funke is an attorney in Seattle, Washington, whose practice emphasizes commercial real estate transactions.

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The latest MILO Chat Podcast was released earlier this week. On this week's episode, “Bringin’ the Funny Today.”  As usual, this podcast features your faithful hosts, Victor Medina, Finis Price, and Ben Stevens. 

This week, we looked back at this year's ABA TechShow, considered netbook options for Mac users, and discussed other exciting topics.  Our picks of the week were:  BoinxTV from Boinx Software, Curio from Zengobi, and Birdhouse by Sandwich Dynamics.

You can enjoy this week's episode, Volume 11, sponsored by Rocket Matter, right now, as follows:

• Subscribe via iTunes
• Listen or download .mp3 file directly

If you are an advertiser and are interested in sponsoring the MILO Chat Podcast or if you have any questions or comments, you are welcome to submit them below or send an email to milochat@macsinthelawoffice.com.

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I was recently a guest on the "What's All The Hype?" podcast from GSA Business.  The description for this episode is listed below: 

A Spartanburg-based family attorney is making a name for himself nationally. Ben Stevens is the Mac lawyer, the No. 3 blogger in the American Bar Association Journal's Blawg 100. In this week's podcast, Stevens of Stevens - MacPhail PA shares his thoughts on Apple computers and discusses family law, social media, tort reform and private investigators.

I want to thank Francis Allgood for having me as a guest, and I invite my readers to listen to this podcast by clicking HERE.

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