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

Last Friday, AT&T finally enabled Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) support for the iPhone 3G and 3G-S here in the U.S.  Now, users can send pictures, location data, contact information, voice memos, and video quickly and easily.

The MMS service is very easy to use.  From the Messages app, you simply tap the camera icon on the bottom left, and the iPhone will prompt you to either take a photo or choose an existing image from your camera roll. You can also enter some text to accompany your picture or video, although the text and image will appear in separate balloons when they’re sent.

You can also send other helpful content via MMS, such as location data (via Maps), contact info (via Address Book), and voice memos (via Voice Memos).  For instance, to send contact information, you simply open the desired contact, select "Share Contact", and then you will have an option to do so via either email or MMS.

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Last week, I published explained how "The Paperless Law Office" is possible and the ways that it can benefit your firm.  Does it make a difference if your firm uses a web-based (SaaS) case management program?  The short answer is no, as explained in a recent article by Larry Port.

The process of quickly scanning, storing, and accessing your documents is explained step-by-step (with illustrations) in Mr. Port's article.  If you use Rocket Matter (like my firm does), then simply follow these steps:

1. Choose Scan to Folder using the ScanSnap Quick Menu.
2. Name the file appropriately and store in an easy location.
3. Open Rocket Matter and navigate to the file you wish to work with.
4. Click “Add Document”, click on the “Add File” link, and select your recently scanned item.
5. If desired, you can enter notes about your file or describe it with a title and tags, and you can also add billable time if appropriate.
6. To access the document, simply click on the link to download it when needed.

Source:  "How Can I Use My ScanSnap with a Legal Software as a Service Tool Like Rocket Matter?" by Larry Port of Rocket Matter, published at ScanSnap's "Ask the Expert" forum.

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Some attorneys just seem to love WordPerfect.  I am not (and have never been) one of them, though I have several good friends who are.  For that reason, I occasionally receive files in *.wpd format, which I must open on my Mac.  This might seem to pose a slight problem, since there hasn't been a Mac version of WordPerfect for several years.

Fortunately, there are several solutions to this "problem."  The one that I prefer is to simply open the *.wpd files using NeoOffice, a free open source word processor, and then saving into one of the many available formats, which will work with virtually all of the Mac word processing programs. In fact, many attorneys use NeoOffice as their word processing program, though I prefer Pages for my firm.

Of course, if you don't want to use NeoOffice, you can also utilize one of the following methods: online translators (Zamzar or Media-Convert), translation program (MacLinkPlus), other word processing programs (Open Office, AbiWord, or Nisus Writer), or run WordPerfect for Macintosh using Classic environment (pre-Intel Macs) or Sheepshaver
(Intel Macs).

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You might know that the Macs in Law Offices (MILO) group is one of the best resources available on the internet for lawyers who use Macs. However, you probably didn't know that it is now the biggest as well.

Let's take a look at the numbers...  The "other" group has been around since May 4, 1999, and as of today, it has 1,597 members.  MILO was founded on February 17, 2007, and as of today, MILO has 1,631 members – with more joining every day.

How was MILO able to grow so quickly and become so successful?  I believe it happened for two reasons:  (1) our great, diverse members, and (2) our commitment to offering a place for open discussions without Draconian rules.  If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about MILO, simply click here.

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This month's Law Practice Today webzine from the ABA Law Practice Management Section focuses on how to implement and utilize paperless strategies in law offices.  I had the pleasure of serving as the editor for this issue, and I am very pleased with the result.  You can read the following articles at the links provided below, and I hope that you find them helpful:

• Some Thoughts on Becoming Paperless by Ernest Svenson
• Going Paperless for the Law Office: A Practical Guide by Michael J. Morse
• The Document Naming System in Our Paperless Office by Donna Neff and Natalie Sanna
• Less Paper Does Not Equal Less Training (at first!) by Adriana Linares
• The Paperless Office as a Risk Management Enterprise by Jim Calloway

As many of you already know, my family law practice is not paper-based, as all of our documents are scanned and stored digitally.  Not only does this make my practice more efficient, I can access all of the documents in all my clients' files from anywhere, which enables me to work and/or send information to them at any time, no matter where I am.  If you want to learn more about how I utilize technology in my practice, I am speaking about this topic at the upcoming MILOfest 2009 seminar, which is being held in Orlando, Florida from November 5 – 7, 2009.  You can learn much more about this seminar by clicking here.

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Microsoft announced that it intends to finally include Outlook in its updated Mac:Office suite, scheduled to be released in late 2010.  Until now, it has included Entourage, "a sort-of-like-Outlook, sort-of-different application that got great reviews when it debuted but which has also suffered from iffy compatibility with Outlook and Exchange."

Of course, Mac users already have excellent email options, including Apple's Mail, which now is more compatible with Microsoft’s Exchange server under the new OS X Snow Leopard.  Therefore, while I anticipate this announcement may create some buzz for PC users still considering the switch and for larger firms who are tied to an Exchange based system, I don't believe that it will have much impact on smaller firms, as many of them (like my firm) have completely broken free and no longer suckle at the Microsoft teat.

What impact, if any, do you think that Microsoft's bringing Outlook to the Mac will have on law firms?  Please submit your comments below, as I look forward to reading them.

Source:  "Outlook is Coming to the Mac in 2010" by Harry McCracken, published at Technologizer.

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Adobe Acrobat is a great product, but one of its "problems" is that there are so many different versions.  Not only are people still using Acrobats 7, 8, and 9, but then there's also Reader, Standard, Pro and Pro Extended to consider.

It's almost enough to cause a headache.  Fortunately, Rick Borstein has made it extremely easy to distinguish the differences between these products and versions, using the following charts, which you can download for free using the links below:

• Acrobat 9 Legal Feature Matrix :: Shows the differences between Adobe Reader, Standard, Pro and Pro Extended
• Acrobat 7-8-9 Comparison for Legal Professionals :: Shows new features added in Acrobat 8 and 9.

Rick's blog is a tremendous (and free) resource for any attorneys, paralegals, or other legal professionals that work with *.pdf documents.  If you haven't checked it out before, do yourself a favor and visit it now.

Source:  "What's the difference between Acrobat versions?" by Rick Borstein, published at his Acrobat for Legal Professionals blog.

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If you are an attorney who uses Macs in your practice and you aren't a member of the Macs in Law Offices (MILO) group, then you are missing out on one of the best resources available on the internet.  

The MILO forum has well over 1,500 members (with more joining every day), including some of today's best legal technology experts (such as Randy Singer, Grant Griffiths, Finis Price, Brett Burney, and Blake Boyd) and software developers (from Rocket Matter, LawStream, Daylite, and many more).

This helpful resource is free, and joining is as easy as clicking here or using the button in the left-hand column of my blog and providing a little bit of information about you and your practice.  If you haven't already done so, I hope that you will check it out today!

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"The words iPhone and security do not belong in the same sentence..."  So begins the article from John Simek, one of the premier computer forensic experts in the country.  It gets worse, as he says, "The iPhone encryption is a non-starter and accessing the device is child’s play even if it is password protected."  He concludes by saying "I love the iPhone. Not because of its technical superiority, but because its design gives us access to more electronic evidence than any other phone we’ve ever seen."

I know John and we have actually given presenations together at CLE seminars in the past.  He and I have discussed these alleged iPhone security flaws in the past, and I will be the first to say that I am far from an expert on these issues and I must defer to John's expertise.  Of course, as my readers now, I have an iPhone 3G-S and I love it.  However, I do not store any confidential or client data on it out of an abundance of caution.

John offered to print any responses from any IT / security folks and/or from Apple, and I will be glad to do the same here at The Mac Lawyer.

Source: "iPhone Security? A Complete Misnomer" by John Simek, published at Ride The Lightning.

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The issue of privacy, more specifically as it relates to online security, is a hot topic these days. As people use the Internet for more and more of their everyday functions, they want to understand what online security means and how it relates to them. While people fear for the safety of their own information, they can look to some very knowledgeable resources in the blogosphere for help. You can learn most everything within the world of online security by visiting these top blogs:

1. 1 Raindrop – Written by a software architect, there is a unique and extremely relevant point of view presented on the topic of online security. This blog is written by an individual who understands the topic firsthand and therefore can bring insight on current trends as he is considered to be an expert in the field. Not only does he keep up with informative blog posts but talks about his speaking engagements and the reaction they get from the general public.
2. Freedom to Tinker - The nice part about this blog is that it offers many different featured authors as part of the following and for whom the actual blog posts come from. Not only does this mean unique points of view, but it also allows for individuals to contribute and keep followers informed on various areas of online security. This is well worth following to keep up with current trends and to see what the latest news is with online security because that is at the core of every contributing author on here.
3. Exhaustive Research – A very intriguing blog that not only dives into the concept of online security but also how it relates to human behavior and the world in general. If the blog posts weren’t to capture your attention, the comments by those who regularly follow this blog can often keep you on the edge of your seat.
4. Another Set of Teeth – You can tell that this comes from an IT professional who has a distinct point of view and that’s what keeps people coming back. He represents his views thoughtfully but without apology as he tackles the issues of hacking and online security for the general public. It’s a refreshing point of view as it’s not only informative but very honest too.
5. Security Buddha – Though online security is at the center of this blog, there are so many other security issues that this blogger delves into. You can learn about everything from hacking to keeping your information safe—even learn about airport security. He takes his security issues very seriously and therefore brings a much respected point of view.
6. Avi Rubin’s Blog – Sure it’s just one blogger writing about his unique point of view, but it’s rather intriguing. He spells out up front his desire to dive into the specific areas of security evaluators and network security, amidst many other topics that are pertinent. This is one individual who not only knows about the world of online security, but also about how to write in an interesting and relevant manner.
7. Meta Security – There are a variety of different topics and authors that make this an excellent blog to follow. Though online security is just one of the many topics, including money laundering and fraud, you can learn a little bit about a whole lot of topics within the security world.

More and more we find that the issue of online security is one that needs addressing. Follow along with these top security bloggers and get the information you need to surf and work the web confidently and securely.

This Guest Post was written by Mary Ward, who writes about various legal career topics, including how to obtain an online court reporting degree.

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If you are a Mac-using attorney (or if you want to become one), then you should attend MILO Fest 2009, the Mac-focused conference for attorneys that will be held Thursday, November 5, 2009, through Saturday, November 7, 2009, at the Disney World Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL.

Topics announced thus far include: SaaS Roundtable, Branding with your Mac, Running Your Practice in the Cloud, Social Media Business Development, Stupid iPhone Lawyer Tricks, Creating Kick-Butt Legal Presentations, and Video for Lawyers on a Mac.

If you want to learn more about or register for MILOfest 2009, click HERE.  I hope to see you there!

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The following Guest Post is from one of my readers and fellow attorney, Kurt Gibson, in response to the current "anti-Mac" ads being run by Microsoft:

I just saw the Microsoft ad (for the hundredth time) where the announcer states that the buyer gets a budget to purchase a laptop. The buyer looks at the Macs and says they are too much money, or too small, or not enough memory, or she is not cool enough to be a mac person, etc. The buyer purchases the PC with the announcer's money. I am sure you have seen the commercials.

I suppose everyone would purchase a windoze computer if Microsoft gave it to them free. I would do the same thing, but the following day I would put the brand new computer on eBay and use the money toward the purchase of a Mac.

Apple should run a knock-off ad where the buyer takes the announcer's money, adds a few hundred from his or her pocket, and buys the better laptop -- the Mac.

Kurt Gibson opened his practice in Anderson, SC in 1995, and he focuses on bankruptcy and litigation. His law practice uses Macs exclusively, although he must use Parallels and Windows XP for one bankruptcy program that does not have a Mac flavor.

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One of my readers informed me earlier this week that The Mac Lawyer was one of the featured sites in "60 Sites in 60 Minutes" presented at the Special Libraries Association's 2009 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO held in Washington, DC this past June.  The speakers at this seminar were Gayle Lynn-Nelson from LexisNexis and John J. DiGilio, MLIS, JD from Reed Smith, LLP.  I truly appreciate being included in this prestigious list along with two other blogs, The Common Scold and Mashable.  You can download the seminar handout, which includes all 60 features sites, by clicking here or here.

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MacInTouch has posted a list of Frequently Asked Questions for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, which answers questions in the following topics:

• Requirements
• Purchase
• Install
• Miscellaneous

Macworld has also published an article that explains everything that you need to know about installing Snow Leopard, including step-by-step instructions with illustrations.  You can read that article by clicking here.

Source:  "Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard FAQ" published at MacInTouch; and "Installing Snow Leopard: What You Need to Know" by Dan Frakes, published at Macworld.com.

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