The Digital Edge

A number of lawyers are nervous about artificial intelligence (AI) replacing their jobs in the near future, but most don't understand AI. In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk to Mark Tamminga who defines artificial intelligence and what its growing popularity means for lawyers. Their discussion includes the big players in the AI industry, the future of technology, and what Mark would say to lawyers concerned that robots will take their jobs. They also talk about the College of Law Practice Management's Futures Conference 2017, for which Mark and Sharon are co-chairs. This year's focus will be artificial intelligence and its role in the legal industry. Mark Tamminga is a senior partner at Gowling WLG, a platform from which to nudge his firm in the direction of rethinking how legal services and products are delivered. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, Scorpion, Answer1, and Clio.

You don't actually need to worry about a robot taking your job. In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Jim Calloway and Sharon Nelson talk to Andrew Arruda, CEO of ROSS Intelligence, about how artificial intelligence assists lawyers, not replaces them. Their conversation includes what ROSS is, the biggest misconceptions surrounding AI, and the biggest challenges facing legal technology adoption in larger firms. Andrew Arruda is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the artificial intelligence company ROSS Intelligence, a leader in the legal technology industry. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, Scorpion, Answer1, and Clio.

Does quality writing really make you a better lawyer? On this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway discuss legal writing with Gary Kinder, founder of the editing program WordRake. Together, they explore lawyers' biggest writing errors, why this is important in the courtroom, and how writing well can help build a positive reputation for a firm. In their conclusion of the episode, they shift the focus to WordRake itself, expanding on what it is, the cost, and why it's effective. They even include a treat especially for Digital Edge listeners. Gary Kinder founded the software company WordRake in 2012. The company's eponymous software is an automated editing program that suggests changes to improve brevity and clarity. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, Scorpion, and Answer1.

While 600 alternative business structure (ABS) licenses have been granted in the U.K., American law firms hesitate to pick up the strategy. In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk to David Beech, CEO of Knights, a professional services firm with a successful ABS. In his discussion he expands on common fears associated with ABS, how community makes ABS thrive, and why ignoring ABS is a mistake. He finishes the interview by touching on his own business, which started out as a law firm, and what makes it a successful ABS. David Beech is the CEO of the professional services firm Knights in the U.K. David has led the business, originally a law firm, since 2011. His vision for Knights is to become the leading regional professional services business in the U.K. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, Scorpion, and Answer1.

Struggling to find the perfect gadget for that tech savvy attorney in your life? Perhaps you're trying to figure out exactly what to get a very special lawyer who seemingly has everything? In this edition of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway share all of their top tech toys and gifting goodies to help you spice up the law firm this holiday season. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, Scorpion, and Answer1. Products Mentioned: Family Hub Refrigerator: A smart refrigerator IBM Model M Keyboard: Mechanical Keyboard Thermo Thermometer: Smart thermometer NES Classic Edition: Nintendo's mini iconic  console. Self-Installing Car Seat: A car seat that installs itself Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Powerful multi-purpose tablet Nanoleaf Aurora: A modular LED panel lighting system Samsung Galaxy X7 and X7 Edge: Smart phone Petcube Play and Petcube Camera: Pet monitor and pet selfie device Prepara iPrep Foldable/Adjutsable E-reader: E-reader and adjustable stand Amazon Echo Dot: Voice-controlled; cloud based Alexa Voice speaker Sensorwake: Olfactory alarm clock Hudway Glass: Heads up display for any car Wilson X Football and Basketball: Smart football and basketball device Urbanears: Washable headphones Anki's Cozmo Robot: Robot Smart Remote: Smart remote that instantly connects to house appliances CHiP: Robotic dog pet

Starting, or running, a law firm requires legal know how and business acumen. In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund Practice Management Advisor Sheila Blackford about her advice for attorneys seeking to better manage their client trust accounts. Sheila Blackford is an attorney and practice management advisor for the Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund. She helps lawyers learn to set up and manage their client trust accounts and authored "Trust Accounting for Lawyers in One Hour." Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

Many lawyers are familiar with the varied services and resources that the American Bar Association provides to their members around the country. In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with Vandenack Williams LLC. founder Mary Vandenack about the American Bar Association Future of Legal Services commission, the data found in that study, and how those findings can help lawyers improve and prepare for the future of law. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

As the demographics that make up our society continue to shift, the question of diversity in the legal profession continues to grow in prominence. How would an increase in diversity benefit law firms and what can attorneys do to promote that change within the profession? In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with KM Advisors, LLC Managing Director John Mitchell about the difference between diversity and inclusion, diversity fatigue, and factors within the industry that might hinder the advancement of diverse lawyers. John "The Purple Coach" Mitchell is managing director of KM Advisors, LLC in Chicago. He spends his days supporting and advising leaders of law firms and legal departments as they navigate a constantly changing marketplace. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with PayneGroup CEO Donna Payne about ways attorneys can better handle their metadata. Donna reminisces about starting her company in 1998, the client experience that inspired the creation of her Metadata Assistant software, and The Wall Street Journal's front page article mention that resulted in 150,000 downloads. She analyzes how metadata has changed since she started and provides a list of things, such as track changes and hidden text, that lawyers should be on the lookout for. She states that one of the best things you can do if you can't afford a third party assistant program is to know what is in the document and use any free options available in your preferred office software suite. Donna closes the interview with an explanation of what exchangeable image file format data is, her checklist of the most common metadata mistakes that lawyers make, and some daily best practices that lawyers can implement to help protect their data. Donna Payne is the founder and serves as chief executive officer of PayneGroup, Inc. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Project Management Institute. In addition Donna is an original member of the Microsoft Legal Advisory Council. She is a frequent speaker at legal and technical conferences worldwide and has spoken to Congressional committees, the Senate, and at international judicial conferences on the subject of metadata and preventing accidental disclosure. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway speak with Legal Technology Consultant Andrew Adkins about his time as chief information officer for the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. Andy reflects on his 23 years as a technology consultant and gives a brief breakdown of the variables that led to his move to West Virginia and employment with Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. The firm was large and successful when he arrived but, as he recalls, the information technology infrastructure was understaffed and mostly focused on day-to-day problem solving. This lack of needed staff was one of his biggest challenges as he began to expand the law firm's IT capabilities and integrate new software to help the attorneys improve the services they provided. Andy talks about the process of building relationships among his teammates, learning their strengths and weaknesses, and the challenges he had convincing management of the necessity of continued employee training. He warns other CIOs of potential "upgrade fatigue" within their IT departments and shares how traveling to introduce himself to each branch of the company and incorporating a monthly newsletter to inform staff of upcoming tech changes helped to prepare staff for company-wide tech improvements. Andy closes the interview with an analysis of how he addressed the law firm's cyber security needs and his list of his best and worst professional moments during his four year employment there. Andy Adkins has been assisting law firms to improve their services to clients since the late 1980s. His career/journey has continuously led him down various paths, including a four year gig as the Chief Information Officer at Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, a large law firm based in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

As the legal marketplace becomes more globalized, many lawyers are venturing out and starting their own law firms. However, many attorneys also establish law firms without creating a company-wide strategic business plan to help guide future growth and company development. How do attorneys create a strategic business plan for their firm and what are the best ways to implement that plan? In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with The Remsen Group President John Remsen, Jr. about the benefits of creating a firm-wide business plan. John expresses how important it is for law firm leadership to recognize that they are running a business and states that it is difficult to run a successful business without a plan of where you are going. He shares that his research results show that only 40% of midsize firms report that they have a written strategic plan and less than 5% give themselves a positive score on implementing that plan well. Gordon also reveals that 90% of firms with a plan will attribute improved performance in areas like increased cohesiveness, profitability, long term sustainability, and growth to the planning exercise. He then analyzes the top five concerns of midsize firms, like associate development and firm governance, and provides ways that firms can address these concerns. He closes the interview with reasons that older lawyers resist these types of improvements and tips to help law firms start the strategic planning process. John Remsen, Jr. is a frequent speaker and author on law firm leadership and marketing topics. He has spoken at national and regional conferences of the Legal Marketing Association, the Association of Legal Administrators, American Bar Association and numerous state and local bar associations. After serving as in-house marketing director at two major law firms, John formed The Remsen Group, a consulting firm that works exclusively with law firms to help them develop and implement long-term strategic objectives to improve cohesiveness, performance and profitability. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

The large volume of data that many law firms handle makes utilizing cloud computing services a very enticing prospect. What ethical standards should lawyers expect these companies to abide by? What should lawyers look for in a cloud computing provider? In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway speak with Clio founder and CEO Jack Newton and Rocket Matter founder and CEO Larry Port about cloud computing and the new cloud security standards for legal professionals released by the Legal Cloud Computing Association. Larry explains what the LCCA is and how it formed out of a need to educate lawyers about what is happening in the cloud. Jack provides some insight into the creation of the security standards, such as terms of service privacy policies and encryption, and states that with these standards as a baseline lawyers will be able to more easily assess if a cloud computing provider is adhering to certain ethical standards. Larry also lists a few factors lawyers should consider, like where the SaaS data center is located, and the four things (vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and aesthetic code and dynamic code reviews) that the standards require in security testing. They both end the interview with an analysis of in-transit and at rest encryption and the benefits and drawbacks of zero knowledge level security. Jack Newton is the founder and CEO of Clio and recently joined the board of the International Legal Technology Standards Organization (ILTSO). He also co-founded and is acting president of the Legal Cloud Computing Association (LCCA). Jack received his master of science in computing science from the University of Alberta. Larry Port is the founder and CEO of Rocket Matter and is a speaker and award winning writer at the crossroads of the legal profession, cutting edge technology, and law firm marketing. He was named to the 2012 Fastcase 50 and received his master of computer science with an emphasis in distributed systems from New York University. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

Over the past 100 years technology has made enormous leaps toward improving the ease of everyday living for the average citizen. This progress has also been reflected in the legal profession as tech becomes more integrated into the working lives of lawyers. However, in what ways has technology improved the profession and how can technological advancements aid us in the future? In this special centennial episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway sit down with ABA President-Elect Linda Klein to reflect on how technology has improved the practice of law throughout their careers. The hosts open by taking some time to reflect on the last 100 episodes of the podcast and Linda shares her memory of having the Digital Edge be the very first podcast she ever listened to. She then muses over being introduced to technology early in her career and how tech started to influence and improve the way she practiced law. Within these reflections, Linda provides some insight into why she thinks it is important for lawyers to give back to their communities and tips on how tech can help fit everything into one's busy life. The group then focuses on ABA initiatives centered around positively influencing the rapid change happening in the legal profession spurred by globalization and technology. Linda then looks toward the future and discusses goals that she has for her presidency relating specifically to technology and the practice of law. Linda A. Klein is president-elect of the American Bar Association.  She is also a senior managing shareholder at Baker Donelson, recently completing a 6 year term on the Firm's Board of Directors. Her practice includes most types of business dispute resolution, including contract law, employment law and professional liability.     Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

Recently, the legal publishing company Fastcase received a takedown notice from the parent company of another publishing company, Casemaker, claiming they had exclusive rights to distribute, for commercial use, the Georgia Administrative Rules and Regulations. Fastcase CEO Ed Walters was surprised by this demand, because public law is not copyrightable. As a response, Ed decided to initiate litigation with Casemaker for the rights to the regulations and also to set a countrywide precedent. But why did Casemaker think they had exclusive rights to these Georgia laws in the first place? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Ed Walters about the case, why he thinks keeping public law in the public domain is so important, and the history of law citations, annotations, and publication. Topics include: The verbiage in Casemaker’s takedown notice to Fastcase Contracts with the Secretary of State of Georgia and other states The importance of having a federal court declare that private publishers can’t own the law The history of laws published with citations, annotations, or editorial enhancements How the digitalization of laws has changed the publishing landscape What happens when a state designates a version of the code as official (even if it was published by a private company like LexisNexis) What will happen next with the Casemaker/Fastcase lawsuit Ed Walters is the CEO and co-founder of Fastcase, a legal publishing company based in Washington D.C. Before working at Fastcase, he was a lawyer at Covington & Burling in Washington D.C. and Brussels. Ed also teaches The Law of Robots at Georgetown University Law Center. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

In 2009, the American Bar Association created the Commission on Ethics 20/20 to examine in depth how changes in technology affect the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The commission made many recommendations and, most notably, the ABA modified Rule 1.1 regarding lawyer competence. In the new version, Rule 1.1 Comment 8 reads “To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology...” But what does it really mean to be competent in technology as a lawyer? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Jim Calloway interviews lawyer and legal technology blogger/podcaster Bob Ambrogi about the lawyer’s duty of technology competence, how it applies to discovery and confidentiality, and how technology can really benefit lawyers too. Topics include: Tech duty: regulatory burden versus the reality of practicing law today State bars that have adopted the ABA rule change Implications of the California eDiscovery Ethics Opinion Relevant technology and knowing what you don’t know Getting up to speed on encryption eDiscovery and knowing how to collect, preserve, and search data properly How to effectively contract out competence The duty to supervise Benefits of technology in practice management Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow, CloudMask, and Scorpion.

30 years ago, the legal community began to see the value in the intersection between technology and the law. Lawyers are now using new software and tech devices more than ever in their practices and the courtroom, making the ABA TECHSHOW’s 30th anniversary valuable to anyone working in the legal field. So what’s going on this year? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Steve Best, chair of ABA TECHSHOW’s Planning Board, about the popular technology topics that will be covered at the conference in March, why lawyers and other law firm staff should care about tech trends, and how Steve personally became so intricately involved. Topics include: Steve’s career transition from a practicing lawyer to a legal technology consultant Why lawyers should care about security, mobility, and the cloud Regulation violations and security breaches Learning helpful info from the exhibit hall The planning board: IT professionals, in-house attorneys, lawyers, and consultants Two special plenary sessions Getting the most out of the technology you already have The 30th anniversary party at the Chicago Hilton hotel Steve Best is an attorney and the founding partner at Affinity Consulting Group, a well-known and well-respected law office management and technology company. He is a member of the Florida Bar and the Georgia Bar and is also a certified consultant and trainer, maintaining certifications in many law office software products including time billing and accounting, practice management, document management, PDF production, document assembly, and paperless office packages. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow and CloudMask.

“The question is not can a machine exhibit empathy or judgement but instead for what problems are empathy, judgement, or creativity the solution?” -Richard Susskind After years of writing and thinking about the future of the legal profession, Richard Susskind began to run into legal professionals whose careers are being affected by technology. In addition to lawyers, those in the medical, architecture, financial, and other fields have begun to notice a shift in the provision of professional services. Richard got together with his son, Daniel Susskind, at the time working in justice policy, education policy, and health policy for the British Prime Minister, to examine how technology is increasingly playing a fundamental role in how all service-based professions work. They recently published a book on the subject called “The Future of the Professions.” In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Richard and Daniel Susskind about their new book and key topics within that might interest lawyers who wish to prepare for the future. They discuss a “grand bargain” concept of exclusivity, the capability of machines to replace cognitive, physical/manual, and emotional skills currently provided by human professionals, and the right questions to ask about the future of legal services. Are there any tasks that computers won’t be able to do? Topics include: Society’s expectation for affordable, accessible, and reliable professional services Computers and artificial intelligence as a threat to the legal profession Professionals to be redeployed into new roles Embedded knowledge Free sharing of information through online avenues Incremental changes versus complete changes Commercial and social circumstances of the current systems Professor Richard Susskind is an author, speaker, and independent advisor to international professional firms and national governments. He is president for the Society for Computers and Law, IT advisor to the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, and chair of the Oxford Internet Institute Advisory Board. His books include the best sellers, “The End of Lawyers?” and “Tomorrow’s Lawyers.” Daniel Susskind is a lecturer in economics at Balliol College, University of Oxford, where he researches and teaches, and from where he has two degrees in economics. He was also a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University. Previously, he worked for the British government as a policy adviser in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and as a senior policy adviser at the Cabinet Office. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow and CloudMask.

With the data breaches and ransomware that has plagued law firms (and other companies) of all sizes recently, clients and firm managers alike are seeking more advanced data security. Certifications like the ISO 27001 provide guidelines and standards for how to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information your firm holds. But what does implementing the high level of cybersecurity mean practically, how much will it cost, and what if a solo or small law firm can’t afford it? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview John Simek about the International Standards Organization (ISO) 27001 certification, The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) small business standards, and other news concerning law firm cybersecurity. Topics include: Updates, guidelines, and costs of getting the ISO 27001 certification NISTIR 7621 Revision 1: absolutely necessary, highly recommended, and advanced cybersecurity actions Helpful resources for small firms Client wishes and data breaches in 2015 How to implement an incident response plan (IRP) Email encryption and Opinion 648 of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics Protection from ransomware Passwords, multi-factor authentication, and biometrics Changing defaults and patching applications John Simek is the vice president of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. in Fairfax, Virginia, which offers IT, information security, and digital forensics services for law firms and other businesses. John is a co-author of the book “Encryption Made Simple for Lawyers,” published by the American Bar Association in 2015 and a co-author of the second edition of “Locked Down: Practical Information Security for Lawyers” which will be published in March of 2016. John is one of the country’s leading cybersecurity experts for law firms.

How do people find lawyers these days? Although many attorneys believe they are discovered through a Google or Bing search, legal service consumers are actually still taking recommendations from people they know and trust. But technology has added a multitude of new ways that people perform research and journey to find lawyers. Potential clients will likely search for the lawyer or law firm’s website, Yelp or Avvo reviews, social media, and blogs before picking up the phone. So what should we, as lawyers, do to improve our online presence for more effective client development? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Gyi Tsakalakis, founder of the online legal marketing agency Attorney Sync, about the internet’s role in client development, the mistakes most lawyers make, and the “magic” of online legal marketing strategies. Topics include: The role of Google, Facebook, and Avvo in vetting legal service providers. Providing valuable content versus blatant advertising Understanding your audience and catering your marketing Being authentic, direct, and transparent Learning to use the technology properly What to look for in a marketing agency Properly defining your advertising goals for success Utilizing current and past charity events participation Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow and CloudMask.  

And we’re back with another year of gift ideas for the tech savvy lawyer. Whether you are looking for a Star Wars drone for… ahem… your children, a computer or printer that you can fit in your pocket, or a whiskey glass to bring to Mars, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway have the inside tip. Tune in to this episode of The Digital Edge for another year of tech toys for your friends, your family, or yourself. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow. Products Mentioned: The New Apple TV: More memory, new interface, search with Siri, and since our fingers are tired of clicking, now with swipe! The Surface Pro 4: Lighter than ever (1.69lbs) and 9 hours of battery Intel Compute Stick: A fully functioning computer in a small stick Microsoft Surface Book: High performance laptop Polaroid Zip Mobile Printer: Instant photo printer that fits in your pocket .law: A domain only available to qualified lawyers FurniQi Wireless Charging Bamboo Side Table: Bamboo side table with two charging pucks in the bottom Amazon Echo: Alexa is always listening and can play music, answer questions, and control smart devices. Next stop, smart houses? Swarovski USB Stainless Steel Bracelet: For the lady lawyer in your life (depending on which lady lawyer is in your life) Roku 4K Video Streamer: 2500+ channels on demand and, more importantly, a lost remote finder Ring Zero: The world’s smallest input device Bosch eBike: Electronic motor assisted biking Panono: 360 degree panoramic photography ball (camera) Mycestro wearable mouse: Ergonomic and controlled with natural gestures AKGQ701 Headphones: “The Holy Grail of Headphones” Zero Gravity Whiskey Glass: To avoid spilling your whiskey once space travel becomes a thing Steakchamp Thermometer: Cook your steak the way you like it every time Star Wars Speros BB8: The Star Wars drone with an adaptive personality Pet Cube: Play with your pets at home while you are at work Darth Vader and R2D2 Handheld Showerhead Bonus: Which of these products isn’t available to the public yet?

In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview technologist and Microsoft expert Ben Schorr about the price, benefits, and downfalls of Windows 10 and what lawyers specifically need to know. Topics Include: What happened to Windows 9 The start menu and live tiles on desktops without touch screens Microsoft Edge versus Internet Explorer The quality of Cortana Rumors of peer-to-peer networks and bandwidth use New and existing hardware and software compatibility Whether lawyers should download the operating system and when How much Windows 10 costs?

Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview John Iezzi, author of “Results-Oriented Financial Management: A Step-by-Step Guide to Law Firm Profitability,” which is a book about compensation issues in small and mid-sized firms, what successful financial management looks like, and changes small firm lawyers need to make. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow and CloudMask.

Legal marketing has changed dramatically in the past 20 years as we have reached “the digital era.” Some lawyers have embraced this new world of social media marketing, engaging website content, and cloud-based computing. But those who have not, particularly solo and small firm lawyers, are missing out on an opportunity for increased client base, client satisfaction, and competition with big law firms. Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Sona Pancholy, a business development director, about the ways in which the digital age impacts law firm marketing, what mistakes lawyers should avoid making, where busy professionals should start, and some dos and don’ts of social media. Special thanks to our sponsors, ServeNow and CloudMask.

Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Allison Shields, co-author of “How to Do More in Less Time: The Complete Guide to Improving Your Productivity and Increasing Your Bottom Line.” Allison discusses why she wrote the book, productivity mistakes lawyers often make, and specific suggestions she has for increasing time efficiency.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Judy Perry Martinez, chair of the ABA Presidential Commission on the Future of Legal Services. Martinez discusses specific actions the commission is taking to find solutions, including grassroots meetings across the country, a national summit, public hearings, and lawyer education. She explains how discussions with lawyers, judges, technology innovators, law students, academics, and law librarians bring awareness to issues in the changing legal landscape and encourages solution ideas. These changes present challenges and opportunities for lawyers today, but those who do not jump on board will likely be left behind.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview attorney and marketing consultant Jennifer Ellis about what SEO is, why it is so complicated and expensive, and steps lawyers and law firms can take to start marketing online. Fundamentally, she explains, SEO means optimizing your law firm’s website so that people searching for your services in your area will find you on the results page. For example, if you own a family law firm in Phoenix, you want people who are searching in Google or Bing for “How do I find a divorce lawyer in Phoenix?” to find your law firm in the results. Due to complicated Google, Bing, and Yahoo algorithms and factors like mobile-friendliness, valuable content, and anti-spam rules, Ellis estimates that high-quality SEO should cost from $3,000 to $10,000 a month. If you are a solo or small firm with a limited marketing budget, she gives several other online marketing suggestions including running Pay Per Click campaigns or boosting social media posts. Ellis has suggestions for any lawyer or law firm on any budget and she strongly advises lawyers to spend some time on their online presence. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview The Kennedy-Mighell Report host Tom Mighell, lawyer and author of “iPad in One Hour for Litigators,” about why the iPad is the best tablet for litigators and how to best use the tools and applications available on the iPad. Mighell makes many suggestions about which apps are most useful for litigation, including apps for note taking, case intake, document transfer, discovery, legal research, and trial presentation. In addition, he recommends accessories for data input (handwriting or keyboard) and data output (evidence presentations or a printer). Most importantly, he emphasizes, lawyers should never assume they know how to use an app just because they downloaded it. Make sure you practice using every application before you enter the courtroom. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview law firm consultant Britt Lorish about today’s speech recognition and dictation solutions, added benefits of current dictation software, common misconceptions about Dragon NaturallySpeaking, and the best microphones and apps to consider. Lorish explains that most lawyers who use dictation have embraced digital recording and filing, but many lawyers are still wary of using speech recognition softwares due to previous bad experiences. She talks about using softwares from dictation vendors like Philips, BigHand, and Winscribe in the cloud, and how Dragon is lagging in cloud-based usability. Additionally, Lorish discusses custom commands, a system of automating commonly-used commands like adding a signature block, opening a document template, or inserting standard client/attorney language. These speech solutions, Lorish says, can greatly help lawyers with disabilities, those who type slowly, and can even help younger lawyers improve oral argument abilities.

In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview lawyer and legal technology blogger Sam Glover about when technology became an issue for attorneys, how they can get in trouble due to ignorance, and what all attorneys need to know about hackers, cloud services, and the resulting ethical duties. First, Glover explains that lawyers are getting into trouble in the courtroom by not knowing about how technologies like Twitter work, therefore losing cases that could be easily won. Concerning cyber security, he discusses the many reasons lawyers cannot simply outsource technology knowledge. Gloverhas been writing about technology, law practice management, marketing, and other legal information on Lawyerist since he started it in 2007.

The ABA TECHSHOW is an annual legal technology conference in Chicago, sponsored by the Law Practice Division of the ABA. The goal of the conference is to educate lawyers, legal professionals, and law firm employees on using technology in their practice. The 2015 conference will be held April 16th through the 18th, and will feature many new and recurring educational topics that are trending in legal technology. Want to find out if this conference will benefit your practice? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview the Chair of the ABA TECHSHOW Board, Brett Burney, about the 2015 conference, what attendees can expect, and why attendance is useful to almost anyone working in the legal field. The people who should attend, Burney says, are solo and small firm lawyers, government lawyers, members of corporate legal departments, and big firm lawyers. Additionally, law firm employees such as paralegals, legal assistants, CIOs, IT professionals, law firm administrators, office administrators, litigation support professionals, and many others will benefit from the educational value of the ABA TECHSHOW. He talks about this year's legal technology topics such as cloud computing, a paperless office, digital security, and many others, and how the board selects speakers of quality and relevance. Burney discusses how having vendors and exhibitors at the conference can help users, why a legal professional should attend for the first time, and what's new and cool for the 2015 conference. The ABA TECHSHOW comes highly recommended by past attendees for legal professionals at any level of tech experience, from novice to expert. Brett Burney is the Chair of this year's ABA TECHSHOW Board and is also the Principal of Burney Consultants LLC. He focuses the bulk of his time consulting on e-discovery and litigation support topics. He also works with lawyers who want to integrate Macs, iPhones, and iPads into their practice. Burney is a frequent contributor to Legal Technology News and speaks around the country on litigation support, e-discovery, Mac and iOS-related topics.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has been released and, according to these lawyers, it finally lives up to the standards of a laptop. It is lighter and more mobile than even the lightest laptop, which makes it better for travel. However, this tablet can download the software and applications that many lawyers use in business like Acrobat, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, while also supporting multiple users. The Digital Edge host Sharon Nelson purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 recently and has put it through the test of whether this tablet can actually replace the laptop she uses for her business. In this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway invite Nelson's business partner, husband, and technology expert John Simek on to analyze the statistics of the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and assess for whom it can replace a laptop computer. The beneficial features of the tablet include: Bluetooth USB Port Solid State Hard Disk Wireless Connectivity Hard Wire Capability 12" Screen 2160x1440 Resolution Micro SD Card Slot Headphone Jack Mini Display Port for Additional Monitors Kickstand Front and Rear Cameras Multiple Processor Options Nelson found that these features made this tablet work for her as a laptop replacement. She found the i7 Processor particularly nice since lawyers often have little patience with a slow computer. However, this isn't an advertisement for the Surface Pro 3, so Simek pointed out some downsides to the product. Purchasers should expect to pay laptop prices (instead of tablet prices) ranging from $799 to $1949, not including necessary accessories like the keyboard, which will cost an additional $199. The battery life ranges from 8 to 9 hours, relative to the iPad which consistently lasts 10 hours. Also, the Surface Pro 3 can't sit atop a lap; it needs a hard surface to work with the kickstand. Despite the downfalls, however, Simek and Nelson have agreed that this tablet can replace a laptop, at least in their legal practice. John Simek is the Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, holds many digital forensics and IT certifications, and is the co-host of Legal Talk Network's Digital Detectives podcast. Simek is the co-author of 12 books with two more slated to come out next year and a frequent speaker on the lecture circuit where he talks about IT, information security, and digital forensics. Special thanks to our sponsor, Serve Now.

Are you a lawyer who always has the newest tech products and apps? Do you already have a drone even though most people think they are only in sci fi movies? Are you looking for a holiday gift for your tech junkie spouse? In this edition of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway present their favorite tech toys for the holidays. Nelson and Calloway have each picked out their choice of new electronics for themselves or loved ones. These new gadgets range in practicality from the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 to a bacon scented alarm clock and they range in price from a $20 Bluetooth Shower Speakerphone/Radio to a glass yacht that you can't afford if you care how much it costs. Other products include a tablet, an Apple integrated flash drive, a cheap drone, noise-cancelling headphones, a flux capacitor USB port for your car, rhumbas for your grill and driveway, and even a Yeti cup. Tune in for inspiration and awe on the direction technology is heading. Who knows, you might hear about a new tech toy you have to have! Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

There are many exciting new Apple products available now or launching in the near future. Many lawyers love to use Apple products in their practice and personal lives and are often eager to learn about the newest change in the technology or services. The iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iOS 8 were released in September 2014, Apple Pay launches in October 2014, and the Apple Watch is set to be released in the spring of 2015. If attorneys want to know about what's new, there is one lawyer who is an expert on all Apple products: Jeff Richardson. On this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview attorney and iPhone J.D. blog writer Jeff Richardson about the new Apple products and services, what he recommends for lawyers, and predictions for the future of technology. Richardson starts by describing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, differences from previous iPhones, and size and storage recommendations for lawyers using a smartphone in their practice. He gives some suggestions for essential accessories including a case, external battery, additional cables, and bluetooth headphones. Richardson then describes new iOS 8 features such as predictive text and interactive notifications, how the Apple Watch will change the future of wearable technology, and what Apple Pay means for consumers and vendors. Although Apple is always coming out with new products, it is a particularly exciting time for lawyers and technology. Jeff Richardson is a partner in the New Orleans office of Adams and Reese LLP. His practice focuses on defending companies sued in class actions and complex litigation, as well as appellate litigation. Richardson publishes iPhone J.D., the oldest and most comprehensive website for attorneys who use iPhones and iPads. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

Lawyers now have the option to purchase Microsoft Office 365 for their small, medium, or big law firms. Microsoft Office 365 is a collection of products and services that can be purchased individually or in bundles known as stockkeeping units (SKUs). The products available include Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Lync, Yammer, Office Suite 2013, and Matter Center. These provide everything from document management, email and contacts, voice and text communication, to a corporate social network. How might these services benefit a law firm and what questions should lawyers be asking? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and John Simek interview Microsoft expert and technologist Ben Schorr about the Office 365 services and products as they pertain to use in a law firm. Schorr answers some of the often asked questions concerning the difference between Office 365 and Office Suite 2013, cloud based information storage, collaboration and sharing, and the way that Microsoft's pricing differs from other software providers. He wraps up the interview by explaining the differences between SharePoint and Matter Center for document management and advises lawyers and legal professionals to do online research and work with a Microsoft partner before deciding on products for a firm. There are many options to pick and choose from for a firm of any size, from solo to big law. Ben M. Schorr is a technologist and Chief Executive Officer for Roland Schorr and Tower, a professional consulting firm headquartered in Flagstaff, Arizona with offices in Hawaii and Oregon. He has been involved with management and technology for more than 20 years and a Microsoft MVP for more than 15. He is the author of several books and articles on technology including "The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook," "The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Word," and "OneNote in One Hour." Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

Wearable technology like the smartwatch is the next in a long line of new technological advancements that are embraced by some, but viewed skeptically by most lawyers. Judges already discourage smart phones in court and many clients worry about a decrease in information security. But if used properly, a smartwatch can actually increase the productivity, availability, and even safety of any lawyer's practice with fewer disruptions. What are the best practices for using wearable technology to benefit your practice? In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview legal technology expert Richard Georges about wearable technology, how smartwatches enhances his ability to be productive, and what lawyers need to consider when adopting this new technology. Having a smartwatch, Georges explains, actually decreases court disruptions and car distractions while making him accessible to clients at all times. Most of the issues concerning data security are due to human error rather than technology. As long as lawyers learn how to properly embrace wearable technology, he says, it can improve any practice from big law to a solo firm. The risks are not greater, they are simply different. Richard Georges practices in real property, corporations, wills, trusts, and estates law in Pinellas County, Florida. A self-proclaimed tech junkie, he is well known for writing the Futurelawyer blog and has taught many seminars on technology and the law. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

When a law firm breaks up or a lawyer leaves to start a new practice, there are always clients, contingency arrangements, and hourly cases to split up. It is important to know what ethical steps a lawyer or law firm should take when parting ways. If the firm splits up, who has the rights to the name, brand, clients, or even client files? How can both parties ethically allocate unfinished business, accounts receivable, or unsettled contingency prearrangements? An ethical and professional split is inevitably beneficial for the future of the law firm and the lawyer. On this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon D. Nelson and Jim Calloway ask legal ethics expert Tom Spahn about the proper way to professionally deal with the various situations that arise when a law firm splits up. He explains that lawyers and their firms should remain civil and open to negotiation before the lawyer has left. Firms have run into trouble while trying to penalize leaving employees on an individual basis. He discusses the ethically proper way to deal with unfinished business doctrines, document retention programs, and fiduciary duties to clients. Due to technology, there are new issues to consider including digital files or property ownership of domain names. Overall, however, Spahn emphasizes that every partner has a continuing duty to make sure every client is adequately served. Tom Spahn, often known as "Mr. Ethics" in Virginia, practices as a commercial litigator in the Tysons Corner office of McGuireWoods. He has served on the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professionalism, and has spoken over 1,200 times on ethics and other topics in the United States and abroad. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

Many attorneys now use PowerPoint in trial to preview, highlight, and sum up the evidence for their arguments and organize their presentations. Effective PowerPoints garner the attention of court personnel and jury members and enhance their overall presentation. However, ineffective PowerPoints can be confusing, difficult to read, or distract the audience from the presentation's overall objective. Attorney and legal technology consultant Paul Unger argues that only with the proper skills and learning can a lawyer create an informative and engaging PowerPoint presentation that will be a useful tool in the courtroom. In this episode of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Unger about the best practices in using PowerPoint in the courtroom. Unger emphasizes simplicity, professionalism, and making PowerPoint a tool that reinforces the content rather than providing it. According to research Unger has done, audiences who are distracted by bullet points and excess text are unlikely to remember much of the slide's content or even the presenting lawyer's main point. He recommends that the PowerPoint slides provide only headlines and pictures that are held together by the attorney's narrative. Unger's experience in PowerPoint and legal technology comes from being an attorney and founding principal of Affinity Consulting Group, a nationwide consulting company providing legal technology consulting, continuing legal education, and training. He specializes in trial presentation and litigation technology, document and case management, and paperless office strategies. To learn more, pick up a copy of his book, PowerPoint in One Hour for Lawyers, at the ABA bookstore. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

There are a multitude of technology options to help run small firms and solo practices, but deciding on which ones can be a daunting endeavor. Mac vs. PC, practice management systems, and encryption of client data are among numerous issues attorneys must resolve. On this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview John Simek from Sensei Enterprises. Together, they discuss modern innovations that make running firms easier and keep client data safe. Tune in to learn more about meta data, benefits of paperless, and John's favorite software tools. John Simek is the vice president of Sensei Enterprises, a digital forensics, information technology and information security firm located in Fairfax, Virginia. He is a co-author of The 2014 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide: Critical Decisions Made Simple, published by the American Bar Association along with many other books on technology, security and electronic evidence. John is a testifying expert and holds many technical certifications. He's also a co-host on another Legal Talk Network podcast, the Digital Detectives.

Breaking all of its previous attendance records, ABA TECHSHOW 2014 will certainly go down as one of the most successful. True-to-form, many of the attendees were from small firms and solo practices. With the introduction of How-To sessions, lawyers will be getting more out of ABA TECHSHOW for many years to come. On this episode of the Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview this year's ABA TECHSHOW Chair Natalie Kelly. Together, they cover the highlights of the 2014 show plus take a look into the future Planning Board. This year's hottest topics: the re-emergence of paperless, the Cloud, and iOS. Tune in to hear about the Solutions Lab, Exhibits, and much, much more. Natalie Kelly is the Chair of this year's ABA TECHSHOW. She is the Director of the State Bar of Georgia's Law Practice Management Program where she provides extensive practice management and technology consulting to members of the Georgia Bar. Kelly is a Certified Consultant and Trainer for AbacusLaw, Amicus Attorney, PCLaw, PracticeMaster, Tabs3, Time Matters, Billing Matters, and TimeSlips software applications. She also speaks and writes frequently on these topics. At home, Natalie is a hard-working wife and mother of 3 daughters. Special thanks to our sponsor, ServeNow.

Of the 46% of judges using social media, 80% are on Facebook and over 30% are on LinkedIn, but activity on social media presents a number of ethical dilemmas for judges, attorneys, jurors, and litigants. In a recent case in Georgia, a judge stepped down after being scrutinized for sending a friend request to a litigant on his upcoming trial calendar and later releasing her on a personal recognizance bond. Similar activities from other judges and attorneys have resulted in violations of both the Code of Professional Conduct and the Code of Judicial Conduct, from unauthorized practice of law across state lines and breaching attorney-client privilege to posting inappropriate comments and sending friend requests to litigants and related attorneys. These ethical perils extend to jurors, who must be reminded of their own limitations in social media use with regard to pending trials. On this episode of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway interview Judge Herbert B. Dixon, Jr., discussing stories of collateral damage associated with inappropriate social media use and ways legal professionals can avoid ethical missteps. Stay tuned at the end for Judge Dixon's 4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Posting on Social Media. Judge Herbert B. Dixon, Jr. sits on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and is a former chair of the National Conference of State Trial Judges. He is the technology columnist for The Judges' Journal magazine and a former member of the ABA Techshow Planning Board. Judge Dixon is Senior Judicial Advisor to William and Mary Law School's Courtroom 21 Project, the Presiding Judge for the Superior Court's Technology-Enhanced Courtroom Project, and a frequent speaker on topics related to the intersection of law and technology.

In this edition of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway discuss check fraud with expert Dan Pinnington. Together, they reveal how lawyers are repeatedly falling into the trap of check fraudsters and what can be done to avoid it. Tune in for tips on how to spot a check fraudster in your practice or law firm. Pinnington is the Vice President of Claims Prevention and Stakeholder Relations at Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO). He is a prolific writer, speaker, and blogger on topics including practice management, risk management, and legal technology. He is also a contributor to AvoidAClaim.com which is blog by LAWPRO that, among many things, helps attorneys prevent malpractice claims.

In this edition of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway invite Ernie Svenson, commonly known as "Ernie the Attorney," to discuss his recently published ABA book Acrobat in One Hour for Lawyers and unveil all the abilities, outside of just viewing, that PDFs offer. Topics include the benefits of the professional version versus the standard version, specific features for lawyers such as bookmarking, Bates stamping, redaction, quick tips, and more. Svenson started his career at mid-sized New Orleans law firm where he learned how to do more with less, and at less cost. This made an easy transition to a solo firm where he continued working on the same kinds of commercial litigation cases he handled at his former firm. He then started PaperlessChase.com to help share what he learned from using technology in his law practice.

Meg Spencer Dixon pulled three consecutive all-nighters before she began pursuing time management as a career. Now, she is a consultant in task management for legal professionals. In this edition of The Digital Edge hosts Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway invite Dixon to discuss her top tips for legal professionals looking to master project management, how to stop procrastinating, and more. Founder of Spencer Consulting, Dixon has been working as a time-management consultant for more than a decade. Her company focuses on providing seminars on time management, project management, stress management, and how to run effective meetings for law firms, CLE providers, government agencies, and corporate law departments.

In this edition of The Digital Edge, Sharon Nelson, Esq. and Jim Calloway present their annual Tech Toys for the Holidays episode. Your hosts each present the top electronics on their wish lists and shopping lists for the gift-giving season. Tune in for inspiration and an update on the newest, coolest gadgets like smartphone spy lenses, doorbells connected via wifi, portable chargers powered by hydrogen and oxygen, and more.

On this edition of The Digital Edge, hosts Sharon Nelson, Esq. and Jim Calloway invite lawyer, friend, and co-presenter Andy Perlman of Suffolk Law School to discuss the new technology audits for lawyers. Kasey D. Flaherty of corporate counsel for Kia Motors developed a technology audit to measure how efficiently lawyers are using technology and determine how much time (and clients' money) they could be saving. Suffolk University is partnering with Flaherty to enhance and automate the audit. Tune in to hear more about the audit, the partnership with Suffolk, how to get involved, and more. Andy Perlman is a Suffolk Law School professor and the director of the University's Institute of Law Practice Technology Innovation. Perlman was the co-chief reporter for the ABA Commission of Ethics 20/20, which successfully implemented changes to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and related ABA policies to address ethical issues from globalization and technological developments. He also contributes to the blog Legal Ethics Forum.

Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway talk with Ben Schorr, author of the newly released book,"The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway share their expertise on the subject of Search Engine Optimization.

A discussion on using Adobe Acrobat, featuring David Masters.

Sharon Nelson and Jim Calloway explain how ABA TECHSHOW is so much more than just a legal technology conference.

Jim Calloway and Sharron Nelson review some of the most notable technology software products of 2007.