2017 Section Convention – San Diego Attend programs presented by LPMT Executive Committee Members, Perry Segal, Peter Brewer and Jeffrey Bennion August 18 and 19, 2017 Click Here
If you are reading this, I suppose you are a member of the Law Practice Management & Technology Section, and that leads to the further supposition that you are interested in the management of a law practice. Step one: Attract some clients!! Step two: Give those clients competent, careful, and caring service, and do everything reasonably within your power to achieve the goals they came to you seeking.
As the owner of a six-attorney firm, a.k.a. a small business, I am ever attentive to how well or how poorly the businesses that I patronize each day are run. Recently I determined that I wanted to rent an exciting car when I return to my home town this summer for a high-school reunion. Avis has Corvettes on its website (at a rather commanding price, that I was willing to pay), but it said, “Corvette (or similar car).” I don’t want a “similar car”, so I wrote to the manager of the facility. He was totally unhelpful, said they don’t have them in inventory at his station, and could not be bothered to suggest what Avis outlet does have them (unwilling to look it up or call around).
Then I contacted an off-brand exotic car rental. They too wanted a substantial price, but wanted half up-front and had a “no refund” policy. I wrote and explained that my travel is not planned until mid-September, and at the time of writing it was June. I said that if something were to happen that would prevent my travel, my cancellation months in advance would not cause them to lose a rental. Might we agree that my deposit would become non-refundable a month before the rental? The response: “No, we will not be able to accommodate your request and adjust our policy.” What?
Tonight I read in the paper about a passenger on British Airways who paid 40^ (over $50) to reserve a specific seat. When she boarded for her 12 hour flight she found the seat was broken. She asked the attendant for a different seat but the flight was full and she was not accommodated. The attendant offered to refund 30^, and told the passenger she would receive an e-mail regarding payment. When she did not, she contacted British Airways, and was told that the cabin manager had no authority to offer compensation, and that “to be fair” to the other passengers they would not offer any refund.
Then I read about how United Airlines, already the subject of a lifetime’s worth of bad publicity, caused a mother to hold her two-year old, 25 pound child, on her lap for the duration of a three-and-one-half hour flight from Houston to Boston, because the adjacent seat for which the child was ticketed had been given to a standby passenger. Because children over the age of two are required to have their own seat, the mother had purchased a ticket for her son - paying $1,000 for each ticket. The standby passenger boarded late and demanded the seat for which he too had been given a boarding pass, after paying a paltry $75 for the seat. The cabin staff refused to honor her child’s paid ticket, and the mother was afraid to protest, given the reputation that United has been cultivating for brutalizing their passengers.
So, what is my point with these anecdotes? My point is that sometimes good marketing decisions and good client relations do not require a Ph.D. In the immortal words of Bob Dylan, “It don’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” Common sense, notwithstanding that the very term “common sense” is an oxymoron, would have prevented each of these off-putting instances from having occurred. Avis, or the other car rental company, could have earned some more money. British Airways and United Airlines could have avoided (still more) crippling negative publicity – call it reverse advertising.
How does this translate to your law practice? Use good sense. Empower your staff to do the same. Be service oriented. Be flexible, and not dogmatic in your “policies and procedures.” For example, my office does not offer free initial consultations. Sometimes someone will say that they are “old fashioned” and want to have a “meet and greet” before establishing a relationship. In those instances we have capitulated and agreed to have a 15 minute meet and greet, during which time we will not discuss the substantive legal issues for which the client is soliciting legal advice, and if we can give the client the requisite comfort in those 15 minutes, from that point on we are on the clock, or they are free to leave with no obligation. We consider that to be a common sense accommodation of a request that is at variance with our express policy about free consultations.
People speak of “earning” someone’s patronage. Indeed, marketing books almost universally say that the three steps to getting a new client is that they first must first know you (learn of you), then like you, and finally trust you. You must “earn” their trust. You cannot do that by refusing accommodations, or worse, not even honoring the agreement you have already made, such as with the airline incidents.
What I am suggesting is not rocket science. I am just postulating that we are in a service business. As such, we need to be on the lookout for ways to provide service. That means ways to say yes, rather than no. When we ask, “How can we help you?” it needs to be the expression of a sincere desire to do exactly that. And if we have to bend a bit to do so, then get to bending. A true service-oriented attitude will produce a phenomenal return to your office, in both dollars and in reputation, client generation, and referral business.
Peter N. Brewer, Esq., Chair, LPMT peter@brewerfirm.com
By Kirk McElhearn Senior Contributor, Macworld
You’re probably familiar with using Siri to make calls on your iPhone, as well as to open apps on your iOS device, get information, and set up appointments. But you may be less familiar with iOS’s other dictation feature, the one that lets you talk to your iOS device while it converts your words into text. I’ve long used dictation on my iPhone, because I have fat thumbs and find the keyboard too slow to use. As long as I’m in a not-too-noisy environment, it works quite well. I have to make corrections at times, but I can dictate long emails, short text messages, and even use dictation to enter search terms in Safari or to enter text in text fields on webpages. Better still, in my early tests, dictation in iOS 7 seems much more accurate. Here’s how you can use dictation on an iOS device and save a lot of time typing.
Turn on dictation
First, you need to make sure dictation is turned on. To do this, go to Settings > General > Siri, and then turn Siri on. Even if you don’t want to use Siri’s personal assistant features, you need to turn it on for speech recognition to work. You can choose which language you’re using here, which is especially useful if you speak with an accent. I live in the United Kingdom, but since I’m American, I set the language in Siri’s preferences to English (United States). However, I set my Region settings to reflect UK dates and times. (Tap General and then International).
Dictate anywhere…almost
You can dictate anywhere in iOS where you can enter text. For example, you can compose emails, dictate texts, and even dictate search terms in Safari’s search field. Any time you see the small microphone icon next to the spacebar on the iOS keyboard, dictation is available. Just tap anyplace you can type text, and then tap the microphone icon to start dictating. When you’re finished, tap Done and then wait for your words to be processed. It can take a few seconds for text to appear.
Whenever you see the microphone icon (circled), you have the opportunity to dictate.
Stay in the zone: If you’re using iOS 7, when you begin talking, you’ll see a feedback pane with a wavering line showing the volume of your speech. The louder you speaker, the greater the amplitude of the wave. (If you’re using iOS 6, or you're using an app that hasn't been updated for iOS 7, you’ll see a microphone; as you speak, the microphone will fill with purple light.) When you begin talking, you’ll see a feedback pane with a wavering line showing the volume of your speech. The louder you speak, the wider the wave. Talk into the microphone: You don’t need to speak very loudly; but you should keep your iPhone close to your mouth, especially if you’re outdoors. There are two microphones at the bottom of the iPhone, and a single microphone on iPads, located at the top of the device. It’s not easy to speak directly into the iPad mic while looking at the screen. Speak into the tiny hole at the top of your tablet.
You’ll find dictation in noisy environments works much better with an iPhone, because it’s easier to speak close to the microphone. The iPhone also has a noise-canceling mic, which filters out background noises. You might find that the Apple earbuds that come with an iPhone—which have an inline mic—offer better speech recognition, as do third-party headphones with mics, as long as you hold them fairly close to your mouth. Dictate when connected to Wi-Fi: Dictation to an iOS device requires that your voice be sent to a server, where it is recognized and transcribed, and then sent back to your iOS device. For this reason, dictating to an iOS device works best when you’re using Wi-Fi; it also works well with a 3G connection; but anything slower is hit or miss, in my experience.
Dictate efficiently
If you’re familiar with dictating into software such as Nuance Software’s $160 Dragon Dictate, you already have an idea of how to dictate into an iPhone or iPad. But some desktop techniques don’t work. Here are a few tips to make dictation more efficient.
Speak clearly: You don’t need to speak especially slowly, but speaking too quickly will lead to errors. The general idea is to talk like a newscaster: Enunciate, but don’t exaggerate. Don’t say too much: Your voice has to be sent to a remote server, so keep your dictation segments under 30 seconds. (Longer than that might be too much for a 3G connection.) Take advantage of autocorrect: While you can’t correct mistakes in iOS dictation by voice, you will occasionally see words that iOS thinks might be incorrect. They appear with dotted blue lines underneath them. Tap an underlined word or phrase, and you’ll see one or more options you can choose from.
Make a mistake? If you tap a word underlined in blue, iOS will offer suggestions.
Speak punctuation and symbols: To include punctuation in your dictation, you need to say “comma,” “period,” “hyphen,” and so on. Watch out for language differences. For instance, if you’re using British English, you need to say “full stop” instead of “period.”
You can say “new line” to dictate a return character, and “new paragraph” to add two returns. You say “apostrophe” for a possessive noun, such as “Jerry Garcia apostrophe S guitar,” for Jerry Garcia’s guitar. You’ll also say things like “dollar sign,” “euro sign,” and “pound sterling sign” to get type the corresponding symbols. When you want to capitalize a word, say “cap.” If you’re sending a message to someone about a movie preference, for example, you might say “I’d like to watch cap lord of the cap rings.”
Use acronyms with care: You can dictate some acronyms, but not all. You’ll find over time which ones work and which don’t. When spelling acronyms, make sure to pause between letters just enough for them to be discrete. If you need to include an acronym in your dictation, give it a try. Often iOS will understand what you’re saying as long as you pause slightly between letters.
Add emoticons: Do you want to type smileys? It’s easier to dictate them than to switch to the number keyboard. Just say “smiley,” “winky,” or “frowny,” for :-) , ;-) , or :-( .
Proofread what you dictate: While some errors will be obvious, and other misinterpretations may have blue dotted lines highlighting them, there will be typos—or, more correctly, speech-os.
As you get used to dictating into your iPhone or iPad, you’ll figure out the right cadence and volume to get the most precise recognition. If you need to type a lot on an iOS device, try using dictation. Whether you use it for text messages or emails, it may save you a lot of time.
By the way, if you need a client’s voice-mail transcribed, have your secretary use the voice recorder (that you’re not using) to record it first off the phone (I have done this before and it works). Then it can be transcribed more efficiently from the Transcription Machine.
About the Author:
Kirk McElhearn, Senior Contributor, Macworld
Senior contributor Kirk McElhearn (@mcelhearn) writes The Ask the iTunes Guy column and the Hey Apple, Fix This! column, and writes about Macs, music and more on his blog Kirkville. He also runs Kirk's iTunes Forum, where users can discuss iTunes, iOS devices, music, and more. Kirk is the author of Take Control of iTunes 12: The FAQ. Source: http://www.macworld.com/article/2048196/beyond-siri-dictation-tricks-for-the-iphone-and-ipad.html
By Krys Ash Schempp
Running out of space on your hard drive? Here are some ways to create more space for data storage. Simply go down this checklist and follow the instructions that apply to you and your hard drive.
These tips will not only create efficient data storage but they can also secure protection against cyber-security threats.
Krys Ash Schempp is a paralegal and technical specialist working in San Diego, California. She has professional certifications in the fundamentals of computer networking and computer technical support and is currently working in eDiscovery. krysashschempp@gmail.com
By William N. Kammer
Add another necessary layer of protection this year — encryption
We know that we owe our clients a duty of confidentiality, and we also want to ensure the confidentiality of the details of our practices and our finances. But the duty we owe to our clients goes far beyond the principles of the attorney-client privilege. The State Bar Act codifies our duty of confidentiality by telling us we must “maintain inviolate the confidence, and at every peril to himself or herself, [...] preserve the secrets of his or her client.” Cases and opinions teach us that the Act requires diligent protection broader than that of the privilege.
About ten years ago, the various ethics committees began their efforts to apply these confidentiality principles to the modern methods of communication and technology that were impacting and altering our law practices. California addressed electronic methods of communications in 2010, and, more recently in 2015, our duties of technology competence.
We must be aware of the cybersecurity risks faced by lawyers and their firms. Recent headlines reported the indictment of Chinese hackers who had penetrated the electronic systems of several prominent law firms (Cravath; Weil Gotshal) to obtain information that allowed them to take financial advantage of pending transactions. A recent American Bar Association report found that 90% of their IT respondents reported that their organizations had experienced a breach of document security in a particular year.
Preventing the invasion of our electronic systems will continue to be a problem because, no matter the technology firewalls and boundaries, human error will still account for 80-90% of successful intrusions. Walt Kelly’s comic character Pogo used to say, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Because of that inevitability, we must establish a second defense layer that prevents the intruder from obtaining unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure of or access to client confidential information. Erecting firewalls and posting cybersecurity checkpoints has become insufficient protection. Encrypting the contents of the information that lawyers hold should be the new confidentiality requirement going forward into 2017.
Encryption converts information and data into forms unreadable by anyone other than an intended recipient or an authorized individual. Encryption is not a new technique; some historians recite a first use by an Egyptian scribe around 1900 BC. Cryptanalysis dates back about 100 years, and the military has used complex encryption for the past 75 years.
Most of us know of the need to protect communications in transit and when using public Wi-Fi networks. We should already know how to encrypt our emails and the Office documents we send as attachments. We can also encrypt the information we send over the internet. In 2010, a California opinion (2010-179) stated that the encryption of email “may be a reasonable step” for attorneys. Some would now assert that it is a necessary step.
What has now become equally important is the encryption “in place” of the information resident on our servers, desktops, laptops and mobile devices. In 2014, a local attorney left his laptop on the trolley, and the result was a data breach requiring the expensive process of notice to clients, not to mention the public embarrassment. The data on the laptop was not encrypted. We can’t assume that we are incapable of a similar mistake with a laptop or mobile device. TSA recently reported that 70 laptops had been left at TSA checkpoints in Newark Airport in the previous two months. You figure! Although hard to believe, that report suggests that we are all capable of a similar oversight.
Arguments against encryption in place have asserted inconvenience or slowed computer performance. There is marginal validity in those comments, but neither justifies a failure to protect confidential information by encrypting it in place.
The particular methods of encryption available to different operating systems and different devices cover a sufficiently large number of alternatives that won’t fit into a single column. But attorneys with iPhones know that the contents of the iPhones are encrypted; owners of Macs know that they can turn on FileVault and encrypt the contents of those computers; and Windows users have had the BitLock encryption tool available in most recent versions of that operating system. Owners of Android devices have not been left out. Google introduced full-device encryption in 2010 and has improved it in subsequent versions of its operating system.
If we use software services in the cloud such as Office 365 or cloud storage, we must also ensure that client confidential data is similarly encrypted. Who holds the keys to decryption? Are we reasonably maintaining confidentiality if the storage site knows how to decrypt the data?
There is substantial how-to information available on the internet, and the ABA has published several books that go into substantial detail about many of these issues. The best may be Locked Down (ABA 2016), also available on Amazon. Going forward, there may be no excuse for attorneys who failed to implement a reasonable, complete program of encryption in place on all forms of storage and all types of devices and computers.
About the Author
William (Bill) N. Kammer (wkammer@swsslaw.com ) is a partner with Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, LLP. This article first appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of SAN DIEGO LAWYER. Reprinted with permission.
By Nicole Black
Change is upon us and it’s time for lawyers to seize the day and take advantage of the unique opportunities presented by technology.
I just left a presentation at my local bar association focused on the state of the legal market in 2017 and how lawyers can compete. During the seminar, one of the speakers discussed the findings of a recent report released by Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute and Georgetown Law on the state of the legal market in 2017.
After listening to the economic data from the report, I’ve got client service on my mind since one of the main themes gleaned from the report, as explained in this blog post, is that in 2017, “the changing market dynamics present opportunities for firms that are willing to challenge conventional thinking, take risks and innovate new approaches to the delivery of legal services.”
A lot has changed since I graduated from law school in 1995. One of the primary drivers of change has been the rapid advancement of technology, which has affected every aspect of our day-to-day lives, from how we communicate and interact with others, to how we shop, cook, travel, and conduct business.
Technology has affected all aspects of our culture, including consumer expectations and the way that business is conducted. Because of the mobile and cloud revolutions, we now have instantaneous access to information, resulting in consumers who are more knowledgeable, more selective, and more demanding. Online payments are now the norm and consumers have come to expect more for their money, fast response times, and quick answers.
Rest assured that when “consumers” suddenly encounter legal problems and thus become “legal consumers,” their expectations do not suddenly change. Instead, 21st century legal consumers expect just as much from their attorneys as they do from other non-legal service providers.
This sudden shift in expectations has dramatically increased competition in the legal services space and has had an astounding effect on the delivery of legal services. For evidence of this, you need look no further than the huge success of LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, and similar services.
And yet, according to a recent study conducted by Altman Weil, many lawyers in larger firms are refusing to change the way that they do business despite finally acknowledging that the legal profession is undergoing an industry-wide paradigm shift in ways never before seen. As explained in the Altman Weil report, when it comes to adapting to change and meeting client demands by increasing efficiencies in the delivery of legal services, most firms are all talk, with little action:
“Ninety-four percent of respondents in this year’s survey said that a focus on improving efficiency will be a permanent trend going forward. But only 49% of law firms said that they have significantly changed their approach to the efficiency of legal service delivery. This represents a frightening disconnect.”
Why the disconnect? It’s because change doesn’t come easy. Even so, overwhelming evidence indicates that in 2017, it’s necessary.
The lesson to be learned is that in order to stay competitive, lawyers must pay attention to the legal marketplace and the needs of 21st century legal consumers. Change is upon us and it’s time for lawyers to seize the day and take advantage of the unique opportunities presented by this shift. Innovate in the delivery of legal services and meet consumer demands by implementing new ways of serving the needs of your firm’s legal clients, whether it’s using alternative fee arrangements, securely collaborating and communicating online, sharing documents and case-related information in a client portal, or accepting online payments.
In other words, although technology is undoubtedly one of the biggest drivers of change — it’s also the solution. The innovative use of technology can drive down overhead and increase efficiency for law firms big and small.
Embracing technology not only helps lawyers to meet the demands of their clients, it allows them to thrive in an increasingly competitive legal marketplace. By wisely and selectively using technology, law firms can more efficiently provide legal services to their clients. Reducing redundancies and implementing workflows that streamline processes can reduce the costs associated with running a law firm, and simultaneously increase profits.
And that’s the lesson to be learned: chart your law firm’s path based on client feedback and current trends in the legal landscape. Buck tradition and run your law firm with an eye toward the future, not the past. Your firm’s bottom line — and your clients — will thank you.
Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter @nikiblack and she can be reached at niki.black@mycase.com.
Source: http://abovethelaw.com/2017/06/how-can-law-firms-meet-needs-of-21st-century-legal-clients/
By Lindsey Dean
Across the months of July and August, temperatures average well into the 90s in Texas. In California’s cities, the temperatures fluctuate between the mid-80s and mid-90s. And in Indiana and other states across the U.S., the heat can hover around the 80s. It’s nothing we don’t already know: summer is hot. How do you keep cool during a heat wave, especially in an office that is trying to minimize the freeze–and cost–of air conditioning? Or when your office doesn’t have any cooling at all? We have a few strategies that you can get started on to keep your office—and home—bearable this summer.
Walking or commuting to work in 60-degree weather is significantly different from walking to work when it is 90 outside, and longer days keep us awake and sweating, in addition to the added heat, it especially important this time of year to drink water. Dehydration can contribute to increased stress, and cause us to feel more exhausted.
Drinking water boosts energy, helps you keep cool, and is often really what your body needs when you’re feeling hungry. Consider this your step number one for a sane and cool summer.
Formal business attire is typical in the legal industry, where professionals often need to appear in court or meet with clients in sensitive or stressful settings. But during the heat of summer, and when members of the law firm are spending much of their time working in the office, it might make sense to relax the dress code a bit in the name of comfort.
It’s all about timing: at what time can you open and close windows to maximize air flow and breeze without welcoming in hot air? If you’re several floors up, you can even consider leaving windows open overnight (with screens, of course ) to cool down and freshen up the office before the next morning. Special shades and curtains are also designed specifically to insulate the inside of a room. In the winter, these drapes will keep heat in, and in the summer they can also keep the heat out. Plus, sunshine streaming through the windows, while cheerful, can be too hot!
In the confines of an office space, everything and anything that contributes to the overall output of heat can make a difference. Consider which machines might be unnecessary for the better part of the day. Do you use your scanner as often in the afternoons? How long does it take to reboot the printer when needed, rather than leaving it on? If your office is trapped in the heat, these small adjustments could make a big difference.
A personal fan that sits right on your desk can increase the airflow around you. Sweat is how your body cools you down, and when a fan is blowing the humid air away from you, it can also help keep your body from overheating. Cooling gel pads are good for more than just sleeping through hot nights. Put one by your feet or on your chair back to stay cool.
As we experience higher temperatures across the country, and the answer can’t always be to turn up the A/C, try out these strategies to stay sane and keep cool during a heat wave. Want suggestions for global warming too? Go solar, think sustainably, recycle, reuse, support green businesses, go paperless! You’re welcome.
Lindsey Dean is the Content Marketing Manager for One Legal where she is fueled by coffee, tea, and food for the imagination. Source: http://www.onelegal.com/blog/creative-hydration-and-other-ways-to-keep-cool-during-a-heat-wave/
The State Bar Launches New Website The new website for The State Bar was launched in May 2017. Features and highlights of the new website include: Resources for the Public
Information for attorneys licensed in California
Easier access to information for greater transparency
Information for prospective attorneys
Information about access to justice
The State Bar welcomes feedback and suggestions for further website improvements that help achieve the agency’s public protection mission. Please provide feedback via this online survey. [Source: The State Bar of California News Releases, Monday, May 22, 2017; Office of Communications; barcomm@calbar.ca.gov
The State Bar of California is calling for public comments on several items. Amendments are being proposed to the Rules of Professional Conduct and adjustments to law school fees are being proposed. The State Bar Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct is proposing Formal Opinion Interim No. 2-0003 discussing the issue “What are an attorney’s ethical obligations regarding a profile of the attorney posted on a professional directory website maintained by a third party?” Learn more about these proposals by clicking on the links below. This is your opportunity to provide your comments on the proposed changes and opinion.
Deadline: August 28, 2017 Proposed Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the State Bar of California
Deadline: August 18, 2017 Proposed Adjustments to Law School Fees
Deadline: September 15, 2017 Proposed Formal Opinion Interim No. 12-0003 (Attorney Directory and Rating Websites)
Do check the Public Comment section on The State Bar’s website for additional information and for new postings.
If you feel that the LPMT Executive Committee should submit comments on behalf of the LPMT Section members to a particular item out for public comment, please contact Amy Williams, Chair of the Rules Subcommittee at aawlaw@earthlink.net.
PLEASE NOTE: Publication for public comment is not, and shall not, be construed as a recommendation or approval by the Board of Trustees of the materials published.
Production of the August 2017 issue of The Bottom Line is just beginning. The list of articles for the August issue is not available yet. Look for timely and informative articles to assist you in managing your practice and staying abreast of new technology. MCLE credit will be offered for at least one article in the issue.
Need MCLE Credits Obtain MCLE credits by reading articles which have appeared in past issues of The Bottom Line. Read the article, take the quiz, and you have earned an hour of self-study MCLE credit. This is a quick and easy way to obtain required MCLE credits.
Articles for publication are welcome. Send them to mike.fenger@ceb.ucla.edu or to Section Coordinator, Kristina Robledo (Kristina.Robledo@calbar.ca.gov), to be reviewed by the editorial committee. Obtain the Guidelines for submitting articles from the Section Coordinator.
Archived Articles: Archived issues of The Bottom Line can be found in the Members Only section of the LPMT website going back to October 2011. Prior to that date, you will find only a table of contents for past issues. Some past issues may still be available. Contact Section Coordinator, Kristina Robledo (Kristina.Robledo@calbar.ca.gov).
Earn 12 Hours of Participatory MCLE Credit, Including Legal Ethics and Competence Issues. Much more planned, so save the date. Details are published at Section Convention.
Use hash tag #SecCon to stay connected and learn the latest.
The LPMT Section will be presenting the following programs:
Course #9 Friday, August 18, 2017 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Title: Using Technology in Trial to be Persuasive and Stay Organized Description: There are more tools available today to captivate jurors than there ever have been. Today’s jurors expect more interesting evidence presentations in trial. Software can also be used to help organize cases during trial to give litigators an edge. This program will discuss tips for litigators and the tools that are available for high tech evidence presentations. Speakers: Jeffrey Bennion and Perry Segal MCLE Credit: 1.0 hour
Comments from the speakers: Modern juries demand modern evidence in trial. In this presentation, we will provide tips and hints for using technology in trial to be more persuasive. Topics to be covered include: organizing digital evidence for trial, displaying and annotating exhibits, working with deposition transcripts to create impeachment clips and clips in lieu of live testimony, and dealing with common technical errors. Attendees will also be provided with practical tips for dealing with the logistics of court room setup and tips from years of using digital evidence in trials to avoid common rookie mistakes.
Course #30 Saturday, August 19, 2017 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Title: Small Law Firm Marketing: What Works, What Doesn’t and Ethical Boundaries Description: Marketing in a law firm is a process, not an event, requiring a disciplined and methodical approach. Small law firms cannot market in the same way as a larger firm. Learn how to develop your own marketing plan, refine it based on outcomes, and develop a consistent and productive pipeline, while staying within rules of ethical conduct. Speakers: Peter Brewer and Peter Rehon MCLE Credit: 1.0 hour (0.5 Legal Ethics)
Comments from the speakers: Two experienced speakers, each founders of small firms that have grown from solo to six to ten attorneys, will share cardinal rules of marketing. You will learn that it is not enough to be competent and/or charming, you must also learn to ASK for business. Some of the topics include how to keep yourself in the forefront of peoples’ minds, how to and why you must position yourself as an expert in your field. Also covered will be, the importance of a strong contacts database and how to build and mine it; the importance of maintaining your website and web presence, why you must avoid having a “cob-web”, and how to make your website feature rich. What is effective and ineffective in networking. How to use social media to augment your marketing efforts, and the importance of analytics in designing and continually revamping your marketing efforts. The program will also include tips on running your practice, such as how to identify and avoid problem cases and clients, and making it easy for your clients to pay you. Above all this transformative program will reinforce why you should be grateful . . . and express it.
The Education Committee is developing several webinar series for presentation. If there are any topics that interest you, let us know and we'll work on putting a program together for you. If you would like to contribute to an MCLE self-study article or a webinar, please contact the Education Chair, Jeff Bennion, at jeff@jbennionlaw.com.
The California Young Lawyers Association has assembled a series of mentoring videos which are posted at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNgOYDlJUcKSWB1GJEeqI5g/videos. New videos are being added all the time.
Videos by LPMT Executive Committee members/advisors are set forth below.
Neil Pedersen – Time Management for the Busy Attorney
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfRhVyRIvEM
Neil Pedersen – The Paperless Law Office: Using Technology to Maximize Efficiency and Profit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjmZzcalCoM
Mari Frank – Successful Negotiation and Mediation in Your Practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erFgx7dGTYg
Peter Brewer – Evolving Your Solo Laws Practice: Daring to Become a Firm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtbw6yhQiSc
Perry Segal – Today’s Technologies and Maintaining Client Confidences 101
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50k-nUVWdw
The hash tag for the CYLA Mentoring Videos is, #10MinuteMentor, should you wish to retweet any of the videos.
View the Online CLE catalog to find webinars and programs presented by the LPMT Section or which contain practice management topics. Also find articles from Section publications, including The Bottom Line, to obtain self-study MCLE credit.
Please provide your thoughts and suggestions to the Chair of the Education Committee, Jeff Bennion or LPMT@calbar.ca.gov. Let Jeff hear from you with suggested topics or a proposal to present a webinar or program.
Applications can still be submitted by members to serve on the Executive Committee of the Law Practice Management and Technology Section (LPMT). The Executive Committee is seeking members to step up and serve on the Executive Committee. The online application is available on the appointments page of the State Bar's website. The volunteer positions carry a three-year term. Submit your application today to join a group of very dedicated members working hard to bring information, educational opportunities, newsletters, etc., to the LPMT Section members.
For questions regarding Section requirements or how to become more involved in Section activities, please contact the Section's staff administrator or chair.
Chair: Peter N. Brewer, Palo Alto Staff contact: Kristina Robledo 415-538-2467
Members, let us know what you are doing so we can include your activities and accomplishments in our next eNewsletter. Let us hear from you (LPMT@calbar.ca.gov).
Purchase the State Bar’s two publications, The California Guide to Opening a Law Office and The California Guide to Growing and Managing a Law Office (official hash tag #GrowLaw) to assist you in running and growing your law practice. Your Executive Committee members are contributing authors.
The following benefits continue to be available to members of the LPMT Section. Make the most of your membership by using the following vendors who are offering discounts to LPMT Section members (listed below in alphabetically order):
For detailed information about vendor benefits, go to the Members Only Section under Special Offers and Discounts.
Law Practice Management and Technology Section The State Bar of California 180 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105 415-538-2520 FAX 415-538-2368 lpmt@calbar.ca.gov