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The 2019 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide

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Most of us think we know all there is to know about personal electronics. The brands and types of laptops, desktops, and tablets we prefer. But what if you are running your own small firm? I-pads for everyone? Are PCs still the best option? Should you find yourself in this position, the ABA’s Law Practice Division has you covered with their 2019 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide. This resource surprised me with its detailed specifications, complete product recommendations, and absolute price transparency.

The chapters include everything from computers and operating systems to printers and smart phones, document management to cloud computing and everything in between. None of the chapters waste time with excessive theory and each gets directly to the most used systems as well as their pros and cons. They think through the average business life of hardware and the costs of updating software, allowing attorneys to budget their technology expenses over a period of years.

The book reads easily and is content-packed, with product recommendations that are appropriately detailed but also succinct. After reading the chapter on servers (a topic the author knows little about), I would feel confident in making a purchase tailored to a small firm’s needs. Options for different budgets and different kinds of firms are described throughout the book. Some potions may seem overly detailed to those who prefer to outsource some of their needs, like specifics on network hardware, but it’s good to have it included for those who need all the information for their firm’s setup.

In the later chapters, the discussion of the pros and cons of different types of case management software is especially useful to those moving to an online system or choosing one for the first time. The same can be said of the time and billing software, time management, and document assembly chapters. The final chapter,” Tomorrow in Legal Tech” predicts what tech trends attorneys should watch out for in the coming year, and tips for making commonly used software, like Office365 more secure.

Overall, this is an of-the-moment book meant for attorneys who are interested in investing in new technology for their firm this year. In 2020 the time will surely be right the next edition of this annual guide. This is an excellent and extremely useful volume that is sure to save attorneys substantial time and money as they upgrade their solo or small firm’s technology.   

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