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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