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J ohn H.

Phillips
Boone, Boone & Phillips, LLP
4313 W. Lovers Lane
Dallas, Texas 75209-2803

Christene Krupa Downs
Krupa Downs Law
2000 N. Central Expressway, Suite 108
Plano, Texas 75074




Practical Tips for Organizing the Small, Tech-Savvy Law Office:
The Practitioners Point of View











Dallas Bar Association
Solo & Small Firm Section
October 13, 2011












JOHN H. PHILLIPS
BOONE, BOONE & PHILLIPS, L.L.P.
4313 W. Lovers Lane
Dallas, Texas 75209
Direct Phone: (214) 902-8036
Fax: (214) 206-9975
e-mail: jhphillips@swbell.net
EDUCATION and MILITARY:
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
Bachelor of Arts, 1968
United States Air Force
Captain, pilot, instructor pilot and classroom instructor, 1968 - 1973
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas
Juris Doctor, 1975
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES and MEMBERSHIPS:
State Bar of Texas, 1976
Board Certified, Estate Planning and Probate Law, 1981
re-certified, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011
Dallas Bar Association
Probate, Trusts and Estates Section
Pro Bono Committee, Chairman, 1994 - 1997
Member of Section Council, 1997 - 1999
The Dallas Estate Planning Council
Board of Governors, 1994 - 1995
Texas Bar Foundation
LAW RELATED WRITING and SPEAKING:
Southern Methodist University, Legal Assistant Certificate Program
Trusts and Guardianships instructor, 1981 - 1992
National Business Institute, Inc.
author/speaker, Basic Probate In Texas, 1992
author/speaker, Texas Probate: Beyond the Basics, 1994
Probate Code Committee of Real Estate, Probate and Trust Law Section, State Bar of Texas
chair of subcommittee responsible for revision to 45 of Texas Probate Code (intestate
distribution), 1993
Dallas Bar Association, Pro Bono Projects, Inc.
speaker, Alternatives to Guardianship, 1994
Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program
speaker, Presentation On Wills, 2000
Various presentations to church and business groups

CHRI STENE KRUPA DOWNS
Krupa Downs Law
P.O. Box 864407, Plano, Texas 75074
Telephone: (214) 457-0814
Facsimile: (972) 312-0916
Email: ckdowns@krupadownslaw.com
EDUCATION

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law J uris Doctorate, May 2010

- Top 16% of the class
- Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity
- Texas Wesleyan Public Law Fellowship Board 2008-2010: Secretary/Treasurer, and President
- Deans List: Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010

University of Texas At Dallas B.A., Government and Politics, 1999
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES & MEMBERSHIPS
State Bar of Texas Admitted November 2010
The College of the State Bar of Texas J oined J une 2011
Dallas Bar Association
Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
Elder Law Committee
Collin County Bar Association
Estate Planning and Probate Section
Collin County Young Lawyers Association
WORK EXPERIENCE

Krupa Downs Law, Attorney Plano, TX Feb. 2011 Present

Miller & Associates, Attorney Dallas, TX Nov. 2010 Feb. 2011

U.S. Dept. of Labor - Employee Benefits Security Admin.
- Student Trainee, Outreach and Technical Assistance Group
Dallas, TX May 2009 J uly 2010

Consultant (Self-Employed)
- Financial administration services
Plano, TX J uly 2007 May 2009

Strategic Marketing Partners, I nc.
-Finance/Office/Sales Administrator
Plano, TX Aug. 1993 J uly 2007
MHI , I nc. Dallas, TX Mar. 1993 Aug. 1993
C&W Transportation/Clark & Wright Trucking, I nc. Plano, TX J une 1990 J an. 1993
OTHER LEGAL EXPERIENCE

Texas Wesleyan Law Clinic, Student Legal Intern J an. 2010 May 2010

Texas Wesleyan University Endowment Agreement Pro Bono Project
Feb. 2009 J uly 2009

Tarrant County National Adoption Day, Law Student Volunteer
Sept. 2008 Nov. 2008
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

J unior League of Collin County Aug. 2011 -

CASA of Collin County 2012 Voice for Children Gala Planning Committee J uly 2011 -

Collin County Young Lawyers Assoc. - Wills for Heroes Volunteer Attorney May 2011

Rotary I nternational - North Texas Pioneers Feb. 2011 Present

Live From Collin County Board of Directors Sept. 2006 Present

Collin I ntervention to Youth, I nc. (CI TY House) Board of Directors J an. 2001 J uly 2007

Leadership Plano (Graduate of Class XXI I ) Sept. 2004 May 2005
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
1

You can analogize computer technology to cars. There will always be a new model and
you can spend a lot of your time shopping and comparing only to get your vehicle home and start
the process over again because of the newer models. The same is true with technology: there
will always be something newer or better. The trick, then, to being tech-savvy isnt about having
all the newest or latest gadgets or software. The trick is having the gadgets and software you will
use and using those well and until it wears out!
Our goal, with this presentation, is to provide you with practical tips and tricks on using
technology to create a small, tech-savvy law office. After a short about us section, we begin
with a brief overview of some of the basic tools for the small, tech-savvy office and then discuss
our tips for using these tools. Our tips are organized into several topic areas. Finally, we have
included an appendix with more information on the hardware and software solutions we use and
references to some useful articles.
While some of our tips and tricks might be old hat to you, we hope that you find a few
new tips that will help you become a tech-savvy office!

I. About John Phillips and Christene Krupa Downs

J ohn Phillips, licensed in 1976 and Board Certified in Estate Planning and Probate in
1981, purchased his first computer in 1983. He has two partners but each operates independently.
He uses a Dell desktop and a Lenovo laptop, both running Window 7. Since 1991, he has
practiced without support staff. J ohn uses WordPerfect.
Christene (Chris) Krupa Downs, licensed in 2010, started using computers in high
school and worked with technology while a sales and business administrator with Strategic
Marketing Partners, an independent sales and marketing company representing video game and
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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software publishers as well as accessory manufacturers to North American resellers and
distributors. She uses a Sony Vaio laptop running Windows Vista. Chris uses Word.
II. Some Equipment for the Small Tech-Savvy Office

We assume that most of you are already familiar with the following equipment and likely
use it in your practice. However, we thought it would be useful to briefly mention some of the
equipment we use in our offices and consider as important to the tech-savvy office, as a way to
set the stage, for our tips and tricks.
A. Electronic Storage Options

We should not rely on our computers internal hard drives to be the only home for our
data. Although you can use an on-site server, it may not be the best choice for you because of
the cost, the fact that youll need to learn how to manage the server or have an IT person waiting
in the wings. You could also use a cloud-based option for file storage and management for a
monthly fee per user.
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There are several articles and sources that indicate it is okay to use the
cloud as long as you are careful in choosing a service provider. So, if you opt to go cloud-based,
be sure you go with a reputable company with high-end security protocols. And, consider a
redundancy so that if the vendor fails, you still have your data.
Neither of us uses a server or cloud-based option. Instead, we both have several external
hard drives. We use them, on a rotating basis, to manually back-up our data. As well discuss
later, we both prefer manual back-ups to automated back-ups.
We also use USB flash drives as a means to transfer files from one place to another. A
word of caution about these drives: Please do not rely on an USB flash drive for long-term
storage of files. These drives can become corrupted or fail to work and your data will be lost.

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Google Dropbox is a popular cloud-based solution and another is Box.net (www.box.net).
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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B. Email

There are many e-mail options available and someone could spend hours talking about
the options! We will just share that J ohn has an email account through his internet service
provider and uses Outlook to manage his e-mails. Chris has a Microsoft Exchange account
hosted through GoDaddy and uses Outlook to manage her e-mails and calendar as well as other
information.
C. Scanner

It just makes sense for a small, tech-savvy office to have the ability to scan documents.
You can scan any document and then discard the paper version - well, assuming you dont need
the original - to reduce your physical storage requirements.
J ohn uses a great stand-alone scanner from Visioneerin conjunction with a software
solution.
2
He uses Paperport software, which is published by Nuance, to scan and organize his
documents.
3
Chris uses a HP Officejet Pro 8500A Premium all-in-one machine for her scanning
needs in conjunction with Adobes Acrboat X Pro.
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D. Faxing Capability

Weve come a long way since the days of thermal fax machines. It is now very easy to
send and receive faxes without an actual fax machine or dedicated phone line!

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Visit http://www.visioneer.com/products/default.asp?category=BUSINESS for more information on Visioneers
product line. There is even a mobile scanner that should appeal to those of you interested in having a mobile office.
The Visioneer Mobility does not require an electrical outlet or computer and will scan to a smartphone, SD card or
USB Flash Drive.
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Visit http://www.nuance.com/for-individuals/by-product/paperport/index.htm for more information on Paperport.
4
Visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatpro.html for more information on Acrobat X Pro.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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J ohn uses MyFax to send and receive faxes online.
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Chris, still old school, uses a fax line
but this is mostly due to her budget. At this time, the fax line costs her less than an online
service and she has the capability to send and receive electronic faxes via her machines built-in
software.
E. Multiple Monitors

If you havent embraced using more than one monitor, we encourage you to do so. Or,
you can use, like J ohn, a large monitor that easily displays two pages side by side. You can
become more efficient and productive. For example, you can have that letter you need to
respond to up on one screen while you are typing a reply on the other or research up on the one
screen and your brief on the other. You will minimize the need to toggle between open windows
or make room for those files and papers on your workspace.
F. Smartphone

We are sure that most of us have a smartphone. Isnt it nice to be able to handle e-mail
while waiting in the courthouse or standing in line somewhere? We actually do have a few tips to
share about ways to utilize your smartphone as well as a few suggestions for applications.
J ohn uses an iPhoneand he thinks it is a great gadget but only an adequate phone.
Chris, a long-time Palm user, used the Palm Pre with its WebOS platform for a few years but
recently switched to an Android phone: the Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G.
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5
Visit http://www.myfax.com for more information on MyFax. Another online service is EFax at
http://www.efax.com.
6
This is Sprints version of the Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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G. Postage Solution

While we can cut our postage costs by using email to send invoices and maybe
documents to clients, we still need the ability to send documents via certified or registered mail.
If you dont want to go to the post office, you can get a postage account through Dymo Endicia
or Stamps.com.
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Several of the account options are free or you can consider an account that
has a monthly fee but has more features. You could also consider a higher-end and likely higher
cost postage meter through Pitney Bowes. Neopost is also an option for a meter and scale.
J ohn uses a Neopost meter and digital scale. He found it less expensive and more user
friendly than a Pitney Bowes meter. Chris has a Dymo EndiciaStandard account and uses a
Dymo Labelwriter 450 Twin Turbo and Dymo 5 lb. postage scale. She uses the label printer to
print stamps as well as labels directly from her other programs including Outlook, Word, and
Quickbooks.
H. Tablet Computer

A tablet computer can certainly be part of the tech-savvy, small office. The next time
you are at the courthouse or a CLE, look around you; you will someone using an iPad or other
tablet to take notes, check email, or even edit documents. Clearly the iPad is the tablet-market
leader. But, if you are interested in an Android tablet there are several options out there to
consider such as Samsungs Galaxy Tab and Lenovos new Thinkpad Tablet
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. The latter is
focused on the business user and comes preloaded with applications, including Documents to
Go, a popular application which allows you to view, create, and edit Word, Excel, and
Powerpoint files as well as view PDF files.

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Visit http://www.endicia.com/Mail/ for more information on the solutions offered by Dymo Endicia. Visit
http://www.stamps.com/welcome/custom/home01/index56.html for more information on Stamps.com.
8
Visit http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab for information on Samsungs tablets. Visit
http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/tablet/thinkpad/ for more information on the Thinkpad Tablet.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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At this time, neither Chris nor J ohn uses a tablet. Chris is still pondering the Thinkpad
tablet. She, however, is not quite convinced that it will bring value to her practice or aid her
productivity.
I. Law Practice and Client Management

There are software options available for managing your law practice and there are
additional options for managing client relationships.
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Several of the options are cloud-based and
may include functionality that allows you to create a portal for your client to access documents.
If you are not interested in another software package, you can use Outlook and a
billing/timekeeping software.
J ohn uses Sages TimeSlips for his billing and client contact information, and Intuits
Quicken for his bookkeeping.
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J ohns version of TimeSlips is very old and serves as an example
of the use it until it breaks philosophy. Using extreme caution, he is slowly transitioning to RTG
Billing with its low cost and relatively few bells and whistles.
11
Chris uses Outlook for all her
contact information and Outlooks Business Contact Manager add-in to manage case work using
the project management feature.
12
She uses Intuits Quickbooks Professional for her billing,
timekeeping and bookkeeping because she is an experienced user after spending over fifteen
years using Quickbooks.


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If you are interested in some of the options, you should obtain a copy of the ABAs General Practice, Solo & Small
Firm Divisions GP Solo magazine published in J une 2011 (Volume 28, Number 4). The entire issue focuses on
technology.
10
Visit http://www.sagetimeslips.com/ for more information on Sages TimeSlips time and billing software.
11
Visit www.rtgsoftware.com for more information on RTG Billing.
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Chris does not use all the functionality in the Business Contact Manager because it does not work well for
managing legal matters. Regarding the project management feature, she creates a project for each client/case and
then creates the tasks and deadlines pertaining to that case.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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III. The Tips
Now that we have set the stage, well share our tips and tricks. We have opted to write
most of this section in a bullet point format. And, some of our tips may fit into more than one
of the subsections below. We hope that you discover a few practical tips to use in your office.
A. Big Picture Tips
While gadgets and software are fun, think about what makes money for you. We could
spend quite a bit of money on the all latest gadgets and software solutions but will it help
us make money, be productive and efficient?
Pick the technology, learn it well, and use it (until it is time to upgrade).
But, you can have a technology splurge that one area that you indulge in the latest
innovation. For J ohn, that is Dragons Naturally Speaking, a speech-to-text software.
Dont replace something that works well just because something newer is available. But,
do keep your eye on technology so that you can transition smoothly when you need to.

B. Tips for Organizing Your Electronic Files
Perhaps one of the best things about electronic data is that it takes up less room to store
than paper files! If youve been practicing for awhile, you understand the issues with storage
space. J ohn has over sixteen hundred numbered files and he has scanned about three-quarters of
them. For the new practitioner like Chris, you can minimize future storage issues by starting a
system now.
1. Creating your Electronic File Structure & Organizing Your Files
Spend some time thinking about how you and your staff, partners, or clerks process
information. Any organizational system should be based on how the users think and
process information. After all, the system has to make sense or it wont work well!
Consider where you want your data to be and put it there. You do not need to defer to
Windowss organizing.
o Chris has a main folder entitled Client Files and within that folder is a sub-
folder for each client based on the dummy folder. Other main folders include:
Firm Operations, and Publications/CLE/Manuals.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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o J ohn organizes by categories such as word processing, spreadsheets, and
scanned documents. He then subdivides until he has useable subdivisions. He
also has folders for Scanned CLE and Scanned Reading.
Create a dummy client directory that you can copy and use for each client matter.
(In the Appendix you can see the dummy directory Chris uses.)

2. Becoming Paperless (Well, as close to paperless as possible!)
Scan paper as you receive, write it, or print it or set a certain day and time to do so.
For example: Chris will print a letter, sign it and then immediately scan it for
electronic storage. (She sometimes uses an electronic signature and then she will
print for sending only.)
Use two monitors instead of printing documents. (You can have your research up on
one screen and your word-processing software up on the other.)
If you arent using an electronic fax service, check to see if you can program your fax
machine to receive faxes electronically. If you can, utilize this feature. You can then
rename the files and move them into the appropriate electronic directory.
If you want to save that internet page you used as a resource, convert it into a PDF.
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3. Easily locate your electronic files
Scan or save your documents as searchable PDFs. J ohn uses Paperport to do this
and Chris uses Acrobat. You can then use a key word or phrase to search, in a
Windows search, for documents.
Set your computer to index files. You can then the Windows search feature for
almost instant searches across your entire hard drive.

C. Tips for Contact Management, E-Mailing and Calendaring
1. General Tips
Consider your budget before investing in practice management and client relationship
management software. While there is some great software out there, consider the cost
and whether you will utilize the software to its fullest potential.
If you opt for a cloud-based option, be sure to find a way to back-up your data to
prevent loss if something happens to the provider.


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You can use Adobe Acrobat to do this or research one of the several free PDF creation products available. Chris
recommends Acrobat based on using the product for many years. She will not recommend any of the free products
because she has never used them. Adobe recently introduced its CreatePDF service which allows you to create
PDFs online for a fee.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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2. Tips for Microsoft Outlook
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Do not need to store all your contacts in the default My Contacts folder. Create
additional folders to manage your contacts. For example: create separate folders for
your clients, attorney contacts, operations contacts, family, friends, etc.
o Customize the form associated with each contact folder. For example: For your
attorney contacts, add a field for Area of Practice.
Organize your incoming e-mails by conversation or thread. This groups your e-mails
by the message subject and makes it easier for you to reply to that last email. (To do
this, go to the View menu and arrange by conversations.
Create Rules to handle your incoming e-mail. You can set-up subfolders for your
inbox and then create a rule to send certain e-mails to that folder. For example: create
a subfolder entitled CLE and then a rule to send all email received from
TexasBarCLE to that folder.
Create a J ournal Entry to record notes from a client meeting or conversation or even
enter a note that you mailed documents on a particular date. (Select your contact,
right click, and select create journal entry.)
o Later you can open a contact and see all the activities for that contact or you can
even seen the activities if you utilize the People Pane feature in the e-mail
screen. (This will appear at the bottom of your Reading Pane. You can expand or
collapse the People Pane.)
Create categories to color-code your appointments, tasks, and contacts. (Chris has
several categories including CLE, Client Related Matters, Firm Operations, and
Volunteer.)
Use Outlook to manage your tasks (to-do list). You have options when it comes to
this.
o Use the Tasks feature for your to-do list. You can set the due date, priority,
categorize, and set reminders.
o Do you prefer sticky notes? Use the Notes feature to create sticky notes with your
to do items. For example: create a sticky note entitled To Do Client Doe
Probate.
If you like writing on your notes, just print your sticky notes. You can mark
off completed items, prioritize items, or doodle on the paper!
o Use Business Contact Manager to create a Project. Create project tasks for each
to do item. For example: Chris creates a project for each client matter (usually
entitled with the Clients Name and Description and Cause Number, if any) and
then creates tasks with priorities and deadlines.


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If you are interested in a specific how-to on any of these tips, please feel free to contact Chris at
ckdowns@krupadownslaw.com.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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3. Hosted Microsoft Exchange Server
If you are interested in a virtually hassle-free way to have your smartphone handle
your work e-mails and calendar, consider setting up a domain name for your practice
and utilizing a Hosted Microsoft Exchange account.
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o Avoids syncing your smartphone to your computer because your e-mails and
calendar items will push to and from your devices. You are at the courthouse
and a peer wants to schedule lunch, you do not have to wait to get back to your
office to check your calendar. Set the appointment and it will push to your
office computer.

4. Cloud-based Products for Practice Management, Client Management, Etc.
If you are interested in a cloud-based solution to your practice management and client
relationship management, there are several options available and we have listed a few below.
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If you opt to go cloud-based, consider the per user costs associated with this option.
Advologix PM, based on a leading application for sales organizations, combines
client relationship management and practice management capabilities.
17

Clio offers you a client extranet to use with your more tech-savvy clients.
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Google Calendar allows you to share your calendar with co-workers. In addition,
you can sync to and from your phone and with desktop applications.
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o Chris knows of several attorneys that utilize Google calendar and have good
things to say about it.

D. Tips for Document Creation and Archiving Documents
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Use Acrobat to watermark your documents. For example: Convert your document to a
PDF, place a watermark that says Draft and email to your client. While you can do this
in Word, Chris has found that it is easier in Acrobat.
Use Acrobat to merge files into a single PDF. Example: You have your brief, written in
Word, and your exhibits, because the documents were scanned, saved as separate files,
you can merge them together.

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GoDaddy and other web-hosting companies offer this service.
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If you are interested in some of the options, you should obtain a copy of the ABAs General Practice, Solo &
Small Firm Divisions GP Solo magazine published in J une 2011 (Volume 28, Number 4). The entire issue focuses
on technology. Refer to the article by Wells H. Anderson entitled Client Relationship Management.
17
Visit www.advologix.com for more information on Advologix PM.
18
Visit www.goclio for more information on Clio.
19
Visit www.google.com/googlecalendar/about.html for more information and Googles 7 reasons to use Google
Calendar.
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All references to Acrobat is to Adobe Acrobat Standard unless the product is specifically noted as Acrobat Pro.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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Use Adobe Portfolios to create one file containing different files formats. For example,
you can have a file with a spreadsheet, media file, and a document. The files do not have
to be converted to PDF. You can edit any of the documents within the portfolio. This is a
good option when responding to discovery requests.
Use software to Bates number your document. Both Acrobat Pro and PDF Bates Stamp
can be used to apply the numbering to your scanned documents.
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Use Acrobat to easily redact text from a document. You are responding to discovery but
need to redact privileged information, use the redaction feature to easily redact the
document
Create fillable forms for your client intake forms or any other document. You can email
the document to your client for completion.
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Archive your emails to reduce the amount of emails in your email program and to reduce
the likelihood of losing all your emails.
o For example, when you are finished with a client, you can archive all the emails that
you saved in Outlook by converting selected emails or even folders to PDF. You can
do this directly through Outlook 2010 with the Adobe PDF add-in. All the emails
will be in one PDF file but you will see a list of each separate email. Keeps Outlook
from being filled with old emails.
o Or, like J ohn, archive chronologically. At the end of the year, create a new folder
entitled 2011 Inbox and move the entire contents of the inbox to this file. This
leaves the inbox empty to start the new year.

E. Tips for Scanning and Faxing
1. Scanning
Use a scanner that scans double-sided. You wont have to flip the pages and then
insert the even pages into your file.
Scan your documents as your receive them or set up a schedule to do so.
Scan your documents as searchable PDFs using Acrobat or Paperport or even your
scanners software if it has this option. You will be able to search for a document
based on a word or phrase and even search the document itself for a particular word
or phrase.
If you need to change a scanned document, scan using OCR. You will then be able to
edit the document in your wordprocessing software.
Scan your documents bottom first. This can help prevent misfeeds and crooked
output caused by staple holes. Use your PDF software to rotate to the correct view.

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J ohn uses PDF Bates Stamp and Chris uses Acrobat Pro. Visit www.batesstampsoftware.com for more
information PDF Bates Stamp.
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Both Acrobat or Paperport can be used as well as several other software products.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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2. Faxing
If using an online fax service, download your sent faxes and place into your client
folder(s).
Consider using an online fax service, if you have a more mobile practice. You can
send and receives from any computer or into a smartphone. The faxes will arrive into
your e-mail inbox as attachments.
Program your fax machine to receive faxes directly into your computer as PDFs.
Move the received faxes into the clients folder. You can also use a PDF software to
edit the received fax and forward to others.
o Most Hewlett Packard all-in-one machines allow you to set up incoming faxes to
receive electronically whether USB connected or Networked.

F. Tips for Security and Backing Up
Use multiple external hard-drives to back up your data.
Keep a back-up offsite.
Password-protect your computer, external hard-drives, smartphone, software packages (if
necessary).
o Entrust someone with all of your passwords. If you implement just one of our tips, let
this be the one!
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o If possible, set your devices to automatically erase after 10 failed passcode attempts.
Manual back-ups versus Automated back-ups Some things to consider:
o Automated is easier to schedule.
o While manual is the copy & paste or send to method, it allows you to see every file
that is important to preserve versus having all the data in one dated back-up file
Back-up all your documents, spreadsheets, scanned documents, e-mails, faxes,
accounting and billing data. You do not need to back up your program files as long as
you have access to your installation disks and codes.
Keep a list of your program files and product codes if you used digital installation instead
of disks.
o Keep this information in a password protected Excel spreadsheet.
o Consider using a free POP email account such as Yahoo or Gmail for all your digital
software purchases and keep the email receipts and confirmation emails.



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J ohn practices probate and has seen countless examples of families tearing their hair out trying to find out what
mom or dad had on their computer. If you are a solo practitioner or practice, like J ohn does, in a group of stand
alones we recommend you read J immy Brills articles on death of a solo and plan accordingly.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
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Invest in a battery back-up system in case of power failure.
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If you want a cloud-based option, go with a reputable company such as Mozy or
Carbonite.
25

Software Options for firewall and virus protection:
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o ZoneAlarm
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Use the free version for firewall protection.
o Avast
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Use the free version for virus protection.
o AVG Internet Security
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This is a paid product for firewall and virus protection as
well as other protections.

G. Tips for Other Technology

1. Tips for your iPhone or Android Phone

Use the movie feature of your camera to take a video. Example: Use this to inventory
a room.
Use the camera to take a picture of a filed document instead of paying the copy
charge.
Sync with Google if you do not want to lose your contacts & calendars and do not
routinely sync with your computer.

2. Suggestions for iPhone and Android Applications

iPhone Apps
o Dislike pecking at the keys or the virtual keyboard on your phone? Consider
using Dragon Dictation to dictate your texts and e-mails.
o Use Documents to Go to take spreadsheets and documents with you. This is the
only application that J ohn has paid for.
o Use Texas Legal to easily look up statutes and annotations. It is free to members
of Technology Section but there is a promotion where the application is free for
all members of Bar through October 15
th
.
30



24
J ohn offices in a small old house and the power periodically fails for a moment or too. But that could be enough
to lose data! No building is immune to power issues and a good battery back-up will protect against power surges
that could fry your equipment.
25
Visit www.mozy.com for more information on Mozy and www.carbonite.com for more information on Carbonite.
26
Visit http://download.cnet.com/windows/ for reviews and recommendations on products.
27
Visit www.zonealarm.com for more information.
28
Visit www.avast.com for more information.
29
Visit www.avg.com for more information.
30
Visit http://www.sbot.org/ for more information.

Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
14

o Fun Apps
Converter all sorts of measurements, currency, temperature, pressure,
power, etc.
Exact age kids ages
Cycle Watch time, speed, calories, map for biking, walking, running
My Fitness Pal track food and exercise
WhatKnot all about knots, what to use, how to tie
Android Apps
o Use Documents to Go to take spreadsheets and documents with you. The free
version allows you to view documents. The full version, available for $29.99.,
allows editing of documents.
o Texas Legal free to members of Technology Section; statutes and annotations;
free for all members of bar through October 15
th
.
o Texas Child Support Calculator by Thomas J . Daley, J .D. quickly compute
guideline child support including all allowable deductions. Results can be
emailed to associates, legal assistants, clients, or opposing counsel. $3.99

3. Tablet Computers

When considering whether a tablet will work for you, consider your practice area?
Will you use the tablet? Can you use it? If you practice in the Dallas probate courts, it
may not work in the courtroom due to the lack of technology. But you can still use it
to take notes and have electronic documents with you.

4. E-filing

Use e-filing to reduce the time spent filing documents. You wont have to travel to
and from the clerks office.
o Check to make sure your court accepts e-filing. Collin County Probate Court
does not. Dallas County does but it may take several days for the filing to be
processed.
Great paper All the Latest on: Online Records and Paperless Filings by Robert J .
Stack, Law office of Robert J . Stack, 275 W. Campbell Road, Suite 201, Richardson,
TX 75080, bobstack@prodigy.net

5. Remote Access to Computer

What if you are out of the office but need a document or data that is on your office
computer? Set up a remote access product on your work computer. Then, you can log
into your work computer from another computer, tablet and even some smart phones.
You will be able to access the programs and files on your work computer.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
15

o Software Options for remote access include Log Me In
31
or Go to My PC.
32

6. Cloud-based Document Transfer

If you are interested in using a cloud-based product to transfer documents to and from
computers, consider Google Dropbox.
33


H. Other Tips

Enclose a prepaid return envelope with your invoice. Make it easy for your client to send
you the money!
CNET to review and compare products
PC magazine (PCMag.com) is another great source for reviews



31
Visit www.logmein.com for more information. Chris used this product, both the free and paid versions for many
years. She found it easy to use.
32
Visit www.gotomypc.com for more information. J ohns wife uses this virtually every day and it works well.
33
Visit www.dropbox.com for more information.
Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
16

Appendix Dummy Client File Directory

Here is the dummy directory that Chris uses. We will mention again that some of these folders
may remain empty depending on the client matter.




Practical Tips for the Tech-Savvy Small Law Office: The Practitioners Point of View
17

Appendix Books and Articles

The Connected Lawyer. GP Solo, a Publication of the American Bar Association, J une 2011
Edition, Volume 28, Number 4.

iPad in One Hour for Lawyers, Tom Mighell.

o Available through the Law Practice Management Section of ABA at www.ababooks.org.
o Lessons on viewing and managing pleadings, case law, contracts and other legal
documents;
o Using an iPad to take notes and create documents;
o Using legal-specific applications at trial or in doing research;
o Includes listing of best apps for lawyers.

Dealing with Death of a Solo Practictioner, J ames Brill.
o Available at www.texasbarcollege.com/reports/solo.PDF

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