Windows 7 pre-orders start today. While the software itself will not ship until October, you can get a great deal if you order it now.
I wrote down my first impressions of Windows 7 earlier this year. Unlike Vista, I think Windows 7 is a necessary upgrade for every Windows user, especially those still using XP. [...]
I have had a paperless law office since early 2006, when I bought my first ScanSnap document scanner and started scanning every page that crossed my desk. That—and a bit of planning—is really all it takes to go paperless.
There seems to be a tendency to think of digital files as fundamentally different than paper files. In some ways, they are. You can encrypt them, back them up in different places, and do many other nifty things. But from an organizational perspective, digital files are basically the same as paper files.
It has been said that this is the worst time to obtain employment as an attorney in recorded history. The natural question that arises from such a predicament reminds me of this timeless exchange:
Champ: “What are we gonna do?”
Ron: “There’s only one thing a man can do when he’s suffering from a spiritual and existential funk.”
Champ: “Go to the zoo, flip off the monkeys?”
Ron: “No, buy new suits.”
All: “Yea!”
Hey, you gotta look good while going to those interviews, don’t you? Projecting a serious image on a tight budget can be difficult, and doing so is of the utmost importance if you want to land a job ahead of the next guy. So here are just a few tips to help you dress for success and on the cheap:
In the 12 days since Brea’s brand-new, Yodle-built website launched, she has gotten a few nibbles. Unfortunately, the only bite was someone interested in free advice. Yodle says results will improve with time, but I also wonder if bankruptcy, like landlord-tenant, is an area of law prone to bum leads.
Watch the video, then visit the forum thread and leave us your thoughts there. Or here. Your call.
In the never ending quest for a perfect online backup tool, I was pointed to SugarSync. I have tried it out the last few days and my overall opinion is that it’s a great service and easy to use. If you are willing to pay for a cloud backup service, SugarSync seems like a winner.
SugarSync’s biggest selling points are its easy-to-use nature, photo manager, and mobile ability. Once you sign up and establish a username, you are given a unique URL of http://USERNAME.sugarsync.com. Then you are greeted with SugarSync’s straightforward webpage with Home, File Manager, and Photo Gallery tabs. The Home tab gives you an overview of your latest activity, an RSS feed of SugarSync news, and an easy way to see each of the computers you have installed SugarSync on.
If you are on Facebook, it is now easier than ever to join the Lawyerist page. You can now find our Lawyerist page at www.facebook.com/lawyerist.
The Lawyerist page on Facebook allows you to stay informed of new content from Lawyerist, discuss law practice topics with us and our readers, and be the first to hear of new Lawyerist events.
Recently, I noted on a listserv that one of the cheapest ways to get CLE credits and market oneself at the same time is to teach CLEs. In Minnesota, presenters can receive credit for the time spent preparing the seminar, plus the organizers usually let the presenters attend the rest of the program for free.
But in response to my listserv post, someone asked me a simple question: how exactly does one become a CLE presenter?
Although it may help to have stunning good looks, that could not be the explanation in my case. But I did begin presenting CLEs just a few years after I graduated from law school, long before I really knew anything. I spend a lot of time talking with CLE providers (particularly Minnesota CLE) and coming up with CLE ideas. So here are some tips for getting up to the podium: [click to continue…]
I just used the new wireless service Gogo on a flight from Chicago to San Diego, and was extremely pleased with it. Over the round trip, I learned Joomla, an open-source content management system. I also cleaned out my email, Skyped my husband (with video) and listened to streaming radio over iTunes. Talk about a painless four-hour trip!
If I had my noise-cancelling headphones with me, I could even have streamed a movie over Netflix; I tried, and it was streaming beautifully, but I could not hear well enough to enjoy it.
At $12.95 for flights over 3 hours ($9.95 for shorter flights) Gogo is priced right. It is completely worth it for the distraction and reduced stress alone. And for you working attorneys, imagine clocking up an easy 7 hours billable time by doing research and answering email on a coast to coast flight.
We are pleased to welcome Starla Carpenter to Lawyerist. Her enthusiasm shows in the post queue, and you will see lots from her in the coming weeks and months. Here is what Starla has to say about herself:
I live in Chicago, and will be entering the Northwestern School of Law JD program in fall of 2009. I intend to study public interest law, with a focus on antitrust law and other corporate regulation.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, a Master’s in Computer Science, and have spent most of my working life as a web designer and programmer. In the past, I’ve spent a year in Japan teaching English, worked on Wall street as a research assistant, and produced an award-winning sketch comedy show on public access television. I’ve always loved writing, and have seen one play go on to win an award and be produced twice. I am currently part of an improvised comedy radio program in Chicago, The Improvised Radio Show.
I do volunteer work to help a nonprofit, Community Lawyers Inc., located in Compton, CA, with their website and I am also helping to evaluate software appropriate for law school clinics and small law practices. I also read/ for the blind at the Blind Services Association of Chicago.
On Lawyerist, I expect to offer general law school advice, with special focus on the challenges faced by older students (like myself) going to law school. I will also review products and give technology advice to students, small firms and nonprofits.
I wrote down my first impressions of Windows 7 earlier this year. Unlike Vista, I think Windows 7 is a necessary upgrade for every Windows user, especially those still using XP. 7 is fast, and adds a lot of great productivity features, like the awesome new taskbar.
Law firms and law offices should order Windows 7 Professional at least. Windows 7 Ultimate—on which you cannot get a deal right now, unfortunately—adds BitLocker encryption, a valuable option for anyone storing business files on a laptop. (You could always just use TrueCrypt, but BitLocker is a more elegant option.)
I have had a paperless law office since early 2006, when I bought my first ScanSnap document scanner and started scanning every page that crossed my desk. That—and a bit of planning—is really all it takes to go paperless.
It has been said that this is the worst time to obtain employment as an attorney in recorded history. The natural question that arises from such a predicament reminds me of this timeless exchange:
In the never ending quest for a perfect online backup tool, I was pointed to 
If you are on Facebook, it is now easier than ever to join the Lawyerist page. You can now find our Lawyerist page at 
Recently, I noted on a listserv that one of the cheapest ways to get CLE credits and market oneself at the same time is to teach CLEs. In Minnesota, presenters can receive credit for the time spent preparing the seminar, plus the organizers usually let the presenters attend the rest of the program for free.
I just used the new wireless service 
We are pleased to welcome Starla Carpenter to Lawyerist. Her enthusiasm shows in the post queue, and you will see lots from her in the coming weeks and months. Here is what Starla has to say about herself:
Windows 7 pre-orders start today. While the software itself will not ship until October, you can 
