By Lee Rosen
Founder - Rosen Law Firm
Guest Columnist Special Feature:
As lawyers, we have absorbed the use of the internet into our practices. Most of us spend time on the web everyday. We visit news websites, check email, read appellate decisions, and use legal research services – all from our notebook computers. We shop, learn and promote our practices via the internet. In the 21st century law office, the internet has become as essential as the telephone, which ironically, is rapidly being replaced by the internet.
A new breed of internet tools is now on the rise, and these tools are upping the ante for even greater gains in collaboration, productivity and freedom. These new tools are called Web 2.0 applications, and new ones are being introduced every day. They are making the practice of law easier, faster and more convenient for attorneys and our clients.
After a few years of relative quiet on the web front, there has recently been a huge surge of development of Web 2.0 applications that are useful in our practices. Web 2.0 is a vaguely defined phrase, and there is not yet one universally accepted definition. I like to think of it as "software as a service" - sort of “borrowing” software and a server to run it rather than downloading the software to your own machine and being forced to maintain both the software and hardware yourself.
Web 2.0 contains a broad range of internet-based tools that can provide much of the functionality of desktop applications. For email and instant messenger, Google's Gmail and Windows Messenger are ubiquitous, and Google Talk is quickly on the rise. The beauty of applications like these is that they make it increasingly possible for us to function entirely from a web browser rather than running individual applications from one home base computer. This freedom to do our work from any internet-connected computer untethers us from our offices, our desks, our notebook computers, and even from carrying our USB jump drives. With the use of a smart phone like the Motorola Q or Palm Treo, and the increasingly affordable high-speed data transfer available through your mobile phone provider, your applications are available to you anytime, anywhere – even without a wired or wi-fi internet connection.
The available Web 2.0 programs are overlapping and cross-functional, as well. You can create your word processing documents and spreadsheets in Google Docs, email to a client with Google Gmail, and arrange appointments on Google Calendar. You can even organize all of these programs them using Google Desktop, so that once you log in from any computer, all of your mail, calendar and documents are organized the same way and at your fingertips. To top it off, most of these applications are free. Your data lives on the web so you don't incur costs for bigger and bigger hard drives and most of these services back-up the data and restore it in the event of an emergency. There are hundreds of Web 2.0 applications available. One good source of information to learn about the applications available is Econsultant (http://enconsultant.com). This site maintains a comprehensive database of the available Web 2.0 applications. New applications are being introduced so fast, however, that it’s hard for any database to keep current.
The following is my Top Ten Web 2.0 applications for the small firm lawyer. Obviously the list is under constant revision as new applications come on to the scene.
Number 1. Google Docs (http://docs.google.com) became an overnight sensation when it was acquired by Google from another company. It brings Web 2.0 to the masses. Google Docs is a browser-based word processor that allows you to collaborate with anyone that has access to a web browser and an internet connection. This is a great tool for passing a document back and forth to another lawyer or to a client for editing. Use Google Docs to collaborate on drafts of testimony, affidavits and pleadings. It’s easy to invite other users to collaborate with you on files: just enter their email addresses and they are invited. The software will notify you if someone else is editing the document when you log in. If you are editing a document simultaneously and happen to edit the same sentence a box will pop up and alert you to the situation and allow you to keep the sentence if you choose.
Number 2. Google Spreadsheet (also found at http://docs.google.com) does for spreadsheets what Google Docs did for word processing documents. Google Spreadsheet is sleek and nearly trouble free. It doesn’t yet match the features of Microsoft Excel (nor does Google Docs match Microsoft Word) but it has all the features required by the average lawyer. You can upload Excel files and download them, as well, for use with the Microsoft product (same holds true for Word files in Google Docs). Google Spreadsheet is great for helping clients collect and enter data for financial affidavits, inventories, budgets, etc.
One limitation of Google Spreadsheet is that you can only upload the current sheet of an Excel spreadsheet, not entire multiple-page workbooks. It also doesn’t work on Apple’s Safari web browser. Google Spreadsheet is not the only game in town, though, far from it. There are a multitude of competitors and options, including Zoho Sheet and Zoho Writer (http://www.zoho.com).
Number 3. To-do list products are abundant in the Web 2.0 world and are a fantastic way to get and stay organized. 37 Signals (http://www.37signals.com) provides a great free product in Backpack (http://www.backpackit.com). It is a strong, versatile product that can do far more than manage to-do lists. When visiting the 37signals site, check out the word processor (Writeboard) and other Web 2.0 applications they have developed. They have an amazing project management/collaboration product called Basecamp - it is definitely worth a look.
Number 4. Online meetings or web conferences with a client are a helpful way to work through issues involving documents without the need for an in-person meeting. With online meeting applications, you can schedule a meeting, scan your documents, and talk a client through the work as you show her the material on the screen. Online meetings have been around for awhile and many users pay for accounts with Webex (http://www.webex.com) or GoToMeeting (http://www.gotomeeting.com). A new, free, Web 2.0 application is WebHuddle (http://www.webhuddle.com). You can record presentations for later playback, and since this is a Web 2.0 application there is no software to download.
Number 5. Many of us develop presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint for use in client meetings, settlement conferences or before the Court. One Web 2.0 application that allows you to do many of the same things is Thumbstacks (http://www.thumbstacks.com). It’s a free tool that allows you to create presentations within your browser. You can prepare a publication and share it by e-mail, through a blog, or on a web page. It even includes a remote meeting service for use along with a conference call or via Skype (http://www.skype.com).
Number 6. Charts help us illustrate our arguments in court. Jacuba Charts (http://charts.jacuba.com) can help you take your data from a table and create beautiful, full-color charts. The charts can be edited, viewed online and printed. Another Web 2.0 chart application is Gliffy (http://www.gliffy.com). Gliffy creates helpful and colorful charts and diagrams, as well.
Number 7. BrainCast (http://braincast.viatalk.com) provides a free message and memo service that allows you to call in via a telephone and record messages and reminders for yourself. All you need to do is add the BrainCast toll-free number to your cell phone and you can use it from anywhere free of charge. Anytime you think of something where you don’t have a simple method of jotting the thought down or making a note of it (at the store, in the car, out at night, etc.) just call, wait for the beep, record, and it will be home and on your computer when you get there. You can also save your messages on the Braincast website and there is an online organizational system so you can access them from anywhere.
Number 8. Need more space for file storage? Want your documents saved in a place that you can access from the office, home or from the road? Xdrive (http://www.xdrive.com) provides 5 gigabytes of storage for free (you can get additional space for a fee). The service makes your files available from anywhere.
Number 9. Wufoo (http://www.wufoo.com) is a form building application. Law firms run on forms. Wufoo allows the user to create forms for the input of all kinds of data. We are using Wufoo to collect financial information from clients. Wufoo makes data entry easy for the client and the data can be exported for use in court forms and other documents needed to manage the client’s case. Wufoo is simple and quick to put to work in your practice. If your data management needs are more sophisticated, then Dabble (http://www.dabbledb.com) might better serve your purposes. Dabble is a more elaborate database application.
Number 10. Time and billing applications are abundant in the new Web 2.0 world. Each application offers different features and benefits. Harvest (http://www.harvest.com), E-Time (http://www.billtime.net), and FourteenDayz (http://www.14dayz.com) are some great options. These applications aren’t free, but they are inexpensive and do not require the installation of software on your server.
Finally, a bonus application..
Number 11. Calendars are essential in the practice of law. They can be used to help parents schedule visitation or to help attorneys remind themselves or their clients of deadlines. Web 2.0 calendars can be shared by many users and some can sync with desktop applications and PDAs. 30boxes (http://www.30boxes.com) and HipCal (http://www.hipcal.com) are two of the better options out there.
The applications mentioned above are representative of what is available, but there are many more. These are a good starting point but you may find other applications that are equal to or better than the ones I have written about. Things are changing fast on the web and the options for every type of application are increasing every day. In the Web 2.0 world, you can run an entire law practice without any software residing on your computer. Nearly every kind of application is now available online. It’s an exciting time on the web, and the opportunities for improving collaboration, productivity and freedom in serving your clients and managing your practice are greater than ever.
Please direct media inquiries to Alison Kramer at akramer@rosen.com or 919-459-8157.
About our Expert:
Lee S. Rosen is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist and founder of the Rosen Law Firm with offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. Visit his website at www.Rosen.com. For more background information and past articles for CarolinaNewswire.com, check out Lee's Archives as well as all our other guest expert columns.
CarolinaNewswire.com provides the thoughts and analysis of this columnist as a free benefit to our readers but without any representations or warranties as to the accuracy or efficacy of such thoughts or analysis. The opionions, analysis, and thoughts expressed here are those of the author only and should not be deemed as medical, legal, financial, tax or other advice from this publication. Readers with such questions should consult a professional.
