MicroLaw's CLE Presentation Descriptions

Below are our most widely-requested CLE presentations.  Offered by our three CLE veterans:  Ross Kodner, Renee Kodner, and Paul Driftmier.  Contact us to schedule your sessions today.

(LT1) **ALWAYS UPDATED! ETHICS CREDIT PROGRAM! "How (Not) to Commit Malpractice With Your Computer” - This popular program addresses the fact that computers have made it possible to commit malpractice virtually at the speed of light - technology “enhanced” errors and omissions are magnified and potentially, client confidences are at risk, and worse! This session explores the pitfalls and traps that the unwary practitioner can fall into using the latest technology tools. We cover it all: e-mail security, client confidentiality issues, Internet use/abuse policies, protecting irreplaceable client information from hardware and software catastrophes as well as from hacker intrusion and damage from computer viruses. This techno.ethics program is a must for every lawyer today . . . it’s time to “practice safe computing” in your firm and we’ll show you how! (TIME 60 min)

(LT2) **BRAND NEW!! The Lawyer & Paralegal's Essential Guide to Electronic Discovery and Computer Forensics - This new program focuses on the most urgent and pressing topics for anyone with a trial practice. Discovery of electronic information is part of virtually all discovery today - fail to understand the concepts, issues, and law in this area at your peril. This session takes a non-technical, plain-English look at the critical technology knowledge, techniques, approaches, the background substantive and procedural law related to the discovery of electronic information. Learn how to find, evaluate and effectively employ computer forensics experts who acquire the electronic evidence. Find out what your lawyers and staff absolutely, positively must know about what has in many cases, become the majority element of discovery on cases small and large. (TIME: 60, 90, 120 and 180 minute versions, as well as an all-day concentrated seminar).

(LT3) ** PERFECT KEYNOTE PRESENTATION! "The Murky Crystal Ball: Predicting the Future of Legal Technology for 2005 and Beyond"  - This new program is a strategic survival guide for every lawyer in public or private practice. We'll take out our admittedly murky crystal ball and explore the trends, the technology, the practice management directions you need to consider for this year and beyond. From wireless and mobile technology to the practical intersection of law & technology in areas such as electronic discovery, HIPAA and privacy mandates, the state of alternative billing and why this is essential to consider NOW, purchasing the right equipment at the lowest prices and much more!  (TIME 60 min)

(LT3) **BRAND NEW - ANOTHER KEYNOTE POSSIBILITY! The ROLTI Factor: Thinking About Law Practice Technology Like Businesspeople Do - nationally acclaimed program which presents an easily understandable approach to determining whether new technology will bring a positive financial return to your practice . . . or not. Using case management tools as an example, this session will walk law firm managers and administrators through a process of objectively deciding what to buy and what not to buy. Simple math and plain English examples give you the tools to "run the numbers" whether buying a new copier, a new case manager or any other technology for your practice. Light bulbs go off when you see this program! Following the advice and using the techniques provided can literally help your practice generates tens of thousands of dollars in new revenue without working harder . . . really! (TIME 60-75 min)

(LT4) **ALWAYS A HIT! 60 Hot Legal PC Tips, Gadgets  and ‘Net Sites in 60 Minutes"  - Who doesn't love a "Tips" program!!?? This fast and furious session brings together the best tips you'll ever hear about legal technology information you can take back to your firm and use NOW! From word processing tips to Palm-sized gear, how to pay for technology purchases to "Surviving Windows" to protecting your system from disasters to spending as little as possible on maximum impact legal research to technology "FAQs."  The Metadata horror, spyware, viruses, spam - tips for Practicing Safe/Ethical Computing are all here! You won't want to miss this popular session! (TIME 60-75 min)

(LT5) **NEWLY UPDATED! "The Paper LESS Office 2005: Taming the Paper Monster"  - A fresh update of one of the most popular legal technology programs of all time! Based on the ground-breaking "in the trenches" experience of nationally known legal technology consultant and attorney Ross Kodner with his own consulting clients, this has been one of the hottest topics across the nation!  Ross will show you how to reduce the time lawyers in every practice area and their staff waste looking for paper files by using a low-cost "scan everything" approach that stores externally-received documents with internally-generated work product. This process will show you how to make client files contiguous and fully electronic. We don't throw away the paper--this is NOT the paperless office -- we just don't need to pull hard copy from our paper files nearly as often, reducing the number of times we have to physically touch a piece of paper. The bottom line is clear  cut: recovering lost billables, increase profits, faster client response time, and, oh, no more lost documents! We show you how REAL law firms are making this process work today! This session specifically demonstrates how off-the-shelf software including Worldox, WordPerfect (or Word), TimeMatters (or CaseMaster) and Visioneer’s PaperPort can work together to help you become Paper LESS™! (TIME 60-75 min)

(LT6) **NEW! Buying Law Office Technology 101: How To Buy Right And Spend Smart - Tired of paying too much for your firm's hardware and software? Mystified by the panoply of puzzling configurations? Our veteran techno.buyer gives you his insight into buying the "right stuff." Focus on how to determine which hardware and software upgrades make sense and which don't. How to navigate the myriad complexities of an online PC purchase. Smart ways to finance and lease your PC technology. How to be the smartest, but most frugal Internet shopper - it's all here - it would be hard NOT to save more than the cost of the seminar with the saving's you'll reap from the techniques learned in this practice management session! Stop the purchasing pain now! (Time - 60 min.)

(LT7) **NEWLY UPDATED! "The Mobile and Wireless Lawyer: All the Tips, Tricks and Reasons to Practice Any Time, Any Place" - Covers everything from A-Z about mobile computing from the lawyer's perspective. Includes coverage of portable system selection, needed software to stay in touch with, and synchronized with the office, remote access to create the “virtual law office”, the full range of methods for wirelessly communicating, and all range of the gadgets one needs to be efficient away from the office. Special coverage of “Palm”-sized devices as well. Specific information on what to buy and how much to pay--all you need to do is take your shopping list and go mobile!  Learn how legal professionals are making money on the road. Look at how to use-justify and cost-justify mobile technology. Learn what to buy and what to use. Bring your questions and open minds  you won't want to miss this session if you're serious about being able to practice any time, any place! (TIME - 60 min)

(LT8) **BRAND NEW! Cutting the Cord in Your Law Practice: It is WiFi Time? - Everyone wants to "cut the network cord" and explore the myriad wireless connection possibilities today. This session has it all, with a "primer" focus. We explore "WiFi" (802.11a/b/g) wireless networks in your offices and your homes, wireless "personal area networks" getting all your peripherals "talking" to each other with Bluetooth technology. We demystify "Centrino" - what is it and do you need it? Wireless Internet access away from the office whether in a courthouse or a local Starbucks - what do you need and how do you connect. Of course, wireless anything brings a host of possible security and ethical risks - we explore in detail ways to practice SAFE wireless computing in your practice! (TIME - 60 min)

(LT9) **BRAND NEW! That &*^%#(@@$% Computer! PC Problem Solving For Legal Anti-Geeks - Who isn't plagued by puzzling, frustrating, illogical and work-stopping computer troubles? You’ve listened to “Car Talk”; we’ve got PC Talk! Join Ross and he'll sort out all manner of computing maladies that rob us of otherwise billable time. Excruciating spyware, worrisome Windows updates, drivers that don’t drive, printers not printing, wireless networks not networking – He feels your pain! Bring your PC troubles and get answers to your questions! (TIME 60 min)

(LT10) "The Small Firm Lawyer's Complete Guide to the Internet"  - very much an A-Z approach from definitions to getting connected (PC and communication technology options including how to connect a law firm network to the Internet) to selecting service providers to legal resources online to search engines and search techniques, to metasites and their use to the "hidden Internet" (all the things that are buried and not easily locatable, but with a few tricks, reveal themselves to the diligent legal ‘Net researcher) to participating in legal listserves (discussion groups via e-mail) and legal newsgroups (like electronic bulletin boards) to the hot new Intranets, Extranets, online document repositories, Internet FAXing, Internet netiquette for lawyers and more! Includes custom written materials over 100 pages in length! This has been a big hit around the country because it not only covers what kinds of legal resources are available, but also what is NOT on the ‘Net. (TIME: 120 min to 6.5 hours)

(LT11) "Technology for the Rest of Us 2005"  -(can also can be titled “The __________ Lawyer’s Technology Survival Guide” with customized versions for specific states or type of lawyer - i.e. Estate Planning Lawyer's, Municipal Lawyer's, etc. )  A standing room only hit five years running at ABA Annual, now in a new post-millennium edition! This completely updated, plain-English, buzzword-free session, in the now-inimitable "Technology for the Rest of Us" style session covers literally all aspects of legal technology from software to hardware to training and planning. Special coverage will be given to the hottest topics facing lawyers in public and private practice today including: the Internet, what lawyers should and should not be doing online, voice recognition software, low-cost networking and internetworking , virtual lawyering, ASPs, electronic signatures, e-filing in the courts, electronic collaboration with clients and co-counsel, data backup, ethical and legal issues associated with technology, and the Mobile Lawyer’ s Top Ten Tips. Join Ross for this fast-paced, fun program with heavy doses of audience participation! (TIME 120-180 min)

(LT12) “The Automated ‘2005 Law Firm: A Visual Picture of What Your Firm Could Be Like” - this is a new one and focuses on an “ideally” automated 15 lawyer general practice firm covering what their systems can look like including document production, document assembly, document management, billing/accounting, conflicts checking, case management, legal research, system infrastructure - all heavily via visuals - this has really helped many lawyers understand just what a modern 32-bit Windows system looks like. Programs illustrated include the Corel WordPerfect Legal Suite, the TimeMatters case management system, Worldox document management and the TABS III legal billing system as well as a view of what a basic Intranet should look like for the small-to-medium-sized law firm. This is the target that firms should shoot for! (TIME - 60-90 min)

(LT13) Networking 101: Small Firm Networking and Connecting to the Net - From A-Z - Everything the small firm needs to know about their PC networking options - from peer-to-peer with Windows XP to value-bundled client/server networking Windows 2000 and Novell’s and Microsoft’s Small Business network suites and everything in between. Also a survey of all the options for cost-effectively connecting your small firm network to the Internet including the parts and pieces as well as security! (TIME - 60-75 min)

(LT14) Linking Home and Remote Offices: Being a Virtual Lawyer - The focus is looking at the ways lawyers can work literally any time, any place via remote access technology. The sessions covers everything from “remote control” using products like PC Anywhere to Windows VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to collaborative extranets and the Citrix approach for medium-sized and larger firms. Includes step-by-step tips on how to make remote access work the way mobile and home-located lawyers expect it to, as well as addressing the security issues involved. Again, rave reviews from audiences nationwide on this one! (TIME - 60-75 min)

(LT15) The Small Firm Lawyer’s Guide to Litigation Automation - Small firm litigators can leverage the “nimbleness” of their firms by using the latest in trial practice technology. Our presenters will talk about everything from the pre-trial preparation process and electronic marshalling of documents to managing outlines of your “case flow” and preparing for a “digital trial.” Everything from Summation to CaseMap to visual presentation tools and everything in between! All on a budget that even the smallest firm litigator can afford! (TIME - 60-90 min)

(LT16) NEW PROGRAM!! Thriving with WordPerfect, Surviving with Word - The endless debate over whether WordPerfect is better than Word don't matter anymore. Smart firms know that being "format compatible" with their clients is all that matters today. Learn how small firms are using intelligent and proactive combinations of client technology surveys as well as building an arsenal of tools including Word, WordPerfect and Adobe Acrobat's PDF Writer to ensure your firm gets the reputation of being "electronically easy to work with"!! This presentation is a perennial favorite as this emotion-charged debate is never likely to fade into the background.  Learn practical ways to demystify Microsoft Word and tame its eccentricities. Special emphasis on dealing with the horrifying Word Metadata issue!  Today, it may make little difference which a firm uses--as long as the electronic document collaboration needs of clients are met. This is where the idea of becoming Word Processing Ambidextrous comes in! We talk about using document conversion utilities and the widely-used PDF format to achieve complete file compatibility with anyone! (TIME - 60 min)

(LT17) The 7+ Habits of Highly Organized Lawyers - this brand new presentation focuses on the all-important __ms’: case management systems, document management systems, litigation management systems, research management systems and the overall legal information umbrella: knowledge management systems. We look at 7 specific ways law firms and legal departments can leverage their most valuable commodity--their accumulated case and client information. Whether avoiding reinventing the wheel, maximizing firm profit margins, or meeting and exceeding client expectations, the way to do it is to manage information . . . in all the various shapes, sizes and flavors it comes in! From being "format compatible" with all your clients for electronic document sharing to using case management, document management, "thought processors" and "smartcuts", we'll show you how every lawyer in your firm can bill at LEAST 15 more minutes per day without working any harder! We’ll show you the products, techniques, tips and tricks to achieve organizational nirvana in your firm today! (TIME - 90-120 min)

(LT18) The $5000 Law Office System: All the Parts and Pieces to Make Your Firm Hum! - Is it true? Can I really get a complete law office system for under $5,000? Yes, and you can get more than you might expect! But, you have to do a little homework to find the systems you need, including computer hardware and software. Our panel of experts have done the shopping for you and will give you the ins and outs of shopping for legal technology  all in one hour. Whether you're new to computers or you're an old salt, don't miss this educational and entertaining session on building a complete law office system for under $5,000 (TIME - 60 min).

(LT19) **NEWLY UPDATED! POSSIBLE ETHICS CREDIT! Practicing Safe Computing: Protecting Your System from Techno.Gremlins (Data Backup, Electrical Protection, Dealing with Viruses, Internet and E-Mail Security and Disaster Planning) - This very popular program covers everything there is to know to protect your legal technology systems from all manners of techno.disasters. From data backup and protecting critical client and firm information to shielding one’s system from Internet hackers to inoculating your systems against viruses. It’s all here, straight talk in plain language. With precise information about the types of backup hardware and software, reviews of anti-virus software, specific recommendations for Internet e-mail and web security products, this session is the key to avoiding digital malpractice! (TIME - 60 min, 120 min, 180 min versions)

(LT20) It's about TIME....Technology that PAYS!! - Have you spent thousands of dollars on technology in the past only to find yourself with a pile of dustware that sits on your shelf and nothing more than a glorified, overpriced typewriter with pictures on your desk? Have you put off buying or upgrading technology in your office because you don t have time, don t see how it will benefit you...or just can t afford it? Whether you want to work less, make more, or just have the system of your dreams this is an hour you can't afford to miss! Nationally-known legal technologist Ross Kodner shows you how to make smart, affordable, technology decisions that finally put money in your pocket instead of just draining your checkbook! Hear about smart macros, high-speed Internet access, document management and the Paper LESS Office™, case management, document assembly, smart leasing , legal-focused training and implementation, voice recognition, remote access, Palm computing and more! (TIME - 60-75 min)

(LT21) Upgrades, Upgrades Everywhere! Smart Ways to Purchase and Rollout Technology in Your Small Firm! - We're constantly barraged by the latest "necessary" software upgrade, which of course requires more hardware horsepower. How can small firms cope with the disruption? How do you spend as little as possible for maximum technology? How do you decide between leasing v. purchasing? Can you sit out a round in the upgrade wars? How do you sell technology purchases to your techno.peasant partners? How do you market technology capability to your clients? It's all here  the ultimate in down and dirty practical advice to make sure you GET IT RIGHT! (Time - 60 min)

(LT22) Law Practice Technology Assessments  Maximum Bang for Your Technology Buck! - The title may not be snazzy, but in this session, content is king. Law firms make huge investments in computers and software, yet don't always take advantage of what they have. Our program will cover everything from how to assess your own firm's technology environment, how to set priorities on which technology projects to implement, how to work with your outsourced or insourced consultants and a myriad pf practical tips for training your lawyers and staff to get the most out of your techno.investments. Every dollar you spend on technology should make you at least 2, 3 or 4 dollars! (Time - 60 min)

(LT23) **NEWLY UPDATED Turning Chaos into Cases: Case Management Systems for Small Firms/Mid-Sized Firms (there are two versions of this program - one oriented to small firms and the other for mid-sized firms) - The  most significant legal technology of the last decade is the low-cost, high-function case management system. These products may be the "killer app" lawyers and their staffs have been seeking for decades. Combining calendaring, docketing, tickler systems, case information tracking, document management and work product retrieval, address books that actually work the way you've always wanted them to, conflict of interest checking, the ability to assemble Word and WordPerfect documents and more, case managers are the "kitchen sinks" of the legal techno.world: there's not much they DON'T do and there are few program they don't integrate with. TimeMatters, Amicus Attorney and CaseMaster are three of the leading case managers and we'll walk through their capabilities to show your litigation, transactional or general practice how to "turn chaos into cases!" (Time 60-90 min)

(LT24) **BRAND NEW!! InHouse Technology; Top Tech and Practice Management Tips for Corporate/Government Legal Departments - By popular demand! This session explores the latest tools and tips for technology use in corporate and government legal departments. We explore matter management systems, e-invoicing, e-billing, managing outside counsel fees, collaborating securely inside the company and with outside counsel, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and reporting techniques, practical workflow, managing and reducing paper with the "Paper LESS Legal Department," how to get your needs prioritized by your IT department, remote secure access for mobile counsel and more! (Time 60, 90, 120 min. versions)

(LT25) ALWAYS UPDATED! 60 Hot Legal PC Gadgets in 60 Minutes
The blockbuster hit of ABA TECHSHOW for the last five consecutive years! Every toy . . . oops! We mean "tool" conceivably useful for lawyers and their staffs, all in one place. While some might be more useful than others, see the latest in practical, impractical and downright wacky gadgets for every law firm to consider (at least for five seconds before sanity returns)! (Time - 60 min. and "Elmo" document camera required). (NOTE: recent travel and security restrictions can make this program difficult to offer in some cities).

(LT26) **NEW!  25+ Hot Time Management Tips for Lawyers and Legal Staff: Turning Chaos into Cases
A big hit at LawNet!! Whether you're a lawyer, law firm administrator, legal IT director or legal staffer, your most valuable commodity is time. . . and one often in short supply. This program will give you 20+ practical tips for managing, tracking, and saving time every day. From using your firm's case management systems and document management and work product retrieval systems to manage the mass of information you deal with everyday, to finding quicker ways to satisfy and support your users, to some "quality of life" enhancing ideas, it's all here! The focus is practical - what can you do in your office to better manage your time using tools and techniques you already have. SPECIAL BONUS - From an IT staffer's perspective, we'll look specifically at how your existing legal-focused systems can even be used to track your hardware and software inventories, service histories, and serve as an internal support and help desk system!  (Time - 60 min.)

(LT27) **NEW! The Law Firm in Techno.Transition - Assessing Needs, Implementing Systems, Training Your People  It never ends: what you buy today is obsolete tomorrow. This session shows you how to anticipate upgrades and how to choose which system to upgrade (not all need be). You'll also learn how to most effectively select and work with consultants as well as how to best plan and implement "smart training," how to manage the  technology assessment process, and where to find the best (and often free) information on legal technology. Inside information on the latest strategies for paying for technology too! We'll also explore building "technology SWAT teams" in your firm and technology committees that WORK! Perfect for managing partners, IT directors, heads of technology committees. This is the ultimate "functional techno.survival guide" that you've never heard before at any other seminar! (Time - 60 min.)

(LT28) **NEW! 40+ Hot Time Management Tips for Trial Lawyers and Legal Staff
A big hit at the 2001 Texas Trial Lawyers Association Convention! Whether you're a busy trial lawyer, law firm administrator, legal IT director or legal staffer, your most valuable commodity is time. . . and one often in short supply. This program will give you 46+ practical tips for managing, tracking, and saving time every day. From using your firm's case management systems and document management and work product retrieval systems to manage the mass of information you deal with everyday, to finding quicker ways to satisfy and support your users, to some "quality of life" enhancing ideas, it's all here! The focus is practical - what can you do in your office to better manage your time using tools and techniques you already have. SPECIAL BONUS - From the Trial Lawyer's perspective, we explore litigation automation tips and ideas both from a pre-trial case organization perspective to visual presentation approaches, tools and preparation for the digital litigator! (Time - 60 min. and 90 min. versions)

(LT29) **NEW! How to Be a Case Management Success Story: Implementation Tips from the Trenches - This brand new program is a perennial hit at CLE conferences nation-wide! For firms that have already made the decision to deploy a new case management system, the easy part is over. Now it's time for the hard part - determining the best way to achieve a successful implementation! The path to case management nirvana is fraught with perils and pitfalls. This session will explore the top tips, processes, procedures, and plans for jump-starting your CM project and ensuring it's a wild success . . . rather than a miserable failure. Failing to properly plan the implementation of case management systems is a prescription for abject disaster. So avoid the pain and build your plan! Ross will show you field-tested and proven methods for "turning chaos into cases" using your new case management system! (Time - 60 min.)

(LT30) ** ProLaw, TimeMatters, Practice Master & Amicus Attorney - Top Four Features of the Big Four Four practice management systems in an hour? Impossible? Not for our “Maestro of Management!” Rapid-fire view of the top practice tools and features of the “Big Four” law practice case management systems. A rapid-fire visual look at the technology systems that can bring the biggest financial return to your practice (Time 60 min)

(LT31) **BRAND NEW Sweets Spots: What to Buy for Your Law Practice Today - By popular demand from CLE audiences, this new session is a legal tech buyer's dream - a guide to what to buy NOW covering: desktop PCs, laptops, small firm network fileservers, printers, multifunction devices, wireless networking, digital cameras, backup systems, preferred software bundles and more! Precise specs and buyer guidelines in plain English, along with information about how to pay for tech tools (including Ross's "Smart Leasing" and "Layered  Leasing" concepts), ROI calculators and more and of course, how to get the best prices! (Time - 60 min.)

(LT32) **BRAND NEW PDFing in Your Practice: Lawyers Guide to Adobe Acrobat and PDF Tools - It's official - the PDF file format has become the standard for e-filing of court documents n the Federal Courts. Can the State Courts be far behind? The ability to create PDFs has gone from "obscure and optional" to "essential and everyday." Learn how to turn your Word and WordPerfect documents into secure PDFs, how to use Adobe Acrobat as a "more power than Word's Track Changes" secure collaboration tool, how to create Acrobat forms others can fill in - like "smart matter intake" forms and a plethora of PDF tips, policies and procedures.

(LT33) **BRAND NEW "The Mac Law Practice: Practical? Possible?" - A new session that explores how Apple Mac systems have come to make sense for modern law practices. We'll demytify "Mac Myths" and discuss the practical issues related to adding your first Mac, or making a firmwide transition to the Mac platform. Learn about the broad range of Mac legal software and online support communities such as MacLaw and MacAttorneys. See how the latest Mac operating system called "Tiger" includes legal-spectacular features like Spotlight and Smart Folders - built-in full-text searching and document management that effectively becomes a free case management system. Learn about running Windows programs on Mac and how compatible Macs have become with Windows machines, as well as what to buy now. Even how to use your iPod as a portable data backup device (which makes it a business expense!) Cut your support and training costs and get past Windows virus and security headaches. It may very well be time to think "Mac" in your practice.