7 Tips on Making Your Computer More Friendly

7 Tips on Making Your Computer More Friendly
by Alan R. Nye, Esq.

The Supplement -- The newsletter of the Maine State Bar Association. Volume Two, Number Four, April 1999

Most lawyers I know have a love/hate relationship with their computer. They love it when a secretary uses it to make their letters and pleadings look polished and professional. They hate it when they have to use it themselves for something more substantial than getting the latest stock quotes or playing FreeCell. I know, I know. Without someone to guide you, nothing seems to work right, does it? And even if you manage to get something typed -- then you've got to figure out how to print it!

Face it. The practice of law is becoming more technically oriented and computer dependent every day. The attorney that doesn't have a computer on his or her desk is practically nonexistent. Computer technology is sweeping through the law practice at an amazing speed. You can either get onboard and ride with it -- or else be left behind as your more technology savvy peers emerge as leaders. Whether you're a senior partner in a large firm or practicing solo, its time to embrace technology. The best place to start is the computer that's right in front of you.

Tip 1. If it's not already there, put your computer on your desk and learn how to use it. If your system is more than a couple of years old, consider updating it. If you're still running DOS based programs, definitely update or replace both your computer and your software. Can you say Y2K?

If you can't type -- learn. You don’t need to match the speed of your secretary -- two-finger pecking is fine. There are many excellent computer programs that will help you to improve your typing skills. Check out the software at your local computer store. (On the Internet, go to www.typingmaster.com/mprglist.htm for a list of free shareware typing programs for use with Windows 95/98/NT.) Gaining speed as a typist will make your computer seem much friendlier.

Tip 2. Stop paying extra for letterhead. If you don't already own one, get a high quality laser printer for your office and use it to generate your letterhead. If you own a scanner, the simplest way to do this is to scan your letterhead into your computer and have the scanning software match up the appropriate fonts and style of lettering. You can so closely duplicate the style of characters used in your original letterhead that no one is likely to notice the difference.

Tip 3. Network your computers. There are many reasons to network your computers. (If you missed my article on networks in the January 1999 Supplement, write me and I'll send you a copy.) Networks are critical to the efficient practice of law. The ability to share documents electronically with your staff and other attorneys will forever change the way you do things. You'll also save money by buying less paper, ribbons and toner because you won't need hard copies of each draft of your documents.

Tip 4. Computers are great at doing the mundane tasks that are necessary to run a law office. Let them do it. If you use Quicken at home to do your bills, consider using QuickBooks/Pro (www.quickbooks.com) at the office. The packages are quite similar. For small offices PCLawPro/Jr. (www.pclaw.com/) is another popular accounting package.

You can also automate your time and billing with powerful and sophisticated software that costs much less than you'd expect. The programs have you type your time directly into your computer. The programs make it so simple that your time is often entered and saved with just a few mouse clicks. A popular time and billing package for the small firm is Timeslips (www.timeslips.com/). Larger firms lean toward TABS III (www.stilegal.com/) or Juris Time & Billing (www.juris.com/).

Tip 5. Don't reinvent the wheel every time you do something. Learn how to use your word processor to save yourself the drudgery of typing the same thing over and over. Figure out macros on your computer to shorten the number of keystrokes necessary to draft letters and common pleadings. Learn more about your word processing software by taking a class, buying training videos or picking up one of the "Dummies" books. If you use Microsoft Word, an excellent book to acquire is Word 97 for Law Firms by the Payne Consulting Group, Inc.

Tip 6. Let your computer teach you something. Continuing legal education doesn't have to mean a trip to a different city and a day or two of lost billable hours. Get educated at the office or at home by accessing CLE cites on the Internet. Two of the most popular sites are CLEonline.com (www.cleonline.com) and PLI Online (www.pli-online.org). Visit them for a refresher course or to learn something new. If you can manage to take a day off to learn more about technology, an excellent seminar on "Technology in the Law Office" will be held on May 13th at the Augusta Civic Center. Sign up now.

Tip 7. Consider the benefits of using case management software in your practice. This software typically includes applications like calendars, schedules, to-do lists and ticklers. This information is electronically shared with facts about clients, parties, other lawyers, adjusters, witnesses, experts and other important case information. These programs allow you to capture more billable time and insure that you keep on top of important aspects of your cases. The most popular case management programs for solos and small firms include Time Matters (www.timematters.com/) and Amicus Attorney (www.amicus.ca/). Both companies provide free demos of their products.

Follow these tips and before you know it, you and your computer will be best of friends.

Alan R. Nye, Esq. | 225 Commercial Street | Portland, Maine 04101
(207) 828-4400 phone | (207) 828-4300 fax | anye@alannye.com

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