Legal Technology

When the moat is full ...

and the drawbridge is raised, you find that the dragon, is indeed, in the court yard. Researchers have developed two new techniques for stealing data from a computer that do not involve viruses, malware, or root kits. Instead, they use some unlikely hacking tools: cameras and telescopes.

E-mail annoyances for legal assistants

E-mail is among the top productivity tools used by firms. But, as much as it has enriched professional life, attorneys often use e-mail inefficiently and even counterproductively.

To combat these ills, the Assistant-at-Law submits a different kind of tip list that does not address common problems such as blank subject lines, urban legends and all capital letters; that has been done ad nauseam. Instead, this list brings attention to less well-known e-mail annoyances -- the ones that can make a legal assistant's day an exercise in hair-tearing.

Data breaches mean more than bad publicity

In addition to the bad publicity and regulatory scrutiny that follow data breaches, corporations also face costly civil litigation. As the legal landscape grows more and more digital, law firms should brace companies for when the almost inevitable data breach occurs.

Virtual law is not your father's law ...

in fact, it's so new that it's no one's father's law -- mostly associated with online chat rooms where participants socialize through fictional personae, or interactive, three-dimensional computer games.  Finding a market in virtual law is the next  big thing for aspiring tech-savvy lawyers conversant in the language of orcs, avatars and toons.

Videoconferencing is living up to its promise ...

to eliminate unnecessary travel, especially with the high cost of fuel. And considering the traveler's lost time, the technology will also do wonders in the battle against double-billing; but that's another story. In this one, New York City surrogate courts used videoconferencing technology to conduct intercontinental kinship hearings that would otherwise require international travel by court lawyers. The cost of establishing the technology in the courts was modest in light of the cost savings in time and travel.

The best defense ...

is a good offense only works in sports where one team can maintain control over a token that enables them to score points while, at the same time, disables their opponents from scoring points. In football, rugby, and soccer it's the football. In hockey, it's the puck, and in hoops it's the basketball. In computing, "the best defense is a good offense" falls flat on its tush.

The best defense in computing goes to the vigilent. But what do the vigilent watch? and do you do it by land, sea, or air?

I could spend most of my blogging career reporting vulnerabilities and patches; but I watch the U.S. Cert Technical Alerts where I saw that Microsoft recently released updates to address vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Windows, Office, Jet Database Engine, Windows Live OneCare, Antigen, Windows Defender, and Forefront Security, all part of their Security Bulletin for May 2008.

For instructions on subscribing to their mailing list, visit www.us-cert.gov/cas/signup.html.

P2P business practices ...

is not an oxymoron. In fact, the Distributed Computing Industry Association will advance safe and efficient business practices for P2P computing among developers, providers, and ISPs at its upcoming P2P Media Summit in Los Angeles.

Wikis put lawyers on a collaborative path

A wiki -- software that allows direct collaborative editing of content and structure -- provides an instant source for new research and collaborative document authoring. Wikis provide editorial control and focus on content rather than conversation -- surpassing the shortcomings of e-mails that often miss key contributions of lawyers who are inadvertently left off a thread or hide key insights in inboxes. Peter Buck, managing director of Baker Robbins, puts wiki collaboration in the law firm context.

The bottom line on client analysis

Software and consulting firm Redwood Analytics examined client "realization" rates -- the percentage of normal fee rates received -- for 16 law firms and saw room for improvement. Client analysis technology can improve realization, raising a firm's bottom line -- but getting the data requires overhauls not only in IT, but also in accounting and financial analysis. Perfecting client analysis means hard work, whether building a system from scratch or integrating new software with an existing system.

Cutting a winning edge in law firm blogs

While the most successful law blogs educate clients, and occasionally prospective clients, they also educate the firms that put them up in how to do a blog right -- and about the benefits and limitations of the medium. Author Alan Cohen provides answers to the questions many firms still have about blogs, and shows that when run wisely, blogs can be an effective, cost-efficient way for a firm and its lawyers to market themselves, network and strengthen relationships with clients without getting into trouble.