by Brett Burney

The Name Game: How to Manage & Organize Your Digital Documents – ABA TECHSHOW Summer Series (Thurs. July 16, 2015)

“The Name Game: How to Manage & Organize Your Digital Documents” that will take place on Thursday, July 16, 2015 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm Eastern. Registration is available here and is only $50 for ABA Members (only $75 if you’re not a member).

Since I was the Chair of the 2015 ABA TECHSHOW Planning Board (which took place on April 16-18, 2015), I’m a little biased when it comes to how great the educational sessions were. So good, in fact, that the Legal Technology Resource Center (LTRC) picked up several sessions for the “ABA TECHSHOW Summer Series” of webinars.
The first is “The Name Game: How to Manage & Organize Your Digital Documents” that will take place on Thursday, July 16, 2015 from 1:00pm – 2:30pm Eastern. Registration is available here and is only $50 for ABA Members (only $75 if you’re not a member).

The presenters are Nancy Duhon of Duhon Technology Solutions LLC and Steve Best of Affinity Consulting and who also happens to be the Chair of the 2016 ABA TECHSHOW Planning Board.

The material covered in this webinar will apply to any lawyer, regardless of whether you’re using a Mac or Windows computer. But I fin that most Mac-using lawyers don’t have a formal legal document management system and so this webinar will be extremely relevant and helpful.

I encourage you to read more and register for “The Name Game: How to Manage & Organize Your Digital Documents.”

by Brett Burney

iPad App Review: “Rulebook App Can Replace Your Rule Books”

If you find yourself regularly thumbing through a book looking for a rule or statue then you might consider using the Rulebook iPad instead. All your rules are literally at your fingertips and you can search for the word or phrase that you need across all the books you’ve downloaded.

If you find yourself regularly thumbing through a book looking for a rule or statue then you might consider using the Rulebook iPad instead. All your rules are literally at your fingertips and you can search for the word or phrase that you need across all the books you’ve downloaded.

I spend a lot of time consulting on e-discovery projects which means I’m constantly referring to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or the state equivalent rules. Rulebook lets me find what I need quickly and bookmark or copy important passages for later.

I reviewed the Rulebook iPad app for Law Technology News and found the app to be extremely useful for lawyers and legal professionals

 

by Brett Burney

Grab PDFpenPro Version 6 While It’s On Sale for 48 Hours!

I watched MacSparky’s screencast on PDFpen Version 6 and thought I’d have to wait several fretful days for the sale to happen but it’s here!

PDFpenPro Version 6 available on Mac App Store for 48 hourI watched MacSparky’s screencast on PDFpen Version 6 and thought I’d have to wait several fretful days for the sale to happen but it’s here!

I’m a big fan of Smile Software’s PDFpenPro but I’ve always taken the position that Mac-lawyers who work a lot with PDFs need to invest in a full version of Adobe Acrobat Professional, just like I believe Mac-lawyers need to invest in a full version of Microsoft Office for the Mac. These are the “professional-grade” tools for our profession.

But with Version 6 of PDFpenPro, Smile is definitely narrowing the gap. Version 6 adds the ability to export to Word and form recognition which has historically been Acrobat Professional space. I’m still hesitant to completely abandon my Acrobat Professional recommendation, but I can tell you that I’m buying PDFpenPro Version 6 today because it’s that good.

First, go watch MacSparky’s screencast so some of his excitement can rub off on you.

Second, go read Smile’s blog post so you can understand the different purchase options. This gets a little confusing, but lemme offer some help: Buy the Mac App Store version so that you can take advantage of iCloud support. MacSparky has only barely commented publicly on why this is important, but when I’ve talked with him personally I completely understand the seamlessness of the system – PDFs sync between your Mac and iPad/iPhone via iCloud so you don’t have to worry about what folder they’re in, whether you e-mailed it, etc.

You only have 48 hours to buy PDFpenPro Version 6 on the Mac App Store for $39.99 before it goes back to its regular price of $79.99.

by Brett Burney

Fundamental iPad Tips for Lawyers (Brett Burney presentation for Chicago Bar Association)

In November 2012, I was invited to give a presentation on iPads for the Chicago Bar Association by my good friend Catherine Sanders Reach. I had a great time and we had a packed house. Read Joan Feldman’s write up of “Fundamental iPad Tips for Lawyers”

Attorney at Work-Fundamental iPad Tips for LawyersIn November 2012, I was invited to give a presentation on iPads for the Chicago Bar Association by my good friend Catherine Sanders Reach. I had a great time and we had a packed house. Catherine has indicated that she’s going to have me back for an extended session in the early spring 2013.

Joan Feldman from Attorney at Work was in the audience and did a fantastic write-up of the session. It’s so good, in fact, that you could probably skip attending the session just by reading Joan’s report.

Joan covers my presentation in five areas:

  1. Get better acquainted – covers some general tips on using the iPad
  2. The apps – covers a few of my “top-ten must-have iPad apps for lawyers”
  3. Transferring files in and out of there – covers methods for getting documents on to your iPad
  4. Pointing fingers – covers my stylus (styli?) recommendations
  5. Security settings – covers my recommendations for securing your iPad

You can read the full report at “Fundamental iPad Tips for Lawyers” on Attorney at Work.

by Brett Burney

2012 Black Friday Mac & iOS Deals for Lawyers

Everyone likes a good deal, and fortunately the Black Friday craziness extends to the Mac & iOS App Stores. Here are some of the deals I’ve seen today that are excellent for lawyers and legal professionals…

Everyone enjoys a good deal, and fortunately the Black Friday craziness extends to the Mac & iOS App Stores. Here are some of the deals I’ve seen today that are excellent for lawyers and legal professionals:

 

1password 2012blackfriday1Password for Mac, iOS & Windows

Agile Bits is discounting the entire line of 1Password versions for Mac, iPhone, iPad & Windows so you should pick up whatever version you may still need. I’m a big fan of the 1Password family as a password-manager and I love the fact that I have access to my sync’d database from any device.

If you’re just starting out, I recommend 1Password for Mac reduced to $34.99 from $49.99 and 1Password Pro reduced to $9.99 from $14.99 which is universal for both iPhone and iPad.

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by Brett Burney

Brett Burney Giving iPad Presentations to Lawyers Around the Country

It’s all about the iPad! Brett Burney has been invited to speak to lawyers and groups around the country on how to incorporate the iPad into their everyday practice. Many of these sessions are already sold out but keep checking back for more updates!

Brett Burney giving iPad Presentations for LawyersIt continues to amaze me how the iPad is changing the way lawyers use and interact with technology. One of my favorite activities is spending time helping lawyers learn how to use the iPad better. I’ve been honored to be invited to speak around the country on the topic and here is a list of upcoming presentations:

(Many of these sessions are already sold out, but please feel free to reach out and contact the appropriate sponsors in case attendees have to cancel or they expand the space. Thank you!)

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by Brett Burney

“iPads for Lawyers” Sessions at Lex Port 2012 Legal Tech Conference in St. Louis, Missouri

If you’re a lawyer in the St. Louis, Missouri area, don’t miss the Lex Port 2012 Legal Technology Conference happening this Thursday-Saturday. There are a ton of great sessions to attend including my three sessions on iPads.

Lex Port 2012 Legal Technology Conference St. Louis MissouriI am thrilled to be giving three presentations on iPads at the Lex Port 2012 Legal Technology Conference in St. Louis, Missouri this Friday & Saturday. 

I get to join many good friends (Barron Henley, Marc Matheny, & Dennis Kennedy) and many soon-to-be-friends at the the brand new Lex Port 2012 Legal Technology Conference sponsored by the Missouri Bar.

There are a TON of great sessions scheduled covering cloud computing, better e-mail management, Microsoft Word tips, e-discovery, social media, and much more!

I am honored to speak on the iPad in three separate sessions:

10 MUST-HAVE APPS FOR THE IPAD
Friday, Sept. 14 at 3:40pm

INTRODUCTION TO IPAD FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Saturday, Sept. 15 at 8:50am

ADVANCED IPRACTICE ON THE IPAD
Saturday, Sept. 15 at 9:50am

If you are anywhere near the St. Louis metropolitan area, do yourself a favor and sign up for the new (and very inexpensive!) Lex Port 2012 Legal Technology Conference. More details here. 

by Brett Burney

Legal iPad Presentations In Your City – Columbus, OH (6/15), Lansing, MI (6/18) & Durant, OK (6/23)

I’m excited to announce three legal iPad presentations coming up over the next few days that each have a little bit of a different focus. If you’re close to any of these cities, pick up some “less-boring” CLE credits and come by and say hello!

 

Legal iPad Presentations by Brett Burney

I’m excited to announce three legal iPad presentations coming up over the next few days that each have a little bit of a different focus. If you’re close to any of these cities, pick up some “less-boring” CLE credits and come by and say hello!

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by Jeffrey Schoenberger

HoudahSpot Helps You Find Your Way Through Search, Paperless Strategies and Document Management

While Spotlight is an incredible piece of the Mac OS, lawyers sometimes need a little more horsepower to find the right document in a digital sea of files. HoudahSpot is an advanced search utility that uncovers an immense amount of search functionality across your Mac. Jeffrey compares HoudahSpot to Spotlight in this review, and then describes the features and explains how HoudahSpot can become your helpful search assistant.

Houdahspot small

While attending the Mac Power Users session at TechShow in March, renowed Mac-using attorney Randy Juip discussed Spotlight.1  For those of you unfamiliar with Spotlight, it is one of the great reasons to own a Mac. Released with OS X 10.4 Tiger in 2005, it is a system-wide, real-time search function built directly into every modern Mac.

At its most basic, clicking on the magnifying glass in the top right corner of your menu bar, Spotlight lets you search your files by numerous criteria.2  When you begin typing, Spotlight instantly narrows matches as you continue typing. Spotlight searches by file name, metadata, and even file contents. It searches your documents, emails, addressbook, and calendar items. Spotlight can even launch applications and perform simple math. If you’re not using Spotlight yet, it’s an excellent way to speed up your file access.

Having said that, you may quickly run up against Spotlight’s usability limits. By making this feature so approachable, Apple hid much of Spotlight’s power.3  Fortunately for Spotlight fans, a third party program has stepped into the gap. Houdah Software created HoudahSpot, which approachably exposes the full capabilities Apple built into Spotlight. HoudahSpot’s easy access to Spotlight’s complete functionality makes Spotlight a topflight stand-in for legal document management on the Mac.4

Why is that important? As I joked to an older friend at a technophobic law firm, the future of storage is not in bankers’ boxes. If you’re not making a strong, successful effort to go paperless in your law practice, you’re wasting time (searching for documents), space (storing documents), and ultimately money. Either you’re wasting billable hours handling paper or you’re paying subordinates or offsite companies to do it for you. HoudahSpot lets you take scanned documents and access last year’s client matters as quickly as yesterday’s.5

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by Brett Burney

Sign Up For My Monthly TechnoLawyer iPad Column Where I Pick The Best Apps for Lawyers

TechnoLawyer has some of the best tech-related newsletters aimed at lawyers. It’s completely FREE to subscribe and the information is invaluable. Plus, when you sign up for the FREE SmallLaw Newsletter you’ll get access to my iPad columns throughout the rest of the year!

I have the privilege of comparing iPad apps for TechnoLawyer every month and picking the best one for lawyers!

TechnoLawyer has some of the best tech-related newsletters aimed at lawyers. It’s completely FREE to subscribe and the information is invaluable. Plus, TechnoLawyer does one of the best jobs of covering how Macs and iPads are being used in the practice of law.

I know this will be disappointing, but I can’t post my full articles here on the blog – you’ll need to visit TechnoLawyer.com and sign up for the SmallLaw Newsletter which is where most of my columns are published. Don’t miss another one of my iPad app columns!

Here are the topics I’ve covered so far this year:

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