You're hardly the last lawyer to go paperless. But you probably aren't an early adopter like Donna Neff, either — her estates and trusts practice has been paperless for years. Like most, you're probably parked somewhere between the all-digital and all-paper camps — dreading change, but knowing it's inevitable. So we asked Donna, co-author (with Sheila Blackford) of the brand-new book "Paperless in One Hour for Lawyers," for tips on getting started — the right way. Going paperless has quickly gone from a matter of "if" to a matter of "when." Are you thinking of taking the plunge? Do the tasks seem so monumental you don’t even know where to start? Or maybe you've begun the transition but aren’t sure what to do next? Here are three easy tips to get you on the paperless bandwagon, and fast. ... READ THE REST

Question: With the warm weather, the annual "what to wear" debate is underway at our firm — and it's probably time to update and enforce a dress code policy. Do most law firms have a dress code? Should we have one? Why or why not? In this edition of "Ask the Experts," we have perspectives from Association of Legal Administrators members Maryann Arsenault, Bill Spohrer and Dorothea Downey. ... READ THE REST

Email! We may love it for its convenience or hate it for its omnipresence, but it’s tough to imagine a life, especially a productive work life, without it. But what you might really like to imagine are some new ways to enhance its daily use. Well, for the Gmail-using lawyers out there — and based on our contacts lists, there are an amazing number of them — today we have five Gmail “superchargers” from the experts on all things Google for lawyers. Yes, we asked Internet For Lawyers' Carole Levitt and Mark Rosch, authors of "Google Gmail and Calendar in One Hour for Lawyers," for some tips on nifty Gmail tools and add-ons. Here are their picks du jour. READ THE REST

You may have contemplated joining a virtual law firm at some point, or creating your own virtual practice. Aside from the initial technological hurdle, a virtual practice can be an easy and welcome new reality. The joy of kissing your office (and commute) goodbye. The allure of joining conference calls from your kitchen table. Admit it, setting your […]

Your relationships with clients, colleagues and other referral sources ought to be the focus of your client development process and your web presence.

Are law firms really a “soft underbelly” for hackers? Yes, according to numerous legal security experts and recent news reports. Understandably, more corporate clients are demanding their law firms take increased security measures. So why are law firms on the hacker radar? Quite simply, because law firms — especially smaller and midsize firms — tend to lack the level of security of their corporate clients. This can provide hackers with a proverbial “back door” into confidential and privileged data of more secure businesses, via their law firms. ... The good news is there are multiple ways you can mitigate your security risks. Here are 12 commonsense steps to protect your firm ... READ MORE

There's a lot of talk about lawyers and blogging. But do many really — blog, that is? If they do, how do they possibly find the time? And does blogging really bring them new clients? Yeah, we've wondered that, too. So we'll be speaking with a few high-profile legal bloggers to get the inside scoop. Today, we interview Dan Harris, who co-authors the China Law Blog with Steve Dickinson. ... READ MORE

It's no surprise that small firms are the most vulnerable when it comes to online risk. Less time, less money and less staff to keep abreast of threats. What's surprising, though, is how little law firms do to protect clients' privileged information when collaborating electronically. Recently released results from the LexisNexis Law Firm File Sharing in 2014 survey show that despite a growing awareness of new collaboration tools — along with the dangers of compromising client data— there is a real "disconnect" between security fears and the measures law firms actually take to secure confidential information. The smaller the firm, the more vulnerable — or lax. READ MORE

There are so many places to socialize online and way too little time. How can you make all of this socializing more efficient? That's what this post is about. First, a discussion of several social media management applications designed for the user who wants access to all platforms in one place. Second, my personal opinion about how to best approach social media in general.

Two coaching situations recently occurred in close proximity to each other and the contrast was striking. In the first, Attorney A, a partner, was interested in building a niche practice in an industry in which his largest client operates. We identified an industry association of which he had not been aware, and that group, coincidentally, had a meeting coming up in his city. He sent an email to his practice group head requesting the funds to attend ($500). On our next coaching call, I asked how the meeting had gone. He said, “I didn’t go.” When I asked why not, he said, “Because the firm wouldn’t pay the registration fee.”