The recent Attorney at Work compilation about time management and productivity ("A Matter of Time: Time Management and Productivity Tips for Lawyers") got me thinking about how lawyers are drawn to chasing new trends and technologies. It reminds me of my grandkids playing in the yard at dusk, when the fireflies come out. Soon, the kids are scrambling through the dark chasing, but seldom catching, those shiny, ephemeral glowbugs. While I have my own beefs against some of the new technology, much of it can be vital to your performance. Sometimes, though, we lose sight of the fact that any technology is a tool, not an end in itself. What makes the technology valuable is the users’ ability to use it effectively to get their work done. That requires a fundamental understanding of what your objective is and how to reach it.

Some time ago I was stunned by a discussion with a law firm that had almost been scammed into sending several hundred thousand dollars overseas. The incident involved what turned out to be a fraudulent check from a "client" and a request to transfer funds. What floored me was the firm's response to the situation. As we talked about what happened, the lawyers recognized they were fortunate to have listened to their firm administrator 's advice to not release any funds until the deposited check cleared. But even after the check did bounce, they felt unable to do anything about it, or have the situation investigated, because of a perceived attorney-client relationship and the loyalties they believed flew from that. The scammers had invested enough time in becoming involved with the firm that, even after nearly being taken in, the lawyers felt confidentiality trumped. Wow. Whoever was behind that scam knew what they were doing. I wish I could say this particular story was unusual, but I can’t. In the years since, these types of scams have only gotten more frequent and sophisticated, and it’s all owing to social engineering. ... READ MORE

I will never forget the time an executive with a large international company told of his meeting with a law firm. He and a member of the in-house legal department had agreed to get together with three firm partners, at their request. After the meeting, when asked what happened, the executive replied, “Nothing, really. We talked about a number of different things but we don’t really know why they were here.”

The e-book Paperless, self-published by attorney David Sparks (aka @MacSparky), has won an Apple iBookstore “Best of 2012” award. Okay, so it’s 2014, and I’m a bit late to the parade. But seriously, better late than never: This is one you shouldn't miss. Sparks, a self-proclaimed “Mac zealot,” wrote Paperless primarily for Mac users, so just about anyone with a Mac can use the methods he describes. But the book's big-picture paperless concepts and workflows are applicable for PC users too — and lawyers would be especially well-served by implementing his ideas. ... READ MORE

As Outlook has matured, so has its Junk Mail filter — it’s getting better and better at recognizing what’s good and wanted, and what’s bad and not. You’ll seldom find "good" mail in your Outlook Junk Mail folder, and the filter rarely lets spam email into your inbox. But it’s not perfect and will never be 100 percent right — you still have to check the Junk Mail folder from time to time to ensure email you wanted to see in your inbox hasn’t been rerouted to Junk Mail.

Productivity apps like Evernote may be hugely helpful — and popular — but some of us still like to use paper reminders like sticky notes and paper notebooks to keep on task. Dan Gold says Evernote has that covered, too, with two features that digitize your Post-it Notes and Moleskin Notebook scribbles. Today he explains how you can store, organize and pretty much do whatever you wish with your paper reminders — all from your smartphone or iPad.

Well, I took the plunge this past December and signed a lease for a brick-and-mortar office. I’d had a virtual office for almost two years, using a box at the UPS Store for my mailing address and meeting clients in the conference rooms at the State Bar of Arizona office. It was a great little setup for someone starting out. But I was tired of having to deal with meeting-scheduling issues and I wanted a stronger division between my work and my personal life. Here's how the first weeks have been going. ... READ MORE

A few weeks ago, I was driving down C-470 listening to NPR, mentally checking my Christmas list and chatting with a passenger when a Science Friday feature about multitasking riveted my attention. (Which is really saying something, given the circumstances.) While we've all heard that multitasking is bad for us, it continues to fall into that category populated by other epically heroic activities — like working long hours, drinking too much, driving too fast — that we oddly brag about.

Cloud computing in the practice of law has been a hot topic recently. Regulators in the United Kingdom have issued guidance to solicitors commenting on the practice as it stands in the United States and — of far greater interest — devoting a page to concerns about the potential insecurity of data stored here in light of our National Security Agency surveillance scandal. (See "Silver Linings: Cloud Computing, Law Firms and Risk.") I find it particularly enlightening to hear another country's perspective — in fact, it leads me to add to my recommended criteria for evaluating any cloud computing provider. ...READ MORE

When you are paid to argue for a living, it’s pretty much a given that your job description will encompass some teeth-gnashing, hand-wringing and good old-fashioned tantrum-throwing. But even though a lawyer's world can be filled with anger, it is especially bitter when clients — the same people we work so hard to help — act aggressively toward us. Aggressive clients interrupt and bully their attorneys, engage in awful power struggles and even, on occasion, may stab an attorney’s hand with a pencil in the middle of a hearing. So let’s examine the root of the aggressive client's problem. ... READ MORE