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SuperSaver Tips to Lower Shipping Costs

I almost passed over this article from PCWorld with tips to save on shipping costs. But with the economy what it is and Christmas just around the corner, I thought I would sneak a peak. Sure enough, the article has several easy and quick ideas to save money on your business and holiday shipping. ShippingSidekick includes a number of useful tools, including deeply discounted shipping options. The article also links to useful tips, such as free shipping envelopes from the US Postal Service.

Speaking of Christmas, look for my holiday gift guide coming in the next few weeks!

Must-Read Essay on Our Changing Profession

I encourage every lawyer—especially young lawyers—to read this outstanding article about the evolution of law practice over the past fifty plus years.  Author Abe Krash, a 50-year veteran of the legal profession, does a terrific job of recounting the changes he has witnessed—both good and bad--from his vantage point in what is now a large D.C.-based law firm, Arnold & Porter.  His comprehensive article avoids many of the typical war stories, and focuses on the evolution of the profession by addressing topics such as specialization, billable hours, technology, multi-office law firms, ethics, demographics, and money.

Beware; the article is long, but worth every minute of your valuable time to obtain such insight. Often, looking back in time can help us gain perspective to create our own preferred future.

I only know Abe Krash by his stellar reputation in the DC Bar; after reading his article, maybe I’ll call him to see if he’d like to have lunch. Despite the long article, I'd like to learn more.

Travel Intelligence for Busy Lawyers

PCWorld, known best as a technology publication, sometimes ventures out of that sphere, as in this article about the best hotels for business travelers.  It references recent surveys by JD Power & Associates and Consumer Reports to gauge overall satisfaction with dozens of hotel chains, from budget chains to luxury "collections". The overall winners? Ritz-Carlton in the Luxury category (no surprise), Homewood Suites in the Extended Stay category (great for out of town trials), Renaissance and Embassy Suites in the Upscale category.  I like Renaissance hotels, but prefer Westins when possible.  (Love that Heavenly Bed!)

I must admit I gladly trade free in-room wireless for my Heavenly Bed. Most upscale and luxury hotels (except Omni Hotels) charge $12-15 a day for acccess, while most mid-scale and budget hotels include it for free. So when I can't get the bed I want, my next criteria for selecting a hotel is free WiFi. HotelChatter has the Best WiFi Hotel list to help make the right choice.

Booking hotels through travel sites is quick, but surprisingly don't always offer the best deals. I use travel sites to find good deals, but then call my selected hotel directly to inquire about local or unadvertised deals. Sometimes that simple phone call pays off: Not long ago I called the Omni Parker House in Boston and was quoted a rate for a standard room. I asked if they had larger rooms for families. Yes they did, came the reply. They had deluxe rooms that were twice as large, but the same rate as the standard room. If the phone inquiry doesn't yield a bargain, I book through the website. I seem to trust websites more these days to get it right!

The PCWorld article also referenced my favorite travel website, TripAdvisor. This site has saved me from disasters several times, including a time I was booked into the Beverly Hilton. I learned from recent traveler posts on TripAdvisor that the hotel was being renovated, so I called in advance and requested a room away from the construction. Other people at the hotel complained all week about the noise and debris, while I was in a quiet, newly-renovated room. The site is also great for getting restaurtant recommendations, although I prefer Chowhound too.

Finally, my brother-in-law introduced me to the best rental car website called RentalCarMomma.com. Not only is it a great name, but they often have the best prices from major brands across the country.

I will close this post and resist the temptation to complain about the quality of air travel today. As my mother taught me, "if you don't have anything nice to say about a person or airline industry, then don't say anything!"

Happy trails!

Best of the ABA in San Francisco

I just returned from the 2007 ABA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, so thought I'd share a few thoughts, comments, and new ideas:

I had the pleasure of presenting Technology for the Rest of Us with the incomparable Tom O'Connor of the Legal Electronic Document Institute. We had a great audience, with whom we shared information and gained new knowledge, such as:

• Dual LCD monitors are now becoming standard issue on busy lawyer desktops. One screen can be used for doing work one documents, etc., and the other for managing your calendar, clients, tasks,and email. Combined, they take less space than the old CRT monitors.
• Remote back-up for all computer files is also quickly becoming the new standard in protection for law firms. Due diligence is needed when selecting a vendor to keep these files confidential.
• Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.0 continues to impress every lawyer who sees it in action, especially as to creating searchable text PDFs, redacting, and e-mail features with Outlook.
• Smaller firms have yet to feel the impending impact of EDD.  Many big firms have head-on experience with EDD, but it doesn't seem to have affected many smaller litigation firms--yet.
• More of our audience--from across the spectrum of firm sizes--were interested in document management technology than case management software. This confirms a trend I've been seeing for some time.

I also had the pleasure of meeting solo lawyer, Brian Hermanson from Ponca City, Oklahoma, and serving with him on a panel for the National Conference of Bar Presidents Metropolitan Bar Caucus.  The panel discussed innovative ways metro bar associations can serve their solo and small firm members. Our suggestions included:

• Delivering CLE across numerous platforms, including podcasting (some bars are doing this already).
• Conducting surveys to gather market intelligence on staff salaries, hourly rates, and marketing trends for smaller law firms.
• Entering into co-branding agreements with the ABA and other bars to distribute their books, articles, and content to their members.

It is clear that many bars want to do more to assist solo and small firm practitioners to improve their practices and the delivery of service to their clients.

From a terrific panel of firm financial managers moderated by Ed Poll, comes these interesting ideas:

• Firms are taking advantage of the new check scanners offered by some banks to more quickly and securely deposit client checks.
• More firms are closing their billing on the 25th day of each month to get their bills into the "first of the month" billing cycle of clients--both businesses and individuals.
• Law firms are putting more pressure on partners to collect bills sooner (nothing new there!), but they are using automated e-mail and other added technology features now available in many time & billing programs to keep the pressure on, well, automatically!
• Larger firms are doing more to ensure that each new client matter has a signed representation letter or agreement before starting any work. This is a smart practice, and is just one area where large firms tend to lag behind smaller firms.   

And finally, I was able to enjoy a bit of San Francisco hospitality with friends, Jim Calloway, Sharon Nelson, John Simek, the aforementioned Tom O'Connor, and others, but I made a late night solo trek to one of my favorite restaurants, Brandy Ho's in Chinatown for their amazing Smoked Duck Hunanese. It isn't the fanciest restaurant in San Francisco, but it is where I left my heart!

BlawgWorld 2007 eBook is eAwesome

Technolawyer publisher, Neil Squillante has hit a homerun with the launch of his latest eBook, BlawgWorld 2007. This free downloadable book is a hand-selected collection of 77 essays from around the world of legal blawging, including a post from yours truly.  While I am humbled to be a part of this landmark publication, I am more excited that I can finally sit down and read the best of the best bloggers all in one place. I am just a fraction of the way through the 77 essays, but they are extremely insightful and full of interesting and valuable opinions, ideas, and innovations. 

What may be even more helpful to many readers is the companion 2007 TechnoLawyer Problem/Solution Guide that accompanies the download. This guide is in a unique question and answer format that provides guidance and a link to vendors and consultants who can help solve the technoIssues that impact most law firm in the US and Canada. 

Congratulations to Neil, editor Sara Skiff, and to all the essayists included in the eBook.

Levitt & Rosch Launch New Internet Newsletter for Lawyers

Carole Levitt and Mark Rosch, authors of The Lawyer's Guide to Fact-Finding on the Internet, have launched a newsletter to help lawyers locate information integral to their client's cases. Like the book, the semi-monthly publication includes web sites that are useful for investigations, depositions, and trial preparation, as well as company and medical research, gathering competitive intelligence, finding expert witnesses, and fact checking of all kinds. As an added bonus, the four-color newsletter also will include legal technology Web sites, legal research Web sites, search engines, public records, and various tech tips, according to publisher, ALI-ABA.

I not only have the last two editions of their book, but I just received the first issue of their terrific newsletter. I still don't know where they find all this good stuff! I could spend hours searching Google or Vivisimo and still not locate the free and low-cost information that Carole and Mark find.  That's why they are so good at their jobs, and why the newsletter is worth every cent of the subscription price!

Thoughtful Legal Management

Congratulations to David Bilinsky for launching his blawg, Thoughtful Legal Management. I've known David for many years, and find his financial management and technology articles, presentations, and musings, to be exceptional. In fact, his recent article co-authored with Dan Pinnington is a must-read. I am pleased to add Dave's blawg to my blogroll and my iGoogle page for regular reading.

Coast to Coast on the Legal Talk Network

I haven't had a chance to blog about the Legal Talk Network, an interactive multi-media resource for lawyers.  LTN is a prime mover in the new era of Internet broadcasting--podcasting if you must.  It's really "on-demand" radio, allowing the listener to select their own content and play it at a time most convenient for them--a far more efficient use of time to learn. 

While I have been a listener for months, last week I had the privilege of being a guest on Coast to Coast, a weekly program hosted by attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams.  The program tackles topics of great interest to lawyers; recent editions address DNA evidence, tort reform, and the "Battle Over Blackberry".  I was pleased to talk with Bob and Craig about the business of law.  While the practice of law is a profession, a law practice is a business. The business of law continues to change, and lawyers must continue to remain aware of those changes and act accordingly.  As Will Rogers once said "Even if you're on the right track, you'll still get run over if you just sit there." Our discusssion is definitely worth 30 minutes of your time!

There are many other great programs for lawyers on the LTN, and more are added each week.  You can listen to any of them right from your desktop, or download to your MP3 for listening on the way home or anywhere you choose. Gotta love technology!

2005 Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers

Yes, a gift guide. And I don't make a penny from it. No links to Amazon, no Google-Ads. Go figure! It's just my way of making life easier for lawyers, their spouses, colleagues and partners.  I've never even attempted it before so I can honestly say it is by far the best gift guide I have ever compiled.  I've been spanning the globe to find the best gifts for lawyers. Practical gifts, fun gifts, outrageous gifts, and more.  Whether you are buying for your partners and associates, or are looking for ideas for your favorite lawyer, here are 10 recommendations that will please even the most discerning barrister:

ABSMini Back-up System:   This pocket-sized external hard-drive is not only practical, but is one of the sexiest tech products to hit the market .  It's sleek form is a cross between a pewter hip flask and a stainless steel cigarette case. But don't let the small size fool you, it can hold over 60 gigs of your most important data.  It comes complete with BounceBack Express back-up software to make it the perfect back-up system for a notebook computer or home or office computer.  Prices start at under $180.

Custom-made Wooden Computer Peripherals:   Enhance the look and feel of your office by adding solid wood peripherals from Wood Contour.  Whether it's a solid wood monitor in European Cherry, a wireless mouse in American Walnut, or a keyboard made from a solid slab of mahogany, these one-of-a-kind pieces will set your office apart from all others.  Prices start at $150 with exotic wood sets topping $2300.  Sweet!

Airzooka: He who dies with the most toys still wins, and this is a must-have toy.  The Airzooka is a harmless plastic toy that shoots a ball of air over 30 feet, and it will knock a hat off your head at 20. I oughta know, my sons and I each have one!  A great way to blow off some steam in the home or office. About $14 from on-line and traditional retailers.

The Successful Lawyer: From the ridiculous to the sublime.  The ABA brings us an amazing audio CD  set featuring over 5 hours of profitable ideas and practical advice from global legal management guru, Gerry Riskin.  The CDs contain 4 to 11 minute segments on a wide range of useful topics, including creative thinking, getting referrals, active listening, becoming more profitable, overcoming fee resistance, delegating assignments, and managing time.  It makes the perfect commuting companion, not to mention a worthwhile investment in your legal career!

R/C Laser Tag "Shocking" Tanks:  For the competitive spirit in any law firm, these remote control battle tanks are the ultimate in "friendly" competition.  When engaged in battle, just shoot your infra-red cannon at your opponent. A successful hit will deliver a shock to your opponent via his or her controller. Luckily, the controllers come with wrist straps to avoid them from accidentally being thrown across the office.  Be sure to get a pair for you favorite opposing counsel!

Legal Comedy: The Austin Bar & Grill Singers are a truly talented group of lawyers who find the best and worst of our profession to skewer and lampoon. Any of their three CDs would make a thoughtful stocking stuffer, sure to bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded of all attorneys.  But don't take my word, listen to a clip here. 

Bose QuietComfort 2 Headphones: Yes, I own a pair of these marvels, and they are worth every penny of the $300 my wife spent for them.  If you travel by air with any frequency at all, a set of these will make your trip far more enjoyable. No cabin noise, no crying babies.  You'll arrive at your destination with a whole new attitude!

Griffin iTalk: Turn Your iPod into a dictation machine with this $40 Apple add-on from Griffin Technology.  The iTalk plugs neatly into the top of your iPod for hours of dictation time.  The question is, does it make your iPod tax deductible?

Leave it to Hammacher Shlemmer to offer the most advanced practical golf joke.  The Remote Control Golf Ball looks like a real ball, but includes a remote, allowing you to change the path of the ball, confounding your golfing partners. Two balls and remotes are $40. Of course, having two will definitely lead to racing them down the office hallways.

Auto Safety: We're all guilty of talking on our cell phones, holding the phone to our ear and driving with one hand. Not smart, but the phone makes a commute or drive to court more productive. Bluetooth wireless headsets are changing that, and the Logitech Mobile Traveller Headset is the tipping point to make the switch to hands-free talking. No cord, clear sound, a WindStop microphone and other features makes for an excellent solution.   About $80 at traditional and on-line retailers.

Head to BlawgThink 2005

I hate the idea of missing BlawgThink 2005!  I attended LexThink 1.0 and loved the experience, so I am disappointed to miss this latest conference from the LexThink Crew.

BlawgThinkers Matt Homann and Dennis Kennedy have put together a great slate of events and non-events. Yes, non-events--just time to think, share and build on ideas.  Whether you have yet to launch your own blawg or Have Blawg, Will Travel, this conference promises to deliver. There is still time to register and attend the November 11 & 12 event.

Email Matt@Lexthink.com.  Tell him you are taking my spot. I'll just stay home and pout!