Futurelawyer

The Internet Is Not Your Friend.

Discover Life. Michael Wade has a great post today about the illusion of intimacy provided by the Internet and Social Media. Facebook friends are not true friends; although, they can become friends. Social media is addictive because we crave approval and validation. But, it can become a dark hole into which our sense of reality collapses. Get up from the computer, go outside, have a real conversation with a real person, and say hello to your family. Don't forget what another human smells like, tastes like, and sounds like. The Internet can be a compelling good, where we can do productive work, make real connections to other humans, and experience much of what is good about life. But, in sum, it is an illusory choice, and nothing can compare to the real thing. Never forget.

Starlink - It's Not Your Father's Internet.

Starlink Full US Coverage...Cell Phone Soon. Starlink now provides broadband Internet throughout the U.S. Every new batch of satellites that Elon Musk pushes into the sky makes the service better and more complete. In addition, the promise of cell phone coverage is now coming true, and it won't be long until complete phone and Internet use is available to all Starlink customers.

What Do The Three Bears Have In Common With Chrome Extensions?

Extensions are software programs built on web technologies (such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) that enable users to customize the Chrome browsing experience. We are all familiar with the fairy tale, in which Goldilocks meets the three bears, Baby, Mama and Papa. I have compared the story in the past to the bears, in that there are computers for every taste. Small, medium and large. In the same sense, browser extensions each serve a particular purpose, and each user is able to customize their browser to meet their needs. However, striking a balance between too many extensions, and not enough to meet every day needs, can be challenging. I often find that I will install an extension, use it once, and then find, over time, that it sits unused, consuming valuable computer resources. So, I clean out the closet, and start all over again. I have reached a pretty good balance recently, and am down to six basic extensions: AIPRM Plus, which is a query creator for Chat GPT, AdBlock Plus, which limits intrusive ads from websites, Capital One and Honey shopping extensions, which find the lowest prices on items I am looking to buy, and Volume Master, which allows me to regulate the volume of sound from different sources on the Internet, as I browse. Your choices depend on your own needs; but, in all cases, make sure you don't overload the browser with many extensions that use a lot of memory, and can slow down and clog your system. Now, check your extensions, and get on about the day.

 

Why I Installed My Starlink Dish On The Roof Of The RV.

Florida Lawyer's Guide To Efiling.

Florida Courts Efiling Requirements. My favorite Florida Bar website contains many how to do it seminars on Florida law practice. Today, I am highlighting the one hour webinar on Efiling in the Florida Court System. A Florida lawyer is now required to efile all pleadings, motions and other papers in the State efiling system, with few exceptions (original Wills, etc.). So, as a solo lawyer, I can practice law in all of Florida from a computer terminal. Of course, many ordinary court hearings are now conducted via Zoom video teleconferencing, and many lawyers conduct depositions, client conferences and other events online. The efficiencies and advantages of an online law practice are undeniable. In fact, such a virtual practice makes my avocation of RV lawyering possible. Florida lawyers can do a lot of their work wherever they are, as long as they have a computer and broadband Internet access. Of course, there are major exceptions to this; including jury trials, criminal trials, and other major events. Florida has always been a leader in efiling, and I am proud that I was part of the original effort to standardize efiling across the State. Even if you aren't a lawyer, you should educate yourself about the process. It is the system your lawyer is using to file paperwork in your case. 

In 1994, In A Galaxy Far, Far Away.

As I reach the fifty first anniversary of my induction into the Florida Bar in 1972, I suppose, like all old people, I ask myself how time passed so quickly. As I participated yesterday, for the second year in a row, in the Technology Symposium of the Standing Committee on Technology of the Florida Bar at the Bar Convention, I was again struck by the youth of the other participants. I thought back to the 1994 Bar Convention, when my Committee (the first version of the Committee on Technology) introduced our fellow Bar members to this new thing called the Internet. I saved the banner from our presentations; and, it can be seen in these photos. We had computer terminals installed at the Convention, so that lawyers could see the promise of a new way of finding case law, and communicating with colleagues. In our wildest dreams, we never considered that we would be carrying computers in our pockets and on our wrists in the not too distant future. Sometimes, I wish that I could be around in another 30 years, to see where technology has taken us. But, that privilege will be reserved for the fresh, young faces that I observed yesterday. Be good to each other. Time flies.

The Florida Bar - 2023 Annual Convention - Annual Technology Symposium

I am happy, again, to be a presenter at the Florida Bar Convention Annual Technology Symposium, at the Boca Raton Resort on June 21st. I, and Carlos Baradat, will be presenting on tools, software and hardware, and methods for practicing law remotely. My readers know that using tech to practice anywhere I happen to be, is one of my lifelong passions. Technology has advanced to the point that physical location of the lawyer is no longer relevant. The tools are able to be worn, carried, or used anywhere. Satellite Internet, wearable computers, and cloud access to software and data, have made it easy to do what needs to get done, wherever I am. I married my love of law to my love of driving around in my RV, and have outfitted my RV with a desk, chair, Internet access, a large screen monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, and anything else I used to use at the office or at home. Many are living the nomadic lifestyle, and, since the pandemic, Zoom video conferences have become court hearings, in most routine cases. The biggest new development is world wide Internet access using Elon Musk's Starlink satellite system. It isn't completely ubiquitous yet; but, married to cellular Internet available to most phone systems as a backup, it is possible to access software and data just about anywhere in the world. Anyone who wants a copy of our slide presentation, let me know after the Convention. 

Confirmation Bias Is Not Legal Research.

The Perils of Consulting An Electric Monk For Legal Research. This is a wonderful article on the recent ChatGPT legal research kerfuffle involving a hapless lawyer who relied on ChatGPT's made up cases in a legal memorandum. Reliance on information from someone else is a product of the information age. In this case, of course, the lawyer didn't go far enough to check the accuracy of the information provided by the AI, and is paying the price. But, as Jordan Furlong points out, we all do it all the time. We are so enamored by answers that align with our beliefs, that we accept them at face value. Confirmation bias is present in everything modern humans do. We have become consumers of information, and there is so much of it that we don't always check it for accuracy. Our antennae must be up at all times in an environment of the Internet of Things, in which computers and answers generated by them will be more and more in our lives. Be careful out there.

The Generative AI Wars Have Another Army Ready To Go.

Google Palm 2 Announced By Google. Google didn't let grass grow under its feet, and expanded on Bard, its AI challenger to ChatGPT4, with Palm 2. Neither I nor my readers will likely understand the nuances of Generative AI; but we need to be conversant with the players. They will be behind most of the apps and sites we use every day. Google has the largest training database to use with its AI offerings, and that alone will make it a player in the AI battles to come. You need to become conversant with the different offerings so that you can learn to use them. Palm 2 versus ChatGPT4 versus Google Bard versus whatever comes next. Compute on.

Is 5G Living Up To The Hype?

5G Rollout Disappointments. You don't have to be a road warrior lawyer to need fast cellular Internet access. As our lives go faster, and our dependence on broadband Internet increase, the need for speed follows us everywhere: to the courthouse, the grocery store, our relatives' and friends' homes, and everywhere else our busy lives take us. We carry our lives on our phones in our pockets, and slow Internet doesn't get the job done. As 5G cellular access becomes more ubiquitous, however, there are always some problems, just as 4G was, in its infancy. I have added satellite Internet access for my travels, partly because I love adopting new tech; but, also to hedge my bets. In my travels in the RV, I always have options for Internet, and I have yet to face a situation in which both cellular Internet and satellite Internet don't do the job. Of course, there is always RV park WiFi; but, it is notoriously slow, and insecure. I have gotten into the habit of using a VPN everywhere, in order to secure my traffic whatever avenue I am taking to the Net. So, by all means, use your 5G cellular Internet first, before you default to WiFi; and consider adding Starlink to your arsenal. Be a lawyer wherever you are.