Futurelawyer

Continuing Legal Education Is Free At LegalFuel.

LegalFuel. The active practice of any profession requires continuous learning. Keeping up with changes in law, and better ways to practice is a requirement to maintain a law license, and the Florida Bar wants to help. I have again begun doing Bar work, with current memberships on the Senior Lawyer's Section and the Standing Committee on Technology. (I am both old and a techie). I enjoy applying my skills and interests in areas in which I am skilled and interested. Old lawyers can learn new tricks. In any event, the LegalFuel website will be undergoing some changes in the near future, and an excellent place for resources and information will get better and easier to use. In the meantime, check out the learning area where the learning is free. Every day alive is another day to learn something new. Every day learning something new is a way to stay alive.

Legal Research - Thinking, And Searching, Outside The Box.

Ernie Svenson's Law Firm Autopilot is a great resource for lawyers who want to improve the function of their law office. Ernie is always thinking about solutions to making the law office better. This little video is an example of "out of the box" thinking that can make our lives, and lawyers, easier and more efficient. Legal research is not just about searching for cases and statutes. It is about the whole panoply of human knowledge, and searching for people and ways that others have already dealt with a current problem; whether it be office management, software, or hardware related. In this case, Ernie talks about going beyond the default "search in Google" strategy. What about other media where millions of people connect? I would go even further, and suggest checking MeWe, Twitter, and other social media sites. Where are you going for your next problem? 

#WhyIAmASolo - My Pay Doesn't Depend Upon An Academic Hierarchy Or A Faculty Committee.

At Some Law Schools, Why Are Some Called Instructors And Some Called Professors? When I was a part-time Law School Professor, I wasn't paid much, and I had an active law practice at the same time. I had no shot at tenure, and my job depended on the school's whims from semester to semester. Educational bureaucracy depends on faculty committees, politics, and teachers are on a lower rung of the academic ladder than so called "full" professors. As a lawyer, my income is based on a much more merit based system, and the opinion of my clients and colleagues is the only thing that matters. Where are you going to work today?

The Trial Lawyer's Discovery Bible.

2021 Discovery Handbook. "In 1994, the Trial Lawyers Section of The Florida Bar, the Conference of Circuit Judges, and the Conference of County Court Judges formed a joint committee to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on how to improve the day-to-day practice of law for trial lawyers and trial judges. At the committee’s first meeting, it was the overwhelming
consensus that “discovery abuse” should be the top priority." This first paragraph of the 2021 Trial Lawyer's Handbook describes the joint effort to make discovery effective and ethical for Florida trial lawyers. However, the book is a guide to ethical litigation everywhere. It is nice to romanticize trial law as a Perry Mason challenge of wit and daring in a courtroom. But, good discovery will, as boring and time consuming and expensive as it is, win or lose many more cases than a flamboyant lawyer talking to a Judge or Jury. I am many years past wanting to spend my days in litigation and conflict. But, if you are in the arena, download and print this book. It is a road map and a bible. It should be at your side every step of the way.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Do Job Interviews.

If you are caught in the interminable and unproductive interview trap looking for a job, ask yourself why you aren't figuring out a way to go solo, and be sure you will get the job without an interview. It is harder to build a practice alone; but, it is the most satisfying thing I ever did. Admittedly, I did it blind, with the innocence of youth, and with a supportive wife who had a job. But, never reject, out of hand, the possibility that you can do it yourself. There are many sites online to help you. I recommend Carolyn Elefant, and LegalFuel, a site of the Florida bar.

Varjo - Mixed Virtual Immersive Augmented Reality

What if you could train a jet pilot with a realistic in cockpit reality that combines a true view with augmented training aids? What if surgeons could wear a headset that actually put them in the operating theater? While Varjo is already doing this, I imagine a world in which jurors and judges and lawyers could actually go to a scene and augmented reality could inform the actual environment. What if you could train law students in a real courtroom, with augmented players in the other roles? Augmented reality is the future, and it is here now. Fast forward through the first 5 minutes of this video, which is just a musical intro. 

Future Lawyers Will Train Like Astronauts.

Susskind predicts that lawyers will train like Astronauts with VR. Legal futurist Richard Susskind shares my view that VR glasses are suitable for much more than spatial visual training for members of the military and astronauts. While these professionals navigate real space and time, and operate complex machinery such as jet aircraft and space vehicles, lawyers navigate courtrooms, and interact with other lawyers, judges, juries and clients. Some of my most beneficial law school training didn't come from long nights reading case law out of a book. We had trial practice training also, and pretended to try cases in real courtrooms. But, that kind of training is expensive and requires a large group of people focused on one matter during a semester of training. VR has the promise of creating such environments inside a headset, and the power of AI can bring a realistic edge to practical training. When dial up access to the Internet and computer video cameras became available in the last century, I saw the promise of a future in which I could be a lawyer in the cloud, conducting hearings and consultations while sitting at my desk looking at a computer screen. I saw the benefits of not having to hop in a car, drive to a courthouse, park the car, walk to a courtroom, sit waiting on a hearing, and then going back to the office. Look at us now.

Make Your Law Firm Pandemic Proof - Set Up Systems Now.

How to Choose Legal Software that will ensure firm continuity. If the Pandemic taught us anything, it is that the ability to run a law firm remotely can be a lifesaver. The law firms that had systems setup in the cloud, and employees trained to work from remote locations clearly had an advantage this past year. Many firms rushed to set up makeshift systems; but, as the Pandemic subsides, there is a natural inclination to slide back into the old ways. Don't. This piece by Nikki Black is a great primer on what you need to do before a problem arises, in order to ensure that your firm will survive the next problem.

EFiling - Be A Lawyer Without Ever Leaving The Office.

EFiling Resources For Florida Lawyers. One of the best things to happen to Florida lawyers in recent years has been the ability to file documents and pleadings electronically in any County in the State. Additionally, one of the unintended consequences of the Pandemic has been the increased use of videoconferencing for court hearings, trial, and other previously in person events. Combined, the Internet has made a remote, virtual law practice possible. Check out this LegalFuel page for checklists and information about EFiling in Florida.

Robotic Tech Can Change Museums And Other Tourism.

Meet Patrice, The Robot Introducing A New World To Homebound Kids. Robots that can be controlled remotely, and which have cameras and microphones, are enabling home bound children to visit museums. One of my favorite museums is the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. I love the gadgets, and the history, and the opportunity to meet some of the people who have played a role in our history. Once, I spent an hour talking to Sandy Grimes, the author of "Circle of Treason", about the capturing of Aldrich Ames, the most notorious spy in U.S. history. While some in person contact has been prohibited for the past year, using robots to move around freely has increased in classrooms and museums and other places that are removed from access for some people, either through disability, or distance. Think of the possibilities for their use in litigation, as proxies for site visits to dangerous or inaccessible places. Think about lawyers using robots, rather than robotic lawyers. Think about augmenting human abilities by giving legs and mobility to the immobile. So, rather than welcoming a race of robotic future lords, let's use robotic tech for good.