Futurelawyer

How To Sell Software Upgrades - Tip Number One.

We all get the emails. There is an upgrade to your software. Buy it and your software will continue to work. There is a new software vulnerability that this upgrade will fix. Some software companies provide such upgrades for free. The subscription model ensures that the company will get some of your money indefinitely. But, in this life, there are no coincidences, and you need to evaluate upgrades accordingly.  

The FutureLawyer Is Not Infallible, After All.

Perfect It By Intelligent Editing. I am the Grammar Police. Hell, I am the Chief of Police. I have been editing, proofreading, writing, and correcting documents my entire life. I am the guy who catches the errors in the news articles, signs, and other people's work, and calls them on it. And, while I am a die hard, long time user of WordPerfect, I am swimming in a sea of Word users in my chosen profession of law. So, I had to learn Word, and I had to use it to work with documents created by others. But, when I installed a copy of PerfectIt, which loads from the ribbon in Microsoft Word, and checks the document for errors and inconsistencies, and tried it several years ago, I didn't think much of it. Now, however, an upgrade to Version 5, for $49 (new users pay $70) per year, has me thinking that I might be using Word more often. Don't get me wrong, I will still use WordPerfect every day. But, I am considering converting my WordPerfect documents to Word format just for the pleasure of running them through PerfectIt. Any editor who can make corrections for a FutureLawyer created document has my respect. If you are a lawyer who uses Word every day, or even occasionally, you need this software. If you don't, be assured that I will be correcting your documents when you send them to me.

Do You Know Where Your Data Is?

Acronis True Image Is Where My Data Is. I am always preaching about data back up, because the digital space is invisible to us, and we keep our lives there. My question isn't completely rhetorical. I really do want to know where my essential data is, all the time, every time. Storage is key. I keep much of my data safe by storing it on Micro SDs, USB drives, and in the cloud. The more places it is stored, the better the likelihood I can find it in a catastrophe. One method I have used is to create a digital image of my drives on a regular basis. While I have recently been using the Windows based imaging app, it was failing on a regular basis, and I didn't trust it anymore. So, I spent $49.99 on an old faithful, Acronis True Image, now named Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office. I don't need the Anti Virus and Cyber Protection functions, since I have Malwarebytes for that; but, the imaging and other security tools are second to none. It keeps as running image of my drive on a 2 Terabyte USB external drive, and a backup image on my portable 2 Terabyte drive that I carry around. It works in the background, and, since I have it scheduled every night at 2 in the morning, I never have to follow it around. It never ceases to amaze me that otherwise intelligent people, who install security systems on their homes and offices, and fancy locks on their doors, don't do rudimentary things to protect their lifeblood data. No more preaching. I will just lead by example. If you don't follow, that is on you.

 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Need Data Analytics To Run My Practice.

I see a lot of legal tech software developers and entrepreneurs touting data analytics software to help decision making in the practice of law. Collecting this data and then using it to make decisions about your law practice seems to have accelerated with cloud computing. In the words of the late Carl Sagan, there are "billions and billions" of data out there begging to be collated, organized, collected and simplified into usable chunks, and easier to apply to the practice of law. However, as a solo, I have no need for all this data. I make decisions in a far simpler, and, in my view, more intelligent way. I live in the present, and make decisions based upon the data in front of me. If a decision turns out to be wrong or ill advised, I am in a unique position to pivot, and change things. Why? Because I make all the decisions. Who runs your practice?

Malwarebytes - One Back To School Sale Not To Be Missed.

Back To School Cyberprotection. Protection of kids going back to school from the Pandemic is on the minds of all Americans this month. However, protection against viruses isn't only biological. The computers on which our society rely are subject to attack from real evildoers, and viruses, ransomware attacks, and other assaults on our privacy. IMHO, the best of the best protection comes from putting Malwarebytes between your computer and the Internet. I never connect to the Internet without my computer having a copy of Malwarebytes installed and running. It is the best $40 I spend on my computer each year. I also install it on Diane's computer, and it greatly reduces the time I have to spend fixing problems. There are many other strategies available for computer safety, including, but not limited to, using VPNs (virtual private networks) and two factor authentication when visiting websites; but, the first, and foremost protection you can give your system, is a competent anti-virus, anti-malware, anti-ransomware, and anti-web intrusion software application. Malwarebytes is on sale for $23.99 for the first year now, and, if you want the best, I recommend it highly. They don't pay me to say that. Be careful out there.

Start 11 Is Here - Get Ready For Windows 11.

Stardock Start 11. If you have been paying attention to me over the last few years, you know that I love the intuitive, lower left feel of the Windows 7 system. Stardock, for peanuts, ($5) has given me, and every Windows computer I have owned, the ability to ignore Microsoft's brain dead tile system, and other annoyances, by allowing me to customize the way I interact with them. Now, in anticipation of the Windows 11 launch on October 5th, 2021, the new version of Start, Start 11, is here. If you have taken my advice, and installed previous versions, you can upgrade for $3.95. Next to Malwarebytes, Start is the first thing I install on every new computer. How do you talk to your computer?

FutureLawyer Breathes A Sigh Of Relief As He Reviews One UI Watch.

Galaxy Watch 4 One UI Watch. I admit that I was a little worried about the coming Galaxy Watch 4. I have grown to love the Galaxy watch line, and the Tizen OS. It is intuitive, easy to use, and very efficient. I am happy that Samsung has kept the Tizen OS look and feel on top of adding Wear OS to its watches. In fact, Galaxy Wear isn't even visible, as the Tizen icons and commands are virtually identical to the Watch 3. Thanks, Samsung and Google, for recognizing that the Tizen interface was superior to the original Wear OS.

Storing Information For Quick Retrieval.

OneNote To Rule Them All. It's the information, baby. We store a lot of information and data every day. The key to a productive law practice is the use, analysis, access, and general ability to retrieve that information in an efficient way. Keeping notes on an electronic device like an EInk pad, and sending files back and forth from the Notepad device and the notebook computer you use every day, is one way. Storing data in an organized fashion using Notepad, or Google Keep, or PDF files on the Boox Note Air, are my preferred methods. I can call up a PDF image of my daily calendar going back to 2005. Since 2011, I have recorded my notes, either on paper calendars, which I have scanned into my system as PDF files, or on an EInk notepad, which eliminates the scanning step. The fewer steps required to store, and later retrieve, useful information, the more productive we become. So, become a real information professional. Use the technology and tools available to you. The less time you spend creating databases and storage, the more time you have to analyze, think, and do what you were trained to do. Now, get up out of the chair, and do something.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Can Manage My Life And My Finances For $35.99 A Year.

Quicken Starter For Windows. When I am traveling, one of the most valuable pieces of software on my computer is Quicken. I can keep daily track of every bank account, and each is updated with the bank's computers, allowing me to see and manage my finances and law practice anytime anywhere. Coupled with modern credit card updates, which send me a text or email with every purchase, I can keep track of everything on a mobile phone or tablet or computer. The data is backed up daily, and I have used it for many years now. Recently, I needed to find a disbursement from my trust account for a closing that I did in 2011. A simple click, click on my Quicken app, and the transaction was recovered. I realize that larger firms require a more complicated system of financial controls; but, Quicken is perfect for the solo. What's in your computer?

Docusign And Its Alternatives - Is The Wet Signature Dead?

Docusign Alternatives. One of the most useful applications in my legal arsenal is Docusign. Lawyers deal with situations all the time, in which clients or others need to sign documents for filing or recording, and mailing paper and waiting on a signature to be mailed back can derail a project. While I am happy with Docusign, the Alternative, JotForm, has written an article that highlights the many alternatives to it, all of which serve the same purpose. Regardless of which application you choose for electronic signatures, make yourself aware of the options.