Futurelawyer

Old Electronics? Don't Recycle. Repurpose.

#Techtips - Out With The Old. In With The New. I was shocked, shocked I tell you, to read this month's Florida Bar Tech Tips column. Recycling old tech and electronics? Blasphemy. I never saw tech I didn't like. And, I never throw it away. That is saying something from someone who has spent most of his disposable income on tech and gadgets for the last 40 years. I have cell phones in drawers that are older than most of the lawyers in Florida. My recent experience in stocking an RV for tech travel is instructive. I have collected a bunch of old, no longer used, tech and repurposed it for travel use. There is an old Samsung 18 inch tablet that was sitting around that now serves as an entertainment and web browsing station. There is an old TV that was unused in the RV bedroom. There are cables, and USB hubs and the Lord knows what else interspersed throughout connecting things. An old Smartphone serves as a WiFi hotspot for the coach. My current notebook and its peripherals still come with me for real work, accompanied by a portable printer that was used for travel that became less and less over the years. I could go on; but, I hope you get the picture. So, before you waste time and money recycling old tech, ask yourself this question: how can I use this marvelous technology for a new purpose?

Make Your Law Office And Vacation Home Pandemic Proof

I know. Nobody wants to get on an airplane, or stay in a hotel these days. So, why not bring your travel and hotel with you? There is a new addition to the FutureLawyer parking lot. Let the fun begin. Safe in a Pandemic. More powerful than a speeding VW. Mobile law office. What's not to like?

The FutureLawyer Invented RV Lawyering.

I started remote lawyering at the local flea market in the Nineties, mostly to do something on the weekends and get out of the office. I set up the RV and put a table and chairs out front. I had vinyl signs draped on the RV and wanted to show off what a mobile lawyer could do with the current technology. I have attached an article a Lawyer's Weekly USA journalist wrote about this crazy lawyer in Pinellas County that was practicing solo in an RV. So, I thought about that interlude when I was considering something to travel in with Diane. It isn't about your geographical location. It's about what is between your ears. And, it is about how to use the current technology available to you to deliver legal services in an efficient, affordable way. Yes, that is the younger FutureLawyer perched on the hood of my Class C. The photographer made me do it.

This Is The RV I Really Wanted.

2011 Newell. I swear, this motorhome is 9 years old, and it is STILL nicer and more expensive than my house. But, the Futurelawyer would be traveling, and lawyering, in style, baby. Only $650,000 to a rich, discerning purchaser.

#WhyILiveInFlorida - Even Underwater, It Is Beautiful.

Live Underwater Reef In Miami, Florida. Execupundit lives in Arizona, which is beautiful everywhere above ground. Today, he links to a reason I love and live in Florida, which is beautiful both above and underwater. In both places, a temperate climate is more human friendly than the frozen tundra of the North. Why else would Tom Brady come to Florida? 

No Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas

Six years ago today I was preparing for the Pandemic in Las Vegas.

Richard Georges

January 6, 2015 · 

Practicing Law In Las Vegas.
I know that some lawyers think that my fascination with technology and its enhancement of the practice of law is crazy. However, while I am here at CES in Las Vegas, perhaps a lesson can be learned. I am waiting for the Exhibits to open to the Press at 10 A.M. here at the Las Vegas Convention Center. I am having a cup of coffee and, a minute ago, my SmartWatch vibrated. I glanced down and saw a Tampa phone number. I took the call on my LG necklace bluetooth headset and it was a clerk at a law firm who had my invoice in hand, and couldn't find the file on her computer. While talking to her, I brought up a PDF of a pleading in the case, and then accessed the file at the Clerk's office. I brought up a copy of the Complaint that had been filed by her firm, and the local firm case number was at the bottom. Eureka. I gave her the number and I should have a check when I get back. There is no fear and loathing in MY Las Vegas. Only efficiency and the use of technology to practice law anywhere. Now, let's get to the Exhibits.

Wanna Be A Road Warrior Lawyer? Get A Jelly Pro.

Jelly Pro Tricks - Make Your Own WiFi Router. Do what gives you joy. I have followed that mantra since I first heard it many years ago. What gives me joy this morning is finding another way to use my tech for a new purpose. As my readers know, I buy and test many gadgets and phones. So, I have many working smartphones laying around, and in my briefcase. One of my favorites is a cute little Jelly Pro miniature phone. I like it because it is a full LTE smartphone, running a relatively recent version of Android. So, since I will be traveling by RV in the near future, at first on weekend trips, I will need WiFi access for TV, Internet, and Diane. A WiFi hotspot is the best solution, since WiFi in RV parks can be spotty and slow. Rather than buy a dedicated hotspot, it occurred to me that putting one of the phones in hotspot mode would do the trick. But, which one? The JellyPro is tiny, light, and ideal to put in a pocket. We would be carrying our own Internet connection everywhere. TMobile has a 30 gigabyte hotspot plan for phones for $25 a month. 30 Gigabytes is a lot of Internet, streaming, and general WiFi use for several simultaneous devices. What's in your pocket?

Is This The FutureLawyer's New Office?

My readers all know that I am a long time proponent of mobile lawyering, and in finding tech that supports the objective of being a productive lawyer no matter your physical location. I have toyed with the idea of a new RV for a long time. In the early days of computing, I had an RV lawyering setup; but, the RV engine was not reliable, and the kids revolted when I broke down in the middle of Florida and we had to stay overnight in a motel while the RV was repaired. In any event, the Covid 19 pandemic has curtailed our ambitious travel plans, and I really don't feel comfortable on cruise ships or planes. So, we are considering going mobile again. Tech advances have made it easier than ever to practice law anywhere, and I might just never come home.

Your Phone Is Your Portable Movie Screen, Law Office, And Entertainment Center.

I have been putting the new Nexdock through its paces, and it is a great notebook computer substitute if you want to travel light, but also have the ability to do real work on a real keyboard. Android has versions of Word and some Word substitutes available that work great on the Nexdock. I have loaded thousands of my WordPerfect legal forms on the phone, and Word handles them fine. But, the surprise for me was that the Nexdock serves as a portable movie and video screen with great sound. I got a little $10 bracket that allows the phone to connect to the computer with a magnetic mount. I can load up Netflix or any other video app on the phone and the dock becomes a TV. The best part is that it is plug and play. Connect the phone to the Nexdock with a USB cable, and it is on instantly. Connect to bluetooth headsets or smartglasses and you can have full screen goodness while traveling. This assumes, of course, that any of us ever travel again. For now, it is a great way to have something playing while I am working. Excuse me, this trial is getting interesting.

St. Pete Becomes One Of The Top Ten Places To Visit.

St Pete Named Top Ten City By Conde Nast. When I began law school in 1969, St. Petersburg was filled with green benches, and was known as a retiree haven. In the Twenties, it became a winter refuge for northerners tired of snow and cold. But, in my time here, I have watched as it became a place where the weather and sunshine attracted a new group of people, with a new dynamic. Now, I am not bashful about telling everyone that St. Pete is the best kept travel secret around. Conde Nast agrees.