Futurelawyer

New GMail Interface - Again.

Google Gmail Interface Opt Out. Google is always tinkering with its interface, and the new one puts all of the Meet, Chat and other features in a row on the left, next to the categories section. The new Material You styling is gradually occupying each of the Google apps, and it will automatically come to your computer, even if you choose to opt out now. The entire design is becoming more of a one stop fits all location, ostensibly to compete with Microsoft Office. While there is no danger of the FutureLawyer leaving the GoogleVerse, it is good that Google is always tweaking and changing. Keeps us alert.

Where Do The Years Go?

As I reach the fiftieth 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 in the Technology Symposium at the Convention, I was struck by the youth of the other participants. I thought back to the 1994 Bar Convention, when my Committee 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 this photo. 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 28 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.

28 Years Of The Internet And Lawyering Has Come A Long Way.

As I prepare for my 50th Florida Bar Convention in June, at which I will be presenting on being a mobile lawyer, using the power of the Internet and Technology, I came across this photo of my first Florida Bar Convention in which we were demonstrating the power of the Internet and Web Browsing. My Committee and I set up a dozen computers and connected to the Internet via telephone lines, and showed lawyers what the power of a world of connected computers could do for lawyers. Lawyers deal with information and using it to advise and counsel, and the Internet made the search for information light years faster and more accurate. It was 1994, and we called it "Surfin' The Net". I kept the graphics banners as symbols of that milestone. I started the FutureLawyer site that same year, and 10 years later, turned it into a blog, which I have posted to almost every day since. I have stored almost 16,000 posts over that time period, and it occurs to me that you could follow them for a pretty comprehensive picture of the progress of legal technology.

If The Link Is On LinkedIn It Is Safe, Isn't It?

Cybervillains-Lurk-on-LinkedIn. In the five years since this article was written, computer and online security has been tested even more by phishing scams, data hijacking, and other criminal activity. However, many of us are lured by the apparent safety of recognized websites that have stellar reputations. LinkedIn has grown by leaps and bounds, and is primarily used by businesses and professionals to create contacts in a chosen field. It is folly, however, to assume that any website or information found on the Internet is safe and secure from criminal activity. Learn as much as you can about computer security. You will never be completely safe; just as you can never guarantee you won't be a victim of a physical crime. But, you can install locks on your doors, cameras in your home and office, and be careful when out and about. Vigilance is half the battle. You are responsible for your own computer security. Be careful out there.

 

I Used To Be A RoadWarrior. Now, I Am A Digital Nomad.

I did a Road Warrior Webinar yesterday for the Florida Bar Committee on Technology, which will be available at the LegalFuel website, and which Michelle Gilbert and I will be doing live at the Florida Bar Convention in June. Today, I came across this FutureLawyer post from ten years ago, in which I was already an old lawyer, and had been using tech for remote lawyering for many years. It is nice that the Pandemic, bad as it was and is, has yanked many lawyers, kicking and screaming, into the future. My whole career has been focused on using tech to make my life easier, because I am basically lazy, and tech has saved me countless hours to do lazy things. Like John Steinbeck, in Travels with Charley, I have been hard working; but, I have "slobbed for a time in utter laziness". Be Mad Max when you are working. But, let tech do the work for you.

Google Assistant Is Lagging? Here's The Fix.

Google Assistant Remove Unused Devices. So, you broke the bank and bought an expensive new Android phone. But, when you call on Google Assistant for advice, there is a definite lag. Guess what? There is a reason. Over the years, you have enabled Assistant on many of your devices, and, even after you bought a new device, you failed to remove the link to the old phone or tablet. Google Assistant is great; but, it slows down when it has to look for a bunch of devices. The newest update to Google Android has a Setting in Google Assistant that allows you to remove all the old devices. Now, your phone will zoom back at you with no delays. OK Google. Let's get to work.

Remote Computer Access - Is That Still A Thing?

How To Use A Chromebook For Remote Access. In the olden days, when FutureLawyer was a boy, we had desktop computers that stayed in one place. We ran our law offices from these big, bulky behemoths that collected dust under our desks. Then, we realized that we wanted to have access to our law firm data from other locations, like home, or hotels, or on vacation. Remote access software became a thing. These days, most of our data and work resides on remote servers somewhere, and we use our tiny, light notebook computers, and tablets and smartphones to access the data using software provided at remote servers. Do we need to access data on desktop computers anymore? Do any of you still have your law firm data stored in a fixed location at your office. If so, here is a blueprint and instructions for using a Chromebook to access it. Ultralight computers can also be carried almost anywhere; so, if you still don't trust cloud storage, you can have your data available anywhere you can carry the computer. The most important thing is that you can be a lawyer wherever you are, using modern tech. Lawyer on.

Sometimes, Circumstantial Evidence Is Overwhelming.

Truth. It is sometimes said that, a million monkeys tapping at a million keyboards, could produce the works of Shakespeare. Let's examine the evidence. Thanks to Michael Wade at Execupundit, who cites Robert Wilensky who posits: "Thanks to the Internet, we know that's not true."

 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Need Big Law And A Big Budget To Be A Lawyer.

Google Scholar. When I was growing up as a lawyer, the biggest expense for my law practice was a law library of Florida cases, and the pocket parts that kept them up to date. I still have a room in the office dedicated to housing hundreds of printed law books. I haven't the heart to get rid of them, and the room doubles as a conference room. The books look pretty; but, are completely useless to me as a place to find out what the law is. This brings me to the present, in which all law is contained in computer servers somewhere, and accessible via artificial intelligence engines which are better at ferreting out useful precedent that I ever was. Google Scholar contains a search engine and access to just about every case ever decided, and is free to anyone. As a basic case finder, it is as good as any paid for service out there. There are other great free legal research sites, of course. But, legal research materials are no longer a cost barrier to the solo lawyer, or any lawyer or citizen, for that matter. Love the tech giants, or hate them, never doubt that they are responsible for the level playing field that a solo lawyer can use to compete against anyone.

Rick's Newsletter - Law, Technology, Poetry, Computers, And Fun.