Blogging Interns Beware
I ran across this interesting article from the New York Times today [via LexBlog Blog]. It covers the sensitive subject of interns blogging about the internal workings of their companies. The difficult issue seems to be this:
Most experienced employees know: Thou Shalt Not Blab About the Company’s Internal Business. But the line between what is public and what is private is increasingly fuzzy for young people comfortable with broadcasting nearly every aspect of their lives on the Web, posting pictures of their grandmother at graduation next to one of them eating whipped cream off a woman’s …
Podcasts During Commutes
I personally think podcasts are one of the greatest things since sliced bread. For the past few weeks (since I got my iPod), I have been downloading audio news in the morning and afternoon for my commutes to and from law school. I found this to be a great way to use my time on the bus to catch up with news, thus killing two birds with one stone.
However, now that I am at my internship for the summer, I can’t download my news as easily. I am not supposed to install programs on my computer at the firm, so …
Paper or Digital: What’s Your Fancy?
In today’s digital age there is quite a bit of debate over the “paperless office.” On one hand, we have the people who want to digitize everything, leaving no scrap of paper piling up on desks and filling waste baskets. On the other side, people want to keep their paper files that they can touch, arrange, tab, and highlight.
In my opinion, paperless is the way to go. With document management systems, it is simple to have any document you need at your fingertips. Moreover, with the proper programs, you can re-arrange, edit, and annotate scans of paper documents.
For another viewpoint, …
Map the Firm, Attorneys, and Clients Online
With today's growing law firms, and even for solo practitioners, keeping track of locations can be a challenge. Sure, you could just keep all your addresses in Outlook or some other contact manager. The better ones will provide you with a nifty little "Map This" button that will pull up an online map for the location. Today I want to propose a better solution for your mapping needs: online community maps.
Community maps have now become a staple on the internet, and I think law firms should take advantage of this great technology. With a community map, you can plot the firm's offices, all of the attorney's homes, client offices, favorite restaurants, etc. The possibilities are endless. The benefits are great: quick and easy directions from place to place, everyone mapped in one bookmarked location, and an easily sharable mapping interface. Now that you are convinced you need an online map for your firm, how do you start one? Keep reading to find out…
Open Source Software at the Firm: Closer Than You Think
What could save law firms thousands of dollars every year? Well, cutting back on the recruitment gifts they send to people like me (:)), but more importantly using open source software.
What is "open source software" you ask? From The Free (Computing) Dictionary:
Refers to software that is created by a development community rather than a single vendor. Typically programmed by volunteers from many organizations, the source code of open source software is free and available to anyone who would like to use it or modify it for their own purposes.
Basically, it …
Legal Blogs: One for All by 2010?
There is an interesting article over at Kevin's LexBlog about lawyers being slow to get onto the blogging bandwagon. I find the author's prediction about the future quite intriguing:
Same thing happened with law firms and websites in the mid to late '90's. Most firms saw no reason to have a website. By 2000, they all had firm websites. With blogs, it will not be all lawyers, but by 2010 the majority of lawyers will be publishing blogs. Those who begin now will be way …
VoIP in the Law Office: Polycom Communicator
I am an avid VoIP (voice over IP = phone over the internet) proponent, so naturally this announcement (great review from MobileWhack.com) from Polycom and Skype got my attention. They are rolling out a new device by the end of June that connects via USB and will allow Skype users to have speakerphone capabilities. Of course, this also frees the user from a headset and wires (me gusta wireless). More than that, the device also doubles as a regular computer speaker, but I have …
Quit Trying to Keep Up
In the midst of studying for exams, I have been huriedly trying to keep up with my RSS feeds, email, and other daily distractions. I have been thinking that something must be amiss. That’s when I ran into this great article on keeping up at Creating Passionate Users (via LifeHacker).
I guess it’s time to do as the article says and “cut the redundancy.” I need to go and weed out my RSS reader.
I think the biggest thing that I do to help myself keep up …
Weekend Retreat Before Exams
My friends think I am crazy, but my wife thinks I am super-husband. Why? This past weekend, I left all my books, laptop, and other electronic gadgets to go on a marriage retreat with her. What is the result? I am feeling better than ever, and ready to tackle exams head on.
Before the retreat, I was seriously suffering from major burnout. I had been working on my term paper, working on outlines, preparing for summer internships, etc. Life was crazy, and the fact that I had a week and a half of law school …
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About Andrew Flusche
Lawyer, bicyclist, husband.
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