I think the single-biggest office technology item that has transformed the practice of law since I started my legal career has been e-mail. This is my main mode of communication with clients and colleagues and I love it. This may frustrate some clients, but I very rarely pick up my phone. The problem is that if I picked up the phone every time it rang (thereby requiring me to drop whatever I'm doing and then re-start it again after the phone conversation) my productivity level would plummet and my clients would collectively suffer. Instead,I check my voicemail messages frequently and then quickly return calls that need immediate attention.
Therefore, e-mail becomes a wonderful communication alternative. I can review messages as they come in and respond to them quickly. This process takes a fraction of the time that the same communication would take with phone calls.
The other nice thing about e-mail is the capacity to instantly send documents to clients. For example, once a client's estate planning documents are drafted and proofread, I can attach the drafts to an e-mail message and the client can have them within seconds. This is a much more appealing alternative to printing out the drafts and a cover letter, putting them in a big envelope, paying $2 or so in postage and then mailing them out so that the client can receive them a couple of days later. E-mail allows me to send documents much faster and with much less expense (with the savings passed onto the client with lower fees, of course). And if the client would rather have paper copies of the drafts then it's very easy to print them out when the e-mail arrives.
The last technology tool I would like to mention in this series of posts is, believe it or not, my MP3 player. I have a Sansa Sandisk MP3 player that I take with me on my training runs each morning. During the 1 to 1.5 hours on the road I certainly listen to some music, but I spend post of the time listening to audio books and podcasts on elder law topics. It's a great way to exercise both the body and mind at the same time. My MP3 also has an FM radio function (not available on the iPod) which allows me to tune into the latest news on NPR. Society expects us attorneys to at least have a working knowledge of what's going on in the world.
So...that's a summary of how I use practical technology to enhance my practice by making me more efficient and cutting down on costs, which is a "win" for my clients when they get their bill. If you're an attorney and you're intrigued by any of this then please feel free to contact me; I love chatting about this stuff.
