These slides were presented at the Missouri Bar Solo & Small Firm Conference in June 2016

1. © 2016 Downey Law Group LLC. For educaƟonal purposes only.
Using
Technology
in
Your
Practice
Michael
Downey
Downey
Law
Group
LLC

2. What’s
Your
Tech
Savvy?
5 – Written
code
for
my
law
practice
4
– Automated
documents
and/or
accounting
3
– Practice
Management
Software
– use
it
*
Calendar/communications
*
Manage
client
files
*
Send
bills
2
– Practice
Management
Software
– have
it
1
– Can
create
documents
and
send
email
0
– Email
– assistant
prints
them,
dictate/handwrite
response
2

3. DISCLOSURE
• I
will
discuss
real
products
• I
use
– and
will
disclose
use
– of
many
of
these
products
• All
or
virtually
all
these
products
have
competitors
• I
am
not getting
paid
to
tell
you
about
any
of
these
products
(or
their
competitors)

4. Downey
Law
Group
LLC
Founded
February
2015
Two
(or
more)
lawyers
Raphael
Nemes
Myself
Melanie
Barker
(contract)
“Devoted
to
legal
ethics
and
the
law
of
lawyering”
4

5. 5

6. What
Law
Firms
Do
• Seek
clients
• Client
intake
• Represent
clients
– Prepare
documents
– Advise
clients
• Bill
clients
• Receive
payment
from
clients
6

7. ABA
Model
Rule
1.1
cmt
[8]
• To
maintain
the
requisite
knowledge
and
skill,
a
lawyer
should
keep
abreast
of
changes
in
the
law
and
its
practice,
including
the
benefits
and
risks
associated
with
relevant
technology,
engage
in
continuing
study
and
education
and
comply
with
all
continuing
legal
education
requirements
to
which
the
lawyer
is
subject.
7

8. © 2016 Downey Law Group LLC. For educaƟonal purposes only.
Marketing
and
Intake

9. Seeking
Clients
• Who
are
your
clients?
• How
do
you
get
clients?
• How
should
you
get
clients?
9

10. What
Works
(Corporate-­‐Focused
Firms)
61% Visiting
clients
9% Firm-­‐sponsored
seminars
12% Organizational
Involvement
3% Speeches
0% By-­‐lined
Articles
2% Website
3% Newsletter
10% Other
10

11. Marketing
Continuum
(AT)
11

12. 12
LinkedIn
Buzz

13. 13

14. SEO
and
SEM
• SEO
– Search
Engine
Optimization
• SEM
– Search
Engine
Marketing
14

15. 15
SEM
SEO
SEM
“Old”
Results

16. (New
Results)
16

17. Nurturing
Clients/Prospects/Referrals
• CRM
(Client
Relationship
Management)
• Email
newsletters
– Constant
Contact
– Mail
Chimp
– AW
Weber
– and
lots
of
others
17

18. Why
Use
Email
Newsletter
Systems
• Manage
your
list(s)
• Circumnavigate
spam
filters
• Deliver
attractive
newsletters
18

19. Newsletter
Contents
• Videos
or
podcasts
• Checklists
• Survey
results
• Client
stories
(or
firm/employee
stories)
• Event
advertisements
• Job
posts
19

20. Contact
by
Prospects
• Answer
telephone
– Staff
(receptionist)
– Receptionist
company
• Ruby
Receptionist
• Gabbyville
• Smith.AI
• Back
Office
Betties
• Direct
Line
• 24x7
Attorney
Answering
Service
(and
many
more)
• (Partial
list
at
http://profilesandreviews.com/ruby-­‐receptionist-­‐
complaints-­‐reviews/)
20

21. Online
Intake
• Intake
form
on
website
– Shorter
is
(generally)
better
– Beware
obtaining
“disqualifying
confidences”
21

22. © 2016 Downey Law Group LLC. For educaƟonal purposes only.
Represent
Clients

23. Practice
Management
Software
• Matter
management
– Documents
creation/management
– Timekeeping
– Tasks
• Practice
management
– Billing
and
invoicing
– Calendar
– Communication

24. Practice
Management
Options
• AbacusLaw
• Clio
• MyCase
• ProLaw
• Rocket
Matter
• Tabs
III
• TimeMatters
• Worlddox
24
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/tech/ltrc/charts/
pmtbchart.authcheckdam.pdf

25. Why
Practice
Management
Software?
• Matter
creation
• Conflict
checks
• Calendaring
• Contacts
• Document
management
(cloud)
– Client
portal
• Timekeeping
and
billing
• Communications
– tasks,
email, and
more
25

26. Clio
26

27. Invoicing
27

28. The
"Cloud"
28

29. Terms
of
Service
Google
Docs
(6/2015)
29

30. 30
Terms
of
Service
– Dropbox
(6/2015)

31. Outsourced
Brief
Printing
31

32. 32

33. Bates
Labeling
33

34. © 2016 Downey Law Group LLC. For educaƟonal purposes only.
Money
Issues

35. Credit
Card
Payments
35

36. Options
for
General
Processor
• Receive
only
payments
for
past
work
(paid
into
operating
account)
OR
• Track
fees
deducted
from
operating
account
by
processor
.
.
.
carefully
36

37. Legal-­‐Industry
Processors
• Usually
allow
deposits
in
two
accounts:
– Operating
account
(normal)
– Trust
account
(with
all
chargebacks
and
fees
deducted
from
operating account)
37

38. (Other)
Banking
Tricks
• Use
on-­‐line
banking
to
track
expenses
– Credit
card
transactions
on-­‐line
– Bank
transactions
on
line
• Receive
account
updates
from
banks
38

39. Accounting
System
39

40. Payroll
System
40

41. © 2016 Downey Law Group LLC. For educaƟonal purposes only.
Other
Helpful
Hints

42. Internet
Access
42

43. 43

44. (Free)
Conference
Calls
• Multiple
sources
for
free
conference
calls
– Personal
dial-­‐in
and
password
– I
use
“FreeConferenceCalls.com”
44

45. “Less
Paper”
– Office
Scanning
45
• Fujitsu ScanSnap
c.
$400

46. Scan
on
the
Go
– App
46
• Genius Scan
-­‐ $6.99

47. Business
Card
Scanning
• WorldCard
HD
-­‐ $6.99
47

48. Need
a
“Travel
Monitor”?
• Duet
Display
-­‐ $13.99
48

49. Michael
Downey
Downey
Law
Group
LLC
(314)
961-­‐6644
(844)
961-­‐6644
toll
free
mdowney@DowneyLawGroup.com
Thank
You