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MyCase is the premier web-based legal practice management software. Built as a complete platform, MyCase offers features that seamlessly cover all the daily functions that a modern, small law firm requires in one place at an affordable price.

MyCase Legal Practice Management Software

Just $39/month per attorney !$29/month per paralegal or staff

About MyCase

•Modern and professional design built for your firm!•Social media and blog integration!•Complete integration with MyCase practice management software

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Ernie Svenson

PaperlessLaw Office

TheHow to Cr eate & Maintain

Ernie Svenson‣EDLA Law Clerk

‣Practiced law 27 yrs

‣ErnieTheAttorney.net

‣“Acrobat in One Hour for Lawyers” (ABA book)

‣PaperlessChase.com

‣ernie@paperlesschase.com

since 2005Paperless

3  Phases1. Contemplation  2. Implementation  3. Optimization

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Poll  Question  #2

What  best  describes  your  paperless  state  now?

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Contemplation

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You  may  be  surprised  to  learn  you’re  already  on  your  way

Common  Questions• Am  I  ready  to  go  paperless?  • How  hard?  Expensive?  • Need  to  hire  a  consultant?  • Convince  staff  &  lawyers?  • Possible  in  my  practice  area?  • Isn’t  it  impossible  to  be  totally  paperless?

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Define  “paperless”• No  paper:  impossible,  silly,  self-­‐defeating  

• Reasonable:  “less  paper”  • Focus  on  benefits,  not  rigid  definitions

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forget  definitions;  focus  on  benefits

Key  Questions• How  much  less  paper?  • How  quickly  to  reduce?  • What  process  should  you  follow?  • What  benefits  do  you  most  want?

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be  realistic  about  the  true  challenges

How  much  less?• how  much  paper  you  have  now  • where  it’s  being  stored  now  (onsite,  offsite?)  

• How  much  can  or  should  be  digitized

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depends  on  factors  such  as…

How  quickly?• how  many  people  in  your  firm  • how  much  paper  you  have  now  • your  folks’  technology  skills  • commitment  to  act  (not  just  plan)

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depends  on  factors  such  as…

What  process?• The  simplest  &  easiest  • Minimally  disruptive  • Tried  &  true  (by  lawyers)  • Reliable;  likely  to  succeed

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The  ideal  path  should  be…

Which  benefits?• Organization  &  efficiency  • Information  retrieval  • Remote  access  to  files

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Keep  in  mind  the  things  you  most  want  to  attain

Benefits  Summary• Easier  to  store,  retrieve    • Cheaper  to  store  • Oversight  is  possible  • Access  from  anywhere  (e.g.  iPad)  • Backup  &  remote  synchronization

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reasons  why  digital  documents  are  better

Some  downsides• Easier  to  reorder  pages  • Easier  to  browse  certain  kinds  of  information  

• Easier  to  read  (but  eInk  technology  is  changing  this)  

• Need  to  practice  “digital  hygiene”

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it’s  true:  paper  is  easier  in  certain  situations

Poor  excuses• E-­‐filing  isn’t  allowed  • Judge  requires  paper  in  court  • My  practice  isn’t  conducive  to  being  paperless  

• Other  attorneys  send  me  paper�22

Bad  reasons  to  dismiss  becoming  paperless

Ethics  issues• Rule  1.1:  competence  • ABA  20/20:  tech  requires  attention  • But  what  about  wills  and  promissory  notes  etc.?  

• Create  a  good  engagement  letter�23

aren’t  an  impediment,  but  require  attention

Engagement  letter• You’ll  scan  all  files  to  PDF  • You’ll  destroy  all  paper  you  receive  • You’ll  only  keep  digital  files  for  X  years  (but  actually  keep  longer)  

• You’ll  give  client  digital  copy  upon  written  request  (via  digital  download)  

• Engagement  letter  is  valid  in  PDF  format�24

should  make  it  clear  to  the  client  that…

Implementation

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Is  mostly  about  building  momentum  and  avoiding  catastrophes

Getting  Started• You’ve  already  started,  so…  • Build  momentum  steadily  • Use  consultants  for  “digital  hygiene”  &  training.

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Is  not  as  hard  as  you’d  expect,  because:

Keys  to  Success• Tackle  the  easy  stuff  first  • Avoid  premature  (or  unnecessary)  challenges  

• Use  consultants  appropriately�28

grab  low-­‐hanging  fruit  &  avoid  land  mines

Two  Principles

1. Keep  digital  things  digital  2. Make  paper  into  digital

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to  keep  in  mind  as  you  steadily  move  forward

Keep  it  digital• Don’t  print  emails  • “Print  to  PDF”  more  often  • Capture  faxes  to  PDF  • Think  digital  at  all  times

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Is  not  as  hard  as  you’d  expect

Make  it  digital• Buy  the  right  scanner(s)  • Use  often;  get  familiar  • Send  out  large  jobs  to  scanning  services  where  appropriate

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is  your  first  small  challenge

Fujitsu iX500

Make digital

PDFs‣widespread use (in law too)

‣“portable document format”

‣think: ‘digital paper’

‣learn: how to manipulate them

Adobe Acrobat

StandardProfessional $409

$289

Key  PDF  Skills• Create  PDFs  from  Word,  Excel…  • Zoom,  Jump  to  Page,  Rotate  • Bookmark,  Highlight,  Comment  • Search  PDF,  or  group  of  PDFs  • Bates-­‐stamp  &  Redact  • Digitally  sign  a  PDF

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Acrobat Book

Consultants• Optional:  for  the  easy  stuff  • Helpful:  for  digital  hygiene  and  software  training  

• Mandatory:  for  major  challenges  like  setting  up  a  DMS,  or  if  firm  is  large

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optional,  helpful,  or  mandatory?

Summary

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Stuff  you  need,  or  should,  buyEquipment  &  Tools Cost

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 $409

Adobe Acrobat: Professional (Adobe Acrobat: Standard)

$413 ($289)

Book: Acrobat for Lawyers $50

Tips: PDF for Lawyers.com Free

Tips: PaperlessChase.com Free

Implementation  Costs

Optimization

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Document  Mgt• How  big  is  your  law  firm?  • How  many  attorneys?  How  many  users?  

• How  many  separate  offices?�41

Key  questions  ask  in  deciding  how  to  manage

Digital  Workflow• Start  with  a  simple  model  • Refine  based  on  need  &  real  world  experiences  

• Continue  refining  as  new  technologies  are  adopted

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how  will  you  work  in  a  less  paper-­‐centric  world?

Current  System

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How  do  you  manage  digital  files  right  now?

Doc  Mgt  101

• Phase  1:  Nested  folders  • Phase  2:  DMS  software

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nested  folders special  software

Two  Phases

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Jones v. Smith Hawkins v. Magee Kramer v. Kramer Masters v. Johnson Jarndyce v. Jarndyce Bushmill v. Gored Fordham v. Chevy Thompkins v. Carr

Ordinary Folders Special DMS Software

Simple folders

Crown v. Royal

01 Pleadings 02 Correspondence 03 Documents 04 Word Processing 05 Depositions 06 Legal Research 07 Attorney Notes 08 Trial Documents

Simple file names[Date] [Description]

[Date] [Description]2014-02-27 Motion for Summary Judgment…2014/02/27 Motion for Summary Judgment…2014_02_27 Motion for Summary Judgment…2014.02.27 Motion for Summary Judgment…

01 Pleadings

2009-01-01 Original Complaint 2009-01-08 Summons to … 2009-02-15 Return on Service 2009-03-02 Extension Request 2009-04-02 Answer by Defend.. 2009-07-17 Motion for Summary 2009-08-01 Opposition to MSJ 2009-10-19 Order granting….

02 Correspondence

2008-02-13 EES ltr K Smith 2008-02-01 K Smith email EES 2008-01-04 Thompson fax EES 2007-12-14 Chisom ltr EES 2007-11-11 Ward fax Counsel 2007-10-16 EES ltr Marion 2007-09-23 EES ltr Feinberg 2007-08-08 Mangione ltr EES

Problems• Deletion:  someone  makes  a  mistake.    • Conflicts:  two  people  access  at  same  time;  now  we  have  2  versions.  

• Version  control:  which  version  is  the  last  one  we  worked  on?  

• Email:  how  do  we  put  emails  into  the  nested  folders?  

• Naming  convention:  not  everyone  is  adhering  to  the  system  for  naming  files  and  folders

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nested  folders  are  simple  but…

Firm  Size

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More  than  3  -­‐  5  users:  time  for  DMS

DMS  Software

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Leading  “Document  Management  Systems”

Benefits• Forced  save:  have  to  save  to  the  system,  and  have  to  profile  document  to  an  open  matter    

• Conflicts:  are  no  longer  possible.  • Version  control:  system  automatically  creates  and  keeps  track  of  versions  

• Email:  can  be  saved  to  DMS,  and  shared  with  everyone  as  needed.  

• PDFs:  can  handle  storage  &  manipulation  • Remote  access:  pull  files  from  outside  of  office

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DMS  imposes  organization

Bottom  Line• You  can  now  afford  it  • You  almost  certainly  need  it  now  (or  soon)  

• You  may  need  a  consultant  to  help  you

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regarding  DMS  systems

Wrap  Up

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Things  you  can  work  on  now  to  build  momentum

Summary

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Stuff  you  need,  or  should,  buyEquipment  &  Tools Cost

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 $409

Adobe Acrobat: Professional (Adobe Acrobat: Standard)

$413 ($289)

Book: Acrobat for Lawyers $50

Tips: PDF for Lawyers.com Free

Tips: PaperlessChase.com Free

5  Takeaways

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the  best  keys  to  getting  started  now

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ernie@ernestsvenson.com

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If you have questions feel free to email me

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