Telecommuting, cloud computing and virtual law firms are just a few signs of the times. Technology is developing so rapidly that it can become a full-time job just to keep up with all the latest LT tools. Gain the experience of years' worth of trial and error with this concise guide to managing your legal practice. Find out what types of software and organizational techniques will turn your firm into a lean, mean legal machine. Eliminate time wasters and expense sinkholes – order today!

1. Going Paperless – Baby Steps vs. Cold Turkey?
2. Organization of Work
3. Effective Case Management
4. Firm Financial Planning and Reporting – Managing Legal Costs
5. Ethics
6. Your Professional Online Presence
7. Choosing and Using the Legal Technology that's Right for You*

*The legal technology vendor options discussed in this topic are intended as a general overview and do not constitute NBI's endorsement or recommendation of any one specific LT provider.

Continuing Education Credits:   

* denotes specialty credits

1. Going Paperless - Baby Steps vs. Cold Turkey?
   9:00 - 10:00, Trey T. Meyer
   1. Cost/Benefit Analysis of Switching
   2. Preparing for the Transition (Planning the New Workflow, Equipment to Get Started, Preparing Your Team for the Switch, etc.)
   3. Converting Paper Documents into Digital Format
   4. Data Storage and Organization
      1. Prioritizing Data by Long-Term Storage and Immediate Use Needs
      2. Is Cloud Computing for You? Are You Already Using it?
      3. Complying with Record Retention Laws
   5. Data Security
      1. Potential Loopholes and Pitfalls
      2. Safe Practices for You and Your Staff
      3. Anti-Theft and Data Retrieval Software for Laptops, E-Book Readers and Smartphones
2. Organization of Work
   10:00 - 10:45, Michael D. Matteuzzi
   1. Supervision and Task Delegation (Specific Tasks Appropriate to Delegate, Monitoring and Feedback, Empowering Employees to Do Their Best Work)
   2. E-Mail Volume Management
      1. Challenges (Workflow Interruption, Data Storage and Retrieval, Data Sharing, etc.)
      2. Solutions (Specialized Folders, Rules, Other Useful Practices)
   3. Eliminating Expensive Time-Wasters
   4. Making Meetings More Productive
3. Effective Case Management
   11:00 - 11:45, Michael D. Matteuzzi
   1. Case File Maintenance - What to Shred, What to Keep
   2. Court Forms and Electronic Filing
      1. Finding the Latest Version of the Right Type of Form
      2. Common Completion and Filing Blunders
      3. Preventing Calendaring Mistakes
      4. Confirming Successful Court E-Filing
4. Firm Financial Planning and Reporting - Managing Legal Costs
   12:45 - 1:30, Michael D. Matteuzzi
   1. Identifying the Biggest Money Makers and Wasters (Among the Attorneys and Legal Staff, By Type of Case/Subject Matter, By Individual Client, By Specific Task/Expense)
   2. Maximizing the 80/20 Rule
   3. Case Budgeting and Conferring with the Client
   4. Audit-Minded Tax and Financial Reporting
   5. Billing and Collections
      1. Airtight Engagement Agreements
      2. Tracking Work and Time Spent on a Case - What Software Options Exist?
      3. Practical Strategies for Pursuing Fees Owed
      4. Outsourcing Your Collections
5. Ethics
   1:30 - 2:30, Matthew W. Gasaway
   1. Duty of Zealous Representation vs. Legal Costs Management
   2. Unauthorized Practice of Law Prevention
   3. Clarifying the Start of the Attorney-Client Relationship When Communicating via Firm Website
   4. Advertising Legal Services Ethically
6. Your Professional Online Presence
   2:45 - 3:45, Matthew W. Gasaway
   1. Creating and Updating Your Firm Website
      1. The Legal Framework: What Do the Ethics Rules Dictate?
      2. Planning the Content, Name and Location
      3. The Dos and Emphatic Don'ts of Website Style
      4. Functionality - How Much Upkeep Would You Like?
      5. Site Maintenance and Upgrades
      6. Don't Do it Yourself! - Tips for Web Designer Shopping
      7. Where and How to Promote Your Site
   2. Online Networking Practices - The Good, the Bad, and the Outrageous
      1. Rule #1 - Do No Harm! Setting Clear Goals for Your Online Presence
      2. Which Social Media to Choose - Cost/Benefit Analysis
      3. Creating a Firm Profile - What Information to Include?
      4. Protecting Confidentiality of Firm's Clients
      5. Tips for Separating Your Personal and Professional Online Presence
   3. Five Things You Cannot, Under Any Circumstances, Do or Say Online
7. Choosing and Using the Legal Technology that's Right for You*
   3:45 - 4:30, Trey T. Meyer
   1. What Options Exist:
      1. For Online Legal Research
      2. For Document Management
      3. For Case Management
      4. For Litigation Support
      5. For Time Tracking and Billing
   2. Practical Tips for Software/Vendor Shopping
      1. Primary Tasks Important for You to Accomplish
      2. The Vendor's Primary Clients (Are They Similar to You?)
      3. Ease of Installation and Integration - User Training
      4. Maintenance, Upgrades, Customer Service
   3. Tips for Painlessly and Beneficially Switching Vendors
   4. Open Source Software - Pros and Cons

*The legal technology vendor options discussed in this topic are intended as a general overview and do not constitute NBI's endorsement or recommendation of any one specific LT provider.

MATTHEW W. GASAWAY is the Senior Litigation Consultant for the Litigation Services division of UnitedLex Corporation. He provides advice to counsel for UnitedLex' clients regarding their practices for maintaining and preserving electronically stored information and discovery requirements in all relevant jurisdictions. As a practicing litigator for nine years prior to joining UnitedLex, Mr. Gasaway gained extensive experience in all aspects of discovery, including the production of electronically stored information. He gained first hand knowledge of the difficulties faced by counsel in managing that process in his practice as a litigation consultant. Mr. Gasaway has presented and demonstrated the principles of eDiscovery through continuing legal education programs. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Iowa School of Law.

MICHAEL D. MATTEUZZI is president and managing partner of Waldeck, Matteuzzi & Sloan where he practices in the area of civil litigation including transportation/trucking litigation, catastrophic injury litigation and products liability litigation. He is a former adjunct professor at the University of Missouri Law School, Kansas City where he taught trial advocacy. Mr. Matteuzzi is a frequently requested lecturer on trial strategy and trial advocacy. He is a member of the Trucking Industry Defense Association, the Transportation Lawyers Association, The Missouri Bar, and the Kansas and Kansas City Metropolitan bar associations. He earned his B.S. and B.A. degrees from the University of Missouri, St. Louis and his J.D. degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

TREY T. MEYER is a native of Liberal, Kansas and now practices law in Lawrence. His main areas of practice include family law, civil and criminal litigation, and medical and legal licensure and disciplinary matters. Mr. Meyer also operates a consulting firm, Law Practice Design, helping solo practitioners and small firms to brainstorm ideas to improve the management and operation of their practices, and to identify systems and technologies to implement those ideas while remaining consistent with their personal and professional goals. He earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Kansas and his J.D. degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Meyer was a staff member of the Kansas Law Review, and a member of the National Moot Court team.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com