Law Firm Automation – in 1972

By Doug Hafford – VP Consulting Services, Afinety, Inc.

In 1972 I was a sophomore at Grossmont High in La Mesa, California.  Most of my interests at that time had little do to with the legal industry and more to do with sun, surf, sand and my basketball career.  I was only able to grow to 5’10” and the NBA was standoffish so I eventually found my way to IT consulting.  Looking back, it is hard to imagine how a staff person in a law firm in 1972 could see into the future but the seeds were indeed there.  So let’s look back and see what exciting technology was available.

The IBM Typewriter

When I formally started in the business, a lot of what we did was to replace IBM typewriters with Personal Computers.  The IBM "Selectric" II Typewriter introduced in 1971 (ten years after the original Selectric), featured a number of additions to typing technology. Its unique "dual-pitch" mechanism enabled the typists to switch from ten-pitch (ten characters per inch), commonly used for routine correspondence, to twelve pitch (twelve characters per inch), for use in typing business forms.  By merely switching a lever, a change in pitch can be made in a matter of seconds, and all on the same typewriter!

Another feature of the IBM "Selectric" II Typewriter was the IBM Tech III Ribbon. Enclosed in a snap-in/snap-out cartridge, the mylar ribbon only had to be changed five times yearly as compared to the 64 changes necessary with the previously used carbon ribbon.  Revolutionary! 

Outstanding Client of the Quarter: Madory, Zell, Pleiss & McGrath APC

Fall 2012

Every quarter, Afinety selects a firm to name as the “Outstanding Client of the Quarter.”  This quarter we would like to recognize Madory, Zell, Pleiss & McGrath APC.  The firm will receive a catered lunch delivered to their Tustin office, along with our thanks and admiration. 

All of our clients are special to us and the relationships we form with them are very much a partnership.  The Outstanding Client of the Quarter is selected for their professionalism as well as the benefits they receive from Afinety’s unique standardization and planned refresh approach.  A professional firm like Madory, Zell, Pleiss & McGrath APC requires a professional computer system and this becomes part of their own clients’ perception of the firm. 

We caught up with firm’s legal administrator, Marilyn Hodges, who started with the firm in 1962, as well as attorney / network administrator, Patricia Scidmore, who has been with the firm since 1992.

Leasing for the 21st Century Law Firm

by Christina Lord, First American Legal Finance and Kendra Edson, City National Bank

Technology can be a strategic asset – or a drain on resources.

Traditionally, law firms treat technology as a capital asset, similar to office furniture and office space.  Purchases are analyzed each year against the merits of other capital expenditure requests. 
Lately, there has been a shift to treating “technology as a utility,” as it can be a far more efficient approach. Firms that treat technology as a utility choose not to directly own the technology.  Instead, a third party owns the technology and the firm adopts a “pay-as-you-go” approach, much as it does for electricity, or any other utility.

Here today. Gone tomorrow.

The core philosophy of the technology as a utility approach is that technology is not like traditional capital assets.  Unlike office furniture, technology changes overnight; the equipment you purchase today may be obsolete by tomorrow. 

The critical nature of IT infrastructure demands that law firms view it as an ongoing operational commitment (an operating expense) and not a sunken capital expense (capital expenditure).  It is important for firms to assess the financial and formal implications of adopting a lease-based technology program – including, but not limited to creating a smooth, predictable budget and diversifying their funding sources.

Summer Recipe 2012: Cream Cheese, Pecan & Grape Salad

by Patrick Cabral, System Engineer, Afinety

Below is a yummy summertime recipe from Patrick Cabral, system engineer for Afinety.  We’re guessing you can substitute plain yogurt instead of sour cream for lighter version.

Serves: 15

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs green seedless grapes
• 2 lbs red seedless grapes
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste

Topping Ingredients (Optional):

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed, to taste
• 1 cup crushed pecans, to taste

Directions:

1. Wash and stem grapes.
2. Set aside.
3. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.
4. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
5. (Optional) For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
6. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
7. Chill overnight

Workflow and Paper Reduction

By Douglas G. Hafford – VP Consulting Services, Afinety, Inc.
One of the things most clients are looking for in today’s legal world is reduction of paper.  Paper not only takes up space needlessly, but also adds to the challenges of disaster recovery.  Simply put, if the building is damaged.  the paper is gone.  This alone has motivated many clients towards the Less-Paper office (note that I did not say Paper-less). but there are many more benefits to a less paper office than simply eliminating storage.  Firms should also keep in mind that reducing paper means increasing data storage in the firm’s computer system, which has a cost and can have other effects on speed and performance of the systems in the office.

The good news is that reducing paper also leads to other goals in a law firm such as improving workflow, mobility and reducing movement within the office.  Let’s look at how this can work:

Improving Workflow

Firms that handle paper in traditional ways generally take some permutation of the following steps.  First the incoming mail is opened.  Copies might be made of important documents to be sent to the file room and then the originals (or copies) are delivered to the responsible parties in the firm.  A staff member is usually put in charge of the distribution of documents which takes time and expense as well.  Eventually, the document makes its way to both a physical file and the inbox of one or more attorneys or staff.  This is obviously a cumbersome process.

Summer 2012 Outstanding Client of the Quarter: Clark & Trevithick

Every quarter, Afinety selects a firm to name as the “Outstanding Client of the Quarter.”  This quarter we would like to recognize Clark & Trevithick, a Professional Law Corporation.  The firm will receive a catered lunch delivered to its Los Angeles office, along with our thanks and admiration. 

All of our clients are special to us and the relationships we form with them are very much a partnership.  The Outstanding Client of the Quarter is selected for its professionalism as well as the benefits it receives from Afinety’s unique standardization and planned refresh approach.  A law firm like Clark & Trevithick requires a professional-grade computer system and this becomes part of its clients’ perception of the firm.

We had the pleasure of speaking with the firm’s Senior Tax Partner and a California Bar Certified Tax Law Specialist, Dean Friedman, who has been with the firm since 1988.

The firm was seeking ways in which to manage IT costs.  “We were at a precipice and needed to get into a position to have a reliable network, as well as a reliable number for our on-going IT budget,” Dean said. “Afinety’s standardized strategy made sense. At the end of a cycle, we will know exactly where we will be in terms of our budget.”

Leveraging Email for Effective Business Use

for Afinety by our valued business partner, Autonomy

The Email Challenge

Every firm struggles with the volume of email that flows through the organization on a daily basis. Managing correspondence related to business activities has become an increasing challenge. Professionals do not have the time or the luxury to file emails diligently, yet the failure to do so leaves the firm at risk of lost information, regulatory noncompliance, and e-discovery challenges. To manage both email and risk effectively, firms need a quick and easy way to capture communications when they occur. To ensure full user adoption by busy professionals, the system must be intelligent enough to adapt and learn from their email filing habits so they are not burdened with repeated operations.

Harnessing the Business Value of Email

To manage information and risk while optimizing productivity, organizations need a single system that unifies all critical business content and email correspondence into easily searchable engagement or client specific workspaces or folders, while still working within the familiar framework of already existing business applications. Using Autonomy WorkSite, organizations can manage all business documents and email in a digital file, making them accessible from any access point, including desktops and laptops, the internet, and mobile devices. Rather than relying on email to store, share, and iterate versions of documents, Autonomy provides a common location for documents and email that mitigates the risks associated with sending an out-of-date or incorrect version of a document.