The Small Future of Large Law Firms Plus 75 More Must-Reads

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Coming today to BigLaw: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 76 articles from the past two weeks worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our BigLaw Pick of the Week.

The Small Future of Large Law Firms (Video)

DLA Piper's $3.1 Million Meeting

Congratulations to Paul M. Barrett of BloombergBusinessweek on winning our BigLaw Pick of the Week award: The Small Future of Large Law Firms

How to Receive BigLaw
Large and midsize law firms have achieved unprecedented success yet they still have tremendous growth potential. Written by insiders, corporate counsel, and other industry experts, BigLaw unearths best practices in leadership, marketing, strategy, and technology, and features detailed product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. BigLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to insightful articles (and podcasts and videos) about large and midsize law firms, as well as notable press releases issued by the world's largest law firms. The BigLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Five Tips for Creating Your Law Firm's Mobile Web Site — Plus Prominent Firms Explain Why They're Not the Next Dewey

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Originally published on June 5, 2012 in our free BigLaw newsletter. Instead of reading BigLaw here after the fact, sign up now to receive future issues in realtime.

According to Law Firm Mobile, only 19% of AmLaw 200 law firms have mobile-friendly web sites. Most of your clients now have smartphones so it's time to get started on a mobile web site. Fortunately, iPhone for lawyers expert Jeff Richardson is a partner at Adams and Reese, one of the 19% with a mobile web site. In this issue of BigLaw, Jeff offers five tips based on his firm's experience creating its mobile web site. His tips encompass design, content, and new technologies such as media queries. As an added bonus, Jeff also discusses whether your firm also needs a smartphone app in addition to a mobile web site. Also, don't miss the BigLaw Pick of the Week (newsletter only) for an article that analyzes several prominent law firms, all of which explain why they're not the next Dewey.

FIVE TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR LAW FIRM'S MOBILE WEB SITE

In 1995, I was one of the attorneys at my law firm responsible for creating our first web site. Few large law firms even had web sites. Netscape Navigator 1.0, the first commercial web browser, was just a few months old at the time so these were early days. However, we knew then that the Internet was here to stay so we wanted to make it easy for current and potential clients using this new medium to learn about our firm and its attorneys.

We wanted our web site accessible to all, so we made sure that the main page would look good on a VGA monitor with dimensions of 640 x 480 pixels. (By comparison, today a typical 24 inch display has 1920 x 1200 pixels.) We also included a link to a text-only version of the web site since some of our clients were using used text-only web browsers like Lynx. Even those with Netscape Navigator might prefer fast text versus images that took time to download over slow dialup connections.

Today, all large law firms have a web site, most of which are designed to take advantage of a large monitor and which feature graphics, photos, videos, and other rich media. Meanwhile, many clients use devices such as iPhones or iPads that have smaller screens and cannot handle some of the technologies such as Flash used on "modern" web sites.

The solution to this changing behavior is to create a mobile version of your web site. Just as most large firms didn't have a web site at all in 1995, most large law firms today lack a mobile web site. Law Firm Mobile looked at AmLaw 200 web sites a few months ago, and found that only 37 (19%) had a version formatted for mobile devices.

Accessibility remains central to our firm's philosophy about our web site. Accordingly, we created a mobile version of our web site in 2011. Based on that experience and what I've seen elsewhere, this issue of BigLaw contains five tips for making your law firm web site mobile-friendly.

1. Small but Well-Designed

Obviously, you want a professional-looking layout that fits a small smartphone screen. The iPhone 3GS (like earlier iPhone models) has a 480 x 320 pixel screen. That is a good target size.

More current smartphones such as the iPhone 4S have larger pixel ratios (e.g., 960 x 640), but rather than display more information they display the same information at a higher pixel density (the iPhone's retina display has 326 pixels per inch). Therefore, a mobile site designed with 480 x 320 pixels as a baseline will look good on more modern smartphones too.

One caveat however. Make sure your graphic designer understands how to prep photos and other graphics so that they will look sharp rather than fuzzy on smartphones that have a high pixel density.

Using the free Wayback Machine, you can see old versions of many web sites, including law firm web sites created in the 1990s. Many of the same design philosophies used to create web sites over 15 years ago are once again useful today when designing a version of your law firm web site that looks great on a mobile device (except for the graphics as noted above).

2. Keep It Simple and Make Key Information Easily Accessible

Clients typically won't access your web site from an iPhone to learn everything about your firm. Focus on the key items they will likely want to find on the go, especially attorney profiles with phone numbers and email addresses plus the addresses of each of your firm's locations.

Clients meeting a lawyer for the first time may use a mobile device to see what they look like, so include a photograph with each bio that either scales without getting blurry when zoomed (see above) or links to a larger version.

The home page of your mobile web site should contain obvious links to these key items. If you want to also include news, practice areas, etc. that's fine but don't let it get in the way of the simple information people are most likely to seek from a mobile device.

3. Keep the Information Updated, Preferably Automatically

Ideally, you want to use the same database (content management system) so that as information changes on your main web site, it changes on the mobile site at the same time.

4. Link to the Full Website and Don't Use Plugins

Sometimes a client might want to access the full version of your web site even on a small mobile device. Give the client the option to click a link to view the full web site.

Also, if you can avoid the use of Adobe Flash and other plugins that don't work on mobile devices, you should do so. If not, provide an alternative way to see the same information.

For example, have you ever tried to access a restaurant web site from your iPhone, only to discover the that web site is created entirely in Adobe Flash? This is frustrating when you want to see a menu or make a reservation — so much so that you might just pick a different restaurant. Don't frustrate existing or prospective clients.

5. Better Yet, Use Media Queries

The previous section discusses the importance of enabling people to access your entire site. The mobile web design world evolves fast. While too late for our firm, you should explore a new technology called media queries or responsive web design, which enables you to create a single web site that automatically adjusts depending on the width of the web browser.

In other words, you don't create a separate mobile site, but instead different styles for different widths (typically 3-5 styles). The advantage is that the URL of each page on your site is the same so if someone bookmarks a page on their iPhone and then views it on their PC later they will not see the mobile version but the full site. The Boston Globe uses media queries. You can find many examples on a site aptly named Media Queries.

For further reading on this topic:

Kayla Knight, Responsive Web Design: What It Is and How To Use It, Smashing Magazine, January 12, 2011

Google, Responsive Design: Harnessing the Power of Media Queries, April 30, 2012

Ethan Marcotte, Responsive Web Design (2011)

What About an App?

Apple loves to tell us that "there's an app for that," but your law firm probably doesn't need an app. Law Firm Mobile recently reported that only 16 of the AmLaw 200 firms have mobile apps. Nobody loves iPhone apps more than me, but I see little need to increase that number.

Developing a quality app and keeping it updated requires time and money. So will your mobile web site. You need to answer the question of why an existing or potential client would bother to download your law firm app instead of just using your mobile web site. One possible answer is to access information on a plane or elsewhere without Internet access, but how common a use case is that? Also, creating an app that works offline increases its costs.

If you must have an app, consider offering something different from your web site that a client would find useful. For example, Latham & Watkins produced three free "The Book of Jargon" apps that include definitions of business terms used in European capital markets and bank finance, project finance, and corporate and bank finance. Read my review on iPhone J.D.

These apps are useful so clients have a reason to download them, plus they demonstrate to potential clients that the firm understands these areas of law.

How to Receive BigLaw
Large and midsize law firms have achieved unprecedented success yet they still have tremendous growth potential. Written by insiders, corporate counsel, and other industry experts, BigLaw unearths best practices in leadership, marketing, strategy, and technology, and features detailed product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. BigLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to insightful articles (and podcasts and videos) about large and midsize law firms, as well as notable press releases issued by the world's largest law firms. The BigLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Review of ioSafe N2 (NAS/RAID Storage Solution) Plus Preventing $200,000 Mistakes

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Coming today to BigLaw: ioSafe has made a name for itself in the storage industry with its virtually indestructible hard drives. With the new ioSafe N2, the company has brought its hallmark fireproof and waterproof bona fides to the world of network attached storage. Powered by Synology DSM, the ioSafe N2 offers a variety of applications. For this issue of BigLaw, law firm CIO and legal technology guru Matt Berg put the ioSafe N2 through its paces. In this review, you'll learn about installation, configuration, functionality, stability, performance, and more. Also, don't miss the BigLaw Pick of the Week for the $200,000 mistake even the world's largest law firms can't afford.

How to Receive BigLaw
Large and midsize law firms have achieved unprecedented success yet they still have tremendous growth potential. Written by insiders, corporate counsel, and other industry experts, BigLaw unearths best practices in leadership, marketing, strategy, and technology, and features detailed product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. BigLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to insightful articles (and podcasts and videos) about large and midsize law firms, as well as notable press releases issued by the world's largest law firms. The BigLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

12 Essays on the Lighter Side of Large Law Firm Life

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Coming today to BigLaw: Our BigLaw newsletter is usually as serious as a heart attack and a proxy fight combined. But not today. Available for free, BigLaw: 12 Essays on the Lighter Side of Large Law Firm Life is the perfect iPad beach read for everyone who works in or once worked in a large law firm. Written by four large firm veterans, these essays will make you laugh and nod your head. If you're in the midst of a grueling week, it's just what the juris doctor ordered before you drift off to sleep at 4:00 am tonight. Download your free copy now.

How to Receive BigLaw
Large and midsize law firms have achieved unprecedented success yet they still have tremendous growth potential. Written by insiders, corporate counsel, and other industry experts, BigLaw unearths best practices in leadership, marketing, strategy, and technology, and features detailed product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. BigLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to insightful articles (and podcasts and videos) about large and midsize law firms, as well as notable press releases issued by the world's largest law firms. The BigLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Best-In-Class iPad and iPhone Apps and Tips for Deployment Plus Can a Non-Lawyer CEO Run Pepper Hamilton?

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Originally published on February 14, 2012 in our free BigLaw newsletter. Instead of reading BigLaw here after the fact, sign up now to receive future issues in realtime.

At today's Goldman Sachs Technology Conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook told analysts that he uses his iPad for 80-90% of his work. "I strongly believe that the tablet market will surpass the unit sales of the PC market," added Cook. Good thing we recruited Jeff Richardson of iPhone J.D., a web site for attorneys who use the iPhone and iPad. No large firm lawyer and probably no lawyer period has reviewed as many apps as Jeff. In today's issue of BigLaw, Jeff recommends best-in-class apps for document editing, remote access, legal research, dictation, note taking, and more. He also explains how to deploy these apps to lawyers in your firm. Also, don't miss the BigLaw Pick of the Week (newsletter only) for an exclusive interview with the non-lawyer CEO now running Pepper Hamilton.

BEST-IN-CLASS IPAD AND IPHONE APPS AND TIPS FOR DEPLOYMENT

In my last BigLaw column — Should Large Law Firms Buy and Support iPads? — I recommended that law firms to designate one person in the IT Department as the iOS Guru to help attorneys configure their new devices and assist with troubleshooting.

I also encourage law firms to give their attorneys a list of recommended apps to install, which brings us to the subject of today's column. At iPhone J.D. I've reviewed dozens of apps over the years. Below you'll find my app recommendations in key categories, and tips for deploying them.

Viewing and Editing Documents

The built-in viewer for Microsoft Word documents is limited. On an iPhone, the text is quite small. If you pinch to expand text, you must then scroll back and forth to read the full line, which might have you reaching for some dramamine. Also, on both the iPhone and iPad, you don't see all formatting and, often critical for litigators, you don't see footnotes. Finally, you cannot see edits made in the track changes mode.

Currently, the best solution is the $9.99 Documents to Go app. It zooms text well, preserves most formatting, displays footnotes, shows tracked changes, and enables you to edit documents. In addition to Word documents, the app also handles Excel files (edit and display) and PowerPoint files (display). The $16.99 Premium adds PowerPoint editing capabilities and access to cloud services such as Dropbox.

The iPhone and iPad cannot natively view WordPerfect (WPD) files, which many courts and attorneys use. The Corel WordPerfect Viewer displays these files. Unfortunately, it is not a universal app. There is one version for the iPhone ($4.99) and another for the iPad ($5.99).

For viewing, organizing, and editing PDF files, there are many options in the app store, but no app has all of the features of GoodReader ($4.99). And for those rare PDF files that cannot be handled by other apps, Adobe's own free Adobe Reader app is a valuable tool.

I mentioned PowerPoint files above. If you give presentations, you may (as I do) prefer Apple's Keynote app ($9.99) for creating presentations directly on your iPad. You'll need a VGA Adapter and HDMI adapter to connect to projectors and televisions respectively.

Remote Access

Some tasks simply require a PC, such as using vertical market software for which there is not yet an iOS app. For lawyers who leave their computer at the office and just rely on an iPad or iPhone, the free Citrix Receiver app works well if your office has a Citrix-enabled IT infrastructure.

For those who prefer to access their own computer instead of a generic Citrix environment, the free LogMeIn app works great. For $299 per year, your IT department can use LogMeIn Central to manage access.

Cloud services provide a convenient way to access documents while out of the office. With a free Dropbox account, you can store up to 2 GB of documents for free. Dropbox has an iOS app and also integrates with many other iOS app such as Documents to Go and GoodReader as noted above.

There are security implications beyond the scope of this article to keeping confidential documents on a third-party service like Dropbox, but for non-confidential documents such as pleadings or SEC filings in the public record, I consider Dropbox the best way to share files between a computer and an iPad or iPhone.

Legal Research

If your law firm subscribes to WestlawNext, you cannot beat the fantastic WestlawNext app for the iPad, which Thomson Reuters recently updated. The latest version supports folder sharing with colleagues and clients, and integration with your firm's client/matter numbers.

All attorneys can make use of the free Fastcase app for the iPad and iPhone, a convenient way to search for a case or a statute.

There are countless jurisdiction-specific apps that contain statutes, rules of civil procedure and evidence, local rules, etc. These apps typically contain the law within the app, so they don't require Internet access to work, which is important in a courtroom that does not have WiFi. You should determine the best apps for the jurisdictions in which your attorneys practice so that you can make specific recommendations when asked.

Litigators who need to calculate due dates will appreciate the easy-to-use DaysFrom Date Calculator ($0.99). For simple math calculations (the iPad doesn't include a calculator), I like Digits ($1.99).

Dictation

Siri on the iPhone 4S takes dictation, which is often the fastest and easiest way to create an email message. Presumably, Apple will soon add Siri to the iPad, but for now (and for those using older iPhones), the free Dragon Dictation app turns voice into text that you can send to Mail or paste into a document.

Note Taking

Taking handwritten notes on an iPad is not ideal for everyone because you cannot write on an iPad with a stylus as fast as you can take notes using a pen and a legal pad. Nevertheless, for those interested, several great note taking apps exist.

I don't have a personal favorite right now, but I recommend an app that has a zoomed-in box at the bottom in which you can write and have the text shrunk down for more words per page. Some of the best apps with this feature include Note Taker HD ($4.99), Notes Plus ($6.99), and Noteshelf ($4.99).

Deploying Apps to Your Users

Once you compile your list of recommended apps, you need to deploy them. To prevent confusion from similarly-named apps, I recommend using Apple's free Link Maker tool to create URLs that will initiate a download from the App Store. Create a list of apps that includes hyperlinks that attorneys can simply tap to launch the App Store and purchase the app.

If you want to purchase apps for your attorneys, Apple's Volume Purchasing Program enables you to purchase apps in bulk. You get a list of redemption codes that you forward to your firm's attorneys. Entering a code in the App Store causes the paid-for app to begin downloading, at no cost to the attorney. You can use the management interface to keep track of which codes are still available and see the purchase history.

Whichever approach you take, the attorneys in your firm can be more productive when someone is prepared to recommend and support specific iPad and iPhone apps.

Jeff Richardson practices law in New Orleans and publishes iPhone J.D., the oldest and largest website for attorneys who use the iPhone and iPad.

How to Receive BigLaw
Large and midsize law firms have achieved unprecedented success yet they still have tremendous growth potential. Written by insiders, corporate counsel, and other industry experts, BigLaw unearths best practices in leadership, marketing, strategy, and technology, and features detailed product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. BigLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to insightful articles (and podcasts and videos) about large and midsize law firms, as well as notable press releases issued by the world's largest law firms. The BigLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.