Technology « Virginia Lawyers Weekly

Legal technology predictions for 2012

By Dolan Media Newswires
Published: January 26, 2012
Tags: Social Media, Technology

If 2011 was the year that lawyers finally took notice of Internet-based and mobile technologies — if only because these tools affected evidentiary issues in their practices — then 2012 will be the year that most lawyers not yet using these tools will make a conscious decision to put off using many of them in [...]

Background checks in the electronic age

By Dolan Media Newswires
Published: December 7, 2011
Tags: Law Office Management, Social Media, Technology

Credit and criminal history background checks, an integral part of the employment screening process, are becoming hot-button issues in the courts. They are potential minefields for employers.
In the electronic age, employers are able to research applicants’ backgrounds quickly and thoroughly. Companies must navigate a rapidly developing array of laws in this area, and balance [...]

Keeping client data secure while you are in transit

By Dolan Media Newswires
Published: November 28, 2011
Tags: Technology

It’s a challenge to maintain confidentiality when you’re on the move.
Here are some tips for business trips that can increase your productivity while protecting your clients’ privacy as you travel.
Limit cell phone use. Making a client phone call in public always creates a major privacy risk.
“I try to at least find a location where I’m [...]

Trends to watch on electronic discovery

By Correy E. Stephenson
Published: November 22, 2011
Tags: Technology

As electronic discovery continues to evolve, litigators are facing new challenges, including emerging technology and expanding amounts of data. Looking ahead to the coming year, lawyers should keep an eye on the following trends:
Death of metadata
As judges have become more sophisticated about electronically stored information (ESI), parties are having an increasingly difficult time convincing them [...]

Tips for maximizing your privacy on Facebook

By Sarah Rodriguez
Published: November 14, 2011
Tags: Social Media, Technology

Set your posts to “Friends Only”
Each time you post a status update or add a photo/video to Facebook, you can control who has permission to see it. A pull-down menu lets you choose if your posts are “Public” (anyone can view your post) or “Friends” (only your Facebook friends can see). To further fine-tune your [...]

Social media: Ignore at your own risk

By Deborah Elkins
Published: November 14, 2011
Tags: Charlottesville Circuit Court, Judge Margaret P. Spencer, Personal Injury, Richmond Circuit Court, Social Media, Technology

Maybe you’re blasé about blogs, turned off by tweets, skeptical of the whole social media scene.
That hands-off policy may hurt you and your client.
Lawyers no longer have the luxury of ignoring social media, even if they choose not to use it personally or professionally.
Clients are using these online tools and more. Facebook claims over 800 [...]

Using tablet computers in the courtroom

By Peter Vieth
Published: November 7, 2011
Tags: Arlington County Circuit Court, Technology, Wise County Circuit Court

Like iPad evangelists, two lawyers from opposite ends of Virginia are extolling the virtues of Apple’s tablet computer as a reliable and efficient tool for courtroom lawyers.
Both Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronald K. Elkins and civil trial lawyer John D. McGavin of Fairfax regularly use the iPad to manage and display documents in court. Outside [...]

Tips on guest blogging

By Sylvia Hsieh
Published: October 18, 2011
Tags: Legal Marketing, Technology

Guest blogging is a good way for small firm and solo lawyers to show their expertise and market their firm at the same time.
While it helps to already have your own established blog, lawyers who don’t have time to keep up their own blog can guest blog for others.
Jayme Soulati, who advises law firms on [...]

CRM: Tools to manage current clients and drum up business

By Dolan Media Newswires
Published: October 14, 2011
Tags: Technology

Customer relationship management software can help attorneys manage clients, calendars, tasks and more, either in one application or a suite of applications.
Here are some examples that can help you drum up new business, manage your current client base and make sure potential customers know where they can go for help.
InterAction
Highly customizable with various software modules; [...]

The next dimension: Radford judge, jury see medical evidence in 3-D

By Peter Vieth
Published: October 10, 2011
Tags: Judge Josiah T. Showalter Jr., Personal Injury, Radford Circuit Court, Technology

A technology more commonly found in movie theaters made its way into a Radford courtroom last month.
A judge and jury put on 3-D glasses in court to view in-depth, three-dimensional depictions of the inside of a patient’s spinal canal.
While the technology may not have produced a court victory for the personal injury plaintiff in the [...]

Virginia Lawyers Weekly