For some reason, I wrote several book reviews last year that never got posted to my blog. Here’s one:
The 2008 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide
Critical Decisions Made Simple
By Sharon D. Nelson, John W. Simek, and Michael C. Sasschke
American Bar Association
$79.95, paperback, 145 pages, 978-1-59031-970-3 (2008)
One of the things I like about this book is that it packs a lot of information into relatively few pages. The chapters include: Computers and Operating Systems, Monitors, Computer Peripherals, Printers, Scanners, Servers, Networking Hardware, Miscellaneous Hardware, Productivity Software, Security Software, Case Management, Billing Software Document Management, Document Assembly, Collaboration, Remote Access, Unified Messaging, High-Speed Internet, Utilities, and Tomorrow in Legal Tech.
Phew! That's a lot to cover in just 145 pages – and the authors do a pretty good job of it.
This book is outstanding for its limited market of the solo practitioner or the small office. This is especially so if you're newly entered into the practice of law and looking to outfit your office, or if you're a small firm wondering if there's something you could be using to be more productive in your practice.
Another thing I like about this book is its concrete advice. As the authors note in their introduction:
We have no dog in the hunt – we have no financial or other interest in the advice we give. We could be wrong – dead wrong – but we are honest as the dickens.
No-nonsense writing like that endears me to this book.
This is the authors' recommendation for a desktop computer:
Computer Model: Dell OptiPlex 745 Mini-Tower Computer
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13 GHz
Memory: 1-GB DDR2 667 Mhz RAM
Video Card: 128-MB ATI Radeon X1300 Graphics Card
Hard Drive: 80-GB SATA II 3.0 Gb/s with 8 MB DataBurst Cache
CD/DVD-ROM 16X DVD=/-RW Drive
Network: Broadcom 10/100/1,000 Mbps Ethernet Adapter
Other: PS2
Hardware Warranty: 3-Year Next Business Day On-site Parts and Labor Warranty
Is this the perfect desktop computer for you? It depends.
Are you working solo, do you have a secretary, are you networked, are you in a small firm, do you have case management software, if so, what computer is it loaded on, what type of Internet access is available to you – all these and many other questions go into what type of desktop computer is appropriate for you. So depending on your circumstances, I might argue that you need more memory, or a larger hard drive, or a faster video card. But in general, I concur with the authors.
And one of the things I really appreciate is the author's recognition that the "sweet spot" in buying computers is always changing and that their recommendation might be a little out of date soon. As such, they offer an e-mail address for you to write for current recommendations.
Another great thing about this book is the section on Utilities with various software programs that assist lawyers in their practice. There are lots of programs that are new to me, plus standbys that I use daily (like my favorite: Anagram).
The book also comes with a complete glossary so that you can easily tell the difference between, for example, a router, a hub, and a switch. Soon enough, you'll sound like the office geek. Dude!
The only major fault with this book is that its limited space doesn't allow the authors to deal with any topic in great detail – only the very basics are covered. Even so, for the vast majority of lawyers, the basics are enough to get you up and running.
In summary, if you're looking for a book to tell you where to begin in your quest to have the complete office – look no further than this book to set you on the correct path.
Buy it on Amazon here.
For folks unaware of it, there is a new 2009 guide available here.
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