The paperless desktop - a virtual reality?

The technology exists for lawyers to all but eliminate paper from their desktops and even take a good deal of the office `on the road.'

The paperless office is years away, but the paperless desktop may be close at hand. The significant reduction in the price of computer hardware and software products makes this possible. Here's the lowdown on some of the products.

Visioneer, Inc.'s PaperPort Vx is a desktop scanner that attaches to a desktop computer via a cable.(1) It is small enough to sit between the computer keyboard and the computer itself (some models come built into the keyboard). PaperPort Vx is a useful tool for the lawyer who would rather store information on a computer than in a file cabinet.

For example, assume your daily mail has arrived. After reading it, you would probably file much of it in hard copy files for matters you are handling. But with PaperPort Vx, you could instead store each piece of correspondence in your computer by scanning it and directing the computer to store it in an electronic file.

And you could do this without having to first exit whatever program you were working in. The scanning software that comes with this product is loaded into the memory of your computer, waiting to go to work when you insert a document into the scanner, so you can keep word-processing or other programs running as you scan documents. Therefore, when you insert a document into PaperPort Vx, the scanning software "wakes up" and pulls the paper in. In about 10 seconds, the paper is resumed to you and an image of the scanned document appears on the computer screen.

You can do several things with this image. The first thing I do is save the scanned document in the file to which it relates. I can then highlight text with the electronic equivalent of a highlighter, add an "arrow" pointing to relevant wording, or add a comment in an "annotation window." This creates a searchable series of words to help me find this document at a later date. If I want, I can print the document or e-mail or fax it electronically to someone else.

If the document is a series of interrogatories, I no longer have to retype the questions when I prepare the answers. I just scan the document into the PaperPort Vx, save the image, and click on it and drag it onto a word-processing icon that appears on the screen. By doing this, I have automatically activated the optical character recognition (OCR) software that comes with PaperPort Vx.

In very little time, the OCR software converts the image of the document to a word-processing file, automatically loads the word-processing program, and presents the image as a text-editable file. I can then save the document, make a copy of it, and type in the answers to the interrogatories in the new copy.

This technology has saved me countless hours I would have spent manually filing or retyping documents. You can also use the software to scan brochures, newspaper clippings, photographs, advertisements, and even business cards. Keep the copyright laws in mind when scanning certain documents.

PaperPort Vx does not, as of this writing, have a paper feeder and is not meant to handle big jobs. If you have hundreds or thousands of documents to scan, you will need a more powerful scanner (and one that comes with a paper feeder) or a scanning service to handle your needs.

A word about accuracy. A computer image of a scanned document is 100 percent accurate because it is an electronic "picture" of the document. However, the accuracy of a document that has been processed with OCR software depends on the quality of the document that was scanned and the capability of the software.

It is not always necessary to create an accurate electronic copy of a document. But when accuracy is needed, it is usually far easier and faster to proofread and correct a document that has been scanned and put through OCR software than it is to type the document from scratch.

Fail-safe

Backing up information stored on desktop computer systems is something most of us don't--but should--do. All hard disk drives, eventually, will fail, leaving their owners unable to retrieve information stored on them.

This threat has become increasingly dangerous to law practices as more and more information is being stored on office computer systems. This is so because the cost of hard disk storage capability has decreased dramatically in recent years. Most new computers now come equipped with two or more gigabytes of disk space.

As nature abhors a vacuum, so, too, it seems nature abhors a hard disk with empty space. Even huge hard disks seem to fill up quickly, particularly with the size of files generated by modem graphical user interface-based programs and files.

I have never trusted tape backup devices. I've heard several horror stories about defective backup tapes that failed to store any data and about backup tape drives that did not work properly when the time came to use them.

Until recently, backup tapes were less expensive than high-density hard disks, so tapes were the preferred method of storage. But all that has changed with the arrival of Zip and Jaz drives from Iomega Copr.(2)

Zip drives are external to the computer, currently cost about $200, and allow the insertion of Zip disks, which hold 100 megabytes of information. A Zip disk costs around $15.

This storage method is quick, easy, and portable. You can copy entire directories or complete client files onto a Zip disk and either keep it in a safe storage place or take it home with you to use with your homebased system, assuming it also has a Zip drive. Of course, you could take the Zip drive home with you, too--it weighs only about a pound. But because the drives are inexpensive, I'd recommend buying two--one for the office and one for home. Then you need only take the disks back and forth.

A significant advantage to using Zip drives and disks is the peace of mind you get from doing the job yourself. You know immediately that it has been done and done right.

You might also consider backing up all the files that relate to closed cases in your office onto separate Zip disks and putting the disks in the hard copy files. This is just one more way to ensure that information doesn't get lost.

For example, an electrical storm might generate an electrical "spike" that damages your hard disk, destroying files. If you have copied the files onto Zip disks and stored them in a safe place, the information isn't lost forever. Also, attempts to clear disk space will not result in the permanent loss of important information.

But what if you've been using a computer for years and you have hundreds of megabytes of information to store? Backing up all that information would leave you with scores of Zip disks. The solution for you is the Jaz drive. It holds a gigabyte of information, or 10 Zip drives' worth.

Jaz drives are small and portable and are faster than most hard drives--they can back up a gigabyte of files in about five minutes. These drives cost just under $500, and individual disks are about $100 each. Given the immense storage capacity of these drives, the price is low.

The storage capability of this backup system is tremendous. One gigabyte of space can store many graphics files as well as multimedia and full-motion video presentations. Using this technology, you can scan and store documents, pictures, briefs, and memorandums of law in digital form and, if you choose, eliminate some hard copy originals after a reasonably prudent time. Of course, some documents, like original, recorded deeds and wills, should not be destroyed even if digital backup files exist.

Mental `telephony' and photographic memory

Here's a typical law office scene. The client is on the phone, and no one can locate the client's file. Eventually, the file is found, but an important document is missing. This is an all-too-common frustrating, irritating, and potentially career threatening situation for many lawyers. But you can make sure it's one that never happens in your office again with a new technology called "telephony."

This technology combines or "marries" your telephone and your computer. The system works in conjunction with "Caller ID," a service provided by local telephone companies that identifies callers by either the telephone number from which they are calling or their name, or both.

A new product called YoYo from Big Island Communications, Inc., can link Caller ID to a variety of software products, including advanced personal information managers, database software, and casemanagement software.(3) The information that Caller ID provides can be used to call up a client's file in one of these software programs. Then, when you pick up the phone, the client's complete file is automatically displayed on your computer screen.

With this technology, you can appear to have "instant recall" of information about your clients' cases or their families and interests. And you no longer have to keep the client waiting while you try to locate a file or a document. Your ability to quickly locate and discuss relevant information will show that you are not only on top of things in the office but also truly interested in your clients.

YoYo logs all incoming and outgoing calls, which is helpful for record-keeping purposes. The software also can be programmed to send a message to your pager to let you know who's calling when you are away from the phone, block calls from specific callers at times you specify, and play specific sounds when certain people call so you know who is calling before you pick up the phone.

Gavel & Gown Software has released a new version of their popular lawyer productivity software, Amicus Attorney, which also includes a Caller ID feature(4) Amicus Attorney--which is available for both Windows-based and Macintosh computers--performs a number of tasks, including case management, time tracking, and document assembly. The Caller ID function works much like YoYo's does.

Another product I use regularly to give me a "photographic memory" of information in my clients' files is called InfoGenie.(5) I use it every day to record random thoughts and information--you know, the kind of things you often jot down on yellow "stickles," legal pads, or whatever loose bits of paper you can find at the moment and which then promptly get lost.

With InfoGenie, you can click on a "+" button with your mouse to open a "record" on your computer screen. You can time stamp the record if you like, but the idea is to just type information as it comes to your mind. This could be information that a colleague told you at lunch that you don't want to forget, a citation and summary of a new case that is relevant to your practice, the name and number of an expert witness or a potential new client, or directions to a client's office.

You might want to record your passwords to online or local area network (LAN) resources. Of course, you must be careful about doing this because you should keep passwords secret. But if you cannot remember what they are, it is far better to store them in a computer file on your computer in your offfice than it is to store them in a less secure place, like your wallet or a hard copy file.

To retrieve information you have stored, all you have to do is type any word that you wrote in the record--like "expert" or "witness"--in a search box, and in the blink of an eye, InfoGenie will list every record that contains the word.

If you consistently use this product, you will eventually create a huge database of useful information that you can access instantly. Soon, the mountains of paper on your desktop will begin to disappear, and you will be one step closer to that paperless desktop.

Every moment you spend looking for a scrap of paper, a file, or a document in a file is a waste of precious time and money. Yet most of us spend a significant amount of time doing this.

The technology exists for lawyers to all but eliminate paper from their desktops and from the desktops of most people who work in their offices. Information in every electronic file can be shared by everyone with access to an office's LAN. Specific files can be password protected. And with the new high--density storage devices, you can take your office--or at least a good deal of it--with you on the road.

While you may never achieve the ultimate goal of a paperless office, these products should at least help you to see a little more of the top of your desk.

Notes

(1.) PaperPort Vx has a suggested retail price under $300. It can be obtained from Visioneer, Inc., 34800 Campus Dr., Freemont, CA 94555; phone: [phone]; fax on demand: [phone]. Information about the product is also available on America Online at keyword "Paperport" and on the World Wide Web at http:/hvww.visioneer.com/.

(2.) Iomega Corporation is located at 1821 West [omega Way, Roy, UT 84067. It can be reached by phone at [phone], and the e-mail address is comments@iomega com. Information about the company's products is available on the World Wide Web at http:/hvww.iomega.com.

(3.) Information about Big Island Communications, Inc.'s products is available on their Web site at http://www.big-island.com. At this time, YoYo is a Mac-only product. Yo-yo costs about $150.

(4.) To contact Gavel & Gown Software, Inc., write to Ron Collins, President, Gavel & Gown Software, Inc., 181 Pearl St., Ste. 304, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1L5, Canada. The company can be reached by phone at [phone], by fax at [phone], or by e-mail at [e-mail]. The company maintains a Web site at http://www.io.org/~amicus. The current retail price of Amicus Attorney is about $400.

(5.) InfoGenie is available from Casady & Greene, 22734 Portola Dr., Salinas, CA 93908-1119; phone: [phone]. InfoGenie costs $48.95. It is a Mac-only product, but there are similar products available for Windows-based computers. One of these is askSam from askSam Systems, P.O. Box 1428, Perry, FL 32347. The company can be reached by phone at [phone], by fax at [phone], or by e-mail at [e-mail]. The company maintains a Web site at http://www.askSam.com. Another Windowsbased product is Info Select from Micro Logic, 89 Leuning St., South Hackensack, NJ 07606; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]. Micro Logic's Web site is at http://www.miclog.com.

Paul Bernstein is an attorney and law office automation consultant in Chicago. He can be reached on the Internet at [e-mail]. Information about the products mentioned in this article is provided by the author and does not reflect an endorsement of any product by TRIAL or ATLA.