Top 10 (OK, really 9) tech tips for lawyers.

As I write this--my inaugural technology column in TRIAL--I have just returned from my 25th college reunion. Things certainly have changed. Twenty-five years ago, no one had PCs--I actually compiled the data for my senior thesis using data punch cards. Remember them? We also used typewriters, and IBM Selectrics were the cream of that crop. Word processors were still a pipe dream.

By the time I graduated from law school, we did electronic research, but we still needed the books. Do you remember Shephard's Citations? As well as all of those paper supplements?

Technology has changed much about college and law school--and also lawyering. It is everywhere in the modern law office and courtroom, which is generally to the good. Technology helps lawyers do everything from managing client files to creating correspondence to preparing for and trying cases.

Like most things, technology is best when it is easy, practical, and functional. This new column will focus on how to use technology easily to make your practice more efficient and productive.

Rather than jump right into specifics, I first offer my top 10 tech tips. If you adhere to these suggestions--whether you are a technology geek or still think that a mouse is a rodent--you will get more out of your present and future tech tools.

1. Figure out what you already have. Many lawyers don't get the greatest benefits from the computer hardware and software they have because they don't even know what they have. At times, firms buy software and never use it, or staff is never trained properly. Then, when someone considers buying a product with a particular feature, they don't even realize they already own it. So, before deciding you need to buy new hardware or software, make sure you know which capabilities you already have.

2. Learn how to use what you already have. Once you know what you already have, it is even more important to know how to use those capabilities. Many computer users don't get the greatest benefits from the hardware and software they already have simply because they never learned about all of the products' features and how they can improve efficiency. Granted, most lawyers find that they need only a small percentage of any software program's features, but you still have to know how to use those features and take advantage of others you aren't using.

The best way to learn about your computer is to sit down and "play" with it. By this, I mean opening programs and trying out all their features and functions. Here's how. Start a program and just look around (of course, save whatever client work you were doing first). Click on all the dropdowns from the menu bar found at the top of the screen in most programs. Then, create a blank document or new file and investigate each feature to see what it does. Don't worry about hitting the wrong thing and crashing; it's no big deal. You haven't lost any client data. Just start over.

You might also consider taking some attorney-oriented classes offered by your local bar and trial lawyer associations. I recommend these classes only if they truly focus on your needs and concerns and will improve skills you plan to use. Otherwise, you will forget most of what you learn because they will be things you were never going to use anyway.

Playing with your computer or taking classes may seem like a waste of precious lawyering time, but you will learn a great deal. Your improved skills will more than compensate for the time spent.

3. Evaluate what you need. Impulse buying is the wrong way to purchase anything, including law office hardware and software. Don't buy a program just because a friend is using it. Your neighbor may drive a minivan because he has four kids. If you have no children, you probably wouldn't buy a minivan, even if your neighbor extols its virtues. Software is no different.

While recommendations are valuable, always do your own research and determine whether a product is one you need. Just because something sounds good does not mean it's what you need. When buying office technology, evaluate the types of programs your office really needs, and then consider all your options. Base your evaluation on whether the product can accomplish the tasks you need it to do, not on some theoretical need. Otherwise, you may spend money on a program you will never use.

4. Upgrade what you have. Think about the programs already used in your office--especially now that you have played with them. Will a newer version of a program work better or perform additional functions you really need? If so, it is often less expensive to upgrade to a newer version of what you have than to buy a new version of a competing product, especially if the manufacturer requires you to buy a separate license for each user in your office.

5. Don't upgrade what you have. There are equally good reasons not to upgrade your current software. If the upgrade will not add enough significant features, it may not justify the cost. For example, many offices still use the version of Microsoft Word released in 2000 because, despite Microsoft's ads, recent versions have added so little that their cost outweighs their benefits.

You may not want to upgrade if a competing product may be as good as, or better than, what you have. Often, a manufacturer will sell its product at an attractive price (called a "competitive upgrade") to induce users of competing products to make a change.

6. Learn to use the Internet. There is so much information--and some very good free or low-priced software--available on the Internet, yet many lawyers fail to tap into this incredible free storehouse of knowledge. Of course, you should only surf the Internet if your antivirus software is up to date and your firewall is properly configured. Future columns will focus on using the Internet, including how and where to find accurate information easily.

7. Make sure your data is safe and backed up regularly. If you aren't backing up all of your office's data regularly--if not daily--then you need to change your ways. If you don't, you will eventually lose, delete, or change a file you need, and you will not be able to get it back. Worse, you might have a hard-drive crash and lose everything. These things happen all the time, and it is critical that all businesses regularly back up their data. You don't want to be one of the many horror stories.

8. Replace what you have. If your PC or software just doesn't work well anymore, it can be expensive to replace, but it's time to take the plunge. When you consider the time you will save and your improved productivity, replacing out-of-date, impractical, or just plain bad products with ones that work makes sense.

9. Ask consultants' advice, but make sure you do your own investigation. Consultants can offer valuable recommendations, but don't hand over the keys. Always ask them questions and, as you would if you were going to trial, do your homework. Make sure that the consultants are qualified, are offering objective advice, and aren't trying to sell Product X because it's the only one they know and they receive a commission.

10. Identify what you have and learn how to use it. Yes, I said this before. The reality remains--before you buy anything new, investigate what you already have and learn how to use it. Do this, and you may find that your best purchase is the one you have already made.

Attorney DANIEL J. SIEGEL is the president of Integrated Technology Services in Havertown, Pennsylvania. He can be reached at [e-mail]. The views expressed in this article are the author's and do not constitute an endorsement of any product by TRIAL or ATLA.