Cyber Security and Technical Skills Training for Lawyers and Staff

Cyber Security and Technical Skills Training for Lawyers and Staff

Seminar Description:  Four facts cause lawyers a lot of anxiety.  First, it is impossible to practice law today without using technology, and tech mistakes can be very costly.  Second, use of the internet is essential for a modern practice although it presents a host of security issues.  Third, most of the information lawyers receive is electronic, and all of it has to be protected.  Fourth, the days of having a crew of support staff to handle the technology are long gone for many lawyers.  In this seminar, you’ll learn how to use the tools necessary to protect electronic client data as required under the Rules of Professional Conduct.  You’ll receive very specific recommendations on hardware, software, services and policies.  We'll also explain how to safely capitalize on web-based technologies for your practice.  Finally, you’ll learn the technology skills you (and your team) need to make better use of core production tools like Word, Outlook and Adobe Acrobat (or PDF program of your choice).

8:00 a.m.            Check-in and continental breakfast

8:30 a.m. Legal Tech Security Measures Every Lawyer Must Take:  Rule 1.6 requires that lawyers must make reasonable efforts to prevent the disclosure of confidential client information.  The comments to Rule 1.6 require lawyers to act competently to safeguard client information, and use reasonable safety precautions when transmitting a client communication. The exact meanings of "reasonable efforts," "acting competently" and "reasonable precautions" may be subject to debate.  However, doing nothing certainly won't meet the standard.  The good news is that you don't have to be a security expert or techie to protect yourself and your office. Learn how to cover all the bases of computer, smartphone, tablet, email, wireless and document encryption.  We'll also cover the fundamentals of backing up your electronic data.  Half of the battle is simply knowing what questions to ask and it's not nearly as complicated as it sounds.  Establish best practices in your office and discover the inexpensive or free tools that will make sure your confidential information remains confidential.

9:30 a.m. Cloud Computing - Ethical Issues and Options:  Simply stated, cloud computing is the use of software and services delivered via the Internet.  Email, electronic case filing and online legal research make it nearly impossible to avoid the cloud when practicing law today.  However, there are many additional ways lawyers can use the cloud in their practices.  Online file storage, backup systems, legal case management and accounting systems are now prevalent.  Even office phone systems now utilize the internet (all VoIP systems).  Of course, storing or transmitting client information in the cloud is not without risks; and interested practitioners must first address the inherent ethical and security issues.  In this seminar, you'll learn what those issues are and your due diligence obligations under the Rules of Professional Conduct.  We'll also cover the best cloud services lawyers can use to manage their practices, improve customer service and stay connected.

10:30 a.m.          Break

10:45 a.m. Microsoft Word Power Tips for Legal Users:  Due to the complex formatting often required with legal documents, most users find Microsoft Word to be a constant source of frustration.  It's the primary tool used to produce work product, yet many feel it works against them.  Adding to the frustration is the fact that most of the techniques and features necessary to control complex formatting are simply concealed.  Using Word and “clicking around” provides little improvement and no insight.  This seminar is specifically designed to address those realities.  We’ll show you exactly how to fix the common legal drafting problems plaguing you now and avoid them in the future.  You’ll learn dozens of tips and techniques you can put into practice immediately.  Even if you feel you have Word under control, we guarantee you will learn new things about Word throughout this class. 

12:00 p.m.         Lunch on your own

1:15 p.m.            Microsoft Word Power Tips for Legal Users, continued

2:00 p.m. Email Management Using Outlook:  Lawyers and staff are generally drowning in email and many feel helpless when trying to get it under control. This seminar will show you how to use all of Microsoft Outlook’s feature set to efficiently store, organize email (and attachments), and successfully deal with high email volume.  We'll also show you how to fix Outlook’s default settings for email, calendar, contacts and tasks.  Finally, we’ll explain many amazing and useful Outlook features which most users don't even know are there.

3:00 p.m.            Break

3:15 p.m. A Legal Professional’s Guide to PDF Files:  You have probably noticed that PDF files are everywhere.  They have become the file format of choice when trading documents with other lawyers and clients.  Many courts now require that all pleadings be filed as PDFs; and most governmental forms are available exclusively in PDF format.  Because of their prevalence, everyone in your office needs to understand the risks and benefits of PDF files.  In this seminar, you'll learn appropriate uses of PDFs, and we'll cover extremely important topics such as metadata removal and electronic document security, redaction, Bates Numbering, splitting/combining PDFs, reducing file-size for electronic case filing, review/comment and PDF collaboration, adding signatures & stamps, routing PDFs for comments/feedback, and more. Finally, we’ll identify the programs you can use for all of these functions (you are not limited to Adobe Acrobat) and explain their relative pros and cons.

4:15 p.m.            Concludes