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Category Archives: Office Management

Information About Rocket Matter

Posted on May 1, 2008 by Ben Stevens Posted in Office Management, Online Resources, Software 2 Comments
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Rocket_matter_3 The Connected Lawyer  published an informative interview with Larry Port from Rocket Matter, which is a web-based practice management and time and billing solution.  Since I am a big fan of Rocket Matter, I have published excerpts / highlights from that interview below for my readers.  However, I urge you to click the link below to read the entire interview for yourself.

What is Rocket Matter?

Rocket Matter is an easy-to-use web-based legal practice management and time and billing solution. It’s designed from the ground up to facilitate the practice of law in small and solo firms.  Rocket Matter allows law firms to manage calendars, to-do lists, contacts, matters, and time and billing in one integrated and simple solution.

We created a technology we call “Bill as you Work”, which traps billable time as lawyers and paralegals go about their day. The net result is a product that allows firms to operate more efficiently and reduces the amount of time that gets lost for invoicing.  Since we host Rocket Matter on our servers and it’s accessed via the Internet, users have ubiquitous access to their information while never having to spend money or time on software installations or upgrades.

Tell me more about Bill as you Work. How does it work? What does it capture?

The whole idea behind “Bill as you Work” is to capture time as you go about your day to day activities, so that at the end of the month when it comes time to bill you don’t end up losing all of your precious hours. For example, when you schedule a deposition in your calendar, you can choose to bill for the time spent when you create the appointment. Likewise, your to-do items can be instantly converted from simple reminders into billable items that can end up on your invoice. The application also contains its own stopwatch, so you can time any activity you work on and funnel that directly into billing.

What size of firm is your product ideal for?

Our ideal firm is small, consisting of 1 to 25 total employees. We can scale our application to much larger firms, but we want to focus on the solo and small firm segment of the market, which has been under-served for too long.

What type of security do you use to make sure that the information remains secure?

The security measures we included in Rocket Matter are comprehensive. Every request is encrypted with 128-bit secure SSL, the same encryption used by many major banks and financial institutions. Passwords are hashed (stored in an encrypted format) and known only by you. Threat Modeling, which is the practice of identifying and countering attacks, is a fundamental part of our development process. There are a host of other security measures we have taken to lock down and isolate a firms data, and we’ll be conducting ongoing audits with independent security specialist firms.

What type of computer system do I need to access my data?

Rocket Matter runs in an Internet browser, freeing you from the constraints of any particular operating system. Macs, PC’s, and Linux systems can all be used, as long as they have a modern browser (Firefox, IE 6 or above, and Safari). Now that full-fledged mobile browsers have been introduced, iPhones and Pocket PC’s with SkyFire can be used to access Rocket Matter.

Can I access my data in any way if I cannot reach your servers, (e.g., I can’t get to the internet)?

Currently, access to Rocket Matter requires an Internet connection. Of course, if you need to access some piece of crucial information and you find yourself without access, you can always call our customer support line.

What happens to my data if I chose to stop using your service?

In the sad circumstance that we part ways, Rocket Matter will offer you a full copy of your data at no charge. Your contacts and calendar data will be exported to industry standard formats, such as vCard and iCalendar, which can be read by applications such as Outlook, iCal, and Address Book. Your matter and time and billing information will be exported to a navigable HTML format, so that you can view and make sense of your information.

Can I backup my data from your servers to a local hard drive?

Rocket Matter is developing an enhanced service plan, in which customers can obtain regular backups of their information. Users participating in this plan will have the option of downloading their data or having it sent to them on a DVD.

Do your offer training with your product? If so, what kind?

Rocket Matter users enjoy free training called CRE, or Continuing Rocket Education. These are live webinars hosted every week, open to all Rocket Matter customers at no additional cost. Furthermore, we offer Online CRE courses, which allow users at any time to watch guided instructional videos on the various features of the program.

What is the pricing for Rocket Matter?

During our Pilot Program, we are charging $50 USD per attorney per month and $15 USD per support staff per month.  Customer support is included for Pilot Program participants. Phone support is available from 9am to 6pm EST. Phone support is handled in the United States and conducted by a native English speaker.

What makes Rocket Matter different from other similar programs?

Rocket Matter’s big differentiator is the simple yet comprehensive nature of its features. Simplicity, paired with great customer support and training, will enable our customers to actually use our product and enjoy doing so.

Compared to traditional legal practice management tools, Rocket Matter is a leap forward in ease-of-use. We eliminated the confusing “bloatware”, or features people don’t require. We’ve taken the elements that most firms need: calendaring, contact management, matter management, and invoicing, and rolled them into one integrated product.

By creating a web-based solution, we have created another differentiator with existing legal products: there is no need to purchase additional hardware, and no IT consultant required for an install or upgrade. We handle backups, security, and all of the other technical issues so that attorneys and their staffs can focus on the practice of law.

Source:  "An Interview with Larry Port from Rocket Matter" by Bryan Sims, published at The Connected Lawyer.

Using Macs to Build a Better Windows Network

Posted on March 10, 2008 by Ben Stevens Posted in Hardware, Office Management, Other Operating Systems Leave a comment
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Apple_windows
My good friend, David Swanner, reports that his "tech guy is using
Apple iMacs to build a more stable, easier to maintain Windows network."  That’s right, even some PC tech guys are starting to come around to the many benefits offered by Macs.

Dave lists the following advantages of running Windows on a Mac:

  • Nice Hardware at a Reasonable Price – Chrome and glass, 20″ monitor, memory, speed, decent memory all in one box. It works well and is attractive.
  • Less Desk Space – The Macs are an all in one and leave a small footprint on your desk. It’s just the monitor and the keyboard.
  • Ease of Maintenance
    – The entire Parallels Windows file is a single computer file. That’s
    huge. You can install Windows, tweak it to the way you want, install
    all of the programs that you want and then all of that information will
    be in a single Parallels file that can be copied and backed up. If your
    Windows goes down, you can just copy that file back to your iMac and
    you’re up and running. If your entire iMac goes down, you can copy that
    file to a different iMac and you’re up and running. No worrying about
    file registries, different hardware signatures. No fuss, no muss.
  • Portability – Once you have your Parallels backup file, you can copy that to another machine without any problems. You can’t do that (easily) with Windows, because of different hardware configurations and the Windows registry.
  • Ease of Installation
    – Once you have a specific set up that you want, for example,
    WordPerfect, TimeMatters, CaseMap, TimeMap, Sanction, MicroSoft Office,
    you can save this as a building block and as a base for every
    installation. Of course, you need to have a site license for each
    program. You will also have to switch license codes, but that’s a lot
    easier than starting each machine’s installation from scratch.

I urge you to visit Dave’s post to get his thoughts.  While you are there, you should check out the rest of his blog, as I believe it’s one of the best out there.

Source:  "Using iMacs to Build a Better Windows Network" by David Swanner, published at his South Carolina Trial Law Blog.

Top Ten Mac Applications for Solo Attorneys

Posted on April 11, 2007 by Ben Stevens Posted in Mac OS X, Office Management, Software 4 Comments
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I am pleased to present the following post from my friend, Grant Griffiths
, on his ten "must-have" applications for solo practitioners using Macs.  Of his designated applications, I personally use four myself and have taken close looks at three others.  Kudos to Grant for compiling his list, as follows:

My blogging friend, Rick Georges of the Future Lawyer had a recent article at Law.com.
He wrote about Ten apps for the solo practitioner. I know Rick does
this just to cause me to write up an answer to his post. As he mentions
in his post, he stuck to Windoze based stuff. And like Rick, I am going
to stick to what I know and that would be applications I use in my own
solo practice.

1. First and foremost on my list is Mac OSX
itself. Now, I know what you are thinking, that is an operating system
and not an application. However consider for a moment building an
office and where you should start. The foundation and it should be as
stable, strong and reliable as possible. Mac OSX gives you that. But it
also gives you more. Not only is it a wonderful OS, it provides four of
the applications I use everyday in my solo practice.

  • iChat
  • iCal
  • Mail
  • Address Book

I use each one every single day and would not want to operate my
practice without them. Best of all, all four will integrate into other
programs which I will discuss in future posts.

2. Second is my word processor of choice, NeoOffice.

NeoOffice is a fully-featured set of office
applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and
drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office
suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can
import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs
such as Microsoft Office.

Released as free, open source software under the GNU General
Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough
for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements
and small updates are made available on a regular basis.

3. Next, and one that I have discussed before is Circus Ponies Notebook.
It’s a combination outliner and free-form database that lets you clip,
annotate, and share unstructured information. Organize your information
using a familiar notebook interface complete with pages and tabs. Best
of all you can organize a case in a way that makes sense to you. Not
the way the software company believes it should be done. You can import
photos, images, film clips, and sounds directly into Notebook from ay
source. Display embedded media in your Notebook in Media Frames that
give you control over the media item. Import any kind of content from
the web or from other Mac apps using NoteBook’s built-in Clipping
Services. Copy text and other content directly into your Notebooks
without leaving whatever app you are working in. You can even pre-edit
clippings before sending them to your Notebook.

Notebook includes tabs on the right side just like a trial notebook. I set mine up like a Bindertek
trial notebook. Labeled and color coded just like a hardcopy notebook.
However, with Notebook, I can assure you one thing, I can find my
information faster than an attorney using a hard copy, like a trial
notebook. And I can use my Notebook version to present information and
exhibits in court.

Notebook also works with iCal where you can set and manage alarms and to do’s for your case.

4. Like Rick, I too use Skype. It truly is a great tool for the law office. I bought the SkypeOut
service for just over $29.00 per year. I can call unlimited nationwide
numbers all I want. I have it set up so that my BT ear piece connects
to the calls I make and receive on Skype. And actually, Rick and I have
visited often using Skype. Get it, you won’t be sorry you did.

5. Pagesender is my
built in fax service. It is a great software that sits on my file/fax
server, Mac Mini. I use the same phone line that I use for my DSL
service so I only have to tie up one line for both those useful tools.
All faxes come into my office as PDF’s which I than store directly to
my clients virtual file folder. If I am out of the office, my faxes are
emailed to me no matter where I am at. And when I need to sign
something that comes in as a fax, I don’t even print it. I sign it with
the next application listed below.

6. With PDFpenPro
I can Fill out PDF forms and edit PDFs easily. Split, combine, reorder,
sign and augment PDFs with text, image overlays & watermarks.
Signing is as easy as inserting my signature which is saved to my
desktop onto any document I want. In my humble opinion, I just don’t
see how you could have a paperLESS office without this application.

7. Keynote 3 is not a replacement for PowerPoint. But a better solution for those presentations we might make as a lawyer.

Cinema-quality presentations for everyone — with
ease. Keynote puts you in the director’s chair and gives you complete
control over how you build and deliver your presentation.

8. For postage I no longer go to the post office to get my stamps. I use endicia for Mac.
You can print mailing labels, envelopes and InstaPostage labels with
ease. Print real postage from your Mac. No more standing in long lines
at the post office. It works with Apple’s Address Book and the next program I discuss below.

9. EasyTime billing program is my billing program of choice now. It is written by a Mac using developer for the Mac using attorney.

  • easily manage clients and cases
  • address book integration
  • retainer billing
  • multiple rates per timekeeper
  • unlimited task & case notes
  • task timer
  • user shortcuts
  • fully customizable invoices and reports
  • batch invoice printing with automatic email option
  • postage printing via Endicia (US customers only)
  • link external documents to client & case
  • assign persons (attorneys, witnesses, adjusters, etc.)
  • contact overview and phone call reminder

EasyTime will develop into a full time billing, case and document managing system.

10. Finally, Basecamp is a
must have practice tool. In my own practice, Basecamp is used to manage
cases and clients. Each client has access to their own case. By using
Basecamp, each has access too all the documents in their case and also
know when important court dates are. They can leave comments or
questions about their case and they can keep up on the progress of
their case. It keeps clients more involved in the process.

There you have it, ten of the must have apps for the Mac using solo
practitioner. I would love to have as many of you post comments here
telling me what applications you feel are a must have. Lets keep the
conversation going.

Oh and by the way Ben Cowgill
do you have a list for the windoze using attorney? And you thought us
Mac using attorneys did not have any software. I actually had to stop
at ten. There is a ton more and if enough interest is expressed, I will
do a follow up to this post in the near future.

Source:  "10 Must-Have Apps for the Mac Using Solo Practitioner" by Grant Griffiths, posted at his Home Office Lawyer blog. 

 

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