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Rocket Matter Introduces QuickBooks Online Integration and Slick New Payments

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Ben Stevens Posted in Office Management, Online Resources, Product Reviews, Technology 1 Comment
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Today the fine folks at Rocket Matter rolled out an integration with QuickBooks Online, making the best online legal time and billing software even better (click here to watch a short video). In addition, they announced Rocket Matter Payments, which the painful task of invoicing and collecting easier than ever.

Rocket Matter QuickBooks Online Integration:

QuickBooks desktop is one of those things that forces a Mac law firm to keep a copy of Windows running.  The Mac version of QuickBooks just isn’t that great, so most of our tribe is stuck running Parallels or VMWare or *gasp* has a server running Windows on it somewhere (which is probably the only machine in the firm that gets viruses).

The online version of QuickBooks seems to be where Intuit is placing more and more of its emphasis.  They are starting to drop developer support for some of their desktop API access and are encouraging more adoption of the cloud-based product.  It’s enough to make one wonder if Intuit will one day sunset the desktop product completely.

Rocket Matter’s QuickBooks Online integration, according to their announcement,  “continues in the company’s tradition of easy-to-use, visually appealing software.  Rocket Matter users will be able to tie together detailed information between the two systems, including invoices, expenses, trust account credits and debits, as well as sync all current clients with Rocket Matter.”

The other Rocket Matter announcement that will affect small law firm business is the introduction of Rocket Matter Payments.  Basically, this feature allows you to email your client invoices with a secure payment link.  You’re then able to tell if your clients opened the email or not.  When a client pays, your Rocket Matter ledgers are updated automatically, which then can be seamlessly integrated with  – you guess it – QuickBooks Online.

Watch an overview of Rocket Matter Payments:

2015 Apple at Law User Survey

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Mac vs. PC, Office Management, Online Resources, Software, Switching to Macs, Technology Leave a comment
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The following Guest Post was written by Tom Lambotte of GlobalMac IT and is reprinted here with his permission:

Attorney at Work recently collaborated with MILOfest to conduct the “2015 Apple at Law Users Survey,” aimed at getting a snapshot of how law firms are using Apple products. Tom Lambotte, CEO of GlobalMac IT and one of the MILOfest conference and survey organizers, reviews the results and points out the highlights. Be sure to download the full highlights report PDF, too.

This year’s Apple at Law User Survey revives the annual tradition begun with Clio’s “Apple in Law Offices” survey, conducted from 2010 to 2013. The 2015 Attorney at Work survey drew 339 respondents from firms of all sizes, and the results show some interesting statistics.

Apple Ascending

It’s no surprise that use of Apple products in the legal market continues, but it is amazing to see the continual growth.

Of the individuals responding to the survey, 27 percent were solos, 44 percent had between 2 to 10 employees on staff, 18 percent had between 11 to 50 employees, 6 percent employed 51 to 200, and another 5 percent were in large firms of more than 200. The spread among these numbers confirms that Apple products are being used in larger firms — not just in solo and small law offices.

Law Office size

All Mac or a Mix?

Almost one-third (29 percent) of the respondents were 100 percent on Macs in their law firms, which is not shocking considering the dramatic advancements made possible by cloud-based platforms and software-as-a-service (SaaS). This is a major shift from five years ago when the Apple platform had very limited options in areas such as case management, document assembly, and time and billing software.

Now, with more and more software becoming platform agnostic (meaning it will run on any operating system), I predict we will continue to see the number of all-Mac offices continually increase, year after year.

A full 22 percent of respondents reported using a mix of PCs and Macs, further confirming my point. One of the biggest benefits of SaaS is that firms can give their employees a choice of which platform they would like to use. It also makes it possible to test out a couple of Macs in the office before eventually making the full switch. Often, we encounter a managing partner wanting a MacBook Air, testing it out, falling in love, and then pushing the full migration to Macs in the office.

Another 27 people (8 percent) reported being the only Mac users in their firm. I foresee these trailblazers — along with the mixed PCs and Macs firms — playing a big role in the coming adoption of all-Mac law offices. In fact, we just signed a client with a 15-person firm, where it started with one attorney bringing in his Mac a couple of years ago. They gradually converted and are now on Apple 100 percent.

A Spike in New Users

It’s interesting to compare some of the results from the last Clio survey to the 2015 numbers. Clio’s 2013 Apple in Law Offices Survey reported that 44 percent of respondents had been using Macs for more than three years, while 2015 survey results came in at 50 percent. The biggest difference is new users: In 2013, only 9 percent of respondents had been using Macs for less than a year. That number almost tripled among respondents to the 2015 survey, at 26 percent, pointing to a big spike in increased Mac usage in law firms.

How Long using apple

Tablets in Law Offices

Shifting to tablets, 84 percent of the respondents currently use iPads, compared with 75 percent in 2013 and 70 percent in 2012. In 2011, only 15 percent of those surveyed owned an iPad, up from only 10 percent in 2010. Remember that the iPad made its debut in 2010, so those 10 percent were early adopters. In just three years, the iPad had widely penetrated the legal market.

Which Model ipad

As for the specific iPad model in use, 45 percent say they use either an iPad Air or the iPad Air2. The brand new iPad Pro, just released on November 10, came in at 5 percent. Keep in mind, this survey closed on November 23, so a 5 percent adoption rate in the first two weeks is quite impressive! The older models are still heavily in use, with a third (34 percent) of respondents using an iPad2 or older. This speaks highly to the long, usable life span of the iPads.

Popular Desktop and Laptops

Moving into desktop computer use, the iMac was the most popular desktop model among respondents, with 62 percent of the Mac desktop share. It is hard to beat the all-in-one lines of the iMac. The other two options were the Mac minis at 23 percent and the Mac Pros at 14 percent.

I had expected the Mac mini’s use to be higher and to see less of the Mac Pros. These results may be swayed by the respondents since the survey asked what kind of Mac the respondent was using — not the overall number and types of Macs used firmwide. We frequently see attorneys using iMacs while support staff use Mac minis. The Mac minis are a great option for firms switching from PCs that already have newer monitors and keyboards and mice.

As for laptops, I expected to see a higher percentage of MacBook Airs. (I love my 11-inch Air). A third of the respondents reported using MacBook Airs (32 percent), with over half (58 percent) using MacBook Pros.

While I personally believe the MacBook Pros are overkill for most lawyers, no other laptops had retina screens up until the recent introduction of the new MacBook. I think that was a big reason for the high percentage of these. I forecast an increase in MacBooks and MacBook Airs over the next year.

Talking again about the early adopters, the new MacBook was released on April 10, 2015, and 9 percent reported using these devices — consistent with that 10 percent early adoption rate for other devices.

Apple’s new market item, the Apple Watch (not the iWatch), again hit that 10 percent early adopter mark, coming in at 11 percent. Looking back at the introduction of the iPods, iPhones and iPads, the first year’s sales tend to be a bit slow, with adoption rate striking up tremendously in years to follow. I’m excited to see where this number will be in next year’s survey!

Why Mac?

We also polled users about why they chose to use Macs. The top two reasons, both chosen by more than 70 percent of respondents, were usability and reliability. The third most popular reason was security, followed by aesthetics and familiarity.

  • Usability (73 percent)
  • Reliability (70 percent)
  • Security (44 percent)
  • Aesthetics/Design (37 percent)
  • Familiarity (Used at Home) (35 percent)

“Usability” typically refers to ease of use and the user interface (UI). For the most part, Apple and Windows operating systems have the same features. It’s the UI that makes all the difference in the world. If you don’t know how to access or use a feature, you won’t use it. If you are not comfortable and confident in doing a certain task, you won’t do it.

I think this is why the “halo effect” is so dominant with Apple products. The first time someone uses an iPhone or an iPad, they often have that “aha” moment, where they react with: “Wow, this is SO easy.” When someone experiences this they eventually wonder, “Can this happen on my computer, too?” So they buy more Apple products, and, in time, move towards switching their firms to Macs.

What Software and Apps Do Mac-based Lawyers Use?

The survey also asked lawyers whether they use software and apps in these categories: practice management, document management, time and billing, accounting, and project management, as well as what particular products they use.

Practice management. Among those who identified a practice management application, Clio was the most popular, with Rocket Matter and MyCase tying for second. After these, Amicus Attorney, CaseManager and Daylite all had around 5 percent of users. The “other” option turned up an interesting range of products in use, from custom systems to workarounds for PC-based systems to those using general business apps like Google and Evernote. Time Matters was among the most popular “write-ins.”

However, 36 percent — one out of three respondents — don’t use any type of practice management software at all. Based on my experience with Mac-based law firms, this sounds about right, and these results reinforce my belief that many firms are still not properly leveraging the tools available to maximize their practice.

Document management and file storage. A whopping 60 percent of respondents reported using Dropbox. After Dropbox, Google Drive was a distant second at 27 percent. Still, this was much higher than I anticipated. Based on my experience, not one of our Mac-based law firm clients use Google Drive. In third place was Box.

As a side note, if your law firm is classified as a “business associate” under HIPAA rules and you are using a Dropbox Pro or Business account, you are not HIPAA compliant. Until recently, Dropbox would not sign a BAA. On December 2, 2015, they introduced Dropbox Enterprise, an additional higher-level tier — and the only tier where they will sign a BAA. Google will sign a BAA, as will Box, but also only on the Box Enterprise plan, which has been out for two years.

Document drafting and production. Microsoft continues to lead the way with 91 percent of respondents using Microsoft Office apps. Of those, 22 percent are already using the 2016 version, which mirrors the recent uptick seen elsewhere in the adoption of Office 365. Apple’s Pages, in the iWork suite, was in use by 17 percent of respondents. For working with PDFs, Acrobat continues to lead with 55 percent of users; 12 percent use PDFpen, and 10 percent use Apple’s built-in Preview application. An unsuspected contender was WordPerfect coming in at 1.4 percent.

For those running Windows on their Macs, the most popular applications were Microsoft Office, HotDocs, Quickbooks and Adobe Acrobat.

(For a deeper look into the software results, download the full survey highlights report.)

Best Part of Running a Mac-Based Practice?

The survey asked the open-ended question, “What do you feel is the best part about running a Mac-based practice?” Here are a few of their answers:

  • “Reliability and usability. I feel my productivity is much greater on my Mac.”
  • “Legal apps/tools are starting to catch up on Mac platform.”
  • “Ease of use and integration with the Mac-iOS ecosystem.”
  • “Clarity of retina screens for significant hours of reading and writing online, plus track record of virus protection security.”
  • “Macs are simpler to use, more reliable by far, and my MacBook Air is so much faster than our Dell desktops that I use it whenever I can in place of ‘high-end’ Dells.”
  • “Reliability. When we ran PCs the computer repair person was a regular visitor.”
  • “Mac is such a fluid operating system. It makes the programs work seamlessly and improves interaction and communication. The Apple products increase the value of whatever programs or application we might use because they work better on Apple devices!”
  • “Never having to worry. A former partner had all PCs in her office. It felt like half of her time was spent acting as tech support.”

I find that people usually make decisions based on emotion, then justify those decisions with logic. Chances are, if you own an Apple product, you’ve already had good experiences with Macs. Perhaps you’ve been holding off switching your law firm over to Macs because you felt it couldn’t be done, or maybe you still think Macs are just for graphic designers and photographers. As you can see in this survey, plenty of law offices are using Apple computers.

High Marks for MILOfest

Many Mac-using attorneys don’t even know of its existence, but there is a legal technology conference specifically designed for Mac-users. MILOfest (Macs-In-Law-Offices) and has taken place at Walt Disney World in Orlando since 2010. Of the 2015 Apple at Law survey respondents who had previously attended MILOfest, 74 percent rated it an 8 or higher on a scale of 1 to 10. For more details on MILOfest 2016, go visit the MILOfest.com site.

More Apple at Law Survey Results

Attorney at Work’s report on the survey highlights is available for download here.

About the Author:  Tom Lambotte is CEO of GlobalMacIT, a company specializing in providing IT support to Mac-based law firms. Tom is the author of “Hassle Free Mac IT Support for Law Firms” and “Legal Boost: Big Profits Through an IT Transformation.” He is a popular speaker at national events such as the ABA TECHSHOW and MILOfest, a Mac Lovin’ Lawyers Event. Follow Tom on Twitter @LegalMacIT. 

Legal Industry Predictions for 2016

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Online Resources, Technology Leave a comment
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predictionsEvery December, the Business of Law Blog asks thought leaders from across the legal technology spectrum to contribute to its legal industry predictions for the upcoming new year. I was asked to participate again this year, and I said

“The Apple Watch will continue to gain traction as attorneys learn new and varied ways to integrate them into their practices. For instance, have you considered the ability to have your associate subtly send messages to your watch from counsel table while you’re examining a witness? The built-in health app should also be a great reminder of how active (or inactive) you’ve been during the day, and the included reminders to ‘get up and move’ are also a great idea.”

What do the other experts believe that 2016 hold in store? You can read the whole list here, but in the meantime, here’s a sampling:

  • Lee Rosen of Divorce Discourse expects more lawyers to take advantage of the many benefits of live streaming.
  • Kevin O’Keefe of LexBlog foresees further convergence of online and offline business development.
  • Sam Glover of Lawyerist.com believes that lawyers who take tech competence seriously could overtake those who don’t.
  • Similarly, Jim Calloway of Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips Blog believes that lawyers who embrace technology will increasingly separate themselves from those who continue to resist change.
  • Jared D. Correia of Mass LOMAP expects the “of counsel” role to continue to be expanded and include more young lawyers.

Source:  “Beautiful Minds: 41 Legal Industry Predictions for 2016” by Frank Strong, published at the Business of Law Blog.

Learn More About MILOfest 2015

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Online Resources, Presentations Leave a comment
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MILOfest-Mac-LawyersAre you an attorney that uses Macs, or would you like to be one? Ether way, you’re in luck. MILOfest is a legal technology conference for Mac-using lawyers, and it offers practical and substantive tips on Macs, iPhones, and iPads. It will be held this year from November 12-14, 2015 at the Disney’s Yacht Club Resort in Orlando, FL.

I am honored to be part of this year’s faculty, along with numerous other Mac illuminati. If you have been debating whether to attend (hint: do it!), you’re invited to attend a free Executive Teleseminar on Monday, September 21st, 2015, which will discuss:

  • How MILOfest can keep you up to date on the latest tips and how to use Macs in your law office, for only a few billable hours
  • The risks of falling behind technologically – and why MILOfest is the single best conference that experts both attend and contribute to so they can ensure this does not happen to them
  • How to leverage technology to reduce bottlenecks in your firm and increase productivity; making a measurable financial impact on your profits
  • The #1 business reason why the most well known and respected Mac-using attorneys come back to MILOfest, year after year
  • Why running a firm on Macs without leveraging the best tools available gives you a false sense of IT productivity

Join Victor Medina, Mark Metzger, and me on Monday at 1:00pm (eastern) for this free Executive Teleseminar to learn more about MILOfest 2015. Click here to register or get more information.

Which Mac Should You Buy?

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Hardware, Mac vs. PC, Online Resources, Switching to Macs Leave a comment
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which mac should you buy

If you’re in the market for buying a Mac, whether to make the switch from PCs or to upgrade an existing one, you may be wondering which Mac should you buy? Fear not, as Macworld recently published an article to help you choose the right Mac for you. This guide provides an overview of all the models currently available, what each model is best suited for, and a full in-depth review of each for those who want to know more.

The Buying Guide features information on the following models:

  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook
  • MacBook Pro with Retina display
  • MacBook Pro
  • Mac mini
  • iMac
  • iMac with Retina display
  • Mac Pro

Those looking for a one stop shop with everything you need to help decide which Mac you should buy should definitely check out this guide.

Source: “Which Mac should you buy?” by Roman Loyola, published at Macworld.com.

Free Webinar: IT Security Protections Every Law Firm Must Have in Place Now

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Did You Know?, Online Resources, Security 1 Comment
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it securityThis Thursday, June 18th at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, my friend and colleague Tom Lambotte, CEO of GlobalMac IT, is presenting an invitation-only, executive webinar, during which he will share some alarming news about new cybersecurity threats that you should protect your firm against – and the best ways to protect yourself and your practice.

Chances are that you are not aware of these new threats and therefore may be a “sitting duck” and at risk of losing everything in your bank account in an instant – not to mention the potential added insult to injury of government fines and penalties for non-compliance to data breach laws.

Although Tom has limited attendance to only 50 people, I have made arrangements to reserve a block for my readers and followers readers to get a VIP seat. You can get the full details (and register) for “7 Critical IT Security Protections EVERY Law Firm Must Have In Place NOW To Avoid Cyber-Attacks, Data Breach Lawsuits, Bank Fraud and Compliance Penalties” here.

50 Lawyers on Twitter You Should Follow

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Online Resources, Social Media 4 Comments
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lawyers on twitterAre you a lawyer? Do you tweet? Do you like lawyers who do? If so, you’re in luck, because Tim Baran compiled a list of “50 forward-thinking lawyers” on Twitter that he recommended people follow to keep abreast of “what’s shaping the legal profession.” So who are these lawyers on Twitter?

Tim’s list included such legal illuminati as Kevin O’Keefe (@kevinokeefe), Lee Rosen (@LeeRosen), Ernie Svenson (@ernieattorney), Tom Mighell (@TomMighell), Matt Homann (@matthomann), Catherine Reach (@catherinereach), Rodney Dowell (@rodneydowell), Dennis Kennedy (@denniskennedy), Stephanie Kimbro (@StephKimbro), Nicole Black (@nikiblack), and Jim Calloway (@jimcalloway) – all of whom I’m proud to call friends. Tim was also kind enough to include @TheMacLawyer on this list, and I certainly appreciate it.

Source: “50 Lawyers You Should Be Following on Twitter” by Tim Baran, published at Legal Productivity.

The Mac Lawyer Presenting at ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago, IL

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in iOS, Mac OS X, Mac vs. PC, Online Resources, Presentations, Switching to Macs, Technology Leave a comment
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techshowBen Stevens (a/k/a The Mac Lawyer) will be presenting on several topics at the annual ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago, IL April 16 – 19, 2015. This marks the eighth consecutive year that Ben has been asked to speak at “the world’s largest legal technology conference.”

Ben’s presentations this year will cover the following topics:

  • VOIP is Ready for Prime Time (with Nerino Petro)
  • Moving to Mac – Putting Your PC in the Rearview Mirror (with Tom Lambotte)
  • Family Road Trip to Yosemite and iOS 8 (with Katie Floyd)

Because our firm understands the importance of technology, particularly for South Carolina family law attorneys, so our firm’s other attorneys, Jenny Stevens and Jonathan Lounsberry, will also be attending this conference. If you are in Chicago or at TECHSHOW, please stop us and say hello.

Macs In Law Offices (MILO) Forum Now 8 Years Old

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Online Resources Leave a comment
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MILOThough I’m a few days late, I want to publicly wish a very happy birthday to one of my babies, the Macs In Law Offices (MILO) forum. This “little idea that could” arose from a conversation Grant Griffiths and I had about our frustration with another then-prominent forum, and it was founded on February 17, 2007.

Over the last eight years, Macs in Law Offices (MILO) has become (by far) the largest legal technology forum for Mac-using attorneys. Today, its membership exceeds 4,500, and it is the premier source for lawyers who want to maximize the use of Macs in their law practices.

MILO’s membership roster reads like a virtual who’s who of legal technology, from attorneys to software developers, small firms to big firms, and everyone in between. I would like to extend a very special thanks to the following individuals who have each been instrumental in their own way to making MILO what it is today: Grant Griffiths, Randy Juip, Finis Price (RIP, my friend), Victor Medina, and Randy Singer. If you are not yet a member, you can take advantage of this free resource by clicking HERE.

See Webpages Clearly

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Ben Stevens Posted in Chrome, Online Resources, Product Reviews Leave a comment
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clearlyLet’s face it – webpages are sometimes so cluttered with banners, ads, etc. that they are just difficult to read. That’s where Clearly from Evernote comes in. This browser plug-in makes blog posts, articles, and webpages clean and easy to read by clearing away everything but the content. Clearly also provides the ability for you to highlight portions of the text, print the “clean” version, or save it to Evernote with one click for easy access later (whether you’re online or off).

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