The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/4983
the quarterly magazine of ILTA 5 Peer to Peer contents December 2009 features the quarterly magazine of ILTA 31 Peer to Peer features pAge 38 Better Safe Than Sorry by Jason Adams, Sandra Dye and Sean Power As more attorneys are using their smartphones to do much more than make business calls, those in the IT trenches must make sure that those devices stay as secure as possible. Those who manage these phones must know how to protect data, prepare for each new wave of malicious threats and educate smartphone users to keep their devices safe. pAge 41 Netbooks Are Adorable, but Will They Last? by Donna Payne They're affordable, they're useable and they're small, but are netbooks going to be around for the long haul? They don't have the physical heft of your trusty laptop, but they don't have the hefty applications either. Compare some popular models, and see what they're capable of handling. pAge 47 iPhones, BlackBerries and Pres — Oh, My! by Andrew Collier Take popular smartphone models and make them battle it out in side-by-side in categories such as design, functionality, applications and operating systems. The result is one comprehensive gathering of experiences to show which smartphones shine and which fall short. pAge 32 There's an App for That: Bringing the iPhone into the Legal Environment by Christopher Lewis Apple's iPhone is becoming a "gotta have it" smartphone for some lawyers. The relative newcomer to the legal world has a lot of questions surrounding it. Is it safe? Is it capable of handling all firm required applications? How will a firm deal with iTunes if they bring the iPhone into their fleet of mobile devices? This firm is sharing the lessons they've learned along the way. Letter from the Director Best Practices Ask the Expert Tech Focus Ask the Vendor Smart Moves The Elevator Speech Case Studies: Biggest Challenge Managing Mobile Devices 7 8 12 16 22 26 30 www.iltanet.org 24 Peer to Peer SMART MOVES W e all strive to respond well to the tried and true "So, what do you do?" question that is so often used as a conversation starter. For most of us who have conducted a career search or simply want to improve our marketability, we have been coached to create a "30-second elevator speech" that can be used to convey our greatest employable qualities and a compelling reason why the person who listens to our personal sales pitch would like to engage us further. These 30-second snippets are akin to a television or radio commercial in which a retailer has a finite period of time to capture a consumer's attention, generate interest in the product and be compelling enough to motivate the consumer to strike for the sale. In this case, you are selling a phenomenal product … yourself! Selling the it group So you have a marketing pitch solidly in place for yourself, and you are confident that your message develops a strong value proposition. Now, can you translate your 30-second pitch from selling you as an individual and sell the value proposition of your team? If you were given 30-seconds to dynamically summarize the attributes of the IT group, could you do it? As IT leaders, we have the utmost confidence in the projects we undertake. We believe the value we bring to the organization is positive and that IT plays a significant role in the strategic success of the business. If you asked your lawyers or support staff whether they understand the value proposition of IT, however, would there be congruence with how the business and IT groups define IT's business value? I would say that in most cases understanding IT's value is skewed on both sides. More often than not, there is a gap between IT and the business, whereby lawyers and support staff do not fully understand the capabilities of IT. They know that IT is pervasive in every area of the business whether it is the BlackBerry used by a senior partner or the network integrated digital copier that produces closing binders for a legal assistant. For some people, however, IT is the "necessary evil," and there are many that believe IT is simply fulfilling its own operating objectives through the projects and initiatives they undertake. I think we have all been subjected to the "There goes IT again, making life more complex," attitude when a new project is kicked off. What if we could swing the pendulum the other way and have the business view IT not as a necessary evil, but as a group that gives the firm a competitive advantage in the market through improved business processes, simplification of tasks and tools that differentiate the firm among its rivals? In this case you are marketing a phenomenal product … your IT group! the team elevator Speech A well crafted elevator speech can pay dividends in moving the firm or business perception of the IT group out of the backroom and into the spotlight of actively contributing to the success of the business. Inevitably you will be in an elevator, coffee room or perhaps providing deskside support when you are asked "So, what are you and the team working on these days?" You need to be tuned in to the opportunity to put the IT team into the limelight. the elevator Speech Do collaborate with your colleagues. Together you can hone your message to the important essentials. If you work together, you can all be prepared when opportunities for the elevator speech pop up. Don't let too many cooks spoil the soup. With more input, you run the risk of finding more points that need to be included. Work together to keep the message simple. Do rehearse your speech. The words you speak should come out naturally, and the best way to present them smoothly is to repeat them out loud and repeatedly. Practice with your family or in front of the bathroom mirror. Don't resort to checking your notes. If you don't feel comfortable with your speech, keep it to yourself until you do. There's an App for That . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Better Safe Than Sorry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Netbooks Are Adorable, but Will They Last? . . . . 43 iPhones, BlackBerries and Pres — Oh, My! . . . . 49 61 62 73 82 the quarterly magazine of ILTA 59 Peer to Peer from the president MEMBER RESOURCES I n September's issue of Peer to Peer, you saw a changing of the guard in various volunteer leadership roles within the association, and I'm delighted to write my first letter in my role as President. Our new Board, seated after our annual conference, is already at work in meeting the challenges of our growing organization and looking at how we can work alongside you to weather the economic storm. In August, we announced to you a restructuring of our regions, moving from 13 to eight, with a focus on more homogeneous programming across the vast geographic span of ILTA. The change was seamless, and we hope you'll see the fruit borne of our labors in the months and years ahead. As I write this letter, we are two weeks away from our November Board meeting — we'll gather in Austin, Texas the home of our corporate world headquarters. Alongside the senior staff, we'll begin to lay out the financial challenges of the new year and focus on delivering top-notch services that are unfettered by budget constraints. It's been a tough year for many law firms and legal departments, and we're hopeful that 2010 heralds a turnaround for many. As we face the future, the Board is looking to strengthen the offerings across all venues of our programming and publications based on feedback from our members. We will take a pulse check to be sure we're in tune with your needs. At a governance level, we're looking to incorporate in Texas, where our brick and mortar home is located, and we're looking to modernize our very antiquated bylaws. As always, we would love to hear from you. I wish you health and prosperity in the year ahead, and I look forward to seeing you online and in person at ILTA events. Happy New Year! Scott Christensen christensen@wildman.com ILTA President Member News Overheard on E-Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 New Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Member Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 On the Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Event Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Inside ILTA Monkey Update! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Popular Webinars Now Available . . . . . . . . . 72 Gearing Up for ILTA 2010: Strategic Unity . . . 74 LEDES Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Letter from the President Member Resources Overheard on E-Groups, New Members, Event Calendar and More Inside ILTA Monkey Update Popular Webinars Gearing Up for ILTA 2010 LEDES Update Marketplace