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Tag Archives: practice management systems

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Using Dropbox for Your Client Documents? Encrypt it!

I use Dropbox every day, and I love it! It’s a great way to store documents and have them accessible in multiple locations on multiple computers. However, while this convenience is great, security needs to be considered when using Dropbox for client documents. Dropbox files are not encrypted, so the security of your clients’ documents is in your hands. Encrypt your Dropbox!

When I talk about encryption, I don’t want to lose all the non-techies. Basically, when a document is not encrypted the documents and sensitive client information is stored without anything other than a password. If it falls into the wrong hands, they can read it. Encrypted data is stored as ones and zeros so if your data is compromised, it can’t be read. You hold the only encryption key, and your data can only be unlocked and read by you.

There are a number of Dropbox encryption tools on the market including True Crypt (www.truecrypt.org – one of the few options for the Windows XP users (Yikes!) out there, but that is another post), Box Cryptor (www.boxcryptor.com) and Viivo (www.viivo.com). Some are easier than others to install and use.

My personal choice for Dropbox encryption is Viivo.

Viivo encryption

I like Viivo because it’s easy to install, easy to use and free. When you install the software, you follow the step-by-step directions, including setting an encryption password. As part of the process, Viivo will ask you to relocate your Dropbox to the encrypted Viivo folder.

Your documents will now live inside the encrypted Viivo folder and will look the same as they did when they were in your Dropbox folder, but they will have an extra layer of protection. Rather than going to the Dropbox folder for your documents, you go to the Viivo folder. Viivo even installs it right where you are used to going to your Dropbox:

viivo location

By adding the additional step of encrypting Dropbox, you will be improving your firm’s security and protect your client data and confidential files. You will know that if there’s ever a breach in security at Dropbox, your data is protected. Dropbox is a powerful tool that can provide quick storage and improve the mobility of your practice, but take the extra step that will help protect you and your clients’ data. Encrypt!


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Should I stay or should I go? Legal Technology Conferences

As an attorney, if you have never attended the ABA TechShow in Chicago, it is worth the trip. With more than 50 educational sessions (many for CLE credit) and more than 100 vendors attending, it is a big bang for your buck to get up to speed on technology fast. Whether you would like to know more about hardware (from scanners big and small to the latest in off-cloud storage solutions), software (from legal-specific iPad apps to practice management systems, e-discovery, document assembly, and every type of cloud-based software), or advanced technology tips and tricks (from apps to sites to time saving tools), the ABA TechShow has something for everyone.

Any attorney would benefit from a technology conference and exhibit. Besides earning most of your yearly CLE credit in one shot, you can develop a technology plan that can last for years.

Of course, the ABA TechShow is not the only show out there. A few upcoming legal technology shows include:

  • Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) – April 14-17, 2013 – National Harbor, Maryland
    For more information – http://www.alanet.org/conf/2013/default.html
  • International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) – August 18-22, 2013 – Las Vegas, Nevada
    For more information – http://conference.iltanet.org/
  • NC TechShow on November 1, 2013 – Cary, NC – Law Practice Management Section of the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) – More details to come soon.

If your schedule is too packed right now, plan on attending next year and put one on your calendar now so you can schedule around it. The ABA TechShow next year is March 27-29, 2014 in Chicago. Mark your calendars now!

Attend a legal technology conference and exhibit and get excited about technology that will save you and your firm time and money. You will find it is worth the trip.


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Take another look at Rocket Matter

I’ve been looking at cloud-based practice management systems for a while, and I’m pretty hard to impress.  I saw a demo of Rocket Matter years ago when they first exhibited at the ABA TechShow, and while they had the right idea, they seemed to be consistently overshadowed by Clio’s marketing might.  But times change, and I recently had the opportunity to see another demo of Rocket Matter. If you haven’t seen Rocket Matter in a while, or don’t know about the product, it is time to take another look because Rocket Matter has really upped their game.

For the last five years, Rocket Matter (www.rocketmatter.com) and Clio (www.goclio.com) have been the two big players on the cloud-based practice management market but recently, other options have entered the market. Unfortunately, many of the new systems (and some of the older cloud-based solutions) still have one big problem – they cannot satisfy all the time and billing needs of their law firm clients.  One area where all of these products have struggled has been seamless integration with a critical piece of software used by many small and medium-sized firms – QuickBooks.  While there have been syncs to QuickBooks and links to QuickBooks, true integration between a cloud system and this essential application did not exist:  Until now.

At the beginning of this year, Rocket Matter launched one-button integration with QuickBooks, and just let me say, “Wow.”  This new version of Rocket Matter solves many of the issues that cloud-based practice management systems have struggled with in terms of time and billing. With a required consultation, Rocket Matter will make sure that the Rocket Matter-QuickBooks connection is setup correctly and works as expected the first time.  From there, the time and bills that are easily entered into Rocket Matter can be accounted for correctly in QuickBooks. Accountants of law firms rejoice!  The accountants and bookkeepers can continue to enter their debits, credits and write checks in the correct client and matter in QuickBooks.  Everyone is happy. Problem solved.

If it has been a while since you have seen Rocket Matter, it is worth a new look.  The clean, intuitive interface coupled with the QuickBooks integration is impressive and the demo is worth your time.  In the end, this well-planned move of QuickBooks integration could blast Rocket Matter to the top.