I have not decided just how I want to use Dropbox yet, but I will tell you what: this is one slick program. Dropbox is a very simple, easy-to-use program you install on all your computers, and it automatically syncs your files with a set of files in the cloud whenever you make changes, on whatever computer you have Dropbox install on.

Watch the video. Dropbox is really cool. I do not think it is ready, yet, to use for sensitive client documents, but I can think of a lot of other documents I want to have with me no matter what computer I am using.

When I got my first job out of college (back when God was a child) as a loan officer trainee at a big bank, computers (old Wang workstations) were only for secretaries. I suggested to my superiors that if I had a computer on my desk I could be much more efficient but that was like asking them to send me to school to learn stenography. Several years later, when I got out of law school and went to work at a law firm and at legal aid, still no computer on my desk. But that didn’t last long.

In talking to lawyers about going paperless, I’ve come to realize that in some offices with more than one attorney or more than one staff person, the scanner (if there is one) is treated like the fax machine or the copier. That is, they have one machine, it is in a common area, and the lawyer either has to leave his or her desk to use it or ask the staff person to scan the documents.  The scanner is treated like the old Wang workstation.

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The video recording I made did not turn out all that well, so instead I am posting the audio. Since my slides are demonstrative rather than substantive, you should be able to follow along just fine without the visuals. It is about 30 minutes long, so grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!

(SoloSmallTech will merge with Lawyerist within the next few weeks. Stay tuned as we expand to address lawyering in general, not just gadgets and software.)

I am up in Duluth this weekend for MCLE’s Strategic Solutions for Solo & Small Firms. I am doing two “Iron Tech” sessions tomorrow where I will be showing off Ubuntu Linux and putting it up head-to-head against Windows and OSX.

On Tuesday, I will be talking about the paperless office and leading a tech lab on free and open source software. That one should be good fun, since all attendees will be able to follow along on their own computers, and will take home an Ubuntu LiveCD along with a CD stuffed full of free software.

Hope to see you there!

So says Eric J. Sinrod, a California attorney who criticizes the courts for taking e-discovery requirements to extreme lengths.

I have found the best course is to find out what sort of electronic data exists, and early–at the 26(f) meeting with opposing counsel, if possible. With that knowledge, I can make an intelligent decision as to whether I actually need things like meta data, or whether printouts of the electronic data will satisfy my needs.

But this will not handle every situation, of course, and I can think of many situations in which discovery costs could skyrocket due to e-discovery requirements.

Have you run into e-discovery issues? How have you handled them?

Perspective: The new e-discovery burden | CNet

It really is this easy:

(View larger.)

My wife’s company has a “summer camp” retreat this weekend, and invited family members to tag along. So I did. I loved that I could pick up and tag along with nothing but my laptop. As a solo, I can’t really afford to take a three-day vacation, but because I have a paperless office, I can work just as easily from this lake resort as I can from my office.

But unlike working from my office, there is a deck with an amazing view off our hotel room. And a canoe at the marina that is calling my name . . .

Description from MCLE:

The Paperless Office
Presented by Sam Glover; moderated by Peter Berge

Friday, June 6, 2008, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. CDT
1.0 law office management credit
Tuition: $75

The “paperless office” concept has created a trendy buzz in law office management circles. With new, reasonably priced hardware and software, it can also be a reality for any size office. What the paperless office offers is a great key to efficiency. In this webcast, attorney Sam Glover will provide a practical discussion of how a law office can move toward a more paperless existence. Mr. Glover will provide an overview of the technology and procedures needed and practical tips on how to save money and increase efficiency.

Presented by Samuel J. Glover, Attorney at Law, Minneapolis; moderated by Peter H. Berge, Minnesota CLE, St. Paul.

Register Now for The Paperless Office

I am teaching six continuing legal education seminars in the next three months, with a couple more under discussion. My presentations tend to be engaging (I don’t have the patience for boring presentations even when I am giving them), informative, and well-attended. Register early!

• June 6th at noon. The Paperless Office, 1 hour webcast, $75. Register with MCLE.
• June 10th at 9 a.m. Offensive Defense: An Introduction to Protecting Consumers from Unscrupulous Debt Collectors, 1 hour webcast. Register with MCLE.
• June 12th at noon. Motions to Vacate Default Judgments: When and How You Should Do It, 1 hour live seminar. Register with VLN.
• July 18th at 1 p.m. How to Get Things Done (with Merlin Mann), 2 hour webcast. (MCLE has not yet posted this seminar.)
• July 22nd at 9 a.m. New Lawyer Experience - Starting a Law Firm, 2 hour webcast. Register with MCLE.
• August 8th at noon. Social Networking for Lawyers, 1 hour webcast. (MCLE has not yet posted this seminer.)