Google explains why it wants your data, how it protects your data, and what it does to make sure you can get your data out of Google when you want to:

Someone should tell Google CEO Eric Schmidt.

Google Renews Its Privacy Vows | TechCrunch

Google’s Privacy Promises is a post from: Lawyerist

Given attorney’s busy schedules, communicating over email is many times preferable. The ease of email, however, sometimes overshadow a number of problems with email communications. A New York Housing Court judge has developed a helpful “email etiquette guide” to alleviate the most common problems.

Ask questions up front.

Asking the question up front will direct the reader’s attention to the question, not your explanation. Your explanation is important, but the purpose of the email is to get your question answered.

Do not insinuate tone.

Unless opposing counsel is your best friend, tone can be unclear from email. Assume an unclear tone is not meant to be offensive.

Be prepared to pick up the phone.

If the conversation has turned into a confrontation, pick up the phone to resolve your differences. Resolving tricky matters can take seconds over the phone, but days over email.

(photo: larskflem)

Email Etiquette Guide for Lawyers is a post from: Lawyerist

I took delivery of a shiny, new Nexus One a few weeks ago. Unlike Randall, who started blogging exuberantly about his iPhone the moment he got it, decided to live with the phone for a little while before writing a review.

Why I chose the Nexus One

My last few phones have been two- or three generations out of date. I have been using a Blackberry Pearl for the last two years, for example. It just kept getting slower as the limited software I had for it kept pace with newer phones, leaving my hardware in the dust. I wanted to move from the trailing edge to the cutting edge.

The iPhone was never really an option for me. It is a great device, but I do not like Apple’s draconian, closed-source business model. I am a Linux guy at heart, and I am embedded in Google’s platform, so Android made more sense. That meant the Motorola Droid, if I wanted the cutting edge, until the Nexus One arrived.

I also liked the Nokia N900 a lot, but Maemo, its operating system, is very new and has fairly limited community support. And the Palm Pre. I have always had a soft spot for Palm, and the Pre’s WebOS is a sweet platform.

But when the Nexus One came out, it seemed to satisfy all my priorities. With Google finally getting behind a phone, I could count on the Nexus One getting plenty of attention, long-term support and updates. Plus, it was built with cutting-edge technology, including a faster processor than the iPhone and Pre. Price helped, too. The Nexus One on T-Mobile is significantly cheaper than the iPhone on AT&T or the Palm Pre Plus or Motorola Droid on Verizon.

So, faster, newer, Google-friendly phone with the prospect of healthy support from Google, all at a lower price? Sold.

Purchasing the Nexus One

The only way to buy the Nexus One is at google.com/phone. It costs $529 unlocked, or $179 with a two-year contract on T-Mobile. Overnight delivery via FedEx is included. I ordered mine Saturday afternoon, and it was processed and shipped Monday night, then delivered on Tuesday morning.

Hardware

The Nexus One is a solid, attractive device. In the looks department, it is probably Miss Congeniality when measured against the iPhone and Pre, but it still looks darn good.

The case is mostly metal and glass, so it feels substantial in the hand, but actually a bit smaller than an iPhone. Build quality, from what I can see, is excellent. HTC’s torture testing is surely the reason. The screen is large, bright, and responsive. The operating system feels fast, but not necessarily faster than a 3G S or Droid, despite the faster processor.

The camera, at 5 megapixels, is more powerful than my point-and-shoot. At the same time, I am not sure the Nexus One can really take advantage of all that detail. The tiny camera lens seems to be the bottleneck. Pictures are a little oversaturated and grainy, and the white-balance is off, despite the big hardware. I dropped the megapixels to 3, which helped, but the camera needs some tweaking.

The call quality and sound are great, including the speaker phone. I had read that some people were having trouble with speaker volume, but I have found it perfectly adequate for my needs, which do not include using my phone as a boombox.Which brings up a good point: if you want to use the Nexus One as a music player, you will want to replace the 4GB microSD card it comes with. You can expand the storage to 32GB, which then makes the Nexus One a decent music player, though not on par with the iPhone.

The only glitch I have encountered seems to involve the proximity sensor, which turns the screen off when you are talking on the phone, and the notifications panel. The touchscreen locks up about every third or fourth phone call, making it impossible to use the dialpad or hang up the call. I am not sure whether this is a hardware problem with my phone, or a software problem that will be fixed soon. Google updated the software on February 4th, so hopefully that will fix the issue. (Update: So far, this seems to be the case.)

Software

Android is a very good operating system, and the Nexus One comes with the latest version, which has some nice tweaks. For example, you can add a convenient “power” widget to your desktop, so you can easily turn the various radios (3G, wi-fi, GPS) on and off, and control screen brightness. The photo gallery app is updated, and you can add some fancy “live” wallpapers, which are very pretty, but useless eye candy.

Android is built to integrate with Google, so I was pleased, but not surprised, to see how easy it was to integrate with Google Voice. I added my Google Apps account, so I had access to all my contacts, and then set the phone to always use Google Voice for outgoing calls and text messages. Done. Now, I use Google Voice with every call, transparently, and my friends, family, and clients, are naturally making the switch. My cell phone number remains the same, of course, so they can still reach me that way, if they like.

Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts are all outstanding. Checking e-mail on an iPhone is a chore compared to checking it on the Nexus One. Which makes sense. Google built the software to work with its services. You have full access to the features of your mail, calendar, and contacts, and the Nexus One will integrate your Facebook and other social networking contacts, as well, to make your phonebook even more useful.

I was particularly excited to try Google Maps’ new GPS navigation features, which is free, and works great, as advertised. I do not own a regular GPS device, but I see no reason to buy one, now. I just need to figure out a way to mount my Nexus One on the dash. (There are rumors that Google plans to release a dash mount in the near future, so I may not have to wait long.)

Part of the advantage of a modern smartphone is the ability to customize it with apps. The Android Market may not be quite as large as the App Store, but you will find most of what you need. All the Google Apps are available, of course, and all the social networks (Facebook has an official Android app, and Seesmic has a very good Twitter app). I got Evernote, as well, so I am nearly set up. The only things missing are Freshbooks and Dropbox, both of which have yet to release an Android app, although I am confident they will do so in the near future.

The Android Market has ways to go in the gaming department, but I was satisfied with Robo Defense, which is plenty of entertainment for me while I am sitting in a waiting room.

Verdict

Get one. This is a sweet phone. Do not shy away from the high price of an unlocked Nexus One. You will pay less for the Nexus One over a two-year unlocked contract with T-Mobile than you would pay for an iPhone on AT&T, Droid on Verizon, or Pre on Sprint or Verizon, over a similar contract.

One caveat: this is a Google-centric phone. It will work just fine with MSN/Hotmail, Yahoo! or other accounts, but it really shines when you use Google’s services. Kind of like the iPhone is at its best with Apple’s MobileMe services.

I will be writing more about the Nexus One, because I am keeping it. I love this phone.

Review: Google’s Nexus One Smartphone is a post from: Lawyerist

Before offering unbundled legal services, an attorney must explain exactly what services will be provided at what cost to the client. A virtual law practice providing these services should operate with this specific process as the foundation for all transactions.

There should be multiple online steps in which the client must read and acknowledge the terms and scope of the representation.  This permits the attorney to track the client’s progress in understanding and accepting the services being offered, and also provides a record in that client’s file as proof that the client had proper notice of the terms and scope of representation and knowingly accepted them.

Ethics and limited-scope representation

The rules of professional conduct for many state bars will permit an attorney to limit the scope of representation if the limitation is reasonable under the circumstances of the individual case. Accordingly, the online client should have adequate opportunity to provide information on the virtual law office to assist the attorney in making the case by case determination of whether that he or she may competently provide unbundled, online representation to the client.

Benefits of providing unbundled services online

For attorneys who are able to provide unbundled legal services online, some of the benefits include increased client revenue, expanded online client base and improved flexibility in the work schedule as a result of the technology’s ability to streamline the production of legal work.

Depending on how the virtual law practice is structured and the chosen technology, document automation may be used to speed up the assembly of the final legal documents to be provided to online clients. Clients may fill out online forms and questionnaires which once edited and reviewed by the attorney may generate legal documents for purchase by the online clients.  This quick creation and delivery of legal services allows the attorney to charge more reduced rates for their services while also allowing them to work with a larger number of online clients seeking these services.

Even if document automation is not used to deliver unbundled legal services online, attorneys may enjoy the flexibility that is provided in their schedules by requiring that the online client be responsible for handling the footwork of executing or filing a document for themselves with instruction from the attorney.

In addition to the benefits that unbundling provides for attorneys, it also increases access to justice by making affordable legal services available to a larger segment of the public who are actively seeking such assistance online.  Responsibly and ethically handled by the attorney, this form of providing legal services online is a great solution for both legal professionals and the consumers they serve.

(image: Torley)

Avoiding Malpractice Risks When Providing Unbundled Legal Services Online is a post from: Lawyerist

Admittedly, as long as you can afford it, having an office is a must. But I also think that having a mobile, paperless, office makes life a lot easier.

Today, for example, I needed to accompany a family member to some unexpected medical appointments. There was no freaking out because my entire practice is on my iPhone and my MacBook Pro at home.

While waiting at the office I was using Google Reader to look for blog topics, emailing clients via our Gmail, and moving meetings with Google Calendar. I did not need to, but I could have accessed our entire firm via Dropbox on my iPhone. With Skype, if I needed to, I could have even called into our client meetings this morning.

Because I needed to drive the family member back to doctor’s office in the afternoon, I decided to stay at home and work. Everything I needed was already on my computer because of Dropbox. There was no concerns about needing documents left at the office, because they are all online. When I needed to touch base with Sam, we video chatted for twenty minutes to get on the same page for the day.

Having a paperless, mobile office makes working anywhere easy and stress-free. Make the switch and make life easier!

(photo: funkypancake)

Why You Need a Mobile, Paperless Office is a post from: Lawyerist

In case you missed any of them, here are our most popular posts from the past week:

1. 3 Places For Lawyers To Be and Be Seen On the Web: Lawyers looking to build their online presence should consider joining Avvo, JDSupra, and ExpertHub.
2. New Lawyers (and Law Students) Need to Define Their Personal Brand: Law students and new attorneys can build long-term career value by developing their personal brand.
3. Unbundling Legal Services Online: Introduction to providing unbundled legal services to your clients.

(photo: dotbenjamin)

Top Lawyerist Posts: Week of February 7 is a post from: Lawyerist

If you have created your own law blog, you have taken a huge step towards creating an online marketing presence. Blogs, however, require constant attention and upkeep, and can start to feel stale after the initial excitement wears off. If you find yourself ignoring your blog, or you are just bored with it, shake things up a bit.

Add new voices

Successful TV shows always add new characters to bring in new viewers and keep the old ones satisfied, and blogs are no exceptions. Different viewpoints will get the conversation going again, and will bring in new readers.

Push the envelope

Step out of your comfort zone and say how you really feel about something, or propose an alternative strategy that is not considered the standard. You should not reinvent yourself, but there is nothing wrong with letting loose sometimes (unless it infringes on the rules of professional responsibility).

Guest post for someone else

This can draw near readers, and new viewpoints to your own blog. Much like working in a new location can shake up your thinking, guest writing might help you realize something about your own blog you want to change.

(photo: Roo Reynolds)

Maintaining Your Law Blog is a post from: Lawyerist

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Thanks to Our Lawyerist Advertisers! is a post from: Lawyerist

If you are at your desk, you likely have more than one resource available to research caselaw. If you are on the move, however, your options are more limited. Fastcase just unveiled a free app for the iPhone that gives users one option.

The app itself

The Fastcase app is smooth and works rather well. If you access Fastcase through your bar membership, you need to create a new account (still free), which is slightly annoying. The interface is easy to use and self-explanatory. You can save full cases within the app, in case you need to pull them up later.

There are some downsides. Fastcase through the web is notoriously slow, and the iPhone app is maybe a little faster, but not much. The search options are limited to searching by a phrase or a citation. Fastcase is also notorious for missing cases, so I am leery about whether iPhone searches are specific enough to get the results you want. While it is nice you can save cases within the app, you cannot email them for later viewing. If you are doing research while sitting around on the subway, you would need to go back into the app while at your desk to retrieve the cases you found.

Aside from those gripes, the app is smooth and easy to use. Which leads to…

When would you use the app

If you do not have a computer available, the app could be useful in a couple situations. If you are sitting in a client meeting, or engaged in a negotiation/mediation session. I cannot foresee many situations where I would be researching caselaw, but pulling up statutes could be handy.

The app’s website promotes using it while waiting in the hallway for an oral argument. Yes, if you are unprepared, it could come in handy. Personally, I think if you are still researching caselaw while waiting in the hallway, your argument needs a lot more help than some additional caselaw review.

I think there are limited times when the app is useful. But if you need it (not in a hurry), the app itself works rather well.

Fastcase on the iPhone is a post from: Lawyerist

My last post talked about creating follow up systems to make the most out of your network. Some readers wanted some more ‘meat,’ so I prepared a more detailed, step by step guide. The permutations of a follow-up plan are almost endless; this example is just meant to give you some ideas to get you started.

While at the event itself, suggest to the new contact or prospect that you would like to follow up with them to get to know them and their business better, or to discuss ways that you might be able to help them.

Enter contact information into your database as soon as possible. This should immediately trigger the first step in your follow up system. If it is an email, the basic email should be completed before you attend the event, and can be customized to the individual recipient later. Suggest that you would like to meet with this person further and suggest that you get together for coffee or lunch.

Each contact should trigger the subsequent contact. The email should trigger the second contact, for example, a follow up telephone call to schedule the coffee or lunch. If you use Outlook, you can simply drag the email to your calendar or tasks to set the reminder for the call.

During the meeting, you may identify additional action steps or ways you can help the prospect. After your meeting, send a ‘thank you’ either via email or regular mail. Confirm what you have agreed to do and schedule those action steps.

Look for ways in which you can help your prospect; then work them into your follow up system. Introduce the prospect to others in your network who might be able to help them. Send them articles, links and information about events that might be of interest to them.

Use your calendar, tasks or other diary system to continue to touch base and follow up with prospects on a regular basis. Categorize your contacts so you can easily direct relevant information and events to them.

(photo: kozumel)

Following Up, Step-by-Step is a post from: Lawyerist