In a paperless practice, screen size is critical. Don’t skimp on the screen real estate. You have two choices: jumbo monitors or multi-monitor setups. I’ve opted for the jumbo monitor. Here’s why:
Multi-monitors are great for segregating programs to different screens. They look very cool. But if you are reading this, you are an attorney, not a day-trader. You will spend the majority of your time at your computer doing two things: reading and writing. Most of what you do falls in one of those two categories. And for those purposes, jumbo monitors excel. Keep Reading ⇒
Computers are a tool of the lawyer’s trade, and you have a responsibility to learn to use the tools of your trade properly. I don’t mean that you need to be a power user. But you must aim for competence.
Here are five things I wish you would take time out of your busy schedule to learn before you hurt somebody.
I said recently that most people spend way too much time worrying about which computer to buy. So I’ve made it easier. Here are my best laptop picks. There are four, total, two thin-and-light laptops, the Lenovo X1 Carbon and 13″ MacBook Air, and two power laptops, the Lenovo ThinkPad T430s and the 15″ Retina MacBook Pro.
You can do the research yourself, but you are probably going to end up with these laptops at the top of your list, anyway.
A: In general, people spend way too much time worrying about which computer to buy. While I don’t necessarily recommend it, you can run a law practice just fine on a crappy hand-me-down Windows PC. My current Dell desktop cost me $300 when I bought it new five years ago, and I’m only now getting around to upgrading it.
Obsessively comparing specs is a waste of time and brainpower. Just get something from Lenovo, Dell, or Apple, and it will work just fine.
It’s been about four years since I upgraded any of my computers, which feels like forever. But I wonder if that means I’m using hardware that matches up with the majority of our readers. How often do you upgrade?
A few years ago, I wrote a post I titled Start a Solo Law Practice for Under $3,000. Boy, do I regret that title. Starting a law firm is a relatively inexpensive endeavor, but picking an arbitrary number and trying to stick to it is wrong-headed. I’ve met plenty of lawyers who have done just that, and many of them have struggled to keep their practices afloat — or failed — as a result.
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Q180 is a small, beautiful HTPC (home theater PC) that looks perfect sitting next to your television. That is, unfortunately, all it is good for. The Q180 is poorly constructed, under-powered, and a huge disappointment. Don’t buy it.
Whether you recently bought a new laptop or are looking to extend the lifespan of an older model, here are some tips to extend your computer’s usefulness.
Watson, the computer battling it out with humans on the game show Jeopardy, is causing some nervous twitches among those of us casting a wary eye at the rise of machines.
For those not paying attention, Watson is considered one of the biggest advances in computer science since the field of study began some sixty years ago. It annihilated top Jeopardy champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter by more than $50,000, leveraging impressive artificial intelligence advancements in order to do so.
Those not familiar with computer science may not realize the true implications here.
People often assume that I am capable of immense technological feats because I have a paperless law office and know what Linux is. I am not. I just take a different approach to technology than many lawyers: I am not complacent, and I am quite impatient.
Technology should free up your time, increase your efficiency, and make your life easier. If your technology tools are not doing these things, you are using the wrong technology. Find something better.
People often assume that I am capable of immense technological feats because I have a 
