Quite a number of you regularly ask how and where you can attend one of my legal technology-focused CLE programs. While I speak at least a couple of times every month all over the continent, there’s a particularly convenient opportunity coming up in early April that I wanted to tell you about.

My latest effort is an all-day tech & practice management bootcamp called “Taming Technology in Your Practice.” There are several interconnected CLE sessions on a broad range of key topics. Thanks to the State Bar of Wisconsin, I’ll be presenting this seminar live in two locations: April 3, 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin at the State Bar Center, and on April 4, 2008 at the Radisson West hotel in west suburban Milwaukee. If you have the ability to attend the live programs, terrific, but I suspect that’s impossible for most of you. So the other option is attend virtually via the live webcast of the live presentation on April 3rd. Wisconsin and Minnesota CLE credits are available, but I’m sure that with the live webcast, you could apply for CLE credits in any jurisdiction (or just come for the education!). As I always do, these will be very interactive programs with lots of audience Q&A encouraged!

Registration and program info are here: http://tinyurl.com/2lmyqv (although the dates on the web page are a little confusing – it’s supposed to indicate dates as I’ve listed them below).Wisconsin-licensed lawyers willl also undoubtedly receive flyers in the mail from the State Bar. I’ve already presented this program in both Illinois and Maine – they were really well-received – kept people in Maine on a Friday afternoon an extra 45 minutes even with a snowstorm outside – it just turned into a big Q&A session at the end – a lot of fun.

Here’s all the program info – 8 credits including 2 ethics credits and nearly 300 pages of written takeaway materials.

State Bar of Wisconsin CLE Presents: “Taming Technology in Your Practice”

Dates/Locations:
Live: April 3^rd, State Bar Center in Madison
Live: April 4^th, Radisson Milwaukee West (Mayfair) Hotel in Milwaukee
Webcast of Live Presentation: Watchable from anywhere, April 3^rd
Video Replays: May 14^th in Eau Claire, The Plaza Hotel & Suites; Green Bay, Ramada Plaza Hotel; Hudson, Hudson
House Inn; La Crosse, Radisson Hotel; Madison, State Bar Center; Milwaukee, Radisson Milwaukee West; Oshkosh, Park Plaza; Racine/Kenosha, Radisson Kenosha; Rhinelander, Holiday Inn Express; Superior, Barker’s Island Inn; Wausau, Howard Johnson Inn

Credits/Tuition: This program has been submitted to the Wisconsin Board of Bar Examiners for up to 8.0 CLE credits including 2.0 ethics and professional responsibility credits. This program will also be submitted for Minnesota CLE credits.

Live & Video Seminar Tuition:

State Bar of Wisconsin Member………………………………$229
Non-member……………………………………………………….$249

Webcast Seminar Tuition:

State Bar of Wisconsin Member………………………………$259
Non-member……………………………………………………….$279

Seminar Concept/Info:

Who isn’t swimming in client and case information? Who doesn’t fear missing critical case-related deadlines that constantly swirl about? And how much time do you waste every single day looking for critical case-related information that is seemingly nowhere to be found? Technology landmines can lead the unwary and uneducated down a fast path to ethical violations and malpractice claims.

Wading through the confusing morass of modern computer hardware and software can be a daunting proposition for even the most tech-savvy lawyer today. Just the complex question of using Windows Vista … or not … can waste hours of otherwise billable time.

This session will cut right to the chase. You’ll find out:

• Which equipment to buy and how to pay the least for it
• The best software to power your practice
• How to tame Microsoft Word and produce well-formatted documents
• How to whip Microsoft Outlook into law practice shape

Beyond technology, this session will also teach you:

• How to tame the paper monster in your practice
• Learn how to use technology to create the ultimate malpractice safety net

Whether novice or expert, you’ll take away information to use NOW!

Faculty:

The presenter is Attorney Ross Kodner, who brings more than 23 years of experience in legal technology and law practice management consulting to bear on helping law practices of all sizes worldwide. Not only is he the most awarded legal technologist in history but he’s also a lively and experienced speaker. A dose of Ross’ unique brand of plain-English technology “edutainment” will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Computers have made it possible to commit malpractice virtually at the speed of light. Technology “enhanced” errors and omissions are magnified and potentially, client confidences are at risk, and worse. That’s why lawyers should learn how to tame technology in their practices.

Program Schedule:

8:00 a.m. Registration
8:30 a.m. Taming Technology: Building a System that Works
Find out exactly what computer hardware and software systems you need to power your practice, including data backup and security, printing, Internet connections, remote access, handheld smartphones, and more. Learn not only what to buy, but how to “buy right and spend smart,” with advice on financial acquisition methods such as “smart” leasing.

9:30 a.m. Taming Microsoft Word: More Gain, Less Pain
Find out why Ross has changed his stripes and now enthusiastically advocates the latest version of Microsoft Word (a big switch for him!). Learn clever approaches to legal document layout and work product generation including “Styles that Make Sense,” the “Word Legal Toolbox,” and “Top Word Legal Add-Ons.” The session will also address the frustrations users of Word experience, including real “Reveal Codes,” automatic paragraph numbering that actually works, and how to remove (and review) dangerous hidden metadata in your Word files.

10:45 a.m. Taming Microsoft Outlook: Tips, Tricks, Techniques & Tools for a Whole New Outlook
Outlook is everywhere – it’s ubiquitous. Learn how to turn Outlook into a powerful law practice engine with legal-focused tools and techniques to help whip Outlook’s email systems, calendars, contacts, and task functions into shape. Explore techniques to make Outlook act like a “quasi-legal case management system,” as you better organize email, add contacts for counsel, experts, and courts in literally two clicks, and more.

11:45 a.m. Lunch (on your own)

1:00 p.m. Taming Paper: The Paper LESS Office Shatters the Paperless Office Myth
Transition from viewing your paper files as “primary” to being able to count on more efficient electronic files. See how a low-cost “scan everything” approach can build a complete electronic case. Learn how to store externally-received documents with internally-generated work product. Ross has been presenting on this topic worldwide for more than 15 years – it’s a proven approach in thousands of law practices worldwide. Your practice will recover lost billables, increase profits, and deliver faster client response time.

2:00 p.m. Taming Case Information: Case/Document/Email Management Systems are the Ultimate Malpractice Safety Net
Discover how to track all your case information, perform conflict searches, calendar and docket all your dates, and remind yourself of deadlines using highly integrated systems. See how a single point of entry for all case information can “turn chaos into cases” while protecting all your client confidences in a secure system and dramatically reducing your malpractice risk.

3:15 p.m. Taming Technology Disasters: Protecting Client Confidences in a Scary Digital World
Explore the pitfalls and traps that the unwary practitioner can fall into using the latest technology tools. Learn about email security, client confidentiality issues, Internet use/abuse policies, the Word metadata threat, protecting irreplaceable client information from hardware and software catastrophes as well as from hacker intrusion and damage from computer viruses. Your practice, and possibly your law license depend on it!

4:15 p.m. 60 Hot Legal PC Tips, Gadgets & Web Resources in 60 Minutes
Pick up handy tips in this fast-paced, information-rich jaunt, such as smarter faxing, making Windows work the way you need it to, portable computing with Treos and Blackberries, protecting client confidences, wireless computing, legal billing and case management implementation ideas, the best and most useful legal blogs, keeping your system clear of “malware,” laptop computing nuggets, online resources you’ll find invaluable, and more.

5:15 p.m. Program Concludes – Ross Loses Voice :-)

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