LTRC staff are invited to speak to a wide variety of groups and at professional conferences. Here are some of the presentations we have given on technology issues and topics. LTRC staff have spoken at the American Association of Law Libraries and Special Libraries Association Annual Meetings, Computers in Libraries 2001, and before both the National Conference of Bar Presidents and National Association of Bar Executives.

• 30 Tech Tips in 30 Minutes
  This presentation consists of quick technology tips on office productivity software, online research, ethics and security, online collaboration and web 2.0 tools for busy lawyers. Given at the ABA RPTE Fall Leadership meeting, there is bound to be something useful for every computer user here. From protecting against Internet security threats to new features in MS Office and Adobe Acrobat to free clipping services -- everyone should take the time to check all 30 tips.
  November 2008



• Finding Diamonds in the Rough: Internet Research
  Legal research is about knowing where to look for the best and most authoritative information available. Resources abound, but you have to know where to look, and go beyond (or at least harness) Google. This presentation for the Illinois State Bar Solo/Small Firm conference in September 2008 highlights techniques, resources and methods for legal and business research, as well as current awareness. Once you’ve found all these great resources how do you keep up with them? A few simple methods, including RSS feed readers and research notebooks, are included.
  September 2008



• E-mail is Here to Stay: Pointers for Ethical and Practical Use
  E-mail is an essential tool for modern lawyers, but careless or uninformed use may lead to a variety of ethical traps. In this session for the State Bar of Wisconsin's 2008 Annual Convention, we discussed a variety of e-mail danger zones including misdirected and misaddressed email, spam and phishing, and metadata in email attachments. We also addressed the relative merits of e-mail privacy disclaimers, encryption, and office policies, and the dangers involved in both Blackberry/smartphone use and in publicizing your email address.
  May 2008



• Legal Research: Tips to Zero in on the Good Stuff... and then finding it again!
  Legal research isn't just about where to find the information and how to search, but also increasingly knowing how to manage, store, and recall the information you find. In this session for the Arkansas Bar Association Midyear meeting we discussed some of the best starting points for online legal research, as well as how to make sure the information is authoritative, accurate, and updated. We also covered tools for helping the research come to you - RSS feed readers and web-based clipping services. Finally, we explored the concept of personal knowledge management - how to store, track, search, and reapply the research you have already done to help kick start your next research project.
  January 2008



• Using Technology to Enhance Client Communications
  Failure to communicate consistently ranks as one of the top 10 malpractice and disciplinary complaints, not to mention a potential breach of state ethics requirements. In this session for the Arkansas Bar Association Midyear meeting learn how to harness technology to help you stay on top of communication challenges, rather than buried underneath them. The discussion included managing and harnessing email applications, using collaborative tools, customer relationship management, "automagic" communication and how to set expectations from the start.
  January 2008



• Dangerous Curves Ahead: The Crossroads of Ethics and Technology
  Technology provides great benefits for attorneys, including highly efficient workflow, unprecedented access to information and rapid, cost-effective communications. Most lawyers, however, do not consider the dark side of technology. It can and does generate great risks to lawyers from the interaction of technology and professional responsibility requirements. In this session for the Arkansas Bar Association Midyear meeting we encouraged attendees to pause for a moment and identify these risks before launching into the latest and greatest technology. It will also show you how to take steps to address them.
  January 2008



• Working from the Whistler Cabin: Remote Access Technologies
  Blackberries, Treos, laptops, USB drives, iPods, GoToMyPC etc – how to implement remote access technologies and the ethical and practical implications of so doing. This program and accompanying paper from the 2006 Pacific Legal Technology Conference will show the range of solutions available to you and how you implement each one – whether you wish to work from home, from the condo or from a south-seas island.
  November 13, 2006



• Strategies For the "Less" Paper Office
  Is it really practical for a solo or small firm to be paperless? What are the issues that need to be considered when exploring the possibilities? What technology is needed? Where do you start? This session at the 2006 Maryland State Bar Association Solo Conference was billed as "for those who are clueless about where to start or for those who need to tweak their own systems" See the overview of scanners and considerations for taking the plunge to a "less" paper office
  November 11, 2006



• Ethics and Technology: In Perfect Harmony
  Technology creates it own set of ethical slippery slopes. Hear how to handle some of the issues that may keep up you at night so that you do get into trouble. Some of the topics discussed will include metadata, advertising, disposing of computers, websites, email and other electronic ethical minefields. Check out this presentation from the 2006 Maryland State Bar Association Solo Conference to see what to keep in mind as you use technology to enhance your practice.
  November 11, 2006



• Security Issues When Preparing for Disasters
  Part of a half day pre-conference session on Disaster Planning and Business Continuity for the 2006 Maryland State Bar Association Solo Conference, this presentation provides an overview of security leaks and blunders that can lead to a firm disaster, whether it be data loss or inadvertent disclosure of confidential client data
  November 10, 2006



• Phoenix Rising: Rebirth of a Family Law Practice
  Recent disasters have drawn attention to how lawyers plan, respond and rebuild tragedy, from the smallest to the catastrophic. This session from the ABA Section of Family Law Annual Conference 2006 provided practical tips on how best to prepare for office and community level disasters. New Orleans lawyers shared their experiences and advice on how to respond once a disaster strikes. In this presentation we explored rebuilding a practice from a fresh perspective, using new technologies and ideas to rebound from a disaster in a newer, leaner shape.
  October 27, 2006



• Best of ABA TECHSHOW – 60 Technology Tips in 60 Mins
  15 of 60 great tips from the 2006 Pacific Legal Technology Conference. Every truly competent lawyer must be a competent technology user. This fast-paced session presented the latest and greatest in technology tips, covering software and hardware, gadgets, the Web, and practice management software. There is no better place to learn dozens of ways technology can help you get things done better, faster, and cheaper
  October 13, 2006



• Doing the Research: slaw.com and Other Legal Research Sites
  Legal research on the net – how to do it efficiently and effectively – what are the new research sites, how do you balance them with the paid services and when it pays to use a professional legal researcher. This presentation and accompanying paper for the 2006 Pacific Legal Technology Conference help lawyers get up to speed with new tools and reminds them of the potential pitfalls of having "everything" on the 'Net.
  October 13, 2006



• Disaster Planning and Security Issues
  Disaster can and will strike a firm at any time, the cause of which can be natural or man-made. Is your firm prepared? Establishing practices and policies to maintain business continuity in the face of an earthquake or a security breach is vital for a firm to serve and protect its clients and their interests. In this session we will review the fundamental steps to disaster planning with a focus on preparing for security issues that put the firm and the client at risk. Topics include creating plans and policies, computer backup procedures, and how to guard against security breaches.
  July 27, 2006



• Managing Information Overload
  Technology is both a boon and a curse to the busy law office. Technologies such as email, the Internet, and electronic document creation allow you to receive, retrieve, and synthesize information more rapidly than ever before. The dark side is that we are buried in information. In this session we will explore technological tips and best practices you can apply to such tasks as organizing information and email to better communicate with clients and colleagues, and find and retain firm and client documents.
  July 27, 2006



• Metadata and other things that go bump in the night
  There is data lurking in your data. Some people call it "invisible ink". Microsoft refers to it as "metadata". Either way, the reference is to information in an electronic document that is not always visible. This session will explain the dangers of metadata, how to avoid it, and recent bar association interest in the ethics of exposing or mining metadata.
  July 27, 2006



• Technology in the Law Office: A Lifecycle Approach
  Presented at the Old Dominion Bar Association's 2006 Conference, this presentation compares the decision to incorporate legal technology into a law practice as a cycle that can be started at any point. Attorneys can decide for themselves what fits their needs and what technologies they might want to adopt. See also the bibliography of information about communication, collaboration and practice management.
  June 2, 2006



• Securing Your Computer Applications, Records and Systems
  What are the next security threats on the technology horizon? Cell phones and wireless devices, instant messaging and website are becoming targets for malicious and intrusive activity. The threats to the security of your information are varied - from computer hackers to disgruntled employees to simple carelessness. Constant vigilance is required to fight against these unwanted intruders. This presentation for the API Annual Conference on Prepaid Legal Services highlights key security software and procedures to protect your systems, files, and client information. See also the bibliography of information about security including articles, email updates, and websites.
  May 12, 2006



• Collaboration and Communication Through Technology: Blogs, Wikis and RSS Feeds
  How can organizations use technology to help them communicate with their staff and clients? This presentation, from the 2006 Annual ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference in Philadelphia, provides practical advice on some of the latest web developments that organizations may utilize for communication and collaboration.
  April 1, 2006



• Herding Cats: Managing Electronic Data in a Law Firm
  Electronic data - email, forms, documents, spreadsheets, and databases - must be effectively managed to both tap into its true potential and for retention and compliance. In this presentation for the Chicago Bar Association strategies for using technology, planning, and training to effectively manage electronic data were reviewed.
  February 23, 2006



• Legal Technology Tips and Gadgets
  Part of a panel presentation focused on tips and techniques for everyday computing for the Chicago Bar Association's Law and Technology Conference 2006.
  February 23, 2006



• Where is the Paper: Electronic Records Management in Government Law Offices
  This presentation for the State Bar of Wisconsin seminar "Managing in a Fishbowl - The Effective Operation of a Government Law Office" provides an overview of managing cases, documents, and email, including retention and compliance considerations.
  September 28, 2005



• Personal Computing
  A three hour interactive seminar for the annual retreat of the East Central Illinois Women Attorney's Association, this session recognized that whether you are in-house counsel, a law professor, or a solo practitioner, there are some common elements in how you interact with technology to get your job done. We discussed technological tips and best practices to apply to such tasks as organizing information, communicating with clients and colleagues, managing time, and producing documents and reports.
  September 23, 2005



• Sanity Savers: Technology Tools & Tips for the Law Student
  This presentation at the ABA Annual Meeting in Atlanta for the Law Student Division, outlines useful and affordable technologies for the law school student, including nifty legal research websites, affordable, portable hardware solutions, and snazzy (free-ish) software.
  August 7, 2004



• Becoming a More "Resource-full" Librarian
  Presentation given at Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, focusing on cost recovery and tracking of online legal research in the private law firm library. Topics discussed include ethical considerations, how to choose software, available options, and the benefits of tracking and reporting of online legal research.
  May 11, 2004



• Bar Leadership Institute 2004: Don't Miss the Boat: Effective Electronic Communication for Small Bar Associations
  A short program on how small bar associations can effectively use communications technology - e-mail, Web logs, and content management - to better inform their members without requiring a lot of resources.
  March 13, 2004



• Building for Success: Technical Solutions to Modern Law Practice
  A presentation on better tech planning and buying, and tips on comparison shopping for hardware and software for the Wisconsin State Bar.



• Feasibility and Viability of the Digital Library
  Presentation given at Techshow 2003 revealing the results of a year long study on the digital library, funded in part by an American Association of Law Libraries Aspen Law and Business Grant. The presentation, and accompanying paper, include results from surveys of law librarians and legal publishers, as well as the results from the lawyers surveyed for the Online Research volume of the annual LTRC Legal Technology Survey Report (2002).
  April 4, 2003



• State Bar of Montana Annual Meeting Tech Moment: Desperately Seeking (Legal) Research
  One of 5 Tech Moments presented as part of the State Bar's annual meeting CLE program.
  September 19-20, 2002



• Technology Snapshot: The Results are In
  The long-awaited results of the 2002 ABA Legal Technology Survey will be published in July 2003, in a series of five reports on law office technology; litigation and courtroom technology; Web and communication technology; online research; and mobile lawyers. If you simply can't wait until then, check out these highlights from the survey results, presented at the ABA's 2003 TECHSHOW on April 4, 2003. Data from all five of the upcoming print reports are included, and you might be surprised by the results. For instance, did you know that almost 30% of law firm technology budgets are expected to be under $2500 in 2003? Of course, that's not the whole story. Take a look.
  April 4, 2003



• Cutting Edge Technology for Small Law Firms
  This presentation, for the Shreveport (LA) Bar Association, covered topics relating to how small law firms are using technology to assist in delivering legal services.
  December 9, 2002



• More Bang for Your Technology Buck
  Small law firms and solo lawyers often have technology already that will solve a problem they have, rather than having to buy more. This presentation for the Central Louisiana Pro Bono Project and the Alexandra Bar Association outlines some of the easy things you can do to manage information and use technology better.
  December 6, 2002



• 60 Tips and Tricks
  Well, one-fifth of them, anyway. These tips were given on a panel at the Wisconsin Law and Technology Show 2002.
  December 5, 2002



• What's Hot and What's Not in 2003
  The crystal ball gets cloudy when you look too far out, so this set of slides was created with an eye to changes that are likely in 2003. It was for a panel at the Wisconsin Law and Technology Show 2002. Here is a related article David Whelan wrote on the topic for a special edition of the Wisconsin Law Journal.
  December 5, 2002



• Courtroom Technology FAQ
  An overview of courtroom technology - what's available, who has it, and how to use it - for the National Association of Legal Aid and Defenders Association 2002 conference. The presentation explores how to use technology without breaking the bank, and when to use it.
  November 15, 2002



• Tips, Tools and Sites: 15 Sites
  15 of the 60 Hot PC Tips, Tools and Net Sites to Pump Up Your Practice from the Chicago Legaltech 2002 conference.
  November 4, 2002



• Opening a Solo Practice
  Three panelists gave solos and potential solos thoughts on how to prepare for solo practice. This presentation reflects the technology component of the panel's presentation. Handout Materials
  October 13, 2002



• Technology and the Young Lawyer
  Young lawyers in the State Bar of California saw this presentation at their annual meeting, on trends in technology that young lawyers, new to the profession, can use to practice better. Handout Materials
  October 12, 2002



• Technology and the Law Student
  This presentation, given to students at the St. Louis University School of Law, outlines how law students need to take advantage of technology while in law school so they are better prepared when they join the profession. It walks through the different areas of legal technology and gives practical tips on how to start using technology better to manage law school information and life. Handout Materials
  October 7, 2002



• Tips and Tricks for Leveraging Your Legal Technology
  This presentation for the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis focused on how solo practitioners and small firms can get more out of the technology they have and how they can plan better for their legal technology future. It includes tips and practical examples, and statistics from the Legal Technology Resource Center's latest surveys. Handout Materials
  October 4, 2002



• State Bar of Montana Annual Meeting Tech Moment: Everything at Your Digital Fingertips
  One of 5 Tech Moments presented as part of the State Bar's annual meeting CLE program.
  September 19-20, 2002



• State Bar of Montana Annual Meeting Tech Moment: The Power of Communication
  One of 5 Tech Moments presented as part of the State Bar's annual meeting CLE program.
  September 19-20, 2002



• State Bar of Montana Annual Meeting Tech Moment: Preventive Planning  
  One of 5 Tech Moments presented as part of the State Bar's annual meeting CLE program.
  September 19-20, 2002



• Securing the Law Firm: Building Castles in the Sand
  Given for the Chicago Bar Association's Technology Show, this presentation provides an overview of network security, including firewalls, anti-virus software, and statistics from recent surveys. Also see the accompanying bibliography of security resources on the Internet.
  May 9, 2002



• Technology Planning in the Law Office: The Long and Short of IT
  Presentation given to a firm retreat on the long term Strategic Technology Planning and short term technology planning, with an overview of available technologies. See the resources for Strategic Technology Planning.
  April 19, 2002



• Wireless Networking Update
  Southwestern Association of Law Libraries (SWALL). An update on the state of wireless LANs, including 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11h and the new security on WLANs.
  April 19, 2002



• Bar the Digital Door: Securing Your Systems
  Presentation given to the National Conference of Bar Presidents, outlining possible steps to be taken to secure systems and harden networks. See the supporting article.
  February 1, 2002



• Technology In the Law Office: Practice Made Powerful
  Presentation given to the Iowa State Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference, providing an overview of automating law office tasks.
  See the annotated handout: Select Sources for Technology Research and the detailed Outline.
  November 16, 2001



• Pro-Active Disaster Planning II: Securing Your Perimeter
  A look at virus and people security issues as part of a disaster planning panel at Chicago Legaltech 2001.
  November 6, 2001



• To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade: Maximizing Your Technology Dollars
  Chicago Legaltech 2001 panel on when, whether, and how to plan for upgrades. For more information, read the session handout.
  November 6, 2001



• 15 Sites Annotated
  15 of the 60 Legaltech Hot Sites and Tips from the Chicago Legaltech 2001 conference. For more information, read the annotated tips.
  November 5, 2001



• The Legal 'Net Grows Up
  Part of a presentation put on by a panel on the latest developments in using the Internet for legal and business research. This portion looks at some of the technology and resources.
  November 5, 2001



• Getting Started with Legal Technology for the American Bar Association Section of Family Law
  Presentation as part of a panel at the Section's Annual CLE. Accompanying CLE Materials.
  October 13, 2001



• Your Office in Your Hand
  From the Montana State Bar Association Tech Moments presentations. What handheld computer should you buy, and why.
  September 13-14, 2001



• Networking Everything
  From the Montana State Bar Association Tech Moments presentations. Connect everything in your practice, share resources with staff, lawyers, and clients.
  September 13-14, 2001



• Virtually There
  From the Montana State Bar Association Tech Moments presentations. Use Internet tools to allow your clients, experts, and others to work with you on the Web, with Internet depositions and online collaboration environments.
  September 13-14, 2001



• Power E-mail
  From the Montana State Bar Association Tech Moments presentations. Efficient e-mail, filtering, and security.
  September 13-14, 2001



• Digital Legal Research
  From the Montana State Bar Association Tech Moments presentations. Identify the best sources for your practice, fee and free, and use electronic research with print research tools.
  September 13-14, 2001



• Wireless Networks: Is It Time to Untether Users?
  Presentation for the American Association of Law Libraries 2001 Annual Meeting, as part of a panel on wireless networking in law schools and libraries.
  July 15, 2001



• Wireless Networking
  Presentation for the CALI Conference 2001: Virtual Reality Check, as part of a panel on the current state of wireless networking in law schools.
  June 21, 2001



• Trends in Legal Publishing
  Presentation for the 92nd Annual Special Libraries Association Meeting on recent developments, based on survey research, in legal publishing and the shift from print to electronic resources. See accompanying paper, published in the SLA 2001 Professional Publications.
  June 14, 2001



• Wireless Networking
  Presentation leading the Wireless Networking track at the Computers in Libraries 2001 conference, giving an overview of the current wireless networking environment and what is coming.
  March 15, 2001



• A Comparison of E-mail Lists and Webboards
  Presentation for the leadership of the Section on Science and Technology Law.
  February 16, 2001



• Legal Publishing Trends: 2000
  Presentation for Chicago Association of Law Librarians to share results of a survey of traditional legal publishers and the future of print versus online.
  November 29, 2000



• Wireless Networking Update
  Presentation leading a panel of law library technologists at the CALI 2000 conference on wireless networks and how they are being used in law schools.
  June 23, 2000



• Wireless Networking in Law Schools
  Presentation at the triennial Bricks, Bytes, and Continuous Renovation conference on the use of wireless networks in law schools.
  March 10, 2000