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Microsoft Readies Launch of Practice Management Product for Lawyers
January 21, 2015
Microsoft is quietly preparing to formally launch a new practice management product for lawyers in the coming months. The product was scheduled to be announced this month but the announcement has been delayed. It now appears that the product will be rolled out at or around the time of ABA Techshow in April. Microsoft executives have not responded to my inquiries about the project. Presumably, the launch is for Matter Center for Office 365, a document management and collaboration product for law firms....
January 21, 2015
Microsoft is quietly preparing to formally launch a new practice management product for lawyers in the coming months. The product was scheduled to be announced this month but the announcement has been delayed. It now appears that the product will be rolled out at or around the time of ABA Techshow in April. Microsoft executives have not responded to my inquiries about the project. Presumably, the launch is for Matter Center for Office 365, a document management and collaboration product for law firms....
Guilt Drives People To Work The Hardest
January 20, 2015
People prone to feeling guilty are amongst the hardest workers, a new study finds. Not only that but people prone to feeling...
January 20, 2015
People prone to feeling guilty are amongst the hardest workers, a new study finds. Not only that but people prone to feeling...
Expert Shares Top Tips for Mediation Preparation
January 20, 2015
Quinley provided six tips for adjusters preparing for mediation: Do your homework. Have the reports and key pieces of evidence available for the mediator. Have a firm command of the liability picture, the law, injury and causation. Plan and train for mediation as you would for an important exam if you were back in school. Prepare for key themes or talking points to make to the mediator and the opposition. Prepare yourself physically. Enter mediation rested and feeling well. You want to be physically...
January 20, 2015
Quinley provided six tips for adjusters preparing for mediation: Do your homework. Have the reports and key pieces of evidence available for the mediator. Have a firm command of the liability picture, the law, injury and causation. Plan and train for mediation as you would for an important exam if you were back in school. Prepare for key themes or talking points to make to the mediator and the opposition. Prepare yourself physically. Enter mediation rested and feeling well. You want to be physically...
The Tech Trends You Can’t Ignore in 2015
January 20, 2015
Deep learning: Artificially intelligent computers are now capable of deep learning using neural networks, which you can think of as brain-inspired systems capable of translating pixels into English. Toward the end of 2014, Google researchers unveiled a new project that uses neural networks and deep learning to identify multiple elements of a scene without human assistance. Its software “learned” how to think by processing vast quantities of data. For example, deep learning will eventually allow...
January 20, 2015
Deep learning: Artificially intelligent computers are now capable of deep learning using neural networks, which you can think of as brain-inspired systems capable of translating pixels into English. Toward the end of 2014, Google researchers unveiled a new project that uses neural networks and deep learning to identify multiple elements of a scene without human assistance. Its software “learned” how to think by processing vast quantities of data. For example, deep learning will eventually allow...
Choice of Law in Texas Noncompete Litigation
January 19, 2015
When contracting with another party, it is essential to understand which state law will govern your contract in the event you find yourself in a contractual dispute. What might seem to be a reasonable provision, agreed upon by all parties, can be interpreted radically different depending upon the state law that will govern your contract. In legalese, choosing a state’s law that will govern your contract is know as a “choice of law” provision. In Texas, as a general proposition, the rule...
January 19, 2015
When contracting with another party, it is essential to understand which state law will govern your contract in the event you find yourself in a contractual dispute. What might seem to be a reasonable provision, agreed upon by all parties, can be interpreted radically different depending upon the state law that will govern your contract. In legalese, choosing a state’s law that will govern your contract is know as a “choice of law” provision. In Texas, as a general proposition, the rule...
Where Is Your Firm on the Technology Curve
January 19, 2015
The firm's management committee has hired a consultant to resurrect a neglected strategy plan. "What if you could purchase technology that would enable you to do legal work in half the time?" she asks. "Searching, drafting and review of standard agreements; leases, loan agreements, employment contracts. You could quickly locate the best practice work you've already done, to help you craft new agreements in a fraction of the time." "What would it cost?" a partner asks. "Assume it's free, but that's...
January 19, 2015
The firm's management committee has hired a consultant to resurrect a neglected strategy plan. "What if you could purchase technology that would enable you to do legal work in half the time?" she asks. "Searching, drafting and review of standard agreements; leases, loan agreements, employment contracts. You could quickly locate the best practice work you've already done, to help you craft new agreements in a fraction of the time." "What would it cost?" a partner asks. "Assume it's free, but that's...
The Weird Reason It’s Hard to Empathise And Be Logical At The Same Time
January 19, 2015
When the brain activates the network of neurons involved in empathising, it suppresses the network used for cold, hard analysis. The reverse is also true: activating the brain’s analytical networks reduces the ability to empathise. These conclusions come from a study published in the journal Neuroimage, which is the first to find that we are constrained in our ability to be analytical and empathetic at the same time (Jack et al., 2012).
January 19, 2015
When the brain activates the network of neurons involved in empathising, it suppresses the network used for cold, hard analysis. The reverse is also true: activating the brain’s analytical networks reduces the ability to empathise. These conclusions come from a study published in the journal Neuroimage, which is the first to find that we are constrained in our ability to be analytical and empathetic at the same time (Jack et al., 2012).
Alternative Legal Service Providers and the Future of Law
January 18, 2015
If you are in the Dallas area, join me next week for a panel discussion on Alternative Legal Service Providers and the Future of Law. Sponsored by Texas A&M University School of Law, the panel will discuss the role of alternative legal service providers in the legal market and how they affect and complement the work of lawyers. Participating on the panel will be: John Suh, chief executive officer, LegalZoom. Milan Markovic, professor, Texas A&M University School of Law. Kevin Colangelo,...
January 18, 2015
If you are in the Dallas area, join me next week for a panel discussion on Alternative Legal Service Providers and the Future of Law. Sponsored by Texas A&M University School of Law, the panel will discuss the role of alternative legal service providers in the legal market and how they affect and complement the work of lawyers. Participating on the panel will be: John Suh, chief executive officer, LegalZoom. Milan Markovic, professor, Texas A&M University School of Law. Kevin Colangelo,...
Bill Gates Drinks Water Extracted from Sewer Sludge
January 18, 2015
Watch as Bill Gates drinks water extracted from human waste, thanks to the Janicki Omniprocessor, a machine that turns sewer sludge into water and electricity. In third world countries, something like this could be a real game-changer.
January 18, 2015
Watch as Bill Gates drinks water extracted from human waste, thanks to the Janicki Omniprocessor, a machine that turns sewer sludge into water and electricity. In third world countries, something like this could be a real game-changer.
Privacy in Divorce
January 18, 2015
From Forbes: By any measure, divorce exacts a heavy toll. Financial, emotional and logistical matters are invariably complicated by shifting family dynamics and factual disputes. In many cases, the only thing most separating parties can immediately agree on is the need to shield children from the ugliness of the process. For celebrities and other ultra-wealthy clients, this often means preserving the family’s good name and legacy for future generations. “Celebrity clients nearly always arrive...
January 18, 2015
From Forbes: By any measure, divorce exacts a heavy toll. Financial, emotional and logistical matters are invariably complicated by shifting family dynamics and factual disputes. In many cases, the only thing most separating parties can immediately agree on is the need to shield children from the ugliness of the process. For celebrities and other ultra-wealthy clients, this often means preserving the family’s good name and legacy for future generations. “Celebrity clients nearly always arrive...
