September 2013
Trust Accounting - Don't Be Penalized
New Word for Mac AU Course Series Starts Now!
Upcoming Speaking Engagements
MacCorner - Fresh Apple Season
Ethics of Cloud Computing
PowerPoint Tip - Organizing Slides
Dictation on iPhone
Watch Your @#$% Mouth!
Parallel's Access Scores Touchdown
Managed IT Services
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Trust Accounting - Don't Be Penalized!

Penalty

The 2013 football season is under way.  Whether you are a fan of high school, college, or professional football (or are stuck with a family member who is), this is a season with many distractions. 

 

One thing you don't want to be distracted from is proper management of your lawyer trust accounts.  Whether you maintain only a single all-purpose IOLTA (or IOTA, depending on your state's designation) account, or have a practice that requires multiple trust accounts, keeping on top of the rules for managing those accounts will keep you from being penalized. 

 

Mouse Trap Although this month's football theme is intended to be humorous, our feature article is about the very serious business of thoughtful trust account practices.  Trust accounting is a trap for the unwary.  Affinity Partners Steven J. Best, Esq., and Sandra Adams will quarterback your team.  With their leadership, you will reach the end zone and avoid costly fumbles and penalties.  The feature article is called A Lawyer's 9-Point Plan for Trust Account Management.   


We will also look at some new products and services of interest to you when using technology to manage your law practice. 


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Affinity University - Our First Course Designed for MAC Users Begins Now!
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Affinity University is excited to offer our first course designed specifically for MAC users. Join Affinity Consulting Group's Jeffrey R. Schoenberger, Esq. for a 5 part series on Word 2011 for MAC, starting September 4.
 
This 5 part series will cover Word - Basics, Word - Introduction to Styles, Word - Share and Compare, Word - Forms and Templates, and Word - Mail Merge.
 
Classes are one hour, are held once per week, and are conducted via live webinar.
 
You can register for the September Session or the November Session online now.
 
Bonus!  When the last class in the series ends, attendees will be provided with a link to watch the recorded training, accessible for 6 months!"

Don't forget our on-demand AU webinars offering basic and advance classes on leading law office software packages including MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, Amicus Attorney, Tabs3, Worldox, PCLaw, and Dragon NaturallySpeaking along with classes showing you how to use important productivity devices such as ScanSnap scanners and the iPad.
EventsUpcoming Events & Speaking Engagements                    

September 17 - iPad For Legal Professionals: Introduction and IPad Basics, Columbus, OH (live simulcast to Cleveland, OH), Paul J. Unger, Esq. 

September 17 iPad For Legal Professionals: Advanced iPad Topics, Columbus, OH (live simulcast to Cleveland, OH), Paul J. Unger, Esq.    
September 17-18 - Michigan Solo & Small Firm Institute, Lansing, MI - Barron K. Henley, Esq.

September 20 - South Carolina Solo and Small Firm Conference, Charleston, SC - Steven J. Best, Esq.

September 21ALA Region 5 Conference: The Cloud: Who, What, Why and How, Anchorage, AK - Debbie Foster.    

September 24
- Tech Tuesday: Paperless Office and PDF Tips & Tricks, Montgomery, AL - Steven J. Best, Esq. (Call Laura Calloway at the Alabama Bar in Montgomery at 334-269-1515 to register)

September 24Trial Technology Workshop, Cleveland, OH - Paul J. Unger, Esq. 

September 25 - Trial Technology Workshop, Columbus, OH - Paul J. Unger, Esq.

September 26 - Trial Technology Workshop, Fairfield, OH - Paul J. Unger, Esq.
MacCorner - Fresh Apple Season is Here 
- Jeffrey R. Schoenberger, Esq., Mac Specialist/Consultant, Columbus Office MacCorner
 

Football season is apple season, both the edible variety and the high-technology type.  Over the last several years, Apple has announced new iPhone's and other products in the fall.  As a consumer-centric company, Apple likes to introduce new products in advance of the holiday gift-giving season. 

Football decal on macbook  

As flashy as new hardware can be, the real news this fall from Apple may be updates to its desktop and mobile operating systems.  This month, we will look at what to expect this fall in updates to OS X and iOS. 

 

Football in Cloud
Ethical Issues in Cloud Computing
- Barron K. Henley, Esq., Affinity Partner 

Ohio State's Woody Hayes and Michigan's Bo Schembechler participated in one of college football's most storied rivalries.  One thing they shared was a philosophy of the game.  Both were fond of saying that when you put the football in the air, only three things can happen, and two of them are bad.  The statement probably originated with Texas coach Darrell Royal, not Woody or Bo. Nonetheless, Woody and Bo were classic grind it out on the ground coaches.  

Fortunately, lawyers wanting to move their operations into the air, or Cloud, as we call the Internet, will find that many good things happen when they do so.  In fact, most lawyers are already practicing in the Cloud and gaining substantial yardage by "putting it in the air" even if they don't fully realize it.    

But law is still a profession as much as a business, and there are always ethical obligations to remind us of that fact. This month, Barron K. Henley, Esq., provides ten important tips on the ethics of practicing in the Cloud
 
Team on Bus PowerPoint Tip - Organizing Slides by Section 
- Paul J. Unger, Esq., Affinity Partner

Legendary Florida high school football coach Joe Kinnan once said that having talented players isn't enough to achieve success on the football field.  The key is placing those players in the positions that allow them to most effectively use that talent.  In other words, finding the rights "seats on the bus" for each player is required.
 
Organizing PowerPoint slides has some of the same characteristics.  Each slide represents and idea.  Those ideas need to be placed properly in your presentation to be effective..  This month, Affinity Partner Paul J. Unger, Esq., provides a tip on using Sections to organize your PowerPoint slides.

iPhone football Dictation on iPhone is Not a Trick Play - But is Sound Offense

There is an old football adage that the best defense is a good offense.  Actually, this saying probably originated in the geopolitical setting and is often attributed to Chairman Mao. But whatever its origin, trick plays alone will not support a sound offense.  Sound fundamentals are needed.  
 
Digital dictation has gone from the proverbial "trick play" to a solid fundamental over the last several years.  The technology has advanced to the point that it should be part of every lawyer's playbook.  Since the iPhone is preferred by many lawyers, finding a way to combine the iPhone with digital dictation is a touchdown play.
 
Affinity's Speech Solutions Specialist, Phil Metcalf, summarizes what you need to use an iPhone for digital dictation.
 
Watch Your @#$% Mouth! - Race, LGBT & Other Four Letter Words in the Management of Law Firms 
- Paul J. Unger, Esq., Affinity Partner

 

Football ProfanityFootball, like law practice, often involves emotionally charged situations.  Our anger, fears, biases and prejudices can lead us to say things we shouldn't.  It can also prevent us from discussing things that should be discussed.  

 

At the recent ABA Law Practice Management Annual Meeting, Affinity Partner Paul J. Unger, Esq., served on a panel discussing diversity issues in law practice.  That panel recognized that attorneys are increasingly faced with the need to tactfully manage difficult conversations with other attorneys, students, clients, and colleagues in order to strengthen and build relationships that create an inclusive environment. This program will discuss real life "sticky" situations and provide best practices for handling tough conversations with the various professionals you interact with daily. In particular, the discussion will focus on delivering client-focused service in an inclusive way to an increasingly diverse client base.

 

View the Watch Your Mouth diversity issues slide show from the ABA Annual Meeting.

iPad Football Playbook New iPad Remote Access App Scores Touchdown
- Scott Bassett, Esq., Senior Editor, Affinity Publications 

Law is not the only profession to adapt the iPad to its unique needs.  Professional athletes are using the iPad for many purposes.  In the NFL, several teams are using iPads as replacements for traditional paper play books.  

For lawyers, the iPad with its wide array of general and legal specific productivity apps, can perform a majority of our tech tasks.  But there are times when only a traditional Windows or Mac computer will do.  Mobile lawyers have learned that they can use their iPad to remotely access their office and home computers and run software installed on those computers that is not available for the iPad.  As good as some of the remote access apps and services (LogMeIn, GoToMyPC, etc.) are, translating a traditional mouse-driven Windows or Mac app to the iPad's touch screen, is hit and miss.  The user experience can be clunky and frustrating.

A new app and service for the iPad called Parallels Access changes all of that.  It is among the most useful iPad app for lawyers.

Managed IT Services Affinity Offers Managed IT Services

In addition to our expert consulting services in the area of law office software, Affinity Consulting Group offers a full range of Managed IT services.  Small and medium-sized law firms can rarely afford a full-time IT staff.  Let Affinity serve as your IT staff - we can manage your technology resources for you and correct any problems, often before you know anything is wrong.
 

For information on the many IT services we can offer your firm, contact your Affinity Consulting Group office.