This document provides an overview of the Paperless Law Office Webinar. The webinar will discuss how to create and maintain a paperless law office. It will cover three phases: contemplation, implementation, and optimization. The presenter, Ernie Svenson, has 27 years of legal experience and runs the website PaperlessChase.com. He advocates for realistic definitions of "paperless" that focus on benefits rather than rigid policies. The webinar will discuss common questions, challenges, and benefits of going paperless as well as provide tips for getting started and maintaining success in reducing paper use.

1. Welcome!
The Paperless Law Office Webinar
Will Begin in a Few Minutes

2. About MyCase
MyCase Legal Practice Management Software
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3. About MyCase
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4. How to Cr eate & Maintain
Paperless
The
Law Office
Ernie Svenson

5. Ernie Svenson
‣EDLA Law Clerk
‣Practiced law 27 yrs
‣ErnieTheAttorney.net
‣“Acrobat in One Hour for
Lawyers” (ABA book)
‣PaperlessChase.com
‣ernie@paperlesschase.com

6. Paper less
sin ce 2005

7. 3
Phases
1. Contemplation
2. Implementation
3. Optimization
9

8. Poll
Question
#2
What
best
describes
your
paperless
state
now?
10

9. Contemplation
You
may
be
surprised
to
learn
you’re
already
on
your
way
11

10. Common
Questions
• Am
I
ready
to
go
paperless?
• How
hard?
Expensive?
• Need
to
hire
a
consultant?
• Convince
staff
&
lawyers?
• Possible
in
my
practice
area?
• Isn’t
it
impossible
to
be
totally
paperless?
12

11. Define
“paperless”
forget
definitions;
focus
on
benefits
• No
paper:
impossible,
silly,
self-­‐defeating
• Reasonable:
“less
paper”
• Focus
on
benefits,
not
rigid
definitions
13

12. Key
Questions
be
realistic
about
the
true
challenges
• How
much
less
paper?
• How
quickly
to
reduce?
• What
process
should
you
follow?
• What
benefits
do
you
most
want?
14

13. How
much
less?
depends
on
factors
such
as…
• how
much
paper
you
have
now
• where
it’s
being
stored
now
(onsite,
offsite?)
• How
much
can
or
should
be
digitized
15

14. How
quickly?
depends
on
factors
such
as…
• how
many
people
in
your
firm
• how
much
paper
you
have
now
• your
folks’
technology
skills
• commitment
to
act
(not
just
plan)
16

15. What
process?
The
ideal
path
should
be…
• The
simplest
&
easiest
• Minimally
disruptive
• Tried
&
true
(by
lawyers)
• Reliable;
likely
to
succeed
17

16. Which
benefits?
Keep
in
mind
the
things
you
most
want
to
attain
• Organization
&
efficiency
• Information
retrieval
• Remote
access
to
files
19

17. Benefits
Summary
reasons
why
digital
documents
are
better
• Easier
to
store,
retrieve
• Cheaper
to
store
• Oversight
is
possible
• Access
from
anywhere
(e.g.
iPad)
• Backup
&
remote
synchronization
20

18. Some
downsides
it’s
true:
paper
is
easier
in
certain
situations
• Easier
to
reorder
pages
• Easier
to
browse
certain
kinds
of
information
• Easier
to
read
(but
eInk
technology
is
changing
this)
• Need
to
practice
“digital
hygiene”
21

19. Poor
excuses
Bad
reasons
to
dismiss
becoming
paperless
• E-­‐filing
isn’t
allowed
• Judge
requires
paper
in
court
• My
practice
isn’t
conducive
to
being
paperless
• Other
attorneys
send
me
paper
22

20. Ethics
issues
aren’t
an
impediment,
but
require
attention
• Rule
1.1:
competence
• ABA
20/20:
tech
requires
attention
• But
what
about
wills
and
promissory
notes
etc.?
• Create
a
good
engagement
letter
23

21. Engagement
letter
should
make
it
clear
to
the
client
that…
• You’ll
scan
all
files
to
PDF
• You’ll
destroy
all
paper
you
receive
• You’ll
only
keep
digital
files
for
X
years
(but
actually
keep
longer)
• You’ll
give
client
digital
copy
upon
written
request
(via
digital
download)
• Engagement
letter
is
valid
in
PDF
format
24

22. Implementation
Is
mostly
about
building
momentum
and
avoiding
catastrophes
25

23. Getting
Started
Is
not
as
hard
as
you’d
expect,
because:
• You’ve
already
started,
so…
• Build
momentum
steadily
• Use
consultants
for
“digital
hygiene”
&
training.
27

24. Keys
to
Success
grab
low-­‐hanging
fruit
&
avoid
land
mines
• Tackle
the
easy
stuff
first
• Avoid
premature
(or
unnecessary)
challenges
• Use
consultants
appropriately
28

25. Two
Principles
to
keep
in
mind
as
you
steadily
move
forward
1. Keep
digital
things
digital
2. Make
paper
into
digital
29

26. Keep
it
digital
Is
not
as
hard
as
you’d
expect
• Don’t
print
emails
• “Print
to
PDF”
more
often
• Capture
faxes
to
PDF
• Think
digital
at
all
times
30

27. Make
it
digital
is
your
first
small
challenge
• Buy
the
right
scanner(s)
• Use
often;
get
familiar
• Send
out
large
jobs
to
scanning
services
where
appropriate
Fujitsu
iX500
31

28. Make digital

29. PDFs
‣widespread use (in law too)
‣“portable document format”
‣think: ‘digital paper’
‣learn: how to manipulate them

30. Adobe Acrobat
Professional $409
Standard $289

31. Key
PDF
Skills
• Create
PDFs
from
Word,
Excel…
• Zoom,
Jump
to
Page,
Rotate
• Bookmark,
Highlight,
Comment
• Search
PDF,
or
group
of
PDFs
• Bates-­‐stamp
&
Redact
• Digitally
sign
a
PDF
35

33. Acrobat Book

34. Consultants
optional,
helpful,
or
mandatory?
• Optional:
for
the
easy
stuff
• Helpful:
for
digital
hygiene
and
software
training
• Mandatory:
for
major
challenges
like
setting
up
a
DMS,
or
if
firm
is
large
38

35. Implementation
Costs
Summary
Equipment
&
Tools
Stuff
you
need,
or
should,
buy
Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500
Cost
$409
Adobe Acrobat: Professional
$413
(Adobe Acrobat: Standard)
($289)
Book: Acrobat for Lawyers
$50
Tips: PDF for Lawyers.com
Free
Tips: PaperlessChase.com
Free
39

36. Optimization
40

37. Document
Mgt
Key
questions
ask
in
deciding
how
to
manage
• How
big
is
your
law
firm?
• How
many
attorneys?
How
many
users?
• How
many
separate
offices?
41

38. Digital
Workflow
how
will
you
work
in
a
less
paper-­‐centric
world?
• Start
with
a
simple
model
• Refine
based
on
need
&
real
world
experiences
• Continue
refining
as
new
technologies
are
adopted
42

39. Current
System
How
do
you
manage
digital
files
right
now?
43

40. Doc
Mgt
101
nested
folders
special
software
• Phase
1:
Nested
folders
• Phase
2:
DMS
software
44

41. Two
Phases
Ordinary Folders
Special DMS Software
Jones v. Smith
Hawkins v. Magee
Kramer v. Kramer
Masters v. Johnson
Jarndyce v. Jarndyce
Bushmill v. Gored
Fordham v. Chevy
Thompkins v. Carr
45

42. Simple folders

43. Crown v. Royal
01 Pleadings
02 Correspondence
03 Documents
04 Word Processing
05 Depositions
06 Legal Research
07 Attorney Notes
08 Trial Documents

44. Simple file names
[Date] [Description]

45. [Date] [Description]
2014-02-27 Motion for Summary Judgment…
2014/02/27
Motion for Summary Judgment…
2014_02_27 Motion for Summary Judgment…
2014.02.27
Motion for Summary Judgment…

46. 01 Pleadings
2009-01-01 Original Complaint
2009-01-08 Summons to …
2009-02-15 Return on Service
2009-03-02 Extension Request
2009-04-02 Answer by Defend..
2009-07-17 Motion for Summary
2009-08-01 Opposition to MSJ
2009-10-19 Order granting….

47. 02 Correspondence
2008-02-13 EES ltr K Smith
2008-02-01 K Smith email EES
2008-01-04 Thompson fax EES
2007-12-14 Chisom ltr EES
2007-11-11 Ward fax Counsel
2007-10-16 EES ltr Marion
2007-09-23 EES ltr Feinberg
2007-08-08 Mangione ltr EES

48. Problems
nested
folders
are
simple
but…
• Deletion:
someone
makes
a
mistake.
• Conflicts:
two
people
access
at
same
time;
now
we
have
2
versions.
• Version
control:
which
version
is
the
last
one
we
worked
on?
• Email:
how
do
we
put
emails
into
the
nested
folders?
• Naming
convention:
not
everyone
is
adhering
to
the
system
for
naming
files
and
folders
52

49. Firm
Size
More
than
3
-­‐
5
users:
time
for
DMS
53

50. DMS
Software
Leading
“Document
Management
Systems”
54

51. Benefits
DMS
imposes
organization
• Forced
save:
have
to
save
to
the
system,
and
have
to
profile
document
to
an
open
matter
• Conflicts:
are
no
longer
possible.
• Version
control:
system
automatically
creates
and
keeps
track
of
versions
• Email:
can
be
saved
to
DMS,
and
shared
with
everyone
as
needed.
• PDFs:
can
handle
storage
&
manipulation
• Remote
access:
pull
files
from
outside
of
office
55

52. Bottom
Line
regarding
DMS
systems
• You
can
now
afford
it
• You
almost
certainly
need
it
now
(or
soon)
• You
may
need
a
consultant
to
help
you
56

53. Wrap
Up
Things
you
can
work
on
now
to
build
momentum
57

54. Summary
Equipment
&
Tools
Stuff
you
need,
or
should,
buy
Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500
Cost
$409
Adobe Acrobat: Professional
$413
(Adobe Acrobat: Standard)
($289)
Book: Acrobat for Lawyers
$50
Tips: PDF for Lawyers.com
Free
Tips: PaperlessChase.com
Free
58

55. 5
Takeaways
the
best
keys
to
getting
started
now
59

56. 60

57. ernie@ernestsvenson.com
If you have questions feel free to email me
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www.MyCase.com/blog!
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Use promo code: PAPER14
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