Dennis Kennedy

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September 30, 2005

What is a Blog?

Michael Conniff has an extensive and historical treatment of the question "what is a blog?" in the Online Journalism Review. I highly recommend the article for those interested in meta-blogging.

I'm actually more interested in blogging than blogging about blogging, but this article is a good one and it raises a question that invariably comes up when I do interviews and presentations on blogging.

Here's my best answer:

A blog is an online newspaper or magazine column without the newspaper or magazine.

I think that captures the notion of self-publishing, regularity, informal tone, personality, educational and helpful content, and observational elements I associate with blogs. It also recognizes that posts are short essays and that blogging is a writer's medium. I've found that people really like this definition and find it helpful.

However, that definition is primarily a conceptual definition. Other people like a more technical definition, and I've struggled with that.

Here's my current technical definition of a blog I've used in presentations:

A blog is a form of a website that is produced by easy-to-use content management or "blogging" software that uses templates and is characterized by certain common elements, including one or more of the following: display of content in the form of individual "posts," reverse chronological entries, RSS feeds, archives, comments and other common features you will observe after looking at a few blogs.

Most recently, I explained blogs (and from the feedback was quite successful) to a group of people, 90% of whom did not read blogs, by showing them the Between Lawyers blog, pointing out the main elements and then moving to each of the individual blogs of my colleagues at Between Lawyers and showing the presence of the common elements. Show rather than tell.

Of the identifying elements of a blog, I think that the use of individual posts and display in a reverse chronological order are the common features that most help people identify what a blog is.

That said, I use my "definitions" as devices to help people learn about blogs and their usefulness. I can't stand when people use proscriptive definitions of blogs, charge that blogs are really not blogs, or launch into a tirade on what "true blogs" are.

Now, back to the OJR article. I think you understand the perspectives I bring to this issues.

I found this article interesting in light of my recent efforts to come up with definitions I can use in presentations. However, it didn't help me improve my definitions or come up with a simple, concise definition I might use in presentations.

In part, that's the beauty of blogs. Blogging has let a thousand flowers bloom. I want to read great blogs - I frankly don't care whether the definitionists out there deem what I consider a great blog to be a "blog."

As you read through the article, you'll notice the quoted bloggers are all over the place and even contradict each other. Jason Calcanis focuses on unedited, unfiltered content as being a key trait of a blog. Wonkette describes herself as an editor of her blog. Are we seriously suggesting that Wonkette isn't a blog?

I must admit that I got a laugh, as usual, out of Jason's definition of blogs, and, by implication, what blogs his definitions would exclude. I might be able to simplify his definition - a blog is any blog that has the features of a property of the Weblogs, Inc. network. I mean, we all bring our own points of view into the discussion, but gee whiz, Jason, you might want to be a bit more subtle and a lot more expansive.

If a blogger turns off comments because of comment spam problems, have they suddenly lost the right to call what they are doing a blog? Are the people experimenting with orders other than reverse chronological order no longer creating blogs? Is a blog in which someone other than the author proofreads or edits post not a blog? I'm not sure why we really care about turning definition into dogma, unless our purpose is to become a gatekeeper and decide who is in the cllub and who is not. That's not part of the tradition of blogging and it would be sad to see that kind of an exclusionary tradition get started.

In any event, the article is a great resource for learning about the doctrinal arguments over blog definitions. I don't understand how any of this discussion helps bring blogs to a wider audience, which is my interest in developing definitions.

In the meantime, I'll go back to writing my blog, or at least what I think is a blog, and, if the definitionists ever agree on what a "blog" is (and I doubt that will happen), I'll consider the definition and what I need to do to fit into it. And, then, as is the common trait of bloggers, I'll do whatever I want and what makes the most sense for this blog. If that means I won't get a blog membership card, then so be it.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Coming soon - LexThink BlawgThink - the legal blogger unconference.

Posted by dmk at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2005

Desirable Traits in a CIO

Every now and then, I think it would be great to be a CIO, in part because the title seems so cool. As a CIO, you get invited to great conferences for "C level" executives. And you get a great magazine - CIO magazine, one of my favorite magazines

Speaking of CIO magazine and CIOs, CIO Insight has a great article on desirable traits in a CIO. Now, you will need to get past the inflammatory title ("Does it Take a Psychopath to Make a Good CIO?") and read the substance of the article, because the article really answers the question posed by the title with a "no."

If you are a CIO, are a firm with a CIO or are a firm thinking about hiring a CIO (hmmm, I think that may cover everyone), this article will give you a way to think about the CIO position in your firm or organization.

Here are the money quotes:

"CIOs tend to love technology," said Berg. "But not in the same way as programmers or system administrators, who gravitate toward technology because they think it's cool. CIOs are much more interested in what technology can do for a company than simply what it can do, period. That's an important distinction in terms of personality."

and

The good ones have a balanced view of people, process and technology. They care about how the company meets its goals while embracing technology. They have to be emotionally invested to do that."

These quotes strike me as right on target.

So, now I'm back in the wanting-to-be-a-CIO mode. But I think that really means I want to be a part-time CIO or a CIO splitting time between several firms or organizations.

I'm thinking about putting together a package of consulting services that does exactly that. I'd welcome any comments and suggestions from readers to help me think that through and put that package together.

If you wanted to get a package of services that approximated what a CIO might do for you, what would that package include? I'll share the ideas I receive.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy’s consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 07:08 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2005

LawyerLinks - A Legal Research Tool That's Simple in the Best Sense of the Word

Eric Korb of LawyerLinks gave me the grand tour of the LawyerLinks corporate legal research tool recently and I was quite impressed.

While many people believe that I'm interested only in the newest, coolest, most cutting-edge technology, the truth is that I'm most interested in technologies that are simple, easy to use and help me accomplish things better. When that happens with cool, new technology (the leading example today is the whole are known as Web 2.0), it's a bonus for me.

So, a few minutes into the demo of LawyerLinks, I'm really digging the service and asking tons of questions and saying "that's right" and "that's cool." It was cool because it was simple.

And, it's a simple idea. Imagine the ideal "encyclopedia" for your area of law practice. It would be fully hyperlinked, updated by knowledgeable lawyers, organized by people who understand the practice and easy to move through. IN my case, I also want to get away from the Boolean search stuff and be able to move through the material in a logical, structured way.

Hey, that's what LawyerLinks is. It's simple, yet profoundly useful. It brings me back to the orignal idea of hyperlinks.

The best part is that you can immediately see how this would be helpful to you, especially for quick overviews of subject matter areas. You might get a question from a client. While on the phone, you quickly pull up an overview so you can "refresh your memory" on the topic. You also have the ability to move seamlessly to news, source material and cases. You are instantly knowledgeable (not that you weren't before, of course - you are just a little smoother now).

Now, flip the scenario. You are an inhouse corporate counsel or even a business executive and you want to get some background before you talk to an outside lawyer. Boom, you're there.

For those law firms looking to make more effective use of library budgets (my advice: give the librarian a raise and better tools and cut costs on books), LawyerLinks would be a great tool to reduce the need for some of the books taking up space in your library. If you are starting a new firm, well, this might be an easy decision.

LawyerLinks focuses on securities and corporate law topics only at this time. That's too bad for those of us not in those areas, but it's great news for those of you in these areas.

Check it out.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 09:22 AM | Comments (1)

Announcing a "Do Not Disturb" Sign for November 15

From the press release:

"Columbia Records will release the 'Born To Run 30th Anniversary Edition' box set on November 15. Personally supervised by Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau, the box set includes "Hammersmith Odeon, London '75," an astonishing film of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's legendary 1975 concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London; the new film "Wings For Wheels: The Making of Born To Run;" the classic album in remastered CD form; and finally, a 48 page booklet of previously unpublished photographs. With its two DVDs, the package offers approximately four hours of previously unseen footage."

Courtesy of my friend Jim McKelly, who monitors these things for me when he's not winning bushel baskets of teaching awards. Perhaps it will be a good day to try a first listening/watching party via Skype chat?

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Like what you are reading? Check out the other blogs where I post - Between Lawyers (feed) and the LexThink Blog (feed).

Posted by dmk at 09:02 AM | Comments (1)

September 27, 2005

"By Request" - What are Your Favorite Blawgs?

There are so many good ones that I hate to make a list because I'll later be kicking myself for leaving a great one out. My 2004 Blawggies award list is still a good starting point.

Your question, however, raises a subject I've been thinking about lately. And that is that there are some extremely good writers among the legal bloggers.

Lawyers are usually thought of as writers of, well, legalese. Lawyer bloggers have done a lot to overcome that stereotype. In some cases, some blawg writers have become such good writers than I enjoy them and recommend them for both the writing and the content.

I just want to highlight a few people and do not intend for this to be a comprehensive list.

I want to point first to my colleagues at the Between Lawyers blog. I've become very familiar with their writing both in their blogs and the amazing back-channel email list we have going.

Consider the following:

Ernest "Ernie the Attorney" Svenson - Ernie's posts have long been a pleasure to read, but if you have any question about Ernie's greatt talent as a writer, you need only take a look at a few of his post-Katrina posts. His post on his first return to New Orleans is a gem - touching and determined. Here's some free advice to book publishers: get Ernie signed up to write a book about his Katrina experiences!

Tom "Inter-Alia" Mighell - Tom has become my favorite person to write with and we're now writing two columns together. Tom has a gift for writting short, direct posts that you might take for granted unless you try to write in that way on a regular basis. I often say that I write long posts because it is so hard to write the types of short posts that Tom does so well.

Marty "The Trademark Blog" Schwimmer - Marty is the master of the short, concise, clever and witty post, with a clear and cogent point. Concise, that is, except when he gets going on "political" issues. Read a selection of his trademark posts and I guarantee that you will be impressed.

Denise "Bag and Baggage" Howell - First of all, Denise is known as the absolute master of writing great titles for posts. Another legal blogger told me the other day that Denise's titles are so great that he gets hooked into reading posts where he's not even interested in the topic. Denise has such a great, comfortable writing style. The other day, though, she wrote a post called "NorCal" that I really, really liked, in a great new voice that reminded me of William Gibson, the cyberpunk novelist, who is one of my favorite authors. I've been bugging Denise to write a novel called "NorCal" in that same style.

If you took a vote among long-time legal bloggers on who the best writers among legal bloggers are, there's no question that Sherry "Stay of Execution" Fowler and Evan "Legal Underground" Schaeffer would be at the top of the list.

Evan is such a strong, accomplished writer. He can write in a number of styles and, amazingly for a lawyer, has even made me laugh out loud (intentionally). His blog is a daily must-read and, as I've said before, he is the legal blogger most likely to be paid for writing movie and TV scripts in the near future.

You need only read a few of Sherry's post before you realize that you are in the presence of a gifted writer. I've long enjoyed Sherry's blog for both her insights and her talent as a writer. Of all the legal bloggers, Sherry has had the most influence on me as a writer (Marty's efforts to get me to be more concise have not had his desired impact), and on other legal bloggers as well. Several years ago, we started calling Sherry the bravest legal blogger because of her willingness to write in a direct and personal manner in ways that others of us were very reluctant to do. I admired that greatly and it gradually inspired me to be willing to experiment with some more personal topics and styles. With Sherry, I always come back to how much I enjoy reading her writing and appreciating her talent. I'm so pleased that she's going to devote herself to her writing and encourage publishers looking for a new star to take a good look at what Sherry is writing.

Ah, another long post, but that will give you some of my thoughts on the subject of legal bloggers who are excellent writers.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy’s consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request" - How Do I Get an Invitation to BlawgThink?

Some people do not understand the invitation-only approach that we are taking for the LexThink!(tm) BlawgThink event. In part it's due to space constraints, but it it also has to do with our "unconference" approach for this conference and our desire to create the best experience for our attendees that we can.

The first set of invitations have been sent out. With the exception of one rather grumpy law professor, the invitations seem to have been well-received. Just kidding. We invited some of the nicest law professors we know.

We've held some invitations back for sponsors and for a second round of invitations.

All you have to do is get in touch with Matt or me, tell us about your interest and get us your contact info and we'll get you on the list. At this point, we are especially interested in finding non-bloggers who are interested in becoming bloggers (or learning more about blogging) and established bloggers who can provide different perspectives to legal bloggers.

Updates and information on BlawgThink will be provided at the LexThink website, which now contains the agenda for the event. We'll be announcing speakers over the next few weeks.

Also, if you are interested in speaking at or sponsoring BlawgThink, please let us know and we will talk with you about the details.

I hope to see you there, but you will need to request an invitation in order to attend.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Coming soon - LexThink BlawgThink - the legal blogger unconference.

Posted by dmk at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request" - Why Did You Take Most of Your Articles Off Your Website?

Frankly, I made a mistake doing that. Many people told me that I was offering too much free content and I should only offer a few teasers and drive people to buy e-books instead.

I went against my instincts and removed most of them. Now I want to go back to my old approach and probably make some of my PowerPoint slides freely available as well.

What I'm planning to do is to republish most of my favorite articles as individual blog posts to make them part of my blog database. I'll also provide a PDF download option.

I believe it's more valuable to offer a lot of free material on your website, but still provide some options for people to support your efforts through the purchase of convenient collections of materials. That's the approach to which I plan to return.

[Originally published on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's eBooks - Preparing Your Law Firm for the Internet Era: 150 Steps Toward a 21st Century Practice of Law, Dennis Kennedy’s Legal Technology Primer and Unlocking the Secrets of Legal Technology and Technology Law: Finding Your Way in the First Internet Era.

Posted by dmk at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request" - Have You Written Any New Articles Lately?

I get asked this question a lot and I always get a chuckle when I hear it. You see, I've always thought that my blog posts, especially the extended ones, were articles.

I've written quite a few articles this year. I've also written some chapters for a forthcoming book (anthology) on information security.

Tom Mighell and I write the monthly "Strongest Links" column on Law Practice Today. I also write, on average, one article every two months on legal technology or law practice management topics on Law Practice Today.

Tom Mighell, Evan Schaeffer and I are writing a regular "Thinking E-Discovery" column on DiscoveryResources.org.

The other two places my new articles regularly appear are on LLRX.com and Law Office Computing. I'm currently working on an article about software updates for Law Office Computing.

Before the end of the year, I'll be writing my annual legal technology predictions article. I have a few other articles in mind. I expect to write two articles on "client-driven technologies," an article on how the combination of CaseMap 5 and Adobe Acrobat 7 may be the perfect tool set for small electronic discovery cases, and maybe something on either Web 2.0 tools for lawyers or the Open Source licenses. These days, I generally prefer to publish on the Internet, either on LLRX.com or Law Practice Today.

My articles do get republished in print and on the Internet on a regular basis as well, so you never know where you might see an article from me.

And, of course, I'm always willing to write articles and white papers for pay on other topics that interest me.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request" - Why Did You Add an Email Subscription to Your Blog's Feed If You Are Such an Advocate of RSS?

That's a very fair question. My decision to provide an email subscription option grew out of conversations I was having with Matt Homann, Tom Mighell and the Rethink IP guys on this subject. In fact, we all might have been on a Skype chat where we talked about the topic.

Although I think almost exclusively of the subscribers to my RSS feed as my audience when I write my posts, I also realized that a large number of people visit my blog to read it and still use email, not a newsreader, as their primary information information retrieval tool. I was also getting the occasional question about how to subscribe to my blog by email.

In the Skype conversations I mentioned, people were talking about FeedBlitz as an easy way to provide an email subscription to your RSS feed. When I looked into it, I saw that I could offer a choice of email subscriptions that could include one, two or all of the blogs where I write: DennisKennedy.Blog, Between Lawyers and LexThink. That made it an easy decision to try the experiment of adding the email subscription option that visitors to this blog will see in the left-hand column of the main page.

I still think that using a newsreader to subscribe to my RSS feed is the best way to consume this blog, but I wanted to make the email option since so many people still live in the email world.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Like what you are reading? Check out the other blogs where I post - Between Lawyers (feed) and the LexThink Blog (feed).

Posted by dmk at 08:29 PM | Comments (1)

September 26, 2005

Another By Request Day Tomorrow

It feels like it's time once again for a "By Request Tuesday." I've got a couple of questions in the hopper and encourage any of you who have questions that I can answer on my blog to email the questions to me at denniskennedyblog @ gmail.com. I'll try to answer them (or at least some of them) on the blog tomorrow.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)

Electronic Signatures Approved for Wills

The Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog has a post discussing a recent Tennessee case holding that a computer-generated signature was vaild on a will. The post quotes from Chad Ross's case comment in the University of Memphis Law Review.

The money quote comes from Chad's article:

With its holding in Taylor, the Tennessee Court of Appeals becomes the first in the nation to rule on the validity of a testator's computer-generated signature. . . . In so doing, the court has issued a well-founded opinion that proves that the statute of wills can accommodate the advances of technology without sacrificing the goals that underlie the statute.

People often ask me why we can't use electronic signatures for transactions these days. I always say, "You can." See this article Chip Fendell and I wrote on electronic signatures a few years ago here.

I applaud the Tennessee opinion for its very reasonable approach to dealing with the intersection of traditional legal principles and technology.

I also hope that it helps get the word out on the validity of electronic signatures. I still can't get over the number of companies that send me forms they want me to sign and fax back to them. Think about the absurdity of that for a minute.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's eBooks - Preparing Your Law Firm for the Internet Era: 150 Steps Toward a 21st Century Practice of Law, Dennis Kennedy’s Legal Technology Primer and Unlocking the Secrets of Legal Technology and Technology Law: Finding Your Way in the First Internet Era.

Posted by dmk at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

September 25, 2005

New Missouri Ethics Rules Require Disclaimer Language, I Think

The Missouri Supreme Court has recently approved changes to the advertising and marketing rules for Missouri lawyers.

Unfortunately, despite efforts made to clarify the rules, I find the rules impossible to interpret or to understand how they are intended to apply to my website and blog.

Although I maintain that my blogs and website are not intended to be and are not an "advertisement" or "solicitation" for legal services, I have determined that my only option is to load up my website and this blog with the disclaimer language that seems to be required under this new rule.

Until I get further guidance on how to comply with the new rules, my best guess is that I must include the following language on my website.

REQUIRED STATEMENTS UNDER MISSOURI SUPREME COURT RULES IF THIS WEBSITE OR ANY PORTION OF IT IS DEEMED TO BE AN ADVERTISEMENT OR SOLICITATION. This website is not intended to be an advertisement or solicitation for my legal services. However, under recent changes in Missouri Rules, it may be deemed to be so, despite my intention. Therefore, the following statements may be required on this website and I have included them in order to be in full compliance with these rules. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. Disregard this solicitation if you have already engaged a lawyer in connection with the legal matter referred to in this solicitation. You may wish to consult your lawyer or another lawyer instead of me (us). The exact nature of your legal situation will depend on many facts not known to me (us) at this time. You should understand that the advice and information in this solicitation is general and that your own situation may vary. This statement is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missouri.

For a story about this new rule, please read .

The money quote from that article:

"Levison said it was unclear how this rule will be carried out."

That is quite an understatement. I simply do not understand changing rules in ways that make it clear how you should comply with them. I'm trying to do my best and I hope that will be taken into account.

I believe that these rule changes will become textbook cases for the law of unintended consequences and I fervently hope that, as advertised, they are intended to address specific concerns related to television commercials and litigation practices and not as traps for the unwary.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2005

Fourth Generation Legal Technology

A quick check of Google and Yahoo today showed me that no one has used the term "Fourth Generation Legal Technology" or "4G Legal Technology." I want to lay claim to the phrase to describe a collections of ideas I have.

Here's what I'm thinking.

I've been speaking and writing for a while about the third age of legal technology (the allusion to Babylon 5 is intentional). The first age is secretary or staff focused. The second age is IT department focused. The third age is lawyer focused - when the goal is to get the tools lawyers need into the hands of lawyers.

I was stopping there. When I recently spoke about this in a presentation I gave, I noticed that I was trying to crowbar the idea of "client-driven" or "client-focused" technologies into my description of the third age and it really didn't quite fit.

It struck me today (it takes time for ideas to percolate for me these days) that the age when legal technology has as it primary focus clients, clients' wishes and clients' needs was in fact a fourth age, at least in my way of thinking.

For the last few months, I've been reading John Robb, William Lind and their work on Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW). It's given me a lot to think about.

It strikes me that "generation" is a better word to describe what I see happening in legal technology than "age" or "stage."

It also strikes me that some of the ideas of 4GW analysis - Open Source principles, decentralization, fast innovation, non-traditional fluid forms of organization - also apply in my ideas of client-driven technology (see the other posts in the Client Driven Technologies category of this blog).

This subject, this phrase and this combination of ideas really intrigues me and gives me, I believe, a framework to pull together some ideas and concepts that I've been working with for a number of years. Expect to hear/see much more from me about this (Fourth Generation Legal Technology, 4G Legal Technology, 4GLT) in the coming months.

fourth generation legal technology

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 09:13 PM | Comments (0)

LexThink BlawgThink Invitations

Here's an update on LexThink BlawgThink, the legal blogging conference Matt Homann and I are are putting together on November 11 - 12 at the Catalyst Ranch in Chicago.

As with the first LexThink conference, BlawgThink is an invitation-only event. The first round of invitations went out today. We recognize that it is inevitable that we will, much to our embarrassment, overlook some people we want to have on the list, so we've held some invitations in reserve. So, if you want to attend BlawgThink, please let us know as soon as you can, so we can get you on the invitation list. We do have a limit on the number of attendees because of the space we have selected, but we want to have as many people who woould like to attend be able to attend.

We're also working on finalizing speakers and sessions. My preference is to select the speakers we want and give them a fair amount of freedomm to present what they want on their topics.

We'll gradually announce the speakers and agenda. For now, we're very excited to have Ben Cowgill as a speaker on legal ethics and blogging (and tell the story of his work on Kentucky ethics regulation of blogs), Kevin O'Keefe on marketing through blogs, and the RethinkIP guys on either practice-specific blogs or group blogs. BlawgThink will also feature the first appearance by Matt and I on the same stage for a presentation.

I also encourage you to check out the LexThink blog (feed), which will keep you updated on BlawgThink and is the home of a good number of posts Matt and I have done on innovation in the professional services industry.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Coming soon - LexThink BlawgThink - the legal blogger unconference.

Posted by dmk at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)

Grace Kennedy's Book Review Published in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

My daughter wrote a short book review for a class assignment that was published (along with one of another of her classmates) in last Sunday's issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - her first print publication. It was part of a cool thing the newspaper is doing to get middle school students to write about what books mean to them.

Regular readers of this blog know that I've posted two of Grace's essays on this blog here and here.

Grace was very excited about this. I was way more excited than I get when my own articles are published. As I've mentioned before, I really like the way her school, The College School, teaches writing and the way they help their students get recognition for their writing.

Because I don't know whether the link to the newspaper site will be permanent, here's the text of the review:

What this book means to me

09/18/2005

I don't think I've ever come across such a descriptive book so close to real life as "Nobody Was Here" by Alison Pollet). It made me really see the cruelness, hard and painful lives middle schoolers can have. I not only recommend it, I love it!

Grace Kennedy, 7th grade
The College School

[Originally published on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Like what you are reading? Check out the other blogs where I post - Between Lawyers (feed) and the LexThink Blog (feed).

Posted by dmk at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2005

The ACME Products Catalog

From the the Drawn blog comes a link to an an illustrated catalog listing all of the ACME products that appeared in the classic Warner Bros. cartoons.

From the ACME Atom Re-arranger to the ACME Wild-cat, you'll find it in this great trip down memory lane.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's eBooks - Preparing Your Law Firm for the Internet Era: 150 Steps Toward a 21st Century Practice of Law, Dennis Kennedy's Legal Technology Primer and Unlocking the Secrets of Legal Technology and Technology Law: Finding Your Way in the First Internet Era.

Posted by dmk at 11:30 PM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2005

Getting a Glimpse at What's Coming in OneNote

I really like Microsoft OneNote and see it as a great tool for many lawyers. Unfortunately, not many lawyers are using OneNote. Many lawyers find it difficult to convince their IT departments that OneNote should be on the "approved" software list.

For those lawyers who have gotten permission to use OneNote, I recommend Chris Pratley's recent post "Unifying the analog and the digital with OneNote," which sketches out the vision for the upcoming version of OneNote. Put me on that beta list!

The money quote:

"Screen clippings: When you use the screen clippings feature in OneNote (Windows-S shortcut), you can insert a screenshot of an area of the screen you choose. This image is then OCR'd just like those other images. In fact, we're including about four different OCR engines in OneNote, each one optimized for different types of images that contain text. We sniff the type of image and use the appropriate one automatically."

Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Coming soon - LexThink BlawgThink - the legal blogger unconference.

Posted by dmk at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2005

New Issue of Law Practice Today Webzine

Be sure to check out the recently-released issue of the ABA's Law Practice Today Webzine.

You'll find the customary generous assortment of great articles on finance, management, marketing and technology topics. Let me mention just one: Wendy Werner's article on great books to read on the subject of career development.

However, I do want to highlight the "Strongest Links" column Tom Mighell and I wrote. In the column, we give you a list of good Internet resources on instant messaging. The best part (and the most fun part) was that Tom and I structured the column as an instant messaging session we did on Skype. It's fun and informative at the same time. And it's an effort to show that lawyers can use non-traditional tools and write in non-traditional ways.

Check it out. And give some thought to joining the ABA's Law Practice Management Section.

Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 07:47 PM | Comments (0)

New "Thinking E-Discovery" Column Posted

Tom, Mighell, Evan Schaefffer and I write the "Thinking E-Discovery" column on the DiscoveryResources.org site.

Our latest column, called "Rethinking Electronic Discovery and Paper Discovery in the Post-Katrina Era" has just been published.

This column finds us in a contemplative mood as we consider the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina. We consider the differences between paper and digital in a time of disaster and speculate whether events like Katrina will change thinking about electronic discovery and electronic filing.

The money quote (from Tom Mighell):

"As far as the courts are concerned, disasters like this underscore the inevitable move to electronic filing of case documents."

We really enjoy writing this column and hope that many of you will find the columns useful and helpful.

Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 07:29 PM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2005

Client-Driven Technology and the Cisco Model

Jason Krause's new article "The Cisco Way" in the September ABA Journal is an absolute must-read for any regular reader of this blog. I've written on a number of occasions about to what I like to call "client-driven technology."

This article will help you understand how clients to a far greater degree than lawyers wiill change the legal profession, in technology and in more fundamental and structural ways. I'm very confident in that assessment and prediction.

However, I don't want to delay you in reading the article (it might be only available for about a month to non-subscribers).

Here's one of many possible money quotes from Mark Chandler, Laura Owen and others at Cisco quoted in the article:

"In the past you would say, 'I hope there’s one firm big enough to do it all for me,'" Chandler says. "Not anymore. Now technology lets you pick and choose and bring together the best in each area."

Give that quote some serious thought.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 09:15 PM | Comments (2)

Jim Calloway Becomes Fellow in College of Law Practice Management

Congratulations are in order for Jim Calloway on his recent and well-deserved induction into the prestigious College of Law Practice Management.

Jim tells me that he gets embarrassed when I praise him like this and this, so I won't make a fuss over his recent recognition, other than to say that I understand very well why he was inducted and it comes as no surprise to me. Read this article and I'm sure you'll agree.

I'm looking forward to getting the chance to hear more about Jim's experience and hang out with him at the upcoming ABA Law Practice Management Section Fall Meeting where I'm sure he'll he'll continuing his tradition of making Dan Pinnington and me stay up way too late, despite our protests that it's way past our bedtimes.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 07:20 AM | Comments (1)

September 13, 2005

Thomas Paine and the Tradition of Blogging

Every now and then, you'll see someone refer to Thomas Paine as a blogger or even as the first blogger.

Now, I'm about as big a fan of the Internet as you'll find, but even I realize that Paine was writing well before the Internet was invented. However, it is tempting to picture Franklin and Paine hacking a line of kites with keys tied to their strings in a thunderstorm to create a broadband connection and sending out RSS feeds.

I mention this because I've just finished reading Harvey Kaye's Thomas Paine and the Promiose of America. It's a good book to add to your reading list in this Age of Blogreason.

I'll note that Kaye does not call Paine the first blogger. His coverage really runs from Paine to Reagan (John Kerry gets one sentence, I believe), so you'll have to draw your own blog parallels, if you choose to do so.

The book works at two levels. First, it does a good job of covering Paine's life and works, highlighting major themes. Second, it explores the legacy of Paine and follows Paine's path from popular Founding Father to being all-but-erased from the history books to re-discovery and adoption by a variety of political figures.

The coverage of the mid to late 1800s can seem a little dry (or maybe that was because I was reading that part late at might), but it's a fascinating tale and history well worth reacquainting yourself with.

The best recommendation of the book is that it made me want to re-read or read for the first time all of Paine's works. I understand why bloggers want to claim Paine and non-bloggers see Paine in the blog world. He stands uniquely both before our time and of our time. Kaye's book makes my list of recommended reads for bloggers.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Like what you are reading? Check out the other blogs where I post - Between Lawyers (feed) and the LexThink Blog (feed).

Posted by dmk at 11:13 PM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2005

"By Request Day" - I Noticed Bruce Springsteen Announced New Concerts. Are You Going to Offer a Discount Again to Customers Who Get You Tickets?

OK, some of you had some fun at my expense because I offered a 10% discount to people who booked my electronic discovery seminar (see link below) at the same time there was a Bruce Springsteen show in town if they got me a good ticket for the show. I'll admit that it was an idea ahead of its time and one not likely to get much traction among law firms. But, you never know.

Well, a new set of concerts has been announced and I'm announcing the same 10% discount offer. Here's the new concert list. Call me for details.

In the meantime, I'll be digging into the new Bruce Springsteen: VH-1 Storytellers DVD, which is a fascinating inside view of an artist's creative process, much like my favorite book of 2004, Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request Day" - What Did You Learn at the ILTA Legal Technology Conference?

I guess I do owe you a report on the recent ILTA legal technology conference. It was a lot of fun. ILTA is a very well-run conference that seems to get all the details just right. I learned a lot and I got to hang out with some great people. And I had my RSS epiphany.

You probably wanted more than that, right?

In part, this question is really a variation on "why do you seem to be writing less about legal technology?" In the past year, I've enjoyed getting the chance to learn about products and services that are still in the development stage. I'm having more conversations where people are asking me not to talk about these developments in advance. I'm OK with that, but these developments are, to me, the most interesting things going on in legal technology these days. Some of the other things I might write about aren't as appealing to me or they may touch on developments that I'm not able to talk about. I'm less inclined to write about them because I can't paint the whole picture.

Here are some thoughts from ILTA.

1. Take a look at blog posts from Alex Lubarsky, Bill Gratsch, Roger Bonine (here's a guy who really does "get" it) and Jeff Beard to give you a flavor for the conference. I got to spend a lot of time with Jeff (we first met as co-presenters at the 1998 ABA TECHSHOW and have been good friends ever since), which really made ILTA fun for me.

2. My friends Greg Krehel and Bob Wiss helped me out by making me a temporary member of the CaseSoft team for ILTA. I spent some time "working" at the CaseSoft booth with Bob and Lynn. That gave me a new perspective on the vendors' view of conferences and has led to my wish that we break down the artificial barrier between vendors, speakers and attendees at conferences when we do LexThink Conferences and consider the idea of "unconferences." Other than just having fun hanging out with Bob and Lynn, I enjoyed getting to see how much CaseSoft's customers really seem to enjoy the products and the customer support they get from CaseSoft (and it really is true that an existing customer will interrupt Bob or Lynn and explain to a prospective customer why they need to get CaseMap - it's an amazing thing). It was also fun to see people who know me do a double take when they saw me in the booth wearing a badge that said "CaseSoft" on it - a great conversation starter.

3. My main mission at ILTA was to try to get a better understanding of the electronic discovery market. I think I made some significant progress in that area. I got the chance to join Michael Arkfeld and Browning Marean in a conversation about electronic discovery. If there were a poll taken on who the two most knowledgeable lawyers in the US on electronic discovery are, my bet would be that Michael and Browning are those two. Michael had just left the US Attorney's office to start his own consulting business and noted that the new edition of his book (THE book) on electronic discovery was due out soon. I talked to as many electronic discovery vendors as I could with the goal of learning what each one was best at. No one has convinced me that they are a "full service" electronic discovery company, but I don't believe that there are truly "full service" law firms either. Admittedly, I had a somewhat CaseSoft-centric view of things, but I found the seamless interaction between a number of the electronic discovery tools (including CaseMap and Adobe Acrobat) to be the development that I found most interesting and most beneficial to lawyers. I have also resolved to write an article that argues that the combination of Adobe Acrobat 7 and CaseMap will become the tool of choice for small electronic discovery cases.

4. I first put together a document assembly application for my then law firm more than 15 years ago. Who would have thought that document assembly would not yet have much traction among law firms and that it would return in 2005 to be one of the hottest areas in legal technology? I am very, very, very interested in what's going on at DealBuilder (http://www.business-integrity.com/DealBuilder.html). For a hint at why, take a look at this customer list. I got a lot of my questions answered and this one is another probable article topic for me. Another fascinating and attractive approach to document assembly was an application called D3 demoed by MicroSystems. When you add Exari and Ixio to the mix, you get a sense of energy and excitement in document assembly that I haven't seen for many years. I've noticed some commentators this year suggesting that lawyers need to learn to be faster typists. I don't even understand the premise - document assembly takes you into a completely different world. I'd be asking about that - not typing speed.

5. I felt like I was one of a handful of lawyers at ILTA. That was fine with me, but I think lawyers who see this as an IT-only event are missing the boat. Corporate counsel would be well-advised to attend this show (and, of course, ABA TECHSHOW 2006) to see what technologies their law firms are NOT using.

6. There are some more things that will eventually turn up in blog posts, articles and probably my legal tech predictions article for 2006.

As I said, I had a great time and really feel energized by what I see happening in legal technology today. I'm more convinced than ever that the name of the game is becoming what I've been calling "client-driven technology." The major benefits of many of today's technologies accrue to clients and innovative law firms, not to the traditional firms. Clients are starting to do some tentative pushing and poking, but they may soon start to shove lawyers toward technology.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request Day" - Does Yvonne Divita's Comment That You Are "Human" Help or Hurt Your Reputation as a Lawyer?

Yvonne Divita is a great blogger and a great person. I met her in person at the first LexThink conference and learned a lot from talking to her about her area of expertise: marketing to women. But I had long admired her blog before we met.

Today, she mentioned me and my blog by saying about me: "Dennis Kennedy: lawyer extraordinaire -- mainly because he's human; sorry, Dennis, we had to say it." Let me say that I was triply flattered. First, just by being mentioned by Yvonne on her blog. Second, for being mentioned on a list with some of the bloggers I admire most in the whole darn blogosphere. Third, for the nice comment Yvonne made about me.

Sure 'nuff, though, someone had to ask whether I thought the comment hurt or helped me as a lawyer. I assume the question addresses the "human" comment, not the "lawyer extraordinaire" part.

Now, I have gotten this comment from time to time in my legal career or the common variations: "you're not like other lawyers" or "you're too nice to be a lawyer."

When I ask people what they mean, they'll say things like I'm helpful, or that I care about people, or that I take the time to explain things so they can understand them, or that I'm, well, human.

Damn, what have the rest of the lawyers been out there doing?

As for the question, I'm still naive enough to believe that being considered "human" has to help my reputation. I'm not ready to believe that we live in a world where it hurts it.

So, Yvonne/Jane, no need to apologize. Your comment made my day.

For those interested in a cool effort to humanize lawyers, take a look at the group blog I'm part of called Between Lawyers. I think that Jane might like that blog too.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Coming Soon - LexThink's BlawgThink 2005.

Posted by dmk at 08:52 PM | Comments (1)

"By Request Day" - "When People Say 'He Gets It' What Exactly Do They Mean?

I must confess at this point that I was hoping for some easier questions for my By Request Day.

Interestingly, this question comes from someone who I believe really does "get" it.

This comment, as you note, might have several meanings.

First, it can simply mean that you agree with a point that the person has been saying for years and rarely finds someone who agrees with the point. This may be a good thing or it may be a bad thing, depending on who is doing the talking. It's a mixed blessing when someone whom you otherwise think is a wacko starts slapping you on the back and saying that you "get" it.

Generally, however, I think the term gets used to described someone who is able to see the "bigger picture" and appreciate the context in which his field or subject fits. The comment also suggests that you have some ability to see patterns where others don't realize that they exist. That can be a gift or a curse.

Someone who appreciates the fact that Google currently returns an article on Arnold Schwarzenegger as the first result on a search on "he gets it" probably really does "get" it.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 08:39 PM | Comments (0)

"By Request Day" - Do You Think RSS WIll Ever Be Adopted by the Legal Masses?

The questioner clarified the original question with: "Will a majority of attorneys ever use an aggregator as a primary means for collecting information?"

Let me answer this one by telling a little story. In the fall of 2003, I wrote an article called "Beating Information Overload with News Aggregators." The article initially appeared in the ABA's Law Practice Management magazine and other places as well.

It's probably my best effort at explaining, in very practical terms, what the benefits of RSS and news aggregators are to lawyers and others.

Here's the punch line: I thought the world would change because of my article and lawyers would flock to using RSS and news aggregators.

Lately, people seem to enjoy telling me that I'm still a year or two ahead of the curve on the use of RSS in law.

So, I'm not sure that I'm the best person to answer this question. If I have anything to do with it, the answer will be yes. I think it may take a lot longer than I initially thought.

I look back at that article from time to time. I consider it one of my best articles. I wish it would have had the impact I thought it might have.

We'll all just have to get the word out about the benefits. Or, perhaps better, take advantage of the benefits and make others curious about the edge we are gaining.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)

By Request Day - What Do You Think of the Law.com Blog Network Parting Ways with Matt Homann?

Note: Yikes! One of the dangers of announcing a "by request day" is getting unexpectedly busy with work and then having my blogging friends taunt me about "where are the by request posts?" I may have to answer the requests over the next few days.

I kind of expected this question. I was out-of-town when Matt Homann posted about Law.com ending his run on the Law.com blog advertising network (a great post, done with humor, insight, and, dare I say, graciousness) and haven't had the chance to post about it in a thoughtful way before now.

As you know, Matt is both a friend and my partner in LexThink, so it should not surprise you that I come down squarely on Matt's side in this one.

First of all, I was surprised that any publishing/media company would take any action that was within even a hundred miles of opening itself to the possibility of criticism that it was basing its decisions on continuing membership in the network on the content of what a blogger was writing or that it might be somehow being punishing Matt for what he said or didn't say. I'm willing to take at face value that Law.com was going in a different direction with its network, that Matt's blog no longer fit that direction, and that nothing more was happening. However, I know a few people who have privately raised some questions and some eyebrows.

By way of disclosure, I was approached by Law.com to join this blog network very early on and was intrigued by the idea. As it turned out, for some of the same reasons that you don't often see my articles appearing in American Lawyer Media publications or on Law.com, we simply could not come to terms on the basic contract. From my point of view, there were some deal-breakers and we quickly decided that it simply wouldn't work out. I can be a real pain in the ass when negotiating on the rights I want to retain in what I write.

We parted on amicable terms - I liked the idea of the network and I suggested other bloggers who I thought might be good candidates for the Law.com network.

Out of that process, I formed a very high opinion of Lisa Stone, who was putting the blog network together, and would be willing to work with her on another project in a heartbeat. In fact, I agree wholeheartedly with the comments Matt made about Lisa in his goodbye post.

Because legal bloggers are looking to "monetize" their blogging efforts, there has always been a lot of interest in the Law.com blog network. For some of the long-time bloggers, however, neither the business model nor the contractual arrangements of the Law.com blog network really work.

However, if you get any group of legal bloggers together, I can almost guarantee that the Law.com blog network will come up as a topic of the conversation in which people are genuinely interested. In every one of these discussions, people will mention several ways that they think that Law.com could improve the network. There is also speculation about when the competitor legal blog networks will develop and what they might look like.

I will always point favorably to Law.com as a first mover and a pioneer in recognizing what was happening in the world of blogs and seeking to create an arrangement that might mutually benefit Law.com and legal bloggers. Bringing in Lisa Stone to put the network together was a brilliant move.

That said, I do have some concerns about what happened with Matt.

If I had been part of the Law.com blog network and Matt would have been let go in the way he was, I would have resigned, noisily, right then and there. That's me - I'm the theatrical kind. I'm not being critical of the other bloggers in the network, because everyone makes their decisions on their own facts and circumstances, but I am surprised at how little mention I can find about Matt's departure by the other bloggers (I was a little lazy in my search, but presumably it would have shown up highly in Google).

Hey, it took me a month to write anything, so I'm no role model, but it does raise the question whether Matt's exit, and the perceived reasons for it, had some kind of "chilling effect" on bloggers in the network. I'd point to Lisa Stone's post as a good way to handle the matter.

I'm now going to be curious and wonder whether anyone else who leaves the network at this time was asked to leave.

Given Matt's personal popularity and the wide respect he has among legal bloggers, I suspect that it will become difficult for Law.com to attract high-profile legal bloggers to its network. That will also open the door wider to potential competitor legal blog advertising networks. Competition is a good thing! I'd be happy to hear from anyone putting together a competitor network, as I 'm sure Matt and other non-Law.com bloggers would be.

Matt's situation also raises a question (and again I'm surprised that this question arises in the context of an arrangement involving a media/publishing business) about what is really expected in terms of content and editorial control when a blogger joins a blogging network, takes sponsorships or otherwise attempts to "monetize" a blog. I believe from now on lawyer bloggers will want to see guarantees that they can write what they want on their blogs. This issue is becoming more important as many legal bloggers, and Matt is just one example, are using their blogs to talk about a variety of topics that may not be considered "law-related" by some.

I honestly don't know every little detail in Matt's situation, but, for the reasons I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I'll accept his version on his blog as the truth for purposes of answering this question. I simply raise some questions, not criticisms, that struck me (and others I have talked with) when I read Matt's post. My best guess is that while Law.com helped legal bloggers take an important first step toward monetizing their blogs, the second and following important steps will be taken by others.

Just my two cents on a $64 question of the day.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!™ - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink!(tm) - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Coming soon - LexThink's BlawgThink 2005.

Posted by dmk at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2005

By Request Day #1: Hey, What Happened to Your By Request Day?

I thought I was giving myself enough flexibility by saying that I'd do a "by request day" either yesterday or today. That wasn't the case.

Work got in the way. Sometimes blogging has to take a second seat.

I'll see if I can do some answers to requests (thanks for sending them in) this weekend. If you have a question for me, email it to me or leave it as a comment.

At least my last two days weren't as bad as this blogger's seem to have been.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)

September 08, 2005

Great Advice for Tuning Up (and Speeding Up) Windows XP Computers

I was reading through the Ask Dave Taylor! blog and found a great post that sets out in plain language a lot of useful Windows XP tune-up and performance-enhancing tips. What's great is to find them all in one handy place in a clever "recipe" format that Bob Rankin created.

The money quote:

"Is there something like engine cleaner we can pour into our personal computer to restore that "like new" performance? Actually, yes! . . . Cyber Sludge Remover."

The Ask Dave Taylor! blog is a resource you'll want to bookmark (or subscribe to the RSS feed) for answers on both common and uncommon computer and technology questions.

And you can find the answer to the question, "Can I view PDFs on my Sony PSP?

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Like what you are reading? Check out the other blogs where I post - Between Lawyers (feed) and the LexThink Blog (feed).

Posted by dmk at 07:37 PM | Comments (0)

LAWPRO's Electronic Discovery Special Issue Available Online

Dan Pinnington, who is way up on my list of people who should be blogging, sent me the news that the latest issue of LAWPRO magazine has been posted. This issue has an electronic discovery theme with a Canadian focus but some excellent resources for non-Canadian lawyers and others interested in e-discovery as well.

I highly recommend Peg Duncan's electronic discovery reading list in this issue.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)

Keeping Client Information Safe

The highly-respected Ellen Freedman's new blog called "Law Practice Management" has a great post called "Safeguarding Client Information" that discusses a recent Arizona bar formal opinion on the subject, the need to rethink your efforts in securing client information after Hurricane Katrina, and other food for thought. Ellen, like me, is more of a proponent of the application service provider (ASP) model than most lawyers you will meet.

The money quote:

"A cry for help arrived on the listserv for me and my fellow law practice managers across the state asking what a firm can and should do when it has no information left whatsoever. Just imagine not knowing who your clients are, how to contact them, what deadlines and appointments are coming up. Don’t even think about collecting on open bills or paying outstanding bills. These firms have literally nothing. They are starting from scratch. And the question is where do they start when there is not even a scrap of paper left."

Check it out.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://ww.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Mark your calendar for November 11 - 12: LexThink's BlawgThink conference on legal blogging.

Posted by dmk at 10:48 AM | Comments (0)

September 07, 2005

It's Time for Another By Request Day at DennisKennedy,Blog

One of the things I admire about Evan Schaeffer is the large number of continuing featurettes he has on his blog.

The only featurette I've been able to do consistently, and the one for which I've earned the greatest criticism during my blogging career, is my "by request" days. Come to think of it, I think Evan gets criticized for some of his featurettes, too.

Undeterred by my critics, who, not being bloggers themselves, generally seem to have some misconceptions about how blogging is actually done, I've decided to have another "by request" day.

You know the drill. Email me questions you have for me at denniskennedyblog @ gmail.com and I'll do a series of posts answering these questions on either Thursday or Friday.

I have some questions already in the hopper, but you know that I can't resist trying to answer really interesting questions. Of course, I reserve the right to duck certain questions.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's half-day electronic discovery seminar - "Preparing for the New World of Electronic Discovery: Easing Your Transition from Paper to Electronic Discovery." Contact Dennis today for more information and to schedule a seminar for your firm or legal department.

Posted by dmk at 06:54 PM | Comments (0)

RSS - Food For Thought

This post is more in the nature of a note to myself on something I want to spend some time thinking about, but others might find it interesting as well.

Consider this quote pointed to by Rajesh Jain on Emergic.org:

RSS as API for Content

Nivi writes:

A Web API lets you use a web site’s computers, data, algorithms, and functions to create your own web services. Google, Ebay, Amazon, Yahoo, and many other web services have APIs.

RSS is like an API for content. RSS gives you access to a web site’s data just like an API gives you access to a web site’s computing power. Most important, RSS gives you access to your data that you have locked up on a web site.

It strikes me that there is something essential and important being expressed in this quote.

Nivi's full post also demands further study and note that it is part 3 of a continuing series called called "RSS is the TCP/IP of Web 2.0."

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

Posted by dmk at 06:41 PM | Comments (0)

September 06, 2005

My Disaster Recovery Handout (PDF) Now Available for Free Download

My handout materials from the session on disaster recovery John Simek and I presented at ABA TECHSHOW 2005 are now available for free download in the PDF format at http://www.denniskennedy.com/kennedydisasterrecovery.pdf.

The audio of the session is available for purchase at http://www.softconference.com/storefront/250331.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy's eBooks - Preparing Your Law Firm for the Internet Era: 150 Steps Toward a 21st Century Practice of Law, Dennis Kennedy's Legal Technology Primer and Unlocking the Secrets of Legal Technology and Technology Law: Finding Your Way in the First Internet Era.

Posted by dmk at 07:39 AM | Comments (0)

September 02, 2005

LexThink BlawgThink

Matt Homann has pre-announced the upcoming LexThink BlawgThink Conference we will be holding in November in Chicago. More details will be forthcoming in an official announcement next week.

We have been surprised by the response we've already gotten to Matt's pre-announcement and I wanted to give you a bit more information.

The event will be invitation-only. Some readers of this blog are, of course, already on our list, but, even though we think that we have ample space for BlawgThink at Catalyst Ranch, it probably makes sense, given the initial response we've gotten, to let us know of your interest in receiving an invitation so we make sure that you are on the list.

This event will be the largest gathering of legal bloggers in history (since I organized the current record-holding event, I'm confident in making that statement.)

The basic agenda for the conference is:

Day 1 (November 11): A series of panel discussions featuring some of the best-known legal bloggers, with a focus on practical issues and lots of opportunity for question-and-answer sessions.

Day 2 (November 12): Now that you've learned about blogging, we'll spend a day in the LexThink collaborative discoussion and brainstorming style on the topics that most interest the attendees. It will be a unique opportunity to spend time with some of the legal bloggers you read on a regular basis and the other attendees.

Do you have to be currently blogging to attend? No, but you probably will want to have a strong interest in either blogging or finding out about what blogs can do for you and/or your organization.

Do you need to be a lawyer to attend? Lord, no! We'd like to put together a diverse group both inside legal blogging (law profs, law librarians, law students and others) and non-lawyer bloggers (marketing, business, consulting and professional services, to name a few).

In order to keep the registration fee as reasonable as possible, we are also looking for a limited number of sponsors for the event. If your marketing budget has room for a chance to get yourself involved with this type of audience (and, really, whose wouldn't?), please get in touch with us.

To let us know that you want to be on the invitation list or are interested in sponsor opportunities, email us at either matt @ lexthink.com or dennis @ lexthink.com.

As I indicated, more details will be forthcoming soon, but I wanted to give readers of my blog an early opportunity to get onto the invitation list.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

This post brought to you by LexThink!(TM) - The Conference, Re-imagined. LexThink! - Think big thoughts, do cool things, change the world. Watch for details on LexThink's BlawgThink.

Posted by dmk at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)

September 01, 2005

Pushing RSS

Fred Faulkner's post called "Pushing RSS to the Next Level With a Good Marketing Strategy" is a very good introduction to RSS and RSS strategies for bloggers and other information providers. 

The money quote:

"The potential for RSS is huge and we (publishers, bloggers, Webmasters, marketers) need to take charge and promote RSS for what it is, spam free content in as about real-time as possible."

Check it out.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

 

This post brought to you by Dennis Kennedy’s consulting services, featuring RSS and advanced blogging consulting and technology committee coaching packages for law firms, corporate legal departments and other professional services providers.

 

Posted by dmk at 08:28 PM | Comments (0)

The Most Important Post I Read Today: Pollard on Katrina and 9/11

One of my favorite blogs is Dave Pollard's How to Change the World. His post called "Do Events Like 9/11 aand Katrina Make Us Crazy?" has really made me step back and think, as he has captured, synthesized and articulated some of the things I have been thinking about lately. Read it and see what you think, especially his levee analogy. Highly, highly recommended.

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Like what you are reading? Check out the other blogs where I post - Between Lawyers (feed) and the LexThink Blog (feed).

Posted by dmk at 02:33 PM | Comments (1)

Hurricane Relief - Legal Tech Effort

I've decided to do my posting about hurricane-related matters on the Between Lawyers blog (RSS feed) rather than on this blog so tht they can be collected in one place.

Although, obviously, there are many more immediate human concerns to be addressed, I did want to point to some of the efforts being made to pool resources to help law firms, courts and other parts of the legal infrastructure in the Katrina Aftermath.

The link at http://www.bashasys.net/support/viewforum.php?f=29 will give you a way to enter a discussion and organization process intended to help assist and coordinate these efforts.

Ross Kodner has allowed me to post a copy of an email he sent earlier today to help get this effort started. Please keep in mind that we all realize the importance of current humitarian efforts and encourage donations to the organizations involved in this effort, but want to help in something where we can be of some help.

Ross said:

"Good morning everyone,

I'm sure that all of you are experiencing something similar when watching the horrible images unfold on the news in Louisiana and Mississippi. I'm finding it hard to keep my composure watching and feeling pretty powerless to do anything. Sure, we can all donate money to the Red Cross and any other agency, but as in the aftermath of 9/11 four years ago, I do think those of us in the legal technology, bar association and the legal tech media world may be able to offer more practical assistance.

Here's what I'm thinking - thousands of law practices have been disrupted, physically damaged and/or completely destroyed. The basic ability to communicate with employees likely no longer exists for many firms. Offices are not accessible, or have been damaged. I'm sure that computer systems are either totally offline, or if they were up by some miracle, there is likely little to no Internet connectivity (if they even have AC power at all). Paper documents for many are likely a total loss. All the data backups in the world aren't going to help with business continuity issues if the media is not accessible and there is nothing to restore it to anyway.

Insurers, stretched thin and strappd like everyone else involved in the restoration efforts, are likely to focus on much more basic issues than replacing computer systems for lawyers and funding business disaster recovery - people, housing, etc. are going to come first.

What I think we can do is any of the following:

* The legal tech consultants I've included on this mailing (and any others) could make themselves available as resources to be consulted with free of charge on data recovery, data access, system re-designs, equipment acquisition, PC rental resources, re-establishing communications - anything a law practice would need to know quickly (and get right the first time) in trying to re-connect with employees, clients and resume operations

* Build a centralized system for anyone to post useful, categorized information about these topics as well as provide a communication network where lawyers involved in helping can post "services available" notices and those in need could find the information they need.

* The ABA's LTRC posted on Lawtech this morning that they are building a list of links to resources - a great start - fragmentation of efforts will only dilute the overall effectiveness and accessibility to this kind of information.

* I think a Wiki may be the ideal mechanism for dissemination of this kind of information with full posting ability, categorization, etc. Opinions from those more knowledgeable than me would be helpful, quickly.

* Getting an online contact listing of all of us who are willing to volunteer our time with contact info, services listings, etc. is imperative.

* Getting the word out to the legal bloggers, Catherine Sanders-Reach at the ABA LTRC, your own bar associations and members that any such resource is available and can/should be linked to, referred to, etc. - and getting it out to the listserves like Solosez and others that all of you participate in to get the maximum reach to anyone who needs help. Solosez, for example, has a number of New Orleans area lawyers who have been reporting on the situation.

I propose we call this effort something easy to remember like "KatrinAID" or something like that. We need a domain registerered, a Wiki (or blog or whatever) built ASAP and volunteers coordinated. I am personally willing to devote any time needed to this project immediately - I intend to explain to my clients in other parts of the country that their projects may need to wait a bit. I think that by the end of the Labor Day weekend, we can get much of this work done, ready, in-place and announced.

Who is interested in helping with any aspect of this? Please say so and indicate specifically what you can help with a "reply all" to this message. I will try and act as a conduit/clearinghouse to get this initial communication working. I thought of as many people as I could right off the top of my head but I'm sure I overlooked some valuable people who could have something to offer - forward to anyone.

Immediate need --> Volunteers - a core group to rapidly brainstorm and then put in the time to execute the basic online information structure and then keep this organized. Again, a fragmented effort won't help anyone

We have an opportunity to do some significant good for people in serious immediate need.

Regards,
Ross"

[Originally posted on DennisKennedy.Blog (http://www.denniskennedy.com/blog/)]

Posted by dmk at 12:30 PM | Comments (0)