Clio

In today’s downtrodden economy, many attorneys are finding themselves “suddenly solo”, having been turned out by big firms and large companies shedding ranks to stay afloat. Stability and familiarity is being abruptly replaced with emotion and uncertainty, with the responsibilities of many placed squarely on the shoulders of a single attorney coping with stark change. How to deal? Where to start? What technology to buy? How to make a web-presence? These questions among others are swirling in the minds of sudden solos everywhere, and Dennis Kennedy, an award-winning lawyer and leading legal technology consultant, has done an exceptional job addressing them in an article written for the ABA Law Practice Management webzine titled: “Lemons, Lemonade and Lean Legal Technology – A Shoestring Approach to Legal Technology for the Suddenly Solo Lawyer”. In Dennis’ words:

The idea behind the article is to try to scope out how little a lawyers who finds himself or herself suddenly solo might actually need (as opposed to want) in order to get a new practice off the ground.

I offer a list of twelve steps to consider:

1. Take a Deep Breath. Really.

2. Take an Inventory of What You Already Have.

3. Go on a Treasure Hunt.

4. Identify Your Software.

5. Take a Hard Look at What You Really Need to Do Your Work and Manage Your Practice.

6. Match What You Have to What You Need.

7. Make Lemonade Out of Lemons.

8. Free is Good, Especially for Software.

9. Turning Technology into a Utility Cost.

10. Find Internet Bargains.

11. Develop Your Internet Presence.

12. Think About Technology Selection as a Process.

Dennis’ article focuses on several places web-based applications and Software-as-a-Service can help realize the “lean legal technology” ideal. As Dennis points out in his article, to a startup cash flow is one of the most important considerations to keep in mind. With its per-month subscription model, Software-as-a-Service has a much lower impact on cashflow that traditional client-server and desktop software. Unlike traditional software, which can easily involve thousands of dollars of up-front expenditures on servers and software, Sofware-as-a-Service often requires no up-front investment and can be subscribed to for a low month-to-month fee (or, in some cases, for free). As Dennis points out, you can “turn technology into a utility cost” rather than a large, up-front capital expenditure.

Dennis’ article can be read in its entirety here – it’s a worthwhile read for any solo or small firm.