Blog

By Clio Certified Consultant Andres Hernandez, BIIS Solutions, Inc.

Remember the first time you progressed from a piggy bank to a bank account? This moment usually marked the beginning of the future, the potential of careers and wealth. Why do we automatically put our hard earned money into a facility with security cameras, guards, bank tellers, and a huge shiny vault, instead of keeping money under the mattress at home where it seemed secure enough? We do so because we know it’s secure and accessible from almost anywhere. Keeping money in a bank is common sense, and the same common sense can be applied to today’s currency: data.

Where is most data stored? Most law firms insist on keeping hard copies in space consuming filing cabinets, or files on computers or servers that require high license costs and constant maintenance. These piggy banks of data require time to organize, experts to manage, and resources away from your core business, which is practicing law.

Start to think of this “data” as all your hard-earned savings that contributes to your wealth? Is it really safe in your local data center in your own office? How convenient is this data if you depend on multiple machines just to remotely access it? Now there is a better way of doing things.

Today’s technology is at the point where all of your data can be stored in a secure system and accessed from anywhere, and at your convenience without the high costs of a traditional server infrastructure.

How is this possible? Two words: cloud computing, which simply means “applications on the internet.” Just like banks secure and give access to money, cloud computing does the same with data.

What does this mean for the legal industry? It means cloud computing is your virtual bank, where you deposit and keep all of your firm’s billing, communications and practice management information. No need to use high maintenance, costly servers in your office.

Banks provide you with security, ease, convenience and quick access to all of your money. Cloud computing can do the exact same thing with all of your data.

The last week of December, a time to reflect on the year past before looking to the year ahead.

Just like 2010, education was a staple in 2011. Our CEO and co-founder, Jack Newton, spoke on the security and ethics of cloud computing at conferences and webinars throughout the year. We celebrated our third year anniversary by announcing integration with Dropbox, Box.net and a referral program. And we also released a number of new features, like two-factor authentication, a new look and calendar improvements, like Statute of Limitations reminders.

A new thing we started this year was the #GoneClio blog and podcast series. The series features a Clio user who is a solo or small firm lawyer, and the discussion covers anything and everything from technology in the solo or small law firm to starting and running a law firm. It’s been an exciting series, and we’ve discovered that, while there are features every user likes, each user has also uniquely adapted Clio to his or her practice. Some of those adaptations made their way into our #cliotraining Tip series.

Speaking of our #cliotraining Tip series. What started as a one-off idea, a way to highlight features, new and old, became a weekly fixture this year. And you, our users, obliged and submitted some rather useful tips! User tips this year included adding tasks on the go, using QR codes for quick client file access, a creative method of tracking scanned documents and user productivity reports to help your bottom line. We’re rather excited to see what tips you’ll submit in 2012!

And let’s not forget our second annual Apple in Law Firms Survey! The results showed Apple made significant in roads into law offices in 2011, and as did Android and cloud computing applications. And no worries. We’ll dig deeper into the survey results at the start of the new year, much like we did last year.

There were some posts, too, that took an in depth look at current issues in the legal industry as it continues to shake, rattle and roll with the economic climate. 2011 saw a shift in focus from the plight of the laid off big law firm and the newly solo, and struggling lawyer to that of the law student, and legal education. We took a look at the changing legal education landscape, and if the continued discussion is any induction, 2012 may see more changes to legal education, too.

This year also saw a shift to the mobile platform, raising the question of whether or not the tablet spells the end of the desktop. The subject brought up another: native v. mobile apps. It will  be interesting to see what direction the debate takes in 2012.

2011 saw cloud computing take center stage in the legal ethics arena.

The ABA Commission on Ethics 20/20 published its recommendations on amending ethics rules related to Client Confidentiality Issues Raised by New Technologies, and state bar associations came out with ethics opinions in favor of lawyers use of cloud computing.

The state bars of Pennsylvania, Iowa, North Carolina and, most recently, Oregon, joined the state bars of Arizona, New Jersey, Main and New York in issuing ethics opinions on lawyers use of cloud computing services. Bob Ambrogi put it best in his Catalyst post, “Two New Legal Ethics Opinions Suggest Clear Skies Ahead for Cloud Computing:”

it is ethical for lawyers to store client documents in the cloud and use cloud-based applications, provided the lawyers take reasonable safeguards to ensure the safety and security of the data.

In other words, lawyers need to perform due diligence for client confidentiality and security of data as with anything else. And instead of presenting a list of restrictions, bar associations, so far, have opted to offer guidance on what to look for in a cloud computing provider. From data backup to retrieval, security audits to notification of unauthorized access and areas in between. One can see that bar associations are making an effort no to outright restrict their members use of new technologies that help them continue to be zealous advocates for their clients.

In addition to Ambrogi’s post, Beverly Mitchell has a nice write up of Oregon’s recent ethics opinion on cloud computing, and Internet for Lawyers has a nice summary complete with links to current bar association opinions on cloud computing.

It will be interesting to see the Ethics 20/20 Commission’s final proposals in 2012, and other bar association ethics opinions related to cloud computing, and technology, too.