How can you prove what really happened behind closed doors? Can we ever know what happened in a meeting behind closed doors, with no recording devices and no third party witnesses? Probably not. Is email a clearer way to communicate a complex message? Not always….

Most business owners don’t know how easy it is to send a fake email that appears to come from a colleague, vendor or even a public figure. This is one of many common misconceptions about email security and delivery. Here are some other common assumptions that are made every day...

As lawyers, we have an ethical duty to ensure privacy for client communications. Technology hasn’t changed this, but there have been recent questions as to what steps lawyers should be expected to take to protect electronic communications. To address these issues, the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility recently released Formal Opinion 477, an update to Formal Opinion 99-413, which discusses how changes in technology use coincide with Rule 1.6 concerning client confidences.

Here at Zola, we can understand why so many legal practice management programs make grand claims of being fully integrated, all-in-one solutions. Software with capabilities to meet all your law practice management needs in one user-friendly interface is appealing. The fact of the matter is that these claims are often misleading. You end up stuck with practice management software that relies on third-party applications and integrations to meet many of your key needs. The bottom line is - you can’t be an all-in-one practice management solution if you are relying on third party applications for important functions such as email, accounting, and document management.

As a conscientious professional, you constantly strive to satisfy your clients.  After all, a happy client can lead the way to great referrals and more business. To achieve this, you must be responsive and attentive, while establishing a sense of trust that your client can rely on you to help solve their problems.

Florida has become the first state to mandate technology CLEs. Beginning January 1st, Florida lawyers must complete a minimum of three extra credit hours of technology-related CLE courses, raising the standard to 33 hours every three years. The FL State Bar decided that lawyers within the state have a technological competence to protect and serve their clients as necessary.  Florida Bar Board of Governors member John Stewart stated, “[l]awyers now have to be familiar with social media issues, e-discovery, e-filing, legal outsourcing, web-based conferences, cloud computing and record keeping, how electronic records are stored and secured, webinars, protecting their electronic communications with clients, and other issues.”