New Products and Services

Two legal online access products released

Whether it’s legal research, document transfer, e-mail or faxing, online access is vital to a law practice. Artisoft has developed two software products, i.Share and Modem.Share, to increase productive use of a law firm’s resources with shared online access.

Add i.Share to your network and the entire office can simultaneously access the Internet through a single, secure connection on a Windows 95 PC. Users never need to leave their desks. I.Share also provides for administrative control of users’ site access.

Add Modem.Share to the network and everyone on your staff can share one phone line and modem to access online services, transfer documents and send faxes. Again, users can do this without leaving their desks.

I.Share is priced at $249 to start; Modem.Share, which supports WESTLAW and Lexis-Nexis connections, starts at $129. Order both products and receive a 15 percent discount. For further information, call Artisoft at 1-800/809-1238, or visit the company’s web site at www.artisoft.com.

A new way to control online research costs

Advanced Productivity Software Inc. (APS) has released the newest version of Online LookUp, a software designed to record and better control electronic research costs. Internet usage, online services access and CD-ROM research can be tracked and managed through forced validation of client/matter name and numbers.

The Online LookUp suite of products includes Multi-Access16 — which tracks access and time spent on the internet, CD-ROM research, WestMate access, and PC applications programs to allow for billing costs to clients; LX32 — which forces validation of proper client/matter names and numbers for fast and accurate recovery of online research costs for Lexis version 7; and Stealth32 — which tracks access to the internet and PC application programs to help administrators better see where users are spending their time.

For more information, call the APS sales department at 1-800/783-9231.

Rutter publishes guide to ethical practice

The Rutter Group’s California Practice Guide: Professional Responsibility provides California lawyers with a thorough practice-oriented treatment of the issues likely to be confronted in the field of legal ethics. From attracting clients through termination of attorney-client relationships in civil and criminal cases and California State Bar Court proceedings, this two-volume set provides quick answers to difficult questions lawyers frequently encounter.

Authors Paul Vapnek, Mark Tuft, Ellen Peck and Justice Howard Weiner have provided clear explanations of all relevant provisions of the California State Bar Act and the Rules of Professional Conduct; key cites to relevant case law, including State Bar Court and county bar ethics opinions; practice pointers; practice forms; and helpful commentary addressing unresolved areas.

The chapters include law as a profession; advertising and solicitation; attorney-client relationships; conflicts of interest; attorney fees and fee agreements; professional competence; confidentiality and privilege; advocacy and representation; handling entrusted funds and property; termination of employment and withdrawal; and disciplinary proceedings.

The product is also available on CD-ROM. For additional information or to order, call 1-800/747-3161, ext. 2.

Two new books for lawyers from West Group

West Group, along with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, has produced two new books: Computers for Lawyers 2d and Courtroom Persuasion: Winning with Art, Drama and Science.

Computers for Lawyers 2d, authored by Paul Bernstein, provides step-by-step guidance in office automation — from selecting hardware and software to networking. This easy-to-read guide walks readers through the basics of Windows operating systems, word processing software, computer-assisted legal research, network systems and personal information managers.

A monthly newsletter with the latest tips on integrating computer applications in the law office comes with the book. Tips cover accessing WESTLAW and thousands of other databases; using presentation software; creating networks; automating case management; calendaring; time-keeping and billing; docketing; and using document assembly templates for memoranda, briefs and law firm brochures.

Bernstein practices law in Chicago and writes legal technology articles for TRIAL magazine and Illinois Legal Times. He created and chaired the Chicago Bar Association’s computer law committee and founded the Lawyers Micro Users Group Newsletter.

The second publication, Courtroom Persuasion: Winning with Art, Drama and Science, by trial lawyer Russ Herman, is a practitioner guidebook based on the author’s best-selling video series by the same name. Storytelling, rhetoric and psychology form the basis of Herman’s technique as he explains the how and why of every aspect of trial technique, from the client interview to the closing argument.

The book instructs practitioners on how to use the client interview to form the story line, explore case weaknesses in voir dire, introduce the case theme in jury selection and prepare opening and closing arguments. It also includes clear do’s and don’t’s for jury selection, demonstrative exhibits, and opening and summation statements, and covers how to determine which cases to keep or reject.

Computers for Lawyers 2d is a single, loose-leaf volume. It sells for $245 which includes monthly newsletters. Courtroom Persuasion: Winning with Art, Drama and Science sells for $165 and will be updated annually. The video companion six-part series is $495. ATLA members are eligible for discounts. To order, call West Group at 1-800/221-9428.

Cost recovery guide for administrators

Law firms seeking ways to track and charge back printer and digital copier prints should check out The Infortext Group’s PartnerJET 2.0 desktop software, designed to track and manage network copying and printing for cost recovery and project management purposes.

The software enables administrators to bill laser and digital prints to specific users, clients and matters. A fully networkable product, PartnerJET also allows for the central administration of validation tables, transaction collection and configuration, and eliminates the need to visit each workstation when configuration changes are required.

PartnerJET runs on Windows, is network-independent, and can be configured with up to four 16-character data-entry fields. It works with most PostScript and PCL-compatible laser printers. For further information, call 1-800/845-1568.

Amicus Attorney product site available on CD-ROM

Gavel & Gown Software Inc., developer of Amicus Attorney case management software, has released a CD-ROM version of its Windows product line. Version 2.6 of Amicus Attorney PRO, Lawyer Office, Assistant Office and Amicus Team are now available on CD-ROM. The CD version offers a multimedia tour and compete set of online documentation. The CD-ROM coincides with the release of version 2.6 of Amicus Attorney PRO.

Amicus Attorney is jurisdiction-independent legal software designed for private practice and corporate legal departments. For more information, call 1-800/472-2289 or check out Gavel & Gown’s web site at www.amicus.ca.