California Bar Journal
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 1998
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NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES

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West Legal Directory takes law to the people

The best in California consumer and business legal information is only a mouse click away through the popular CBS2-TV Web site, Channel 2000 (www.Channel2000.com). An alliance between the West Legal Directory (WLD), a service of West Group, and Internet Broadcasting System (IBS) has brought a new Law Center service to southern California. IBS operates the Channel 2000 web site for CBS2-TV, the CBS-owned TV station in Los Angeles.

Channel 2000 provides the latest in local and national online news and consumer information, with original reporting plus coverage of headline news, financial markets, employment, travel, education, sports, weather and more.

Currently, Channel 2000 averages more than a million page views per month.

West Group is a division of the Thompson Corporation. For information on West Group, visit the company web site at www.westgroup.com.


Capsoft releases new software programs

Capsoft Development has released HotDocs 5.0 and HotDocs Pro 5.0. The new versions of these software programs offer significant improvements, including features that allow organizations to post standardized documents and form templates to the Internet or a company Intranet, making the most current versions of the forms available to users in any location, at all times.

HotDocs allows legal professionals to easily create interactive templates based on existing word processor documents. HotDocs Pro provides high-level functionality and power to template developers who create interactive templates for use by others, including graphical form templates based on official court and government forms that cannot be represented easily in a word processor.

Capsoft Development, based in Provo, Utah, became a Matthew Bender company in 1997. For additional information, contact Capsoft at 801/354-8000 or visit www.capsoft.com.


Oregon’s Juno releases new billing software

Oregon’s Juno Corp. has released a new stand-alone software product, Conflict Checker for Attorneys. Conflict Checker works seamlessly with the company’s latest version of its popular billing software, BSA98 Pro, or can import client information from other programs.

Conflict Checker was developed by attorneys for attorneys and is ideal for law offices that don’t want to invest a great deal of time or money to learn, use and maintain computer software.

BSA98 and Conflict Checker run in Windows 3.X, Windows 95 and Windows NT. BSA98 costs $299.95, while Conflict Checker is $199.95.

For more information, call 1-800/684-3002.


Sony introduces video and data conferencing system

Sony Electronics has introduced the TriniCom Digital Meeting System, a video and data conferencing system that integrates the best features of a traditional group system with PC-based data sharing. The new system features high-quality videoconferencing and data collaboration in a lightweight design that transforms a personal or notebook computer into a comprehensive communication tool in minutes.

“Not only does the system offer clear, real-time, face-to-face communication, it offers the ability to collaborate on projects using all the applications and data on the user’s existing computer,” said Glenn Adama, vice president of videoconferencing systems for Sony Electronics’ business and professional group.

The system easily connects to any 486 or higher notebook or desktop PC, as well as any VGA display. It is H.320 and T.120 compatible, enabling users to connect to virtually any other standards-based video and data conferencing system worldwide.

The system is available from authorized Sony videoconferencing resellers, starting at a suggested retail price ranging from $2,995 to $4,995, depending on the configuration.

For future information, contact Brian Levine at 408/955-5121.


ATLA Trial Notebook offered in 3rd edition

ATLA Trial Notebook, now in its third edition, is one of ATLA Press and West Group’s most popular litigation reference manuals. In step-by-step detail, trial lawyer and author Tom Vespers lays out the analysis and preparation that goes into superior pre-trial, trial and post-trial litigation preparation and practice.

For information, call 1-800/328-7990 or e-mail westproducts@westgroup.com.


CustomFiles makes file organization easier

Organizing files for fast access to documents is now easier than ever with index tab dividers and the new CustomFiles Version 2.0 software from Bindertek Lawfiles.

With just a point and click, users can create a Table of Contents from a wide selection of standard terminology used in 18 different fields of law, including litigation, criminal law, family law, estate planning and probate. The software is Windows-compatible.

CustomFiles Software Version 2.0 is priced at $39.95; the Version 2.0 upgrade is $15. To order or for more information, visit BinderTek’s web site at www.bindertek.com or call 1-800/456-3453.


Edit, conform and proofread documents

The task of editing, conforming and proofreading complex legal documents can now be made easier using Expert Ease Software’s new DEAL PROOF. The program flags errors and inconsistencies in definitions, section references, numeration and important phrasing.

DEAL PROOF also automatically generates a host of reports which help attorneys and their support staff keep track of and review the complex content of their documents. These reports detail defined terms, potential errors and open issues. Requiring no document preparation, users do not have to pre-tag any items or memorize key strokes or set-up fields. The program is compatible with Corel’s Word Perfect and Microsoft Word, as well as with most major document management systems. For more information, contact Sallie Weathers at 212/242-6161.


Quick access to Social Security arguments, cases

The latest Social Security offering from James Publishing, “Bohr’s Social Security Issues Annotated,” contains more than 200 pages of issue-oriented arguments and case summaries. The publication includes digests of the law pertaining to each issue, an outlined survey from the last two years and quarterly updates of cases from the last three months.

Bohr’s Social Security Issues Annotated also provides targeted analysis on evaluation of pain testimony, failure to follow prescribed treatment due to inability to pay, fibromylagia cases, manipulative limitations on sedentary work, effect of borderline mental capacity on application grids, and much more.

It comes in a sturdy 8 1/2-inch by 11-inch loose-leaf binder and is tabbed for ease of reference. The cost is $95, which includes a subscription to the quarterly case update service, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Sales inquiries should be directed to James Publishing’s customer service department at 1-800/440-4780.


Soft tissue injury video

Legal Video Service Inc. of Tucson has released Dummy Tells All, a medical computer animation of soft tissue injuries of the neck and back.

The video incorporates digital 3-D computer animation with two-dimensional illustration. It can be used to show a jury the effects of low-impact soft tissue injuries from a medical point of view.

More information is available from the company by calling 520/798-6462 or contacting the web site at www.legalevidence.com.