Coronavirus Resources and Other Legal Tech Links

The Harris County Law Library maintains a page of Legal Tech Links, including online resources to help practitioners stay informed, get organized, and build proficiency in using legal technology. Included in this list of links are the following:

• Affordable Practice Management Software Organizations

• Networks, and Institutes for Innovation

• Legal Journalism, Podcasts, and Blogs

The coronavirus pandemic is pushing many of us, including legal practitioners, to work from home. We are all learning to using tools, such as collaborative work platforms and teleconferencing software, to facilitate communication and connectivity. Many vendors and software service providers are offering free, short-term subscriptions to help people access the resources they need to work remotely. For nonprofit organizations or those providing pro bono legal services, the options are even greater. If you wish to explore the available resources and limited-term access options for a variety of practice management solutions, we recommend the following list of programs from the LawSites Blog — Coronavirus Resources.

Don’t forget that we at the Harris County Law Library are also offering free access to a variety of legal research tools, including Lexis Advance and Westlaw Edge. We are also continuing to provide virtual reference services five days a week via email, phone, and live chat. Explore all of these options on our website. We’re here to help!

The Law Library is open... virtually!

Like many public spaces, the Law Library is currently closed to the public as public health concerns continue. However, many of the valuable services and resources are still available through our Virtual Reference Desk.

As many professionals in our local legal community transition to working remotely, access to the legal databases that they typically access in the Law Library remains important. Likewise, self-represented litigants have fewer options to access the resources they need to access justice as public spaces are temporarily closed.

The Law Library is here to help. We have worked with vendors, including Lexis, Westlaw, HeinOnline, and the State Bar of Texas, to make valuable resources available through document delivery via our Virtual Reference Desk. Our law librarians are standing by to help you find the legal research materials you need to Stay Home and Work Safe!

Our law librarians are also collecting the information you need to comply with emerging tech requirements. For example, as local courts transition to video conferencing for hearings and more depositions take place remotely, our Video Conference Resource Guide helps you find the learning opportunities you need to keep working in the new normal. Download your copy here!

Learn more about remote depositions and video conferencing with a new video CLE from the Houston Bar Association!

Now is a great time to improve your tech skills with training opportunities from the Law Library’s Legal Tech Institute. Visit the Learn On-Demand page to find learning opportunities that are available at home or on the go.

Legal Tech Institute Publishes 2020 Course Catalog

The Harris County Law Library’s Legal Tech Institute published the 2020 Course Catalog for its Hands-On Legal Tech Training Program. Four new sessions, including “Microsoft PowerPoint for Legal Work” and “Basic Automation for Lawyers,” debut in the new Catalog. In total, nine sessions will be offered on rotation every Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Legal Tech Lab at the Law Library.

“Since the Law Library joined our Office, we have worked to make it a destination where all residents of Harris County can connect with their government and access legal information,” Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free educational programs at the Law Library and to never hesitate to ask to use ‘our’ resources – they are your resources.”

More than 250 people attended programs from the Legal Tech Institute in 2019, which was double the number who attended in 2018. Training sessions are free and open to all, and most carry free continuing legal education credit for Texas attorneys courtesy of the CLE Committee for the Office of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney.

“Finding adequate legal tech training opportunities can be difficult for both attorneys and self-represented litigants,” said Legal Tech Institute Director Joe Lawson. “As a public law library, our mission is to eliminate barriers to accessing legal information. Offering these free, hands-on training opportunities to all is a big step in the right direction.”

Visit the Legal Tech Institute website at www.harriscountylawlibrary.org/tech to download a copy of the Course Catalog and to register for an upcoming training session. Anyone who is unable to register on the website can find assistance Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Law Library’s reference desk, located at 1019 Congress Street, 1st floor, Houston, Texas 77002, or by phone at (713)755-5183.

About the Harris County Law Library

The Harris County Law Library opened in 1915 and has continued to serve Harris County’s legal information needs for more than a century. After joining the Office of Vince Ryan, Harris County Attorney, in 2011, the Law Library greatly expanded its technology offerings and educational opportunities. Ryan’s support for the revitalization of the Law Library was recognized by the American Association of Law Libraries in 2016 when he was named the Law Library Advocate of the Year. The Law Library is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.harriscountylawlibrary.org for more information.

An Object Lesson in Maximizing Productvity with Microsoft Office

Do you struggle to keep up with innovations in legal tech? Is a simplified media diet something you crave? Let the Harris County Law Library help you more efficiently track the latest trends in legal tech, while making the most of a powerful Microsoft Office product in the process. Learn to use more of the tools at your disposal, in an efficient and productive manner, to get the greatest benefit for yourself and your clients.

Most of us are unaware of the many features that make Microsoft Office products so versatile. Indeed, MS Office is the one-man band of software applications, but most of us do not play all — or even most — of its many instruments. For instance, did you know that Outlook comes equipped with its own RSS Folder? The RSS feed is not a new technology. This we acknowledge. However, using a content aggregator that’s already baked in to an application you access every day may just be novel (for a large number of Outlook users), and it’s smart!

Perhaps you already use an RSS feed to manage your media consumption, or perhaps you rely on Facebook and Twitter to get the scoop on what’s new in legal tech. Either way, you’re making an effort to consolidate your content. However, each of these information management solutions has its limitations. Social media feeds can be unreliable and full of distractions. News aggregators, such as Feedly and Flipboard (or the dearly departed Google Reader) can be terrific, but they must be accessed via individual apps. What if the updates on all the news sites you follow could be delivered directly to your Microsoft Outlook mailbox, allowing you to access your email and customized news feeds via one entry point? With a bit of tweaking, your wish can come true. Here’s how!

For more tips for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced user of MS Office, register to attend one of our CLE classes offered by the Law Library’s Legal Tech Institute. Microsoft Office applications are the focus of the following classes, which you can read about in the LTI Course Catalog.

• Find and Format Legal Forms (Next Offered: November 14)

• Microsoft Excel for Legal Work (Next offered: Deccember 5)

• Microsoft Word for Legal Work (Next Offered: 2020)

Learn To Excel at Microsoft Excel

The Harris County Law Library Legal Tech Institute is offering a hands-on CLE learning opportunity this Thursday afternoon at 2:00pm. The course is Excel for Legal Work, and it has quickly become one of the most popular classes we offer, so don’t hesitate to register today while seats are still available.

Why is it important for lawyers and self-represented litigants to learn about Excel? For starters, the potential for embarrassing and costly errors in compiling, manipulating, and presenting data is enormous. Cautionary tales abound about the spreadsheet blunders committed by major business and financial players, including, for example, Lehman Bros., Fannie Mae, and the London Olympics Committee. Simple clerical mistakes or incorrect cut-and-paste actions can have serious consequences, impacting the reputation, credibility, and bottom line of those who commit them.

For lawyers the risk is just as great, and the consequences are equally harmful. By maintaining an awareness of the risks and benefits associated with using technology in the practice of law (See: ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.1, Comment 8 and the Texas Supreme Court Order that added the rule to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct in February 2019) and by developing one’s tech proficiency over time through CLE opportunities like those offered by the Legal Tech Institute at Harris County Law Library, solo and small firm practitioners can develop the skills they need to minimize the dangers of tech flubs, while maximizing efficiency and productivity for the benefit of those they serve.

Additional Reading from Ex Libris Juris:

• Microsoft Excel For Lawyers: Potential Pitfalls and the Promises of Proficiency

• How to Master Microsoft Excel