American Association of Law Libraries presents Cool Tech Tools

This week, the American Association of Law Libraries is holding its annual meeting in Austin. Librarians across the nation (along with some international guests) will gather to connect with their peers from government law libraries, academic institutions, and private law firms. Information professionals with expert knowledge in the following areas will provide content, inspiration, and plenty of food for thought:

• Leadership
• Marketing
• Advocacy
• Research
• Teaching
• Content management
• Legal technology

One of the highly anticipated sessions each year is the Cool Tools Cafe. Presented by the Computer Science Special Interest Section, this gathering is an opportunity for all interested parties -- from the novice to the pro -- to learn about emerging or existing technologies from experienced tech users. Tech tools for legal research, collaboration, productivity, presentation, and instruction are some of the most popular. Today's blog post will take a look back at two applications that were featured in years past. Microsoft Sway was presented at the AALL Cool Tools Cafe in 2015, and Slack was presented in 2016.

Microsoft Sway is a cloud-based publishing and presentation platform that was launched in 2014. (New and updated features were added in 2017.) One year later, it was rolled out to all eligible Office 365 customers worldwide and quickly became a strong competitor to Prezi, another cloud-based presentation platform. Sway allows you to create and share interactive reports, presentations, assignments, lessons, projects and more. It gives you all the tools you need to design and deliver your content in an unconventional way. Say goodbye to the traditional slide deck and hello to a newer, more dynamic storytelling tool. Drag and drop photos, videos, or files from your computer, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter to build impressive, polished, professional presentations.

Slack is a team communication and collaboration platform that helps you organize your digital interactions and effectively eliminates the need for email. Teams create communication channels which allow for the exchange of information and documents. To make collaboration spaces even more dynamic and interactive, Slack also allows for the integration of apps and bots, such as Skype or Trello, a user-friendly project management tool.   

Following this year's AALL Annual Meeting, we'll have new tools to share with you. Stay tuned for updates in future Tech Tuesday installments on Ex Libris Juris. 

MICROSOFT EXCEL FOR LAWYERS: POTENTIAL PITFALLS AND THE PROMISES OF PROFICIENCY

On Thursday, July 13, the Legal Tech Institute at Harris County Law Library will offer a free CLE program called Excel Essentials for the Practice of Law. In anticipation of that event, we are reposting an older Tech Tuesday blog post that discusses the importance of Excel proficiency for lawyers. For details about Thursday's program and to register for the course, please visit the LTI Course Catalog. 

Excel is a data management tool used for organizing, calculating, graphing, and sharing tabular information. The importance of developing proficiency in the use of Excel cannot be overstated. Knowing how to manipulate spreadsheets is just as important as properly formatting a written document, and without a firm understanding of how Excel works, embarrassing and potentially costly errors can result. Consider the following: 

When Barclays sent over its offer to buy up Lehman Brothers in the immediate wake of the firm's September 2008 collapse, it did so with an Excel spreadsheet. The makers of the spreadsheet, which detailed Lehman's assets and what Barclays was willing to buy, hid, rather than deleted, nearly 200 cells. But when a junior law associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton converted the Excel file to a PDF and e-mailed it over to the bankruptcy court, the hidden parts of the spreadsheet reappeared. The result: Along with the parts of Lehman Barclays wanted, the British bank was also forced to swallow losses on an additional 179 toxic deals it never intended to buy.

 -- From Stephen Gandel, writing in Fortune magazine, April 17, 2013

This cautionary tale is just one example of how Excel has been used improperly, with very negative consequences. This is obviously a mistake of greater magnitude than most attorneys encounter on an average day, but nonetheless, it does illustrate the perils of using software improperly.

If you're interested in learning how to use Excel in the practice of law, visit the LTI Course Catalog to register for our upcoming CLE. In the meantime, visit the website of Excel Esquire, where you will learn many practical tips for generating Bates numbers, using pivot tables, sorting metadata, and much more.

Free CLE in July from the Legal Tech Institute: Excel Essentials

Join us on Thursday, July 13, 12pm - 1pm, for Excel Essentials. Microsoft Excel is an important tool for the modern legal profession. It can assist in supervising document reviews, calculating damages, and managing client information. Because so many business clients use Excel, spreadsheets often become evidence in their own right, and attorneys need to be able to review and understand Excel documents. In this interactive program, Ben J. Kusmin, a commercial litigator and the founder of Excel Esquire, will demonstrate the most important features of Microsoft Excel using concrete examples and realistic data. Attendees will have the option to download the data used in the presentation to follow along on their own computers. Register today!

For more discussion of using Excel in the practice of law, see our previous Tech Tuesday blog post MICROSOFT EXCEL FOR LAWYERS: POTENTIAL PITFALLS AND THE PROMISES OF PROFICIENCY

Legal Conferences & Events: TBD Law

For the third consecutive year, Lawyerist and Filament will team up to host a sort of summer camp for lawyers. Known as TBD Law, this unconventional conference/retreat/summit/workshop is an event designed for innovative solo and small firm legal practitioners who are serious about shaping the future of law. Generating fresh ideas and new approaches to improving the practice of law is the goal, and only those who demonstrate a commitment to engaging with big ideas will be invited to attend. Restricting the number of participants will allow for diversity of thought and ensure that all voices have a chance to be heard. To request an invitation, submit your application by July 14th. Fifty-five innovative, forward-thinking lawyers with a vision for improving the future of law office management, client relations, and law-firm business models will be selected to take part in this one-of-a-kind experience. Don't miss it!

WannaCry and the Risks of Not Protecting Client Data

Friday's massive cyber attack exposed the fragility of our IT infrastructure and reminded us to aggressively fortify our digital vaults. The WannaCry ransomware that has taken down computers across the globe is causing perhaps the most prolific cyber attack to date, and it is expected to get worse.  

Protecting your personal data is important, but securing the privileged information entrusted by clients is absolutely essential. From solo and small firm practitioners to large legal and business institutions, the need for data protection is a real concern. According to BakerHostetler's second annual Data Security Incident Response Report, phishing/hacking/malware accounted for 43% of all 2016 cybersecurity events at the more than 450 institutions they examined. Ransomware was the biggest development of last year accounting for 23% of all network intrusion incidents at the companies represented in the study, and the attacks show no sign of abating. Last week's WannaCry incursion is just one example of this growing threat.

Fortunately, the BakerHostetler report provides a broad range of lessons for identifying threats and mitigating risks. It advises firms to establish best practices for "compromise readiness." 

• Focus on the basics.
• Develop education and awareness programs.
• Implement data inventory and risk assessment procedures.
• Share threat warnings with those in your firm.

Suggested further reading:

• Law Firm Cybersecurity  (2017) -- ABA Book Publishing / Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division
• Will Ransomware Attack Make Law Firms ‘WannaCry’? (May 15, 2017) -- The American Lawyer
• Law Firms Must Manage Cybersecurity Risks (May 2, 2017) -- ABA Journal
• Preparing for Ransomware Attacks: Your Company is a Target (April 3, 2017) -- Nine steps to getting prepared
• The Ransomware Epidemic in Law Firms (February 10, 2017) -- Legal Technology Today podcast
• Protecting Yourself from Ransomware and Cyber-attacks (Sep/Oct 2016) -- ABA GPSOLO