By Jim Calloway There are many tasks to complete when closing a client file. But one of the most important tasks is reviewing the contents of the file to make sure it is ready for destruction. This means making sure every original item given to you by the client is returned to the client. This…

By Jim Calloway I was on the phone with a lawyer last week and told him to, “Open up Word.” The lawyer responded loudly, “What is this?” He then began to describe a series of text boxes that appeared at the top of his blank Word document. I realized he was describing Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft’s…

By Jim Calloway It is impossible to teach everything we lawyers need to know in law school. Lawyers involved in domestic practice often deal with emotional and unhappy clients. I’m sure the law schools do a better job today, but I received little training on client counseling and certainly there was no discussion of the…

By Julie Bays For 40 years, ABA TECHSHOW has been the premier event for legal professionals to explore how technology transforms their practices and elevates client service. As we mark this milestone in April 2025, we’re more excited than ever to bring lawyers, innovators, and cutting-edge technology together. ABA TECHSHOW consistently brings together lawyers, innovators,…

By Jim Calloway One might not expect that the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas would hold many lessons for lawyers. But legal technology-focused blogger Stephen Embry took away many thoughts affecting lawyers from this conference. What Lawyers Can Learn From CES 2025: Trends That Matter is a useful essay with lessons for all…

By Jim Calloway We have seen a resurgence in professional engagement on LinkedIn the last few years. As other social media hosting sites have evolved into platforms less appropriate for professional engagement, many law firms have revitalized their LinkedIn pages with regular posts about legal subject matters related to their practice areas. Many of these…

By Jim Calloway Precise and accurate communications are critical in the attorney-client relationship because they form the foundation of trust and understanding, helping clients comprehend the legal advice given and the implications of their decisions. This clarity prevents misunderstandings and misinterpretations that could potentially cause problems. In the October 2024 Oklahoma Bar Journal, I wrote…

By Jim Calloway The skills needed to successfully practice law continue to evolve, particularly as applied to legal technology tools. Some traditional skills and habits are constant however, and are still critically important today. Essential Lawyer Skills Needed for Success by Theda C. Snyder on Attorney@Work is an outstanding and detailed discussion of these skills….

By Jim Calloway A headline on a newspaper article or a blog post is supposed to draw readers into the story. So, too, should the subject line on an email encourage the recipient to open the email and read it. Whether you are emailing clients, opposing counsel or a prospective client, the goal is that…

By Jim Calloway Reviewing the firm’s naming conventions is a good place to start. I am referring to the file names given to new documents created in Microsoft Word or whatever word processing tool the firm might use. This simple step is important. Even though you may organize your files by keeping documents in different…

By Jim Calloway If you use Facebook, it is fairly common to see a post from a friend saying “I’ve been hacked. Don’t accept any friends requests from me.” But today some lawyers use Facebook for marketing and so getting locked out of their account is a much bigger problem than missing a brother-in-law’s post…

By Jim Calloway As the holiday celebration (and scamming) season begins, we need to be concerned about our data security, but we should also be concerned about our privacy. You may be one of those who say they are not worried about data privacy because “I have nothing to hide.” But today we all understand…

By Jim Calloway Even if you don’t use Artificial Intelligence tools yet, invest a minute visiting Copilot Lab to see their examples of prompts for lawyers. AI linked to your information, such as Copilot or your legal practice management system tools allows for these types of useful prompts. If you are already a Copilot subscriber, these…

By Jim Calloway Cynics would say there are two types of businesses: Those who have suffered a significant cyber attack, with the potential to substantially impair business operations. Those who haven’t yet had to deal with one yet. Lawyers need to have a basic understanding of online threats and precautions for two reasons. They do…

By Jim Calloway Today most workstations feature two or three monitors. Lawyers who use laptops always have at least one external monitor at their desk. Using two monitors became the workplace standard rather quickly as it didn’t take long to determine that this upgrade would save time. At a minimum, you didn’t have to use…

By Jim Calloway Way back when lawyers were migrating from WordPerfect to Microsoft Word, the most difficult challenge was how Word applied formatting using Styles while WordPerfect used hidden codes within the document that could be easily displayed by using its Reveal Codes setting. Many lawyers had mastered WordPerfect and couldn’t understand why Word didn’t…

By Jim Calloway Did you know that business employees are a factor in more than 80% of successful cyberattacks? This statistic means that regular cybersecurity awareness training sessions are good for your business. I define regular as at least twice per year. Certainly, the training should apply to everyone who works in the law firm,…

By Jim Calloway Some email practices are potentially problematic. Lawyers may not always be able to avoid these potentially problematic areas, but should be aware of what could potentially go wrong. Reply All We all engage in group email discussions, which are facilitated by Reply All. So, we cannot avoid this practice. But many firm…

By Jim Calloway “Legal pros understand the importance of efficiently managing long and intricate documents.” That is how Catherine Reach of the North Carolina Bar Association begins a recent blog post on the many tools available in the View tab of the Microsoft Word ribbon that many legal professionals do not use. Lawyers appreciate that…

By Jim Calloway Once upon a time an experienced lawyer was asked to mentor a new lawyer as they had the same primary practice area. Before that relationship could begin, they found themselves on opposing sides of a hotly contested matter. They mutually decided to get this case tried first before continuing their plan. During…