So there's this service called Poetweet. Huffington Post profiled it, Poetweet Turns Your Twitter Feed Into A Strange Work Of Art. It analyses your tweets and then turns them into poetry. Since you are not required to provide your login information, I figured "why not?" (And, by the way, here's my Twitter if you aren't following me: @jimcalloway.) 

So here is the sonnet my tweets produced.

Too long
by Jim Calloway

Unbundled Bankruptcy Legal Services
Large photo at top of each post.
With lots of links to good sources.
See the world at very low cost.

Some & that's only 1 state.
I appreciate the mention!
Marketing machine. Is it too late?
Article on Witness Preparation

Just A Little Bit More This Year.
I always like presentations.
Files via Very simple and clear!

Had 123 more on shared pages
Than ? I sure cannot think of one!
If you are willing to make changes.

“New Client Inquiry on Line One”  is my column for the Oklahoma Bar Journal this month.

There’s a lot of discussion about attorney marketing and client development. Many firms now market via some form of social media.

But sometimes the procedure relating to what happens with the telephone calls (and other inquiries) from potential clients hasn’t been reviewed in quite a while. It is important to properly prioritize and handle these inquiries no matter what the compensation system of the law firm. But if your law firm bases any part of compensation on originations of new matters, opening new client files or any metric that penalizes lawyers without enough work to do, everyone needs to understand just how incoming calls from new clients are handled. This column also suggests that it’s probably time to do some inital training or a refresher course for your staff on just how urgent these calls are.

Or maybe you can just let things rock along the way they are. Because that lawyer who was always buying the extra desserts at lunch and taking them back to the receptionist may be the smartest marketer in the law firm!

Lawyers tend to have a love/hate relationship with technology. Of course, that’s often true for any of us who use today’s technology for our work. But for many lawyers, these feelings are quite pronounced and, without offering any amateur psychological diagnosis, I feel many members of the legal profession evidence a split personality when using technology.

So begins my column, It’s Time To Love Technology, in the January/February issue of Law Practice Magazine. (Column now behind ABA firewall.) I know that statement is easier for me to say with my interest in technology rather than the very-typical lawyer aversion to technology. But it is time, past time actually, to be updating to technology-based digital work flows. It is time to embrace the fact that the tools of our trade are mainly technology-based tools. We would certainly judge others who did not know how to use the basic tools of their trade properly. It is time. I appreciate that you are too busy and think you don’t have the time.

But, as I noted in my column:

If you are billing a client for four hours to do something that could be done in 20 minutes, you are not doing right by your law practice or your client.

Dennis Kennedy, legal technology guru and former technology columnist for the ABA Journal, has announced his Blawggie Awards for 2014 — the 11th edition of the honor. In much the same way that prestigious art Dennis Kennedyexhibits often have a single judge, Dennis relies on his own expertise alone for the Blawggies. The competition is limited to blawgs Dennis actually reads and podcasts he has on his listening schedule.

Some readers may already suspect I am reminded to mention the Blawggies this year because, yes, I am a winner!! Dennis picked Jim Calloway’s Law Practice Tips Blog as Best Law Practice Management Blog for 2014. I'd like to thank the Academy, well, OK, I'd like to thank Dennis. I also want to make special note of his choice for Best New Blawg of the year, John Simek’s Your IT Consultant. If you you were not aware of that new blawg, check it out.

Our Digital Edge podcast was also a runner up for Best Legal Podcast. it was a particular honor because we were second behind The Kennedy-Mighell Report. For those of you who still haven't made listening to podcasts a habit, let me point out an earlier edition of their podcast titled "The Fundamentals of Podcasts: Listening and Subscribing." Podcasts can be a great way to make productive use of timne driving or exercising, but only if you know how to subscribe to them so they are ready when you have a spare moment. This podcast tells you how to set everything up to listen and learn.

Dontforget “A Little of This, A Little of That Things- Lawyers and Law Firms Should Do Soon” is the title of my latest Law Practice Tips column for the Oklahoma Bar Journal. From podcasts to portals for clients, the theme here was things many lawyers have heard about and know they should probably spend some time investigating or setting up, but haven’t gotten around to doing yet. As the year draws to a close and another year begins, review this very short column and pick at least one to do early next year. And for a non-compensated commercial product note, if you want to improve your life with a little more music or if you want to (as I did) set up some fun holiday music playlists, Spotify Premium is only 99 cents for three months for first-time subscribers if you sign up before the end of the year. Then it reverts to $9.99 monthly. The “catch” is that, if you really use Spotify Premium for three months, you may find yourself hooked.

Sony Pictures announced the cancellation of the opening of the movie “The Interview” after a well-publicized cyber-attack and threats of attacks on theaters showing the movie. This was a fast developing situation and media reports state that on Tuesday the FBI warned theater owners that they could be the target of a cyberattack related to showing the film. Five major theater chains then decided not to show “The Interview,” leaving Sony few options. This may be the costliest cyberattack ever, according to The Washington Post. Today’s reports indicate that U.S. officials now believe North Korea was behind Sony hack.

CybersecurityThis does not feel right to most of us as it seems to be giving in and letting a group of cybercriminals win.

But, if North Korea is behind the attack, it also represents something new we may see again− a nation state launching a major cyberattack within the United States that was unrelated to any government policy or function. (Although Sony is a Japan-based corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is headquartered in the U.S.) It was apparently successful and created economic damage for the U.S. and many of its citizens. This makes us think more seriously about recent Congressional testimony by the head of the National Security Agency that China and “probably one or two other” countries have the capacity to shut down the nation’s power grid and other critical infrastructure through a cyberattack. It also reminds me of science fiction stories I read in my younger days where multi-national corporations had standing armies and sometimes had shooting wars. This time it was nation-state vs multinat. What happens if a corporation decides to attack or counterattack a nation-state?

I’ll let the national and world leaders debate those kind of questions, including the critical one of whether an in-kind cyber response is appropriate or whether state-sponsored cyberattacks should be thought to “off the table” like nuclear weapons.

Lawyers and law firms have much important and confidential information. Lawyers are often in a position where they have to upset or anger others. One thing I have noticed as the year draws to a close is this subject is mentioned in a number of top ten lists and predictions for the future. More than one commentator has listed cyber security as a critical skill for lawyers and more than one commentator also predicted 2015 will bring a major, highly-publicized and embarrassing security breach for a law firm.

Just imagine if the movies that were stolen from Sony Pictures had been instead stolen from a law firm that had the unreleased movies on its servers to review some legal issues.

I have been saying for some time now that lawyers who are appropriately cautious and skeptical about cloud-based virtual desktops or other cloud computing resources may ultimately come to the conclusion that are actually outsourcing their data security to firms that have many more full time engineers and security experts on staff than any law firm would. Others may decide they must personally control their cyber security

Your data security risk today really comes from operating a computer or mobile device connected to the Internet. So we are all at risk.

They say the third time is the charm. And everyone I know who has tried the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 says LTN logo it is a really great machine. My podcast teammate Sharon Nelson has one and she loves it. Sharon is a technology expert, but not someone who grabs every new product right when it is released. (Actually that is the practice of many smart technologists.) So for the December edition of the Digital Edge podcast, we decided to have her husband and business partner, John Simek, as our guest to explain all of the really nice features of the Surface Pro 3. This one truly looks like a laptop replacement (or maybe it is really just a super-light laptop with a detachable keyboard.)

So I hope you enjoy our podcast,  Microsoft Surface Pro 3: The Tablet That Really Can Replace a Laptop, on the Legal Talk Network.

The November 2014 issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal featured a theme of “Navigating the Changing Legal November 2014 OBJProfession.” There are a number of noteworthy articles contained in this issue and it is our pleasure to share them with you. Download PDF of the entire issue.

Adapting to Change in Legal Education

By Valerie K. Couch, Joseph Harroz Jr. and Janet K. Levit

The deans of all three law schools in Oklahoma pen an article about their challenges and plans. They begin:

“This is an exciting time to be a law school dean. The push and pull of tradition and innovation makes every day a challenge as we try to meet our responsibilities to our students and our profession. We are working in a world undergoing exponential change every few years due to technology and globalization. And, in this rapidly changing context, we are striving to answer an important practical question: What is the best way to prepare our students for their future employment as a lawyer?”

Updating the Rules to Reflect Changes in Technology

By Gina Hendryx

OBA General Counsel Gina Hendryx discusses changes and proposed changes to the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct.

The Legal Profession of the 21st Century: Can Oklahoma Lawyers Meet the Challenges?

By Deirdre O. Dexter

Tulsa lawyer and OBA Board of Governors member Deirdre O. Dexter gives us her take on change in the legal profession. She begins:

“In the world of law, it certainly can’t be disputed that ‘the times they are a-changin’. Dramatic changes are occurring rapidly in the way legal services are provided. Even prior to the economic downturn in 2008, lawyers and law firms were beginning to experience change as corporate clients demanded detailed budgets and information regarding legal services performed and results achieved. The full impact of the downturn is now behind us, but the “more services for less cost” demand remains, and is now an expectation of all clients — whether that client is an individual seeking a divorce, or is a corporation seeking to enforce a multi-million dollar contract.”

Practicing Law at the Speed of Light

 

By Jim Calloway

Someone suggested the title of this article for me. There was no other suggestion, just a title. But I thought that title really suggested both the new challenges to our profession and the reason why so many lawyers feel so stressed out today. So I began with one big difference today- email.

Pre-Internet: A lawyer would proofread a letter, sign it, have it stamped and placed in an envelope and mailed. Unless something urgent required a phone call, the lawyer could expect a reply letter in four to seven days.

Today: A lawyer gets to the office a little early, checks his or her email and can have three or four testy email exchanges with other early-bird lawyers before the rest of the staff even shows up and the office officially opens.

Cybersecurity: It’s a Moving Target

 

By Sharon D. Nelson and John W. Simek

Noted legal technologists (and my good friends) Sharon D. Nelson and John W. Simek give us some straight talk on cybersecurity. “If you feel like it’s impossible to keep up with cybersecurity, fear not. You belong to a very large club. This field changes, not year by year, not month by month, but day by day. The best advice you can get is to attend at least one information security CLE each year and to keep reading articles like this one! “

Alternative Fees and Technology

By Mark A. Robertson

Oklahoma City lawyer Mark A. Robertson, who co-authored two American Bar Association books with me on alternative billing practices and alternative fees for lawyers and this year published Alternative Fees for Business Lawyers and Their Clients, shares his thoughts on alternative fees and how technology has such a significant impact in this area.

 The Impact of Social Media on the Practice of Law

By Alison A. Cave and Renee DeMoss

Alison A. Cave, claims counsel for Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual Insurance Company, and OBA President Renée DeMoss give us some great information on a timely topic. “Social media continues to take the world by storm as millions of people communicate and network on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and individual blogs every day. Its ubiquitous reach now extends to the practice of law, and has led to an explosion of state and federal court opinions involving some aspect of social media.”

The Federalization of the Oklahoma Law License

By Kimber J. Palmer

Kimber J. Palmer is an instructor of legal studies courses in the A.R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business at Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas. We all understand that our licenses to practice law are granted by the states. Could the General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) limit a state’s ability to decide who does or does not get to be one of its lawyers? This is certainly a provocative topic.

Losing My Balance

By R. Steven Haught

Oklahoma City lawyer R. Steven Haught admits that when he first heard the phrase “work/life balance,” it conjured up something foreign and subversive. But life experiences and the terminal illness of a close friend changed his attitude.

It's the holiday season and time for our annual Tech Toys for the Holidays 2014 Digital Edge podcast.

Sharon Nelson and I have researched far and wide to find the most fun new gadgets and electronic devices that a lawyer might want to use for a great gift or a great gift idea hint to your own friends and family.

Tune in for inspiration and awe on the direction technology is heading. Who knows, you might hear about a new tech toy you just have to have!

I’ve spend a lot of time thinking about tomorrow-the legal profession’s tomorrow. This week at the Oklahoma Bar Association Annual Meeting, I get to spend several hour teaching and learning at a CLE program I organized called Tools for Tomorrow’s Lawyers, I also get to moderate a breakfast panel on the future of the legal profession featuring the famed Richard Susskind and hear Prof. Susskind speak to our bar association annual luncheon.

So my article this month, Thinking About Tomorrow should be worth your time. I even include a four step plan to strategize your future, although a couple of the steps are harder if you are not in Tulsa this week. We did add a live webcast for Tools for Tomorrow’s Lawyers.

I didn’t just limit the thoughts to my own, I included discussion of Professor William D. Henderson’s law review article, “Three Generations of U.S. Lawyers: Generalists, Specialists, Project Managers.” I see this particular evolution as unstoppable and suggest lawyers try to understand how it impacts their future.

I also quoted extensively from Ken Grady, the chief executive officer of SeyfarthLean Consulting. I’m all for modernization and improved law firm project management. But Ken has a truly great hypothetical example of how the best lawyers bring wisdom and judgment to the table as well as logic and the law.

Enjoy your tomorrow. But take some time for thinking about and planning for tomorrow–today.