I left my small-town, five-attorney law firm in 2008, and moved to Asheville to open my own law firm. Because I had no clients or connections there, I knew I must keep my costs down until I could establish my business law and civil litigation practice. Because I am techno-aware, but not a techie, I knew that I could use free software and web-based services to keep cost down. I also knew that I wanted to limit paper use and maximize electronic storage. With the advantage of starting from scratch, I have been able to apply those concepts in my firm.

Google provides much of the backbone services -- all free -- on which I base my practice. I use Google's Web-based services for my e-mail, calendar, and contacts, including conflicts checks, and currently use Google’s Chrome as my primary web browser. I do not use regular Gmail services, I use the free standard edition of Google Apps, a more business-oriented suite of web-based applications. Google Apps provides much of what I had in my former Microsoft Exchange/Outlook office environment. Apps e-mail allows me to use my firm domain name in my e-mail address (sam@ashevillelaw.biz rather than just @gmail.com), giving my e-mail a more professional appearance. Through Apps, I also have additional e-mail addresses using my domain (e.g., assistant@ashevillelaw.biz).

Google Apps Calendar allows me to have synchronized and shared calendars. Within my main calendar I have created three calendars: designated business time (e.g., client appointment, court); scheduled, but flexible, work time (e.g., drafting, research); and personal time (e.g., dentist appointment). I share my calendar with my assistant so they can see and place items on my calendar. I do not share the details of my personal appointments, but they can see the time blocked for those items. I can also see my assistant's calendar, but can turn any one of the calendars on or off for viewing at any time.

Google Apps Contacts keeps contact information and works as my conflicts check. While the information detailed in Google Contacts initially appears simplistic compared to Outlook's array, I find Google's to be more flexible. In the notes section of a Google contact entry, I put any information about that contact (e.g., spouse name), and use Google's powerful search capabilities to retrieve based on any of the information input. For clients, I put in their information, then put the names of any conflicting party in that client’s notes section. For a conflicting entity with multiple names that could conflict with a client, I enter the name of the conflicting entity as a contact, and place the multiple names associated with that entity, along with my client's name, in the entity’s contact notes section, so that a search on any of the names would reveal the conflict.

Google provides some services to which I prefer other providers. Google Docs (word processor, spreadsheet, etc.) allows for document sharing, but does not compare to Microsoft or OpenOffice (excellent free office suite) products. I use OpenOffice on my laptop and my assistant's computer, and will transition my computer to OpenOffice at my next purchase. Google has a Tasks component, but I prefer the free version of Remember The Milk for more full-featured task management. I recently changed from Firefox to Google's Chrome, but some sites, such as county GIS or Register of Deeds sites, work best, or only, on Firefox or Microsoft Explorer.

I also use other free or paid services and software in my office. I use Casemaker for some legal research, but maintain a basic Lexis account. I use GnuCash, free, open-source accounting software package that may not work for a larger office, but works for me. I use MozyPro for online backups of my files (not programs) every two hours. I use MyFax.com, an online facsimile service that sends and delivers faxes by e-mail, so there is no machine to break, and no paper or toner required, and incoming documents do not need to be converted to electronic form. I use Dragon Naturally Speaking for dictation transcription, and find Adobe Acrobat to be invaluable. I carry a smartphone that syncs with my calendars and contacts, and updates my e-mail.

I have a less-papered practice, storing very little paper, even including my own notes. I try to receive documents in electronic form as much as possible, and, if given paper, I scan it as quickly as possible using my Scansnap 1500, and discard or return the originals, often scanning client documents while we conference and returning the documents to them before they leave. I also scan my handwritten notes, and destroy the paper version. I keep time records and telephone conference notes on a spreadsheet with filters enabled. Because I have well-organized electronic files, when a client calls unexpectedly, I can have their entire file on screen in front of me within seconds, rather than scrambling for a paper file. I have dual monitors, which allows me to work on one document while referring to other documents on the second screen. When away from the office, I copy the client's electronic file onto a thumb drive, and then pop it into my laptop at their location or in court.

I do not currently use practice management software, instead preferring my ‘old school’ method, although I have looked closely at Rocket Matter, an online paid service. While some techno-lawyers insist that practice management is the Holy Grail, I have yet to foresee sufficient return on investment for my firm. But I may be wrong, and continue to watch this area with interest.

I steal ideas. Almost everything I do in managing my office is someone else's idea that I now use to my benefit. I invest a few minutes each week reading TechnoLawyer e-mails (free subscription) and tech articles in various online publications, reviewing the information provided by the North Carolina Bar Association and ABA, and, most importantly, actually going to some of the websites and trying some of the software. That investment of time saves me money and makes me money in my practice today