Joan+Shear

Joan Shear, Boston College Law Library

Assignment 5 **FREE LEGAL RESEARCH ** Statutes: [] Regulations: [] Caselaw: []
 * Massachusetts **

[] 1. Does the court support efiling? No 2. Does the court support efiling for self-representing litigants? No 3. Does the court website have an online docket or calendar? No 4. Does the court website have any forms that can be used online or downloaded? Yes [] [] 1. Does the court support efiling? If yes, what is the best URL? No 2. Does the court support efiling for self-representing litigants? No 3. Does the court website have an online docket or calendar? Yes [] 4. Does the court website have any forms that can be used online or downloaded? Yes, but very few A couple are available at [] [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1. Does the court support efiling? Yes If yes, what is the best URL? Yes [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">2. Does the court support efiling for self-representing litigants? no <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">3. Does the court website have an online docket or calendar? Yes, each of the three divisions maintains its own calendar <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">[] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">4. Does the court website have any forms that can be used online or downloaded? Yes <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Local forms [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Forms for pro se litigants [] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">For national forms the site links outside this court’s website to []
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Homework 3 - ****TECHNOLOGY AND THE COURT**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Middlesex Superior Court **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts **

Part 1- Benefits and Pitfalls of Document Automation
 * Assignment 2 - Document Automation**
 * Benefits/advantages to Document Automation**
 * Reduced clerical errors so long as initial data entry is correct
 * Increased speed in document preparation
 * Reduced document preparation costs
 * Consistent document structures help create standardized documents which facilitates indexing and retrieval
 * Doesn’t rely on memory to be sure that all available options are given at least some consideration

Part 2 I looked at @http://www.goodwinfoundersworkbench.com/ I totally Loved working with the Goodwin Protcor Document Driver. It was incredibly easy to work with and helped limit common errors. It provided a nice tabular listing of all the answers provided in addition to the documents produced so I could easily check to make sure I had input the correct data. I also used @http://www.wsgr.com/wsgr/display.aspx?sectionname=practice/termsheet.htmwhich uses Contract Express The tutorial as you go kind of bothers me – I feel that someone shouldn’t be filling in this form if they don’t already have that knowledge. Maybe they should have gotten that info before and then there can be hyperlinks to reminders. Like the click to show /hide explanatory notes. I don’t like the suggested answers on the radio buttons because someone could accidently not review one of the questions. Better to have to fill in each one.
 * Pitfalls/problems/barriers to Document Automation**
 * Security issues for client information housed by a third party
 * If data housed in proprietary software there may be issues in getting your data back to change vendors
 * Potential for disruption of service if your vendor has business or technical problems
 * Halo effect may make documents look better than their content because there form is so good
 * Large initial investment in developing these tools

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Five **good** things about running a virtual law practice. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Five things that could go **wrong** running a virtual law practice. ===<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Three definitions of Virtual Law Practice from June 2009 issue of // GPSOLO //<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Magazine article, [|“Virtual Law Practice: A Passing Trend or the Wave of the Future?”] ===
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Assignment 1 – THE VIRTUAL LAW OFFICE **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">PART 1 – Pros and Cons of Virtual Law Practice **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It helps create affordable legal services for middle income clients (a demographic often going without legal services because of economic constraints)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It provides clients the ability to communicate with the attorney outside of regular business hours
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It provides the attorney the ability to work at most convenient times – especially good for lawyers with family or personal obligations that interfere with 9 to 5 employment, which, let’s face it, for many lawyers is 9 to 9.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It saves money on office equipment, supplies, and storage – especially by not having paper files
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">It gets you clients to do data input for you, saving time and money and maybe even reducing transcription mistakes.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Some legal services cannot be unbundled and virtual practice works better for discrete transactions rather than complicated issues, like criminal defense.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A loss or corruption of data could be catastrophic
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Confidentiality could be lost if third party who has control over data accidently reveals information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Problems with electricity or connectivity could interrupt delivery of services
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The lawyer needs to keep current on technology to keep the practice going
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">PART 2 – Definitions **


 * Lawyer Carolyn Elefant (author of the 2008 book Solo by Choice and a well-known legal blogger) acknowledges that there are many definitions of the term but considers a virtual firm to be “one that does not have physical office space,” one where “attorneys work together online.”
 * Lisa Solomon, a New York-based contract lawyer who concentrates in legal research and writing, defines a virtual firm by the technology used to deliver services to the client.
 * Stephanie Kimbro, “virtual law offices can be completely web-based . . . or they can be . . . integrated into a traditional law office to expand the client base and provide the online services as an amenity to existing clients who will also visit with the attorneys in person.”