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Archive for the ‘Misc.’ Category

This blog uses WordPress, but since I wanted to create my own theme instead of using someone else’s, I needed a theme editor. (My choice was to either find a wysiwyg editor or learn CSS, which I didn’t have time for.) Luckily, I found  Artisteer 2 which is $49.95 for home and academic use and $129.95 standard edition. There is a free trial version and I urge you to try it first before you purchase it, since there’s no refund.

Artisteer not only generates WordPress themes, it can generate Joomla templates, Drupal themes, DotNetNuke skins, and Blogger templates. Artisteer software has a clean interface (it actually reminded me of Word 2007) and it was simple to choose one of their blog themes and then edit it extensively to get pretty much the look I wanted. I was able to add different fonts, although it includes dozens. Artisteer can customize almost everything in the themes by color, font, size and more. One drawback: it comes with a limited amount of clipart images for use in the header, but you can also use your own.

Artisteer is a fairly inexpensive option when compared to other products out there, like Dreamweaver ($399 for new users) or Adobe Contribute CS4 at around $199 for a new license. If you already own Dreamweaver, you can download a free extension called ThemeDreamer, which allows WYSIWYG editing of WordPress. There are also other WYSIWIG editors, such as Microsoft SharePoint Designer.

Is there a better way to spend time on a cloudy Friday than checking out some fun and fascinating websites? (OK, probably there is, but humor me.) My new Sites for Sore Eyes column (co-written with Jim Calloway) is in the latest edition of GPSolo Technology eReport.  The topic? Travel sites you may never have heard of.  Most are useful to one degree or another, and some are rather humorous. I don’t know why, but I find it amusing that there is a website devoted to finding clean public restrooms around the globe (The Bathroom Diaries).  This eReport contains an article on iPhone apps and one on SaaS (‘software as a service’ – everyone’s favorite new catchphrase). There’s also a review of the 2009 iteration of QuickBooks for the Mac. Be sure to check out eReport whenever it comes out – usually quarterly. It’s always free and online.

… will your practice look like this?

Actual office of a deceased lawyer. An attorney was appointed by the Court to protect the clients’ interests and close the office permanently.

If you are a solo practitioner and you don’t have a succession plan — an agreement with another lawyer, a letter of instructions to family, or some indication of how to take over your practice at a moment’s notice — you could be leaving behind a messy, even tragic, situation. Many lawyers don’t realize that if they die, the burden of closing their practice could fall on their family’s shoulders. For a clearer picture of what actually happens when a lawyer dies, read When You Go to Heaven, Will Your Practice Go to Hell? an article I wrote with Reid Trautz in the January 2009 issue of the ABA Law Practice Management Section’s Law Practice Today.

The entire office was in a state of total disarray.

If you are ready to take action to protect your clients and loved ones, contact your practice management advisor at your state Bar for assistance.  South Carolina Bar members can contact me at pmap@scbar.org and visit the PMAP pages on Winding Down for more succession planning advice.

Today I spoke a few words to a group of law students, recent law grads and lawyers from other states attending the South Carolina tradition known as “Bridge the Gap.” If you are a member of the SC Bar, I don’t have to tell you what that is. But if you’re new in town, it’s the program held semi-annually to help bridge the gap between law school and law practice.  My topic: law office technology. Given the time constraints (10 minutes), I tried to boil the topic down to two things they should know: www.scbar.org/pmap and Casemaker. If they can get to the PMAP pages at the Bar, they can find all kinds of technology info and links. And Casemaker is the great free legal research product that all Bar members automatically have access to, simply by being Bar members. Furthermore, the law students in the group can sign up for a full blown account through Casemaker X, their law student site. All in all, two tips every lawyer in S.C. should know.

Friday seems like a good day to tell you about my favorite bargain alerts.  I subscribe to email alerts, which I receive on a nearly daily basis. Usually, I just glance at the subject line and delete the email if it isn’t something I want. While I will admit that I subscribe to a number of online retailer’s email alerts, lawyers hunting for technology or law office deals might be interested in these two: eCost.com HotSheet and NewEgg.com Super-saver edition. Both offer fabulously discounted deals on everything from new computers to vacuum cleaners — basically, electronics in general. Recent deals from eCost included a 250 GB portable hard drive (I think all lawyers should have one), an 8 GB USB flash drive (ditto), and a 4 GB microSD card for cameras and whatnot for only $5.99.  On NewEgg, recertified routers, all-in-one color printers, digital cameras and a Nintendo Wii enticed buyers. As with all online retailers, take heed of shipping charges and try to shop when they are offering free shipping.