Windows 7 introduced some really neat new keyboard shortcuts for manipulating windows. Here are some shortcuts that every Windows 7 user should know:
Windows key + Up and Windows key + Down: If a window isn’t maximized, pressing the Windows key + Up arrow key will make it fill your entire screen. Windows key + Down arrow on a maximized window will restore will restore the window to its previous dimensions filling only part of the full screen. Pressing it again will minimize that active window.
Windows key + Shift + Up and Windows key + Shift + Down…

Many lawyers are fearful of moving away from hourly-rate billing because they are concerned that alternative-billing will be a risky bet.  Is there a way to ensure that you, the lawyer (or the “house” in betting parlance) will win the majority of the fixed-fee bets?

Of course there is, but you have to lay the groundwork before moving to this type of billing.  Here is one suggested method.

First, track or review your actual time and amount billed for all files of the type for which you are considering moving to fixed rate billing.  You should probably review not less …

I posted to Slaw yesterday about the AALL ILTA White Paper project: The New Librarian.

There is an excellent article included in that digital white paper called Generational Divides: Paper and Electronic Resources by Jocelyn Stilwell-Tong of Nossaman LLP. The article talks about research preferences and using print and electronic commentary.

When you are doing legal research today, think about the content and the format it comes in and ask yourself about function and form. I would love to hear stories about what you discover.…

Most new devices sold today will include USB 3.0 connectivity. At home or work, many of your older devices will have USB 2.0 (or even 1.0!). So how does USB 3.0 compare with USB 2.0?
USB 3.0 is faster – mush faster! USB 3.0 data transfers have a theoretical maximum speed of 5 gigabits per second. This compares to a theoretical maximum speed of 460 megabits per second for USB 2.0 devices. Of course, you won’t get close to 5-gbps transfers during regular daily use, but you will find that you can move files significantly faster between USB 3.0 compatible …

Someone once said: “Life is a series of interruptions interrupted by interruptions.” No one recorded who said it… the person doing the recording was probably interrupted when they were about to write that down…

But as practising lawyers, we are interrupted all the time.  When it comes to recording your billable time, being interrupted before you capture that time can be costly.

You get to the end of a crazy day. You’re wiped. You’ve been running around like a maniac all day, responding to and sending e-mails, talking with clients on the phone, putting out fires and drafting …

Today’s tip is about habits. Actually, cultivating the habit of not relying too heavily on your habits when doing legal research.

Beware of the habit of always using the same sources. Though legal research is best done in a methodical manner (secondary source footnotes to noting up to following the path of case law and legislation to further secondary sources until you keep finding the same results then analysis) it is important to remember that you should not always start with your favourite resource, you should use the best resource for the task at hand.

Try a different textbook, you …

While it is intended to prevent you from accidentally deleting a file, the file delete confirmation box (the little box that pops-up when you delete a file and asks if you are sure you want to delete it) can be a tad annoying, especially if you are deleting a lot of files (say for instance when you are cleaning up your photo collection).
You can easily disable this confirmation (meaning it won’t appear every time you delete a file) by right-clicking the Recycle Bin and selecting Properties. Next, uncheck the delete confirmation box, click Apply and then OK, and you’re …

Are you making the most out of your voicemail system?

As Joe Walsh of The Eagles once sang:

So I got me an office, gold records on the wall.
Just leave a message, maybe I’ll call.
…
Life’s been good to me so far

How many times have you called someone only to be greeted by a message that says: “Hi. You have reached Joe.  I am unavailable. Please leave a message.”

What is wrong with this greeting?

First, if you don’t know Joe you have no idea if you have reached the right person or even the right organization. …

Ah policies. These documents that govern how governments, companies, and agencies conduct themselves can be very tricky to find.

The good news: the Internet, that fantastic information gathering facilitator, has made it so easy to publish, that sometimes you will find policies attached to the news releases that annouce they exist. See for instance the new Public Disclosure of Travel and Expenses Policy announced yesterday by the Alberta Government. The text of the policy is attached as a background document to the news release.

The only caveat to finding a policy in this form is that you will not likely …

These days it seems that many young people are reconsidering a decision to enter or stay in law.  The authors think that there are many reasons to still value a legal career.  But there are also some important questions to ask of yourself in considering a career in the law.

For one, a career in law offers you not just a job – it offers you much more.    Your legal career has the possibility of offering you novel and fascinating work that continually changes and brings you in touch with bright and interesting people. Your skills will be challenged at …