The 2016 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide

The 2016 Solo and Small Firm Legal Technology Guide will not replace a law firm IT director, but annually it provides the information required for the solo or small firm lawyer who is the firm IT director, like it or not. It also will serve as an indispensable guide for a local consultant who has the ability to manage a law firm's technology infrastructure, but is not aware of all of the legal-specific technology products that are available today. Some of this book will be read and reread, while other portions will be skimmed or skipped depending on the immediate technology needs of the firm. No law firm can avoid dealing with technology issues today. Lawyers in all practice settings can greatly benefit from this guide.

This guidebook can serve as a law firm's trusted source of basic information as well as in-depth information. It is a quick reference guide to understand where a new product or software release fits into a law firm's overall strategy. The authors of this guide bring their long experience working with the legal profession to the pages of this volume. It is certainly the most cost-effective technology resource that any budget conscious law firm could hope to obtain.

Sharon D. Nelson is the president of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. Ms. Nelson graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1978 and has been in private practice ever since. She now focuses exclusively on electronic evidence law.

Ms. Nelson, Mr. Simek, and Mr. Maschke are the co-authors of the nine most recent editions of this book (2008–2016). Ms. Nelson and Mr. Simek are also co-authors of Locked Down: Information Security for Lawyers (American Bar Association, 2012, ISBN: 9781614383642). Additionally, Ms. Nelson and Mr. Simek are co-authors of The Electronic Evidence and Discovery Handbook: Forms, Check- lists, and Guidelines (ABA, 2006,ISBN: 9781590316702). Ms. Nelson is a co-author of How Good Lawyers Survive Bad Times (ABA, 2009, ISBN: 9781604425734). Ms. Nelson and Mr. Simek's articles have appeared in numerous national publications, and they frequently lecture throughout the country on digital forensics and legal technology subjects.

Ms. Nelson is a co-host of Legal Talk Network's The Digital Edge: Lawyers and Technology and Digital Detectives podcasts. Ms. Nelson and Mr. Simek have a regular legal tech column called “Hot Buttons” in the ABA Law Practice Division magazine Law Practice. Ms. Nelson was a member of the American Bar Association's Cybersecurity Task Force, and serves on its Standing Committee on Technology and Information Systems. She is now the Chair of the Law Practice Division's Professional Development Board and serves on its governing Council. She is a member of the Editorial Board of Law Technology News.

Ms. Nelson is a Past President of the Virginia State Bar (2013-14). She is a past president of the Fairfax Bar Association and past president of the Fairfax Law Foundation, past chair of the ABA's TECHSHOW Board, and past chair of the ABA's Law Practice Management Publishing Board. She is a graduate of Leadership Fairfax and served for many years on the Governing Council of the Virginia State Bar and on its Executive Committee. She is the former chair of the Virginia State Bar's Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and served on both its Technology Committee and its Standing Committee on Finance. She is currently the chair of the Virginia State Bar's Future of Law Practice Committee, its Better Annual Meeting Committee and the Chair of VSB TECHSHOW 2016. She is a member of the ABA, the Virginia Bar, the Virginia Bar Association, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the Virginia Women Lawyers Association, and the Fairfax Bar Association.

In 2015, Ms. Nelson was named by Virginia Lawyers Weekly as a member of the Class of 2015's Leaders in the Law. This honor recognize attorneys and professionals in law-related fields who made outstanding contributions to the practice of law in Virginia, significant achievements through the practice of law, leadership in improving the justice system and important contributions to Virginia's legal community and/or the community at large.

Ms. Nelson has served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Abused and Neglected Children for the past five years.

John W. Simek is the vice president of Sensei Enterprises, Inc. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a nationally known testifying expert in the area of digital forensics. Mr. Simek holds a degree in engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA in finance from Saint Joseph's University. After forming Sensei, he ended his more than twenty-year affiliation with Mobil Oil Corporation, where he served as a senior technologist, troubleshooting and designing Mobil's networks throughout the Western Hemisphere.In addition to his CISSP designation, Mr. Simek is an EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE), Certified Handheld Examiner, a Certified Novell Engineer, Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, NT Certified Independent Professional, and a Certified Internetwork Professional. He is also a member of the High Tech Crime Network, the Fairfax Bar Association and the American Bar Association. In addition to co-authoring the books cited in Ms. Nelson's biography, he also serves on the 2016 ABA TECHSHOW planning board of the Law Practice Division. He currently provides information technology support to more than 250 area law firms, legal entities, and corporations. He lectures on legal technology and digital forensics subjects throughout the world.

He is a co-host of Legal Talk Network's Digital Detectives podcast.

Mr. Simek also serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Abused and Neglected Children.

Michael Maschke is the Chief Executive Officer and a digital forensics examiner at Sensei Enterprises, Inc. He is a Certified Computer Examiner (CCE), an EnCase Certified forensic technologist (EnCE), and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Mr. Maschke holds a degree in telecommunications from James Madison University. He has significant experience with network troubleshooting, design and implementation, systems integration, and computer engineering. Prior to becoming the Chief Information Officer, Mr. Maschke oversaw Sensei's information technology department, which provided support to hundreds of area law firms and corporations.

He has spoken at the American Bar Association's TECHSHOW conference on information security and is a co-author of Information Security for Lawyers and Law Firms as well as the last eight editions of this book, all published by the American Bar Association.