CBA Record January-February 2024

an internal antenna, so it’s unintrusive and (relatively) minimalist. Know when to use ChatGPT. Will it do a great job rewriting the Declaration of Independence in the style of Shel Silver stein? Yes. Will it do a great job of gather ing relevant case law? No. Take it from the New York attorneys who filed a legal brief written by AI that they later realized cited a case that didn’t exist. Improve screen grabs. If you edit screenshots with any regularity, use Snagit. Snagit is software for screen cap ture and recording available as a one-time licensing fee for $62.99. Trust me: if you need to highlight portions of screenshots, blur portions, or edit in any way, it’s a fee that is well worth it. Reduce no-shows. Do you have a lot of client no-shows in any given week or month? Use an app to send automated text message reminders for client appoint ments. A platform like Appointment Reminder will automate the process so that your clients receive text message reminders about upcoming appoint ments with you. Several reminders for an appointment are appropriate, so don’t worry about being overbearing! Protect your time and decrease those no-show rates. Just make sure the feature isn’t offered as part of your practice manage ment platform before you add another app to your stack. Check out what else is on tap at TECHSHOW 2024 at techshow.com. The conference is such a valuable oppor tunity for lawyers to see what other people are doing and garner inspiration for their own practice. Don’t miss out!

LPMT BITS & BYTES BY ANNE HAAG Tips, Tricks, Gadgets & Apps for the New Year T he American Bar Association’s annual TECHSHOW takes place February 14-17 in Chicago.

have an iPhone, set boundaries with the personal, work, and sleep focus settings. You can customize each setting to allow or prohibit certain notifications during specified days or hours. You can still easily see the hidden notifications, but they won’t nag for your attention while you’re off the clock or trying to focus at work. Android users can do the same with the Focus feature. Invest in LinkedIn. LinkedIn is more than just a landing page, it’s a valuable marketing tool. As Facebook and X (for merly Twitter) become less culturally rele vant, LinkedIn has become a more crucial piece of legal marketing campaigns. Have a polished profile, but also be sure to leverage it. For example, use LinkedIn to post marketing content and seek out con nections with peers. Use your phone as a mobile scanner. Most phones come supplied with a scan ner app. iPhone users can go to the Notes app, open a new note, click the camera icon, and select Scan Documents. Android users, download and open Google Drive, tap Create New and select Scan. I mprove your WiFi. Is your office at one end of your home but your router on the opposite end? Use a Wi-Fi extender to make your Wi-Fi signal carry further throughout your home. I use NetGear’s dual-band Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Extender in my home. It works seamlessly without having to log in to a different network. It also has

TECHSHOW is a valuable opportunity for lawyers to keep abreast of the legal tech landscape while earning continuing legal education credits and networking with speakers and legal professionals from around the globe. CBA members can save on registration costs with event promoter code EP2409 . One of TECHSHOW’s liveliest offer ings is their “60 in 60” segment in which legal tech experts fire off 60 productivity tips in 60 minutes. The rapid-fire ses sion is always fun, and attendees walk away with concrete tips, tricks, gadgets, and apps that will help them practice law more productively. Inspired by that seg ment, I offer my own quick suggestions here. Enjoy! Use a project management platform. Project management tools like Asana or Monday take task management tools one step further and allow you to collaborate more effectively with a team. Test your webcam. Before you join a virtual meeting use Hand Mirror, an app that offers a webcam preview in a single click. Zoom users can also easily test their camera and audio by going to https:// zoom.us/test. It beats noticing the dirty laundry in your background midway through a meeting. Use your phone’s focus settings. If you

Anne Haag is the CBA’s Practice Management Advisor, a certified crisis counselor, and volunteers as a patient advocate in the ER.

Current Ethical Issues Facing All Practitioners February 7, 2024 | 2:00-4:00 p.m. | 2 IL PR-MCLE Credit | Live Webcast or In-person at the CBA $0 CLE-Advantage Plan | $65 Member | $125 Nonmember | Register at Learn.ChicagoBar.org

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