Canadian Law Blog Hall of Fame

2015 Canadian Law Blog Finalist

2014 Canadian Law Blog Finalist

2013 Canadian Law Blog Awards Winner

2011 Canadian Law Blog Finalist

2010 Canadian Law Blog Finalist

2009 Canadian Law Blog Awards Winner

2008 Canadian Law Blog Awards Winner

2007 Canadian Law Blog Awards Winner

2008 InnovAction Awards



  • Categories
  • Archives
    Archive for October, 2010
    Tech Tip – ioSafe
    Monday, October 25th, 2010

    ♬ Don’t leave me in all this pain
    Don’t leave me out in the rain
    Come back and bring back my smile
    Come and take these tears away

    Un-break my heart…♬

    Lyrics, music by: Diane Warren and recorded by: Toni Braxton.

    ioSafe

    ioSafe

    911 taught us that each of us needs to maintain a safe and secure backup of our data in order to allow our businesses to survive any natural or man-made disaster. Accordingly it is imperative that we set up a back-up system that (hopefully) survives any disaster that befalls our office.

    Above find a picture of an ioSAFE hard drive. This is an external hard drive that is practically bomb proof! It is USB 2.0 enabled, fireproof (it can withstand 1550 F (843 C) for 30 mins), waterproof (it can be submerged up to 10 feet (3 meters) deep in fresh or salt water for 3 days) and can be physically locked or bolted to the floor. It is also heavy – it weighs about 17 pounds (7.7 kilos). (more…)

    Posted in I'm a Mac, Issues facing Law Firms, Law Firm Strategy, Make it Work!, Technology, Tips | Permalink | 2 Comments »
    Tech Tip – MiFi
    Thursday, October 21st, 2010

    ♬ Catch a falling star an’ put it in your pocket,
    Save it for a rainy day! ♬

    Lyrics and music by: Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, recorded by Perry Como.

    MiFi 2372

    Rogers MiFi 2372

    I love technology that works well, works easily and enables you to work the way that you want. I was therefore pleased with how the Novatel MiFi 2372 works. By way of introduction, the MiFi 2372 combines a cellular data 3.5g modem with a 5 device Wi-Fi router in one slightly thicker-than-a-few-stacked credit-card sized case that weighs almost nothing (81 grams – 2.9 ounces).

    The MiFi 2372 has download speeds of 7.2 Mpbs and 5.76 Mbps upload. This device replaced an aging “Rocketstick” cell modem that has download speeds of 7.2 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 2.1Mbps. So the greater upload speeds should speed things up somewhat!

    The differences between the Rocketstick modem and the MiFi device: (more…)

    Posted in Make it Work!, Technology, Tips | Permalink | 4 Comments »
    E-Filing in the Land Title and Survey Authority
    Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

    ♬  We both know there’s something happening here
    There’s no sense in dancing round the subject
    A wound gets worse when it’s treated with neglect
    Don’t turn around there’s nothing here to fear…♬

    Lyrics and Music by Chas Sandford, recorded by Stevie Nicks.

    BC Land Title & Survey Authority

    The Torrens system of land title registration in British Columbia is approaching its 150th anniversary, having started on Vancouver Island in 1861.  In the past 20 years in BC, there have been nearly 16 million land title transactions!  Accordingly it is fitting to look at the changes that will be coming to the land title registration system in British Columbia.

    Currently in British Columbia, the Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia accepts certain documents to be filed electronically as well as in paper form.  The list of documents that can be filed electronically can be found here. However, there is no sense in dancing around the subject – the day when only electronic documents will be accepted for filing will certainly not be 150 years into the future.  If for no other reason, the cost of maintaining dual systems will cause this state of affairs to be ended in fairly short order.  The environmental cost of maintaining a paper filing system (with its system of couriers, the transportation of paper between offices involving the use of fossil fuel as well as the needless destruction of trees)  is another not-insignificant factor in converting to a totally-electronic filing system.

    Aside from the physical and environmental cost of maintaining dual systems, there are many other good reasons for moving ahead into pure electronic filings. For one, the number of filings are increasing rapidly:

    EFS is widely used across BC, and statistics from June 2010 show that 58.7% of all Land Title Applications were electronically submitted.

    The acceptance of e-filing indicates that the system as designed by the LTSA works well – they have done a fine job in building the system to be usable and functional.  Documents can be filed at any time of the day or night.  Once documents are submitted electronically, they can be stored, searched and displayed electronically, at any time. By using a digital signature issued by Juricert (a service provided by the Law Society of British Columbia), which is attached to the Adobe Acrobat PDF format of the electronic document, the identity and qualifications of a lawyer or notary submitting documents for registration is verified.

    So facing the writing on the wall, how does one come up to speed with e-filing?

    If your firm doesn’t already use the Electronic Filing System (EFS) for submitting land title documents, getting started is inexpensive and easy. EFS training is approved by the Law Society of British Columbia’s Continuing Professional Development Program.

    The LTSA and BC OnLine offer training at your office or via the Internet and ongoing telephone support, both at no charge to a lawyer or notary. Training can be arranged by calling the BC OnLine Helpdesk at (800) 663-6102 or (250) 953-8200.

    Further resources:

    We both know that there is something happening here. Don’t turn around – there’s nothing here to fear.

    Posted in Change Management, Issues facing Law Firms, Leadership and Strategic Planning, Technology, Trends | Permalink | 1 Comment »
    What’s New?
    Thursday, October 7th, 2010

    Partner let me upgrade u, flip a new page. Introduce u to some new things…

    Music & Lyrics by S.C. Carter, W.J. Clarke, M. Riddick, B. Knowles, A. Beyonce, S. Knowles, C.H. Reid, S. Garrett, recorded by Beyonce.

    New!

    With the MS Vista debacle behind us and with Windows XP aging out, many firms who held off purchasing any equipment are now looking at their next hardware and software upgrade. Whether you are replacing 10 – or 100 – computers, servers and associated hardware and software, the “spend factor” is non-trivial. Accordingly, you will want to ensure that you are getting the best bang for your buck.

    So what do you look for in terms of the newest level of technology? Here are a few things to consider:

    Paperless Office: There are multiple benefits from moving from a paper paradigm to a paperless office. Centralized document management on the network server should be a primary goal (by establishing the electronic equivalent of the paper file storage system). This allows you to have “one place” to find all records associated with the file – emails, documents, correspondence, pleadings, land title documents etc. Other benefits: (more…)

    Posted in Adding Value, Change Management, Issues facing Law Firms, Technology, Trends | Permalink | 1 Comment »
    Who Are You as a Leader?
    Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

    ♬ Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow, don’t stop, it will soon be here….♬

    Lyrics and music by Christine McVie, recorded by Fleetwood Mac.

    Leadership

    Leadership

    This “Leadership Moment” post is another great guest post from Beth Flynn at the Ohio State University Center:

    In what ways are you a leader?

  • A business corporate leader. Corporate leaders often hold leadership positions in their organizations. You may even own the company. But you can also serve as a leader in your company even without the fancy title by the way you act and interact.
  • A professional leader. You can be a leader in your profession whether you are a consultant, or an independent professional like an attorney, speaker, or physician.
  • A community leader. You may have a leadership role in public service, as a nonprofit board member, in your church, or in your neighborhood.
  • A family leader. As a mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, or cousin, you may take an active part in creating your family environment.
  • An inspirational leader. You may be a leader among your friends, family, and by fans by the way you conduct yourself – as reflected by your character, your choices and your demeanor.
  • A thought leader. You could be leading change with original ideas and new ways of thinking.
  • An action leader. Maybe you’re the one with the energy to make things happen and the charisma to get others to do the same.
  • The leader of your own life. No matter who you are or what you do, you get to take the lead in your life. No one else will do that for you. No one can. Every single one of us is leading a life, which may be the most exciting kind of leadership of all. (Jay, p. 2-3)
  • From: Jay, J.K., (2009). The inner edge: the 10 practices of personal leadership. Santa Barbara: CA, ABC CLIO.

    The Inner Edge is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center. To borrow this resource or any other resource, please go to the resource search page http://164.107.48.88/winnebago/index.asp?lib=???

    Learn how the Ohio State University Leadership Center is inspiring others to take a leadership role that empowers the world at: http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu. You can subscribe to the Leadership Moments list by sending an e-mail to Beth at: flynn.61@osu.edu.

    Thanks Beth for another great post and for demonstrating that you are a fine inspirational leader!

    Posted in Change Management, Firm Governance, Leadership and Strategic Planning, personal focus and renewal | Permalink | No Comments »