HOW TO RUN A MAC-BASED LAW FIRM DON’Ts and Do’s

Tom Lambotte, CEOTom Lambotte, CEO

What this presentation is NOT:

• Convincing you Macs are better

• Not a complex technology discussion

• Review your options for IT support (see the 3 previous articles on Legal Productivity)

• A deep dive into one specific area

Dont’s and Do’s on the 10 pillars of running a secure, productive Mac-based law firm

1. Hardware

2. Software

3. Backup

4. Email

5. Security & Network

6. Mobile Device Management

7. Case Management

8. File management

9. Servers

10. Legacy items

HARDWAREDON’T

Use Macs older than 3 years

Buy spinning hard drives

Work hunched over your laptop

HARDWAREDO

Budget to upgrade every 3 years

Invest in solid state hard drives

Use a dedicated monitor - good ergonomics

SOFTWAREDON’T

Use home, personal licenses

Be the first/early adopter

Use free software for important things

Use Messages for firm communications

SOFTWAREDO

Invest in productivity boosters

Wait to install updates

Update Regularly

Use business-grade communications software like Slack

BACKUPSDON’T

Rely on Time Machine

Rely on local backups only

Assume your backups work

Leave backups unencrypted

BACKUPSDO

Make local, encrypted backups

Invest in cloud backup

Regularly scheduled, random test restores

Review backup configurations from time to time

EMAILDON’T

Use free/cheap email

Use a general domain such as: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or an AOL account

EMAILDO

Pay for business class email

Setup Archiving/Backup solution

SECURITY & NETWORKDON’T

Use an Airport Router

Use an inexpensive, “Best Buy” solution

Have open WiFi/shared WiFi

Use the Mac software-based VPN

Write down or use shared/repeated passwords

SECURITY & NETWORKDO

Invest in enterprise-grade solutions

Firewalls with automatic security definition updates

Secured, wireless and guest network solution

Use an enterprise-grade VPN

Use a password manager such as 1Password for Teams or LastPass

Use multiple layers of security, such as OpenDNS Umbrella for threat protection

MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENTDON’T

Put firm data on mobile devices without a tool providing control

Think that just changing passwords is solution

Don’t operate without an MDM policy

Use iCloud as your MDM solution

MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENTDO

Enroll devices in a Mobile Device Management platform/solution

(Meraki Systems Manager, Harvest, Airwatch)

Implement security policies

Have an MDM policy in place

CASE MANAGEMENTDON’T

Rely on address book, calendar, and legal pads to manage the firm’s matters

Rely on ancient bloatware as a solution

Build your own in Filemaker database

CASE MANAGEMENTDO

Invest in a modern, cloud-based solution

Leverage streamlined processes

FILE MANAGEMENTDON’T

Share a single user Dropbox account

Use a single user in OS X Server

Assume VPN works!

Set it and forget it

FILE MANAGEMENTDO

Invest in right solution

Build logical structure

Test and verify VPN and streamline process

Set user permissions

Revisit structure and regularly clean it up

SERVERDON’TUnderbuy

Follow the crowd

Blindly rule out the Cloud

SERVERDO

Invest in the right solution

Ask an expert

Consider cloud storage options

LEGACY ITEMSDON’T

Leave everything on an old PC

Try to move everything over

LEGACY ITEMSDO

Purge and clean!

Migrate to a new PC/VM that is also backed up

AFTER THIS WEBINARDON’T

Let your notes get lost in Evernote or your Legalpad

Forget about me :(

AFTER THIS WEBINARDO one of the

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Tom Lambotte, CEO

HOW TO RUN A MAC-BASED LAW FIRM DON’Ts and Do’s