This news from Google sure sounds smart to me. But will patent paralegals be impressed? "Google was live with a service enabling Internet users to search through the more than seven million patents granted in the United States. "The beta, or test, version of Google Patent Search lets people sift through patents granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office as long ago as 1790 by using...
Not really paralegal related, unless an article about the year's best inventions counts as learning about IP! (Well, there is that "Paralegal Hidden Camera" video...) "Meet Peter. Peter is a 79-year-old English retiree. Back in WW II he served as a radar technician. He is now an international star. "One year ago, this would not have been possible, but the world has changed. In...
Seems like a good article to put here....right after that "lawyers resolve paralegal priorities among yourselves" post: "Paralegals have been part of the legal profession for roughly 30 years. When utilized correctly , they are a significant benefit to a law firm or law department and its clients because they are able to handle both routine and sophisticated legal tasks that...
Recent post from the UK's nearlylegal blog describes a familiar problem. Do you agree with this paralegal's solution? "I currently have four solicitors giving me work. Regardless of what I explain about current workload, each insists that their work takes priority. Each then gets very annoyed when I do my own form of triage as to what gets done first and what gets delayed. I have to. They...
Well, people do seem addicted to these devices (cell phones too). What do you think? "I have a new policy with my friends. I will not meet them in a restaurant or bar - holiday cheer notwithstanding - unless they promise to switch off their cellphones and BlackBerrys. "It's embarrassing to impose such sanctions. It seems discourteous. Yet I feel like I have to speak up. The idea of a...
Not completely happy with your current position? Well, here's a solid list of resolutions for changing your career: "If you're like most people, you have probably given some thought to New Year's resolutions and what you would like to achieve in 2007."If you didn't gain weight over the holidays and have no vices to give up (or at least none that you want to give up), then you won't need...
Could not understanding EDD issues -- both evidence rules & technology -- amount to malpractice? Oh, yeah, I think so, especially if the client didn't 'know' not to monkey with hard drives: "During discovery in a securities case in the Northern District of Florida, Miami attorney Michael Kreitzer's client wanted to see e-mails between two of the defendants. The defendants claimed that...
Fun version of the classic Santa Claus story packed with links to tech toys of interest to all kinds of legal folks: "It was the night before , and all through the office, the associates were stirring, but I was home at the house. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nick (or whatever winter gift-giving person you prefer -- your spouse, your child, your great...
A white paper + survey from ITLA smartly discusses the use of project management by law firms, something I think should involve paralegals: "Project management is so much more than what is visible at first glance. Typically, we just see the team, tools and pieces to complete the project. What we don't see is the planning, tool selection, communication, mentoring or even the...
Find some very interesting jobs posted by ILTA (International Legal Technology Association), here. I counted 122 listings (on 12/12/06), but these are the positions that really caught my eye: Applications Analyst V -- San Francisco, CA (12/4/2006) Litigation Support Specialist -- Chicago, IL (12/4/2006) Practice Group Training & Support Specialist -- Richmond, VA (11/30/2006) Knowledge...