Networks – Take #2

This month we are going to look at the nuts and bolts of our network to see if we are using it properly. Many firms are making the choice to move to a network but without any vision as to how to leverage that technology. This article should provide some guidance for determining how well you are using yours.

Let’s start off with the file structure and management of your law firm data files. These files generally consist of the word processing documents generated during the course of representing a client although there are a number of other types of documents which fall into this same category.

All of the data files should be stored on the server. If you don’t have a dedicated server then you need to designate one machine as the server. There is not a situation where the data files should be stored on the local workstation hard drive. A master directory is created on the server to hold the client files. I generally call it “Client Files”. This directory is then shared to the entire office and the workstations map a letter drive directly to the shared folder.

Lets take a moment to clear up a little confusion caused by the thoughtlessness of the boys and girls at Microsoft. In the real world the clients file is the folder that contains the paperwork or documents associated with that client. In the DOS/Windows 3.x virtual world we had the directory. It contained other directories (called sub-directories) and files. The computer directory was analogous to the real world paper file and the computer files were analogous to the contents of the real world files, i.e. the paper documents.

Well, people gradually got used to this confusing terminology until Windows 95/NT came out. Microsoft obviously felt that we needed a greater challenge so they changed the terminology. A DOS/Win 3.x directory is now a folder. A sub-directory is a sub-folder. The folders still contain files which is what the real world calls the virtual folder. Simple, huh? In any case, if you hear someone using the terms folder and directory interchangeably, that’s because they are different terms for the same thing. If you’re like me, ignore the new terminology and keep calling them directories.

Map? What is that?

Mapping a drive basically consists of telling the computer that \\server\Client_Files = F: or some other drive letter. This allows you to quickly and easily locate files on the server by simply clicking on that drive letter. This avoids the cumbersome and time consuming process of clicking on Network Neighborhood, then the server, then the folder, and finally the file. You accomplish this by opening the Windows Explorer program (Win95/98/NT) and clicking on Tools, Map Network Drive. A dialogue box will pop up that has the next available drive letter. The lower box will be empty. This is where you enter the mapping information. The format is \\computer_name\folder_name. If the server is named Server1 in Network Neighborhood, then simply replace computer name with the name of your Server. The folder name is the shared folder that we want to look at when we click on the drive letter. In this case it would be Client Files (or whatever you named the corresponding folder/directory). The path would then by typed in as \\Server1\Client Files.

We need to take a moment to consider the structure of our file system. Earlier I indicated that I generally call the shared folder “Client Files”. This is the system I prefer but is by no means the only or even best way to organize your files. There are three basic ways to structure and all of them have their advantages and disadvantages.

The most common way to setup the directory is by the last name, first name MI of the client. This provides an alphabetical listing of all the clients of the firm in one place. If they are not there then they don’t exist. This has the advantage of only having to look in one place to locate a client folder. The major disadvantage is that the list can become very long.

In order to minimize the impact of the length of the client list, another directory should be created for all closed files. The directory structure then would appear as F: = Active Client Files and G: = Closed Client Files. Remember the drive letters are arbitrary. Now we can move client folders to the Closed Client Files drive to keep the list from getting too long.

If the client has multiple matters, then a sub-directory is created inside the client folder for the different matter types. For example – Jones, John J is the name of the client folder located under the Active Client Files directory. A sub-directory for real estate and a sub-directory for personal injury are then created inside the Jones, John J directory. It will look something like this.

F: (Active Client Files on Server1)

Jones, John J

Real Estate

PI

Of course, this means that we can’t move the client folder to the Closed Client Files directory until both of these matters are closed.

Another way to organize which is quite common is to use areas of law. The Active Client Files directory is replaced by Areas of Law. Sub-directories are then created for all of the various practice areas of the firm. The individual client files are then created as sub-directories within the specific area of law. For instance, John Jones would be set up this way.

F: (Areas of Law on Server1)

Real Estate

Jones, John J

PI

Jones, John J

The advantage of using this type of structure is that Mr. Jones data is segregated by practice area so that the individual client lists will not be as long. It is consequently easier to locate the specific client file. The major disadvantage is that the only way to find everything done for Mr. Jones is to look in every practice area for a folder. In addition, if a call comes in and the staff member is not familiar with what the firm is doing for a particular client, it requires searching in the areas of law for the file.

The last and least common way to organize the files on the network is by attorney. The name of each attorney in the firm is mapped to a drive letter. Now one of the two above file structures is put into place. In the majority of cases, the use of this type of organization only adds another layer of directories and serves no useful purpose. If it is important for your firm to track clients by the attorney assigned to them then this method may be useful. Remember that the case manager will tell you which attorneys are assigned to a specific client. This has eliminated the need for this type of organization in most law firms.

The word processor and other programs need to be redirected to automatically look to the server when opening and saving files. This is generally done in the setup portion of the program. For instance, in MS Word, go to Tools, Options, File Locations to make these changes. By forcing the program to look to the server instead of defaulting to the local drive, we help our firm to properly store files and remove a trap for the unwary.

Once we have relocated our data files on the network then the backup system needs to be set to record all of the files onto the backup tape. By moving the data to the server, individual workstations may be turned off and it will not prevent a complete backup of the system from occurring. This simple management technique can be crucial in ensuring that your data is protected.

The same logic applies to our disaster recovery system in general. If the server has an uninterruptible power supply and RAID 5 disk protection in place then it would be silly to store data on another machine and lose this protection.

Another benefit of the network is that we can communicate between workstations. Interoffice email is the most common way this is accomplished but there are other programs which can provide tangible benefits as well.

One of these is a program called PhoneSlips. This program places a digital version of a paper telephone slip on the computer screen. The person answering the phone fills out the slip with the callers information and then sends it to the appropriate party. Immediately, the program icon begins to blink on the recipients machine so that they know there are messages which need to be reviewed.

Another common program is Amicus Attorney. It has a feature which allows all of the network members to send yellow sticky notes to each other. The notes pop up on the screen in front of whatever the recipient is working on. Other case managers have similar functions built into their programs.

The ability to send email throughout the office should be combined with a fax server solution. This allows the computer to send and receive all faxes. Once a fax is received, it is either automatically routed using DID direct inbound dialing, or it is manually routed by a designated employee. A message or sound, or both, alerts the recipient that a new fax or email message has been received. It can then be viewed, printed, or stored for future use. If the original is lost then another can be easily printed.

DID, and other methods, must be setup by the telephone company so that the computer program can identify specific computers as extensions within the phone system. The sender then enters the specific extension ID of the recipient and the computer automatically routes the fax to the appropriate computer. This is very cost effective for mid-size and larger offices which tend to already have extensions in place for individual workers. Smaller offices generally use a manual routing system.

The benefit of sending faxes from individual machines is also considerable. Even very small firms can realize substantial time savings by implementing this technology. The document is “printed” to the fax system. The fax software then holds it in a sending queue until the line is free and then sends out the fax. This allows multiple workers to send faxes at the same time. The software simply adds it to the queue in the order it was sent.

If the firm has multiple separate offices and they are also linked together into a WAN (wide area network), then we can really begin to leverage this part of the network. Voice over IP (VOIP) is a reality and it can save a law firm a considerable amount of money. The feature allows the firm to call or fax any of the other offices over the WAN thereby eliminating long distance costs! The ability to accomplish this is built into certain software and the cost benefit is directly proportional to the amount of office to office communications traffic.

And, of course, the interoffice capabilities can be merged with an Internet gateway to allow email to flow internally or externally as the situation requires. Most firms significantly underutilize email to communicate with clients. The email address for the firm/attorney should be on letterhead, business cards, and all correspondence. The client intake sheet should be modified to include a space for the clients email address and the client should be encouraged to use it for all communications of a non vital nature.

Another significant way to leverage networks is to install network software programs. The most common of these are case management and time and billing packages. Networked accounting packages are growing in popularity as well. These types of programs utilize centralized databases to hold all of the information entered into the program. Consequently, Attorney A can immediately see what was just entered by Paralegal B. Paralegal B can look at Attorney C’s calendar and schedule an appointment which will pop up a reminder for Attorney C at the appropriate time. Of course, all databases must be installed on the server so that the backup and disaster recovery systems will protect this important data.

In addition, the cost of network versions is almost always less than the cost of purchasing a stand alone copy for each workstation. So not only does the firm gain in productivity due to the interactive nature of network software, it also saves on the actual cost of the software itself.

Additional capabilities of a network include an IntraNet. This is basically an internal Internet. The firm can post information for its members and everyone can view it using their Internet browser whenever they choose. Using the proper tools, the firm can “push” content to its members to force them to view it. A proper use of this would be to “push” new state bar rulings or supreme court rulings to the desktops of firm members to ensure they stay informed of the current law.

The ability to share printers and scanners is also important to the efficient functioning of a law firm. Xerox, Canon, and some other copier makers are now offering combination copier/printer/fax/scanner machines that connect directly to your network. Imagine having the ability to send that 50 page brief to one of these machines to make five copies, collated and stapled, in about 3 minutes.

Locating all of the client data quickly and easily, making sure it is protected, and leveraging communications tools is a large part of what makes a network attractive to any business. Make sure you are squeezing all of the benefits out of your network.

Lee D. Cumbie is the founder of Cumbie Law Office Automation Consulting, one of the designated Technology Assistance Program consultants for the N.C. Bar Assn. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Campbell University where he teaches the Law Firm Computer Lab course. Lee also practices law in Dunn, N.C. focusing on computer law and estate planning.

Lee earned his B.S. degree from Regents College after leaving military service. He earned his J.D. from Campbell University, cum laude, in 1997. He can be contacted at (910) 891-4690 or by email at lcumbie@hawk.net.