Technology has changed the way many lawyers operate, especially with the many added advantages that cloud and mobile has brought to the industry. Mobile apps and cloud services have helped lawyers work more efficiently by spending more of their time on important work and meetings instead of commute times to meetings, appointments, office equipment, to collaborate over files and documents, and much more. Here are the top 5 tech tips for lawyers.

With the surging popularity of mobile devices among lawyers, tablets have increasingly made their way into courtrooms everywhere. This makes it a simple task to show presentations, access information online, share and receive files and much more. If you keep notes in Evernote, they are easily accessible at any time. Documents and presentations created and stored in Google Drive can be quickly downloaded from any location with internet access.

Mobile apps are essential tools, especially when you're on the go much of the time. Some of the top mobile apps that should be in your toolchest include:

• Evernote: Lawyers can quickly create, share and store notes, audio dictations and snapshots from a mobile device.
• Google Apps: Documents can be created, revised, collaborated on, shared and stored in the cloud.
• Dropbox: The world's top-rated cloud storage provider allows easy file-sharing with no file size limits.
• Box: One of the most secure cloud storage providers as it is HIPAA and HiTECH compliant.
• SkyDrive:  Microsoft's cloud storage integrates with many Microsoft services and comes pre-installed on most newer computers and laptops.
• Basecamp: The best cloud project management service provides all the tools lawyers need to manage nearly all aspects of their cases.

A big, luxurious office is great for impressing other lawyers and clients, but it's not as necessary as it once was. Many lawyers have chosen to go the virtual route by creating an entire mobile suite of tools such as the one previously mentioned in this article. By using a mobile internet connection, a laptop, smartphone and tablet, a lawyer can create an entire virtual office that goes everywhere with him. This eliminates the need to have a physical office as meetings can be conducted over video chat; documents can be created, shared and legally signed; cases can be completely managed with other lawyers and sources; and much more. 

Most cloud services do not offer integration with other cloud services because they are in competition with them. This is why a third-party cloud integration service such as cloudHQ should be an integral part of any lawyer’s toolkit. CloudHQ is the glue that bonds information from various cloud services together. For instance, notes you keep stored in Evernote can be automatically replicated to Dropbox, Box, Google Drive and other cloud services. This way you don't have your information scattered across too many cloud services which can make things very confusing.

Lawyers deal with confidential and sensitive information on a daily basis. For this reason, cloudHQ offers their leading cloud backup service. All files that you keep stored in the cloud should be protected in case data loss was to occur. So if you keep all your legal data stored on Dropbox, you can keep a backup of it on Box. If an incident occurs on Dropbox and important files are lost, you can quickly and easily login to Box and restore your files. Don't wait until a data loss incident ruins your legal career, get cloudHQ protection now.

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If you are a lawyer that has interest in technology, you no doubt have heard of Software as a Service (SaaS) in the cloud. Many lawyers already use SaaS in the cloud,  and you probably already do in some form as well. Many lawyers that use SaaS are wary (and rightfully so) about a number of issues and challenges including security, cost, data backup and recovery and other possible disasters that could happen in the cloud. In this article, we will take a look at what SaaS is, how it is used in the courtroom and law firm and how to prevent any cloud disasters associated with SaaS from happening to you.

Software as a Service apps are quickly becoming more popular in the courtroom and law firms everywhere. A SaaS app is software that is based in the cloud, so it performs the same functions as software installed on your computer, but you can access it from any device that has internet access instead of having to install software on all of your devices.

Some of the most popular SaaS apps that are used in law firms today are:

• Evernote: Used for taking notes, snapping photos, clipping web articles, audio clips and much more.
  

• Google Apps: This powerful document management suite allows lawyers to quickly create, edit, delete, share, sign and save documents, spreadsheets and presentations from any mobile device or computer that has internet access.
  

• Dropbox: The most popular cloud storage provider, offering free space, unlimited size file sharing, simple file sharing, strong encryption and security measures. 
  

• Box: Similar to Dropbox, it offers free space, but does have file size limits. It also offers the strongest security measures as it is HIPAA and HITECH compliant.
  

• Microsoft SkyDrive: Microsoft's cloud storage. If you have Windows 8, you are no doubt familiar with SkyDrive as much of the storage and apps are stored in the cloud on SkyDrive.
  

• Basecamp: That's right, the premier project management tool in the world is SaaS. Based in the cloud, Basecamp provides lawyers with all the tools they need to successfully manage cases and other projects from any location with internet access.
  

Well, there is good news and bad news. The bad news first: 1 out of 3 Companies Lose Data in SaaS. Okay, so now you're thinking that SaaS is not secure, right? Wrong. The sad fact is- human error still accounts for the number one reason for data loss in the cloud. And unfortunately, security cannot predict human error and therefore it is very hard to guard against it. But there is one cloud service that stands against human error, human stupidity and even purposeful malicious human deletion. This cloud service is cloudHQ. 

The cloudHQ backup and replication service works by providing a complete backup of all of your cloud data to a backup account on a completely separate cloud service. So if your law firm uses Dropbox for all of your cloud storage needs, the backup account could be on a separate cloud service such as Google Drive or Box. You choose which folders and files you wish to have backed up and cloudHQ does the rest. All new files added to the shared folders in the main account will be instantly replicated to the backup account. So now if you or your legal aide or anyone else with access to the cloud account accidentally (or purposely) deletes files or important documents, there will always be a secondary copy of all of your files and documents on the backup account. Recovering files is quick and easy and only takes minutes. Most cloud services offer file recovery, but only for short periods up to 30 days. After that period of time, your data is gone forever, unless you have a secure backup system like cloudHQ. Human error is prevalent and is still the number one cause of data loss in the cloud, but with cloudHQ, you can combat human error and defeat it easily.

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In the fast-paced, frenetic legal world, disorganization can be extremely detrimental to productivity and efficiency. We decided to check with some lawyers and find out what the best apps are that lawyers are using in order to keep everything in the practice organized. 

Basecamp is a project management tool, and while it's not free any more, it's still the best project management service available. For ultimate case management, Basecamp can handle every aspect of a case including document management, file storage, calendar, to-do lists and other checklists, messaging services with other lawyers, clients or legal sources, and much more. And the best part- it's all contained on a single page, where every post or entry can have comments added by anyone involved in the project (or case).

Evernote seems like such as simple note-taking tool, but it can actually handle some of the toughest organizational tasks you can throw at it. Users can create notes, to-do lists, checklists, photos, audio clips and more, and can set reminders so that nothing is overlooked or forgotten. All case documents can be stored in Evernote, and can even be synced to other cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drove, Box, etc. By using cloudHQ to sync files from Evernote, users can even export all Evernote notes in PDF format, which is extremely useful considering that Evernote does not currently offer this feature.

Google Drive is the ultimate solution for cloud document management. You can create, revise, store and share legal documents directly from Google Drive. By using signing apps such as Docusign, users can even have clients or other legal sources legally sign the documents. With integration with many Google apps and services, users can use this powerful suite of document management tools to easily manage any case that comes their way.

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Keeping up to date on the latest technology isn't always the easiest thing to do, especially when you must keep your entire law firm up to date as well. Your secretary, legal aides, other lawyers- if you use technology to help you win cases, you are going to need everyone on the same page. If you plan on using Evernote for research capabilities, you need everyone you are working with to be familiar with how Evernote works.

The Evernote Web Clipper allows users to clip entire articles or excerpts of articles from the web, which makes snagging information for research purposes a breeze. Skitch for Evernote allows users to take a screenshot of only the part of the screen that is needed.

Google Scholar offers access to thousands of legal cases and pleadings, which can be accessed from any browser. This gives access to legal research to users who may not have proper access to other legal research archives. It also makes it simple to be able to quickly snag excerpts or snapshots from cases by using the Evernote features described above.

If you need to research in a hurry, most cloud services have mobile apps that can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet. If you find yourself in a position to need quick research, simply pull out your tablet or phone and start researching.

Research files stored in Evernote and Google Drive can be organized by specific cases so that all the information is easily searchable and organized in a structural format. Files can be easily revised, and can be shared quickly with other users.

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Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud services around. Originally offering 5 GB of storage space, Google recently announced they would be increasing the limit to 15 GB of storage space for users. Google makes is simple for users to create, edit, store and share files with other Google Drive users. 

You can improve Google Drive by using other Google features like Google Drive and Google Apps. With this suite of amazing tools you can create documents, slideshows, spreadsheets, diagrams, flowcharts, forms, floor plans and more. You can also send faxes, sign documents and edit photos. 

There are a number of useful extensions to help you customize Google Drive even more. You can use Drive Notepad to open notes and other documents that don’t require formatting. FloorPlanner allows users to create floor plans of homes and other structures. This is useful for homeowners looking to add on to their home or for people looking to build their own home.

For users looking to edit photos, there are a couple of useful extensions- Pixlr and PicMonkey. If you need to send faxes, Hello Fax offers 5 free pages with the option to upgrade if more pages are needed. 

One extremely useful extension is Save to Google Drive. This allows users to simply right-click on any file on their computer and save it to Google Drive with one click. If you need to snag some text from a web page but don’t want the formatting or pics, you can use Save Text to Google Drive to grab the text and instantly save it as a text document. 

With so much data stored in Google Drive, your best bet is to back it all up. Data loss can occur, but if you’re ready for it, you will remain unaffected. Cloud storage backup service cloudHQ allows users to back up all their files from Google Drive to another cloud service such as Dropbox, SkyDrive, Box and many more. This way, if data loss were to occur in Google Drive, you can simply switch over to Dropbox and restore. Synchronization is continuous and automatic so you don’t have to worry about manually backing up the data daily, it syncs the moment a new file is added or an existing file is revised. 

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Lawyers have strict ethics that must be adhered to when dealing with confidential client information. Cases can be jeopardized if information security is breached and data gets stolen or lost. Important documents relating to cases, photos, witness statements and other sources of information can be stolen by hackers or accidentally or maliciously deleted. Tablet use in the courtroom has recently exploded and if you are a lawyer using an iPad or other tablet in the courtroom, just how secure are the apps you are using?

Many apps are used on tablets and these apps include Dropbox and Google Apps- two of the most popular cloud apps available. Google Apps includes an entire suite of document creation, editing and sharing tools while Dropbox offers file storage with no file limits and the easiest file-sharing of any cloud services. But even these top cloud apps have experienced troubles. Dropbox has experienced a bug that deleted data while Google Drive also experienced issues that resulted in random data being deleted. A recent study of companies that use SaaS apps showed us that 1 out of 3 companies experienced data loss. 

The solution is cloudHQ. The cloudHQ service provides continuous replication between two cloud apps such as Dropbox and Google Drive. This ensures that if you just happen to be one of the few unlucky users that experience data loss, that it isn't gone forever. Actually, you can just switch to the backup app and restore your data instantly and easily. CloudHQ protects millions of files every day for many satisfied clients who can relax, knowing their data is backed up by the best cloud data replication and backup service around.

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One of the aspects of the cloud that causes the most concern for lawyers is security. Many lawyers are hesitant to store information on servers, especially since the government is currently attempting to pass laws that could affect just how secure the information really is. There also could be documents that are unable to be stored in digital format. Sometimes it is impossible to go completely paperless but it's much more efficient if you can. Here's a little Q & A for lawyers that have concerns about the cloud.

A: This question can be answered with either a yes or a no. The correct answer would be "it's up to you how secure it is." The security measures are there to correctly secure your data, all you need to do is implement them and maintain security to ensure that it doesn't get breached.

Passwords need to be as strong as possible to ensure that hackers cannot easily guess them. Even that may not be enough as there are computers that can process billions of passwords every second. This is a complicated process, however, and the hacker must obtain a copy of your password hash in advance. Most login protocols will lock the account if there are too many incorrect guesses, so this program, while very powerful indeed, will have a hard time bypassing most security measures.

Be sure to set permissions for accounts, folders and files that need special access privileges. Access should be restricted on a "need to know" basis. Email accounts, databases, cloud storage accounts, folders and files should have permissions set for any users that will have access to firm data.

Encryption should be used as much as possible. Many cloud storage providers already implement strong encryption for all data on their sites, but you should have extra encryption for the files on your office and home computers, laptops and mobile devices. This helps prevent unauthorized access to files and accounts if your device is ever stolen or hacked.

Be sure to have your settings so that your device does not connect automatically to unsecured Wi-Fi networks such as at a fast food restaurant, coffee shop, etc. There is hardware and software that can help prevent this from this happening.

Many cloud apps such as Dropbox, Google Apps and others offer two-factor authentication which means when you attempt to login to an account, a code is sent to your mobile device. This extra step only takes a few seconds and ensures that even if your password is hacked, laptop is stolen or even if a disgruntled employee decides to get revenge, they cannot access the account without a verification code sent to your mobile device.

A: Yes, you can practice safely and ethically in the cloud. As mentioned above, all of your data should be encrypted, whether it's cloud data or data stored on your hard drive or server. Most cloud storage providers automatically offer this for online data.

Protocols must be set that specifically define which information is to be accessed by whom and the level of access for staff and other employees or assistants that may require partial access to files.

Back to encryption- as an added security measure, files can be encrypted on your hard drive by a program such as TrueCrypt. This adds an extra level of encryption since once you store that file in the cloud, the cloud storage provider will add their level of encryption and the file is then twice as secure.

A: Again, this question has a yes and no answer. Most cloud storage providers give you a choice of which files and folders you want to sync to your computer. This means you have access to your files offline, you can edit them offline, and then when you are back in service, the files and revisions will automatically update to the cloud server.

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Evernote: Evernote is fastly becoming one of the most popular apps and hosts an array of useful features for individuals and companies. The mobile app allows users to quickly take notes, take snapshots, record audio files such as voice reminders and create documents such as to-do lists. It is also compatible with Evernote Business which allows users to capture, share, search and browse Business Notes and Business Notebooks directly from their mobile device.

All data stored in Evernote is automatically synced to all devices that have Evernote installed on them, so the notes and files you create on your smartphone will instantly be available on your tablet, desktop computer or laptop.

Evernote has an extremely useful tagging feature which allows for easy searching of notes, photos and other files. Then there are not-so-conventional features such as the ability to search for text within images and the ability to send emails and save tweets to Evernote.

The Web Clipper is an extremely useful tool that allows users to save web articles, clippings, photos, recipes and more to Evernote.

Dropbox: Dropbox is one of the most popular cloud storage services. It allows users to store photos, documents, videos and other files and access them on any device. It features continuous and automatic syncing between devices so you always have the same files on all devices as you update them. Even if your phone is lost or stolen, your data will still be available on any other devices that you have Dropbox on, the Dropbox website, and, as soon as you install Dropbox on your new phone, all your data will be available as soon as it syncs with the website.

Dropbox uses SSL, encryption and has additional authentication such as two-factor authentication that helps keep your data secure.

Dropbox has many useful features and allows users to edit documents while they are stored in Dropbox, email attachments can be saved directly to Dropbox and the sharing features are nothing short of amazing. A simple drag-and-drop file system allows users to instantly share files with other users simply by using their email address.

Google Drive: Google Drive is much more than just cloud storage provider. It also utilizes the powerful document suite of Google Docs which allows documents to be created, edited and stored. These documents can be accessed offline as well. PDFs, Microsoft Office documents and presentations can be viewed, spreadsheets can be viewed and edited, and all of these can be stored on Google Drive. This makes it simple to manage documents on the go as files can be uploaded directly from your android smartphone.

Files can be uploaded and converted to Google Docs format while documents can be downloaded in other formats including Microsoft Office. One interesting feature is the ability to take photos of printed text and then convert it to Google Docs format. Google Docs presentations can be viewed with speaker notes as well as full animations. Also, all documents can be printed directly from your smartphone by using Google Cloud Print.

Capsule CRM: Capsule is simple and flexible- the perfect CRM for small sales teams and businesses. It works in conjunction with Google Apps to provide a host of useful services. Capsule CRM allows users to easily maintain contacts and customers, as well as potential sales. To manage contacts, Capsule offers a business address book.

Google Apps already offers an entire suite of useful programs but Capsule provides a few extra features that fill in the gaps. Not only can Capsule be used with Google Apps but it also works with FreshBooks, Xero, FreeAgent and KashFlow. It can also be used directly from Google Apps navigation, there's no need for separate logins.

WordPress: The most popular blogging platform is available directly from your smartphone or tablet, complete with a dashboard for all your blogging needs. Add new posts, edit existing posts, upload images and moderate comments all from your device. From the menu, multiple blogs can be managed and when you exit the app, the last selection you make in the menu is saved so you can start right back where you left off.

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If you use Google Drive, then you know all about the powerful document creation and editing tools that Google Docs offers. However, for a lawyer or legal assistant on the go, there will probably be times when you find yourself without access to the internet, especially when traveling. You can spend this time snoozing or you can be more productive by accessing your documents offline so you can continue your work uninterrupted. Then, once you have internet access again, the changes will be synced to your Google Drive account.

Here are the steps to enable offline access for your computer or laptop (you need to do this BEFORE you no longer have internet access):

• Navigate to https://drive.google.com
• Click More on the left-hand side of the screen.
• Select Offline Docs.
• Setting up offline access is a two-step process. First, click the blue button that says Enable offline docs. After a few seconds, you'll be able to move on to the next step.
• On the right side of the dialog, click the blue button that says Install from Chrome web store. If you already have the app installed, you won't need to complete this step.
• You'll be taken to the Chrome web store. Click Add to Chrome in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
• Once the app is installed, you'll be taken to a Chrome page with the Google Drive app icon. To return to Drive, click the Google Drive icon.

Offline mode makes it easy to edit Documents and presentations no matter where you are. You can't edit everything offline, for instance- spreadsheets and drawings. Spreadsheets can be viewed, however. It should be noted that offline access is only available through Google Chrome, other browsers are unsupported at this time.

Over the last several years, 'Software as a Service' (SaaS) has changed the way many businesses, including law firms, manage their business. Before the cloud technology, all practice-related work had to be created, edited and stored on a firm computer or server. All work done in the field would have to be stored on a laptop until the user got back to the law firm and could transfer the data to the firm computer, or they could upload it by email. Both of those options are very time-consuming and are not an efficient way of doing business. Documents, important notes and photographs could get lost or accidentally deleted before they could be transferred to the main computer.

SaaS applications have changed the way documents can be created, edited and stored. Now documents can be created, photographs can be taken, and case files can be collaborated on by attorneys and clients- all while in the field by simply using mobile technology. Smartphones and tablets are quickly becoming the devices most commonly used in the field because documents can be created, edited and stored in the cloud and it automatically syncs to the online account and can be accessed by any authorized computers and devices (such as firm computers, tablets and smartphones).

Google Apps

Microsoft Office Web Apps

Dropbox

Evernote

Basecamp

Rocket Matter

Clio

Box

Sugarsync

Skydrive

Using these applications can make working a case so much more efficient, as work can be done from virtually anywhere. Communication and collaboration on notes, documents, and other files can also be completed at anytime, from anywhere. This throws the doors wide open- no more restrictions for setting up meetings with clients, or collaborating with coworkers or clients- it can be done at anytime. 

The organizational qualities of these programs help extend the capabilities even more, as documents can be created, photographs can be attached to documents, tags can be created for easy searching later and many of these programs have functions specifically made for organized project management. SaaS applications can practically transform an entire law firm, making it more efficient and overall more productive.