Exciting times! Having formed my new firm after the beginning of the year, I have gotten the website up and running. I’ll be using this Blog to post about my main three practice areas and other legal matters that pop up in the news or otherwise appear interesting (I know – “legal” and “interesting” are not two phrases that are immediately associated together, but they do intersect every now and then!)
I’ll be using the firm’s social media sites (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram) to also connect with my clients, friends, and the public at large. In the coming months, I’ll also be generating a newsletter and have other big plans as my firm grows.
Core Philosophies of Parks Zeigler, PLLC
I want to use this first blog post to discuss one of the core philosophies of the Parks Zeigler, PLLC. One of the primary reasons I formed my own firm is that I wanted to integrate modern technologies into the practice of law. Much like “legal” and “interesting” are not often associated together, the practice of law is usually at the low end of the technological spectrum; however, this does not have to be the case. My firm embraces modern technology and utilizes it to both streamline its practice and also allow for better client interaction. A few examples:
- Paperless Office – Every document generated and received by the firm is scanned in the system as word-searchable. This not only saves paper and physical space for the firm, it also enables for instant access to any document using keywords. Additionally, this process allows for immediate sharing of materials with clients and other counsel.
- Cloud-Based Systems – The firm’s practice management system (Clio) is cloud-based. What that means is that the program is hosted with the company behind Clio, behind bank-level encryption. Anyone at the firm can access any client file from anywhere (home computers, tablets, even smart phones). Because every document has been digitized, every document associated with a client is immediately accessible – both by the firm and by the client. Once documents are generated or received from an outside source, they are uploaded to Clio and the client is notified. The client then logs into the system at their convenience to review documents.
- Mobile Technology – Using a tablet gives me instant access to my firm and client files anywhere, anytime. At court I can present my case through the tablet and if something comes up during trial where I need to locate a document, I can keyword search every document instantly to locate what I need. If a judge or opposing counsel raises a new legal argument or mentions a case not previously discussed, it can be retrieved through my tablet for immediate review.
There are other examples of hardware and software that my firm uses in the practice of law, but this is a good sampling of the kinds of things we use to be more efficient for, and be more accessible to, our clients. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a technophile and remain informed of new technologies as they become available for future integration.
I look forward to this new chapter of my career – growing my firm and continuing to provide excellent legal services to my existing and future clients. I’d love to hear from you as time goes on about what we’re doing here at Parks Zeigler, PLLC.