10 Must-Have Apps for the Mac Using Solo Practitioner

My blogging friend, Rick Georges of the Future Lawyer had a recent article at Law.com. He wrote about Ten apps for the solo practitioner. I know Rick does this just to cause me to write up an answer to his post. As he mentions in his post, he stuck to Windoze based stuff. And like Rick, I am going to stick to what I know and that would be applications I use in my own solo practice.

1. First and foremost on my list is Mac OSX itself. Now, I know what you are thinking, that is an operating system and not an application. However consider for a moment building an office and where you should start. The foundation and it should be as stable, strong and reliable as possible. Mac OSX gives you that. But it also gives you more. Not only is it a wonderful OS, it provides four of the applications I use everyday in my solo practice.

iChat

iCal

Mail

Address Book

I use each one every single day and would not want to operate my practice without them. Best of all, all four will integrate into other programs which I will discuss in future posts.

2. Second is my word processor of choice, NeoOffice.

NeoOffice is a fully-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.

Released as free, open source software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements and small updates are made available on a regular basis.

3. Next, and one that I have discussed before is Circus Ponies Notebook. It's a combination outliner and free-form database that lets you clip, annotate, and share unstructured information. Organize your information using a familiar notebook interface complete with pages and tabs. Best of all you can organize a case in a way that makes sense to you. Not the way the software company believes it should be done. You can import photos, images, film clips, and sounds directly into Notebook from ay source. Display embedded media in your Notebook in Media Frames that give you control over the media item. Import any kind of content from the web or from other Mac apps using NoteBook's built-in Clipping Services. Copy text and other content directly into your Notebooks without leaving whatever app you are working in. You can even pre-edit clippings before sending them to your Notebook.

Notebook includes tabs on the right side just like a trial notebook. I set mine up like a Bindertek trial notebook. Labeled and color coded just like a hardcopy notebook. However, with Notebook, I can assure you one thing, I can find my information faster than an attorney using a hard copy, like a trial notebook. And I can use my Notebook version to present information and exhibits in court.

Notebook also works with iCal where you can set and manage alarms and to do's for your case.

4. Like Rick, I too use Skype. It truly is a great tool for the law office. I bought the SkypeOut service for just over $29.00 per year. I can call unlimited nationwide numbers all I want. I have it set up so that my BT ear piece connects to the calls I make and receive on Skype. And actually, Rick and I have visited often using Skype. Get it, you won't be sorry you did.

5. Pagesender is my built in fax service. It is a great software that sits on my file/fax server, Mac Mini. I use the same phone line that I use for my DSL service so I only have to tie up one line for both those useful tools. All faxes come into my office as PDF’s which I than store directly to my clients virtual file folder. If I am out of the office, my faxes are emailed to me no matter where I am at. And when I need to sign something that comes in as a fax, I don't even print it. I sign it with the next application listed below.

6. With PDFpenPro I can Fill out PDF forms and edit PDFs easily. Split, combine, reorder, sign and augment PDFs with text, image overlays & watermarks. Signing is as easy as inserting my signature which is saved to my desktop onto any document I want. In my humble opinion, I just don't see how you could have a paperLESS office without this application.

7. Keynote 3 is not a replacement for PowerPoint. But a better solution for those presentations we might make as a lawyer.

Cinema-quality presentations for everyone -- with ease. Keynote puts you in the director’s chair and gives you complete control over how you build and deliver your presentation.

8. For postage I no longer go to the post office to get my stamps. I use endicia for Mac. You can print mailing labels, envelopes and InstaPostage labels with ease. Print real postage from your Mac. No more standing in long lines at the post office. It works with Apple’s Address Book and the next program I discuss below.

9. EasyTime billing program is my billing program of choice now. It is written by a Mac using developer for the Mac using attorney.

• easily manage clients and cases
• address book integration
• retainer billing
• multiple rates per timekeeper
• unlimited task & case notes
• task timer
• user shortcuts
• fully customizable invoices and reports
• batch invoice printing with automatic email option
• postage printing via Endicia (US customers only)
• link external documents to client & case
• assign persons (attorneys, witnesses, adjusters, etc.)
• contact overview and phone call reminder

EasyTime will develop into a full time billing, case and document managing system.

10. Finally, Basecamp is a must have practice tool. In my own practice, Basecamp is used to manage cases and clients. Each client has access to their own case. By using Basecamp, each has access too all the documents in their case and also know when important court dates are. They can leave comments or questions about their case and they can keep up on the progress of their case. It keeps clients more involved in the process.

There you have it, ten of the must have apps for the Mac using solo practitioner. I would love to have as many of you post comments here telling me what applications you feel are a must have. Lets keep the conversation going.

Oh and by the way Ben Cowgill do you have a list for the windoze using attorney? And you thought us Mac using attorneys did not have any software. I actually had to stop at ten. There is a ton more and if enough interest is expressed, I will do a follow up to this post in the near future.

Comments

[Maryland Lawyer]

Belated comment to this old post, but I would love to hear how you handle trust accounting with the software mentioned. Obviously essential, but I don't see how one could manage it on the software listed.
I too run my own law practice on macs with the glaring exception of QuickBooks premier professional services edition on a PC. I have yet to find ANY reasonably priced mac software to handle the accounting demands of a small law practice. Thanks in advance for your response!

[Don]

Grant,

I guess I am a bit delayed in leaving this comment, but I wanted you to know that I, too, appreciate your top ten list. I also appreciate all the work you do as I have been contemplating the possibility of going solo when I leave the Air Force in September. I might just be the solo practitioner to your North, in Johnson County, Nebraska.

Keep on truckin,

[Long]

I've been fascinated with your use of Basecamp but I'm not sure how you use it. I signed up for a free run with BCamp and just don't find it intuitive enough.

How do you convince clients who aren't web savvy to jump on board with BCamp? What about privelege, confidentiality?

Maybe a screen capture video of you using it would be helpful!? (Or perhaps contact the BCamp developers and see if they'll let you guest host a show on how lawyers can benefit?)

[Grant Griffiths]

Dear Anonymous -- I do plan to follow up with more “Must-Have Apps” for the Mac using solo. There are so many I had to limit it to only 10 in my first post. Thanks for reading the HOL and please post comments as to what all you readers are using for Mac Apps in your own practice.

[Anonymous]

Please do a follow-up and continue the list beyond the Top 10. How about the Top 20 or 25? Thanks much.

[Solo Dreamer]

Grant, I was hoping Rick's post would get this kind of rise out of you! I'm a proud Mac user as well, but I have a lot of exploring yet to do with the Mac system for my soon-to-be firm. This information will keep me busy over the next week checking it all out. Thanks for the insight and for steadying the ship in this Windoze world.