November 18, 2005
Gadgets and People at the Wisconsin Law & Technology Conference
The Wisconsin Bar has always been a leading force in advancing the cause of technology in law firms. So it is not surprising that the Wisconsin Law & Technology Conference & Expo would draw an outstanding faculty from all over the country. I had the pleasure of having dinner last week with some remarkable people who are making a difference in the business of law.
One of those was Craig Ball. Craig is an outstanding attorney and a super hero computer geek. Selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America and a Texas Super Lawyer, Craig is also a past recipient of the State Bar of Texas Presidents’ Award, the Bar’s highest service award. He writes, lectures, consults and serves as a special master and expert witness on computer forensics, e-discovery, cyber sleuthing, portal development and courtroom presentation.
Then there is high-energy Ross Kodner. Ross is the man at this Conference. He has been the guiding force behind it since 2002. He is a Wisconsin lawyer and founder of Milwaukee’s MicroLaw, Inc., an international legal technology consultancy, guiding law firms through the process of better integrating technology into the workflow of their practices. The best way I can describe Ross is to say he is a “Renaissance Man”. He has an amazing breadth of knowledge - from wines and cars to techno-gadgets.
The two teamed up with other notables (Dave Bilinsky, Mary Koshollek, Bonnie Shuchaz and Dale Tincher) for a 60 Tips opening session. The gadget that is a must-have for me is a little travel device that converts your high-speed hotel connection into a wireless network. I searched Amazon.com for D-Link DWL-G730AP Wireless Pocket Router and it is available for $55.99. Some of the other far-out gadgets included a new MP3 player that is a 1” cube that weighs less than an ounce and comes in seven colors. Could you use a keyboard with a junk drawer? The duo introduced their audience to one—lift the top of the keyboard and you find divided compartments for desktop things. Prefer the old- fashioned telephone handset over your tiny cell phone? Ross pointed to a retro handset that plugs into a headphone jack or standard cell phone! Finally, get a load of this—a Sidecar System that allows you to view 6 monitors at once. Ross explained he needs it because he is a lawyer. If you have six different matters up at the same time, can you bill all six for that time?
If you want to know more about any of the above, I suggest you e-mail Ross at rkodner@microlaw.com.
The Wisconsin Law & Technology Conference is a product of the Milwaukee Bar but it clearly assembles speakers of national importance and, as a one day conference, is worth considering when you start thinking about CLE credits for 2006. You can keep up with the planning for 2006 conferences by going to the Milwaukee Bar Web site, www.milwbar.org.
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