Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California

Torsten Bassell LARI-JONI & BASSELL, LLP September 2020

Choose the right hardware and software for the remote workplace WHETHER YOU CHOOSE TO WORK FROM HOME OR NEED TO, THESE TOOLS WILL MAKE YOUR LAW FIRM MORE PRODUCTIVE At the outset of my career, the It was only a few years later that my Selecting the best server to handle managing partner walked down the hall partner and I started our law firm. In the your files and dropped a thick file on my desk. He ensuing ten years, we witnessed The computer server is the heart of was able to keep the file from bursting at exponential changes in the practice of your entire practice. It is the central the seams by securing it with an oversized law due to technological advances. depository for all your essential data. rubber band. When I eventually opened During that time, we adopted and However, it is more than just a backup the file, pieces of paper flooded out onto implemented a variety of hardware and location. The server you choose must be my desk. The two-prong fasteners had software into our practice, which able to synchronize your files immediately reached their limit. Nevertheless, it was increased our efficiency and helped us across each and every device that my job to digest the file and lug it with work remotely. connects to it. For example, if a coworker me to court. While there are many options to wants to update a pleading remotely, you When I began my practice 13 years choose from for your individual practice, need to be confident that the coworker ago, this was a normal scene. It was more we highly recommend the technology will be accessing the most up-to-date convenient to stuff everything into one discussed in this article based on our own version of that pleading. file for the purposes of accessibility. There personal experience with the products. In addition to synchronization, a law were no PDFs in the server and attorneys The recommendations are the result of firm’s server needs to come packaged rarely corresponded by e-. You wrote years of trial and error. We hope these with a user-friendly interface for tablets everything down in a paper and products will help streamline your and phones. The quality of the user you knew exactly how long it would take practice at a time when major overhauls interface on mobile devices, such as for a messenger to get downtown to file are required. When reading these phones and tablets, is crucial for your papers. With a clown-size briefcase recommendations, please keep in situations where you are in court or where at your side, you traveled for hours to mind that the majority of products are you are working remotely without a appear in some remote location for 15 completely compatible with both Apple computer. The interface allows you to pull minutes. and Windows-based systems. See Bassell, Next Page Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California

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SeptemberMay 2020 2020

up documents on the fly, such as when need to do is to you need to fact-check the arguments download the made by opposing counsel during a SugarSync hearing. It allows you to quickly pull up a application onto document to discuss it with an employee any device that or coworker no matter where you are or needs to access the what you are doing. law firm’s files. As If your firm handles a significant the administrator, amount of media such as video you still control depositions, the server must also be access to every capable of handling video transcoding. A folder and server with high-quality video transcoding subfolder by using capabilities allows you to view large video the permissions files remotely. Unfortunately, there are a settings to grant number of hardware manufactures or access on a per-user “cloud servers,” which provide inadequate basis. In other SugarSync for file sharing video transcoding in the cloud. Therefore, words, you can your firm cannot blindly assume that just grant access to the main sync folder, but additional tool in your practice, rather any “cloud service” will meet your needs. then restrict access to a particular than a replacement for SugarSync or a At a minimum, you need to obtain a cloud subfolder within the main sync folder. dedicated server. SugarSync has a file- service from a reliable third-party provider SugarSync is similar to Dropbox in sharing feature as well, but DropBox is so with the ability to quickly “transcode on many ways, however it provides certain ubiquitous that it makes sense to have the fly.” Preferably, you should purchase enhanced features that make it superior as both available to your practice. your own standalone server and enable a law firm’s server. SugarSync allows you to We elected to use SugarSync in the first cloud services on it through your internet sync any folders from any computer and few years of our practice because it was a connection, which is much easier to do control access to each separate folder you useful and effective platform for remote than you might expect. choose to sync. With Dropbox, you must access. In a court hearing or trial, I regularly use a specific Dropbox folder as the main used it to quickly access documents and case Cloud-based servers repository, which limits the syncing materials during evidentiary arguments. In our experience, the two best possibilities to those items within the However, as our practice grew, I discovered a options for a law firm server are SugarSync Dropbox folder. Dropbox also provides drawback to SugarSync’s platform with for a cloud-based server and QNAP for a fewer customization options for controlling respect to syncing large amounts of data standalone server. With regard to access to certain folders and files. across certain computers (drawback not SugarSync, it is a third-party cloud-based SugarSync also offers a plug-in for applicable to mobile devices). system. The SugarSync platform keeps all which adds greater Specifically, SugarSync works by your data on an external server and syncs functionality than what Dropbox offers. creating a full independent copy of all designated folders from any computer you Most importantly, the ease and efficiency files and folders across the synced non- choose. It is an option when you do not of accessing your files remotely on a mobile mobile devices (i.e., office computers, want to own or operate your own device or tablet is far superior to Dropbox home computers, and laptops). In other standalone server in your office. or any other cloud providers we have tried. words, the files live on each of the SugarSync is very easy to use and The app is simply fantastic. computers that have access to those sync gives you access to your files on every folders (this is how the earlier versions of device. You begin by taking all your data The ubiquitous Dropbox Dropbox worked as well). This becomes a and organizing it into a set of folders on With that said, Dropbox still has its problem for those law firms with large any computer you own. Once you finish place and is a useful tool to employ in case files, because the size of the sync organizing the folders, subfolders, and your practice. Dropbox’s ability to quickly folders can take up the majority of a their files, you download the SugarSync generate public links in order to share laptop’s hard drive space. If the total size application and use it to designate the files makes it useful in a variety of of your law firm’s data is less than 250 main folder you want to sync across all situations. For example, we like to use gigabytes, then this should not pose a authorized devices. Dropbox’s public link feature to share our problem. However, once your server After those steps are completed, experts’ document production with begins to grow into terabytes of data, it everyone at your firm is able to sync the opposing counsel. However, we personally may make sense to transition to a same folders across their devices. All they recommend using Dropbox as an See Bassell, Next Page Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California

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SeptemberMay 2020 2020

standalone server rather than a third- As for the speeds when accessing files However, you must realize that any time party cloud service. remotely, QNAP offers a feature called you use a third-party provider to facilitate “port trunking” (aka LACP – link keeping your data in the cloud, you are Standalone servers aggregation control protocol), which allowing your data to be routed through It is very easy to switch to a provides two crucial features in the their servers. For that reason, I highly standalone server and it does not require remote-work setting: increased bandwidth recommend that law offices use a static significant expertise to set up. The and load balancing for multiple clients. In IP for enhanced security. products available today are manufactured other words, LACP allows multiple For those who do not know, an IP with the consumer market in mind, rather employees to connect simultaneously to address stands for an “Internet Protocol” than only catering to businesses and IT the remote NAS server without noticeably address. It is a unique set of numbers that professionals. One such product that a law slowing the server down. Additionally, if are assigned to your specific internet firm of any size can use is a high-end there are only a few connections at one connection. An IP address acts like a network attached storage device (NAS). time, LACP can result in faster speeds for street address of sorts and tells the NAS drives are like a backup hard remote connections than you could outside world where to find you on the drive on steroids. They achieve without link aggregation. It works internet. IP addresses are assigned by do everything that the cloud servers offer by combining the speeds of multiple your internet service provider (ISP) when and much more. The products from two ethernet ports on the back of the NAS you use their service. For example, particular companies are your best server. All you need to do is to connect Spectrum and Frontier are ISPs that will options: QNAP and Synology. Both more than one ethernet port on the NAS sell you internet service for your home or companies offer excellent products and to more than one ethernet port on your business. However, when they sell you you should research both when evaluating router. Once the connections are made, residential service, they typically will only the right server for your firm. However, you visit the user portal for your NAS allow you to have a dynamic IP address we personally recommend a QNAP NAS and simply enable the link aggregation rather than a static IP address. over Synology for a variety of reasons. on those ports. This feature helps With a dynamic IP address, the ISPs are Over the years, QNAP focused on significantly when you have multiple users constantly changing the IP address assigned building machines with certain cutting- remotely accessing the server at the same to you. For example, if you have a dynamic edge technologies not originally employed time. address, then on a Monday you might by Synology. A perfect example is QNAP also provides a free cloud connect to the internet and have an IP Thunderbolt 3 QNAP devices. They service to access your QNAP server if address of 67.151.189.60, whereas on provide faster file accessibility to Apple you do not want to set up the QNAP as Tuesday the address might change to computers and many Windows computers, a standalone server through a static IP. 98.314.687.22. The constant change is which use Thunderbolt 3 ports. Whether you use their free cloud service related to the fact that it is more cost To put the speeds of Thunderbolt 3 to access your unit or you use a static IP, effective for an ISP to randomly assign IP into perspective, if you transferred 20 QNAP provides a variety of free software addresses to its customers than to reserve a gigabytes of video depositions to a QNAP applications to allow you to remotely access specific set of numbers for a specific person. server through its Thunderbolt 3 port, your entire server from any computer, In contrast, a static IP address is a the transfer would be completed in less phone or tablet. QNAP also provides sync permanent fixed address that never than a minute. If you tried transferring software, which allows you to sync the server changes. ISPs typically only offer static the same video depositions with a files with another QNAP server, Dropbox, IPs to business customers. If you have a traditional USB flash drive, you would be Microsoft, or other cloud services. business account for your internet, it lucky to have the transfer complete within typically will not cost much to request a 20 minutes. These speed differences Do you know where your data is? static IP address. For this reason, we make a major impact if you need to A word of caution though with regard recommend obtaining a static IP address, transfer a big set of files from the server to using QNAP’s servers or any third-party because it guarantees that you can easily onto the laptop for use at trial. servers to make your cloud connection. As find your server directly on the internet Additionally, since QNAP offers a 10GbE a society, we have become very comfortable at all times without having to use a third- converter for Thunderbolt 3, the file with using a variety of technologies that party cloud service. Effectively, it creates a transfer speeds to all computers in are “in the cloud” because of the direct line of communication from your the physical office location is greatly convenience of the technologies. For computer/device to your server. enhanced as well. These distinctions example, nobody seems to care what route With that said, your communications are important, because speed is crucial their data takes when traveling between to your server must still travel through a when you want to maximize a firm’s their computers and Dropbox. People long network of streets in order to reach its productivity. mostly just want it to be readily available. 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destination. For that reason, all QNAP server can be kept at any location that and reliable connection to your office devices come with VPN software included, has a wireless router. computer from your home computer. which provides additional security Despite their small footprint, they All you need is to install the software on confidence for those seeking tunneled still carry significant storage room for both computers and create login details. access to their server. A VPN creates a your firm data. The NAS units allow you After that, you simply open the Jump secure connection between devices such to aggregate the storage capacity of each Desktop application on your home that it is similar to the two devices being on separate hard drive inserted into the NAS computer and double click the the same private network. It makes sure unit by combining them in a RAID setup connection to your work computer. The that no onlookers happen to catch a (RAID is a technology that writes your result will be that your work computer’s glimpse of your communications when they data to more than one disk drive, in case desktop will appear before you and you are in route to the server and vice versa. one should fail). For example, if you can operate it remotely as though you QNAP also increases security by bought four 10-terabyte hard drives and were sitting in your office in front of allowing you to automatically block used them in RAID 0 setup, your storage that computer. If you like the software certain IP addresses from connecting to capacity would be almost 40 terabytes and have a few employees you wish to your server. The security settings QNAP (i.e., a boatload of space). give access to as well, Jump Desktop provides allows you to set certain criteria recently released Jump Desktop for that will block anyone who attempts to Remote access to your office computer Teams, which is a paid version of their connect to your server that fit that For those solo practitioners who find software that allows an entire firm to criteria. A perfect example is a brute-force the prospect of getting cloud service or a access their work computers from their attack where an attacker attempts to standalone server too intimidating, there is home computers. submit many variations of potential a simple alternative to provide you with Although I do not use Jump Desktop passwords for an administrator’s account. quick remote access to your work computer. for work, I do use it for personal tasks If the server allowed unlimited attempts Let’s say that you maintain a small and highly recommend it. It was an easy to guess the password, then eventually the office and everything you have is on your option to use to help my parents and in- brute-force attack would be successful. work computer at the office. You do not laws when they ran into problems However, QNAP allows you to specify that want to move the work computer to with their computers. With that said, certain IP addresses will be banned after a your home, but you still want to be able I recommend that you avoid doing the certain number of unsuccessful log-in to use your home computer to access same, because it does not take long before attempts. But don’t worry, you can always any files when you need them. A quick you will be the one whom everyone calls remove an IP address from the ban list if and free option is to use software called to fix their computer when it runs out of you inadvertently forgot your password Jump Desktop (a competitor to the battery. and banned yourself. better- known LogMeIn.Com). The Another very useful feature is QNAP’s software allows you to create a secure See Bassell, Next Page integrated virtualization software. The virtualization software is extremely useful for Apple users who need to use Windows-based, legal forms software. The virtualization software allows you to create a “virtual machine,” which is an independent Windows operating system that is accessible on the NAS. Once set up, the administrator of the NAS installs forms software and other Windows-only software onto the virtual machine. With the virtual machine created in this fashion, an Apple user can remotely connect to the virtual machine through any web browser and use it to print forms that are only available on Windows systems. Finally, one of the most attractive things about these NAS units is their size. Many models are slightly bigger than a shoebox, which means that a law firm’s A QNAP server Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California

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Calendaring, word processing, and collaboration As an Apple loyalist since the 1980s, I spent many years avoiding the use of Microsoft products. However, Corel stopped making WordPerfect for Mac twenty years ago and Microsoft Word became the only word processing software that made any sense to use. I still held out against using Microsoft Outlook and Exchange, but inevitably Microsoft’s suite of software (in conjunction with third-party add-ons) became too attractive to avoid when they started the Office 365 subscription program. The MS Office 365 subscription service provides a rich suite of products for law offices. The 365 subscription service (“365”) is the most comprehensive and useful software system for your firm – period. Even if you only subscribe to the standard 365 business , the per-user cost is only $12.50 per month, which is an incredible bargain. In exchange for your payment, Microsoft provides you with the following applications: Word (word processing), Outlook ( and calendaring), Excel (spreadsheets), Kaizala (mobile chat for work), Planner (task assignments and progress monitor), PowerPoint (presentations), Teams (customizable chat-based team workspace), Project (project planning and assignments), Delve (insights and monitoring of latest work), OneNote (note creation and syncing), Bookings (organizational appointment management), and so much more. The Office 365 plan also allows you to have your entire email system hosted through Microsoft with 50GB of storage per mailbox. You still keep your law firm’s domain and all LawToolBox is useful for calendaring. your prior email transfers over. In other words, the 365 program context – LawToolBox. The LawToolBox last day to serve discovery, the last day to provides you with the applications you need “add-on” integrates directly into the file certain motions, and a host of other to collaborate with your employees and Microsoft Outlook application. It adds entries that are dependent on a trial date. coworkers while working remotely. It buttons to Outlook, which allows anyone in If opposing counsel serves a motion, facilitates quick communication and helps the firm to enter a new calendar entry that an employee can enter the hearing date to manage tasks throughout the firm. will automatically populate all related dates and it will auto-populate the entire In addition, when Microsoft introduced into the firm’s calendar. For example, when calendar with all related opposition and third-party “add-ons,” it expanded the you get a trial date assigned, you enter the reply brief deadlines. Each employee can technological options available to law firms. trial date into the add-on for the particular then choose whether to add particular One third-party “add-on” is case and it will automatically create entries to their personal calendar from particularly useful in the calendaring calendar entries for discovery cut-off, the the shared calendar. Journal of Consumer Attorneys Associations for Southern California

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Many years ago, I used the popular the pandemic. This presents difficulty employees have a stack of the envelopes CompuLaw calendaring software. with staff spread across multiple locations at home, you have the ability to print However, in my experience, the Law- and the mail machine stuck at the office priority mail postage onto an ordinary ToolBox add-on is a superior option and with the envelopes and stationery. If you piece of paper and adhere it to the its integration into the Microsoft Office find yourself in need of a temporary envelopes for mailing. This gives you a suite of programs is seamless. Due to its solution to allow yourself or your staff to great solution in the short term while ease of use, the popular case-management mail out documents from home, then an staff is divided, so long as everyone has software provider Clio partnered with the account and software from Endicia may a printer and one computer at home. LawToolBox to integrate its functions into be the solution. their case management software. Endicia operates similarly to Pitney Other options? Regardless of whether you choose to use Bowes, Stamps.com or other third-party The solutions described in this article separate case management software, the services. Endicia allows you to print are only some of the options available to combination of the Microsoft 365 plan postage directly onto an envelope without you. I am not preaching that these are the with the LawToolBox add-on will help the need for stamps. A benefit that Endicia only solutions for your practice. However, improve productivity and efficiency while has over other postage companies is that during times like these, many firms do working remotely, as well as keep the it offers software for both Apple and not have the luxury of spending time calendar on track while everyone works Windows users. This provides your firm going through the process of trial and from different locations. with greater flexibility since you may find error with new technologies. For that that the firm’s staff members have different reason, based on our own experience with Software for mailing documents from types of computers at home. these products, we highly recommend home If you create an account with Endicia, them if you are searching for solutions The rise of COVID-19 has increased every member of your firm can use the to help you transition to operating your the frequency with which the service of software remotely from home to print firm remotely. documents occurs electronically. To a postage. All that they need is paper in certain extent, I believe this to be a their printer and envelopes. With regard Torsten Bassell is a trial attorney at positive change. After all, there really is to envelopes, most mailings that are Lari-Joni & Bassell, LLP, where he handles no need for the legal community to important enough to go out in the mail at trials and appeals in both personal injury continue printing so many documents this time will likely be a decently thick and insurance bad faith cases. He is an active when they can be delivered electronically. stack of papers. If that is the case, you are member of ABOTA and is a member of With any luck, the courts will fully easily able to order Priority Mail Flat-Rate CAALA’s Board of Governors. He also serves transition as well, and we will no longer envelopes from USPS. as an update author for Jefferson’s California have to drag five sets of exhibit binders On their website, the postal service Evidence Benchbook. to every single trial. will let you order as many as you need With that said, there still remains a and not charge you for delivering the need to mail out documents even during envelopes to you. Once you and your Y