A Fujitsu ScanSnap is like Paris: when people talk about it, you can’t imagine it living up to the hype. But when it’s your turn to take a look, all expectations are completely surpassed.

We couldn’t agree more. The ScanSnap is small, lightweight and incredibly fast at scanning documents, all without jamming or misfeeding. Did we mention it comes with Adobe Acrobat as well as ABBY FineReader to automatically convert documents into Word docs? At any rate, RocketMatter has a great post about how to use the ScanSnap in your practice to develop a cheap (the ScanSnap runs approx. $500) legal document scanning system. Coupled with a program like Hazel, this rivals the large scale document management programs the large firms have.

The article discusses how to set up Profiles for quick and easy document scanning to a folder. From there, scanning incoming mail, correspondence, photographs and whatever else you need scanned is a breeze. Head over to Part 1 and Part 2 to read the rest.

And if you’re not using a ScanSnap or aren’t using RocketMatter as your case management system, give Finis a call or shoot him an email and he will be more than happy to tell you why you should be using both.

When working on a motion, bankruptcy petition or just doing some research we often find ourselves flipping between screens. Some lawyers keep their windows set to a size that allows more than one document on the screen at a time, others use programs to let them flip around using hot keys.But with inexpensive technology comes better solutions to increase productivity. That’s why so many lawyers use multiple monitors to keep their workflow in check and make their lives easier.

Consider this – you’re working on a motion and need to get some research done. On one screen you’ve got your word processor of choice, and on the other you’ve got Westlaw (or Lexis or FastCase or LoisLaw or whatever). You can see both screens at full size at the same time, allowing you to get the job done more quickly.

Or you’re preparing a bankruptcy petition. One screen’s got your bankruptcy preparation software, the other has the client’s documents that have been scanned into your computer. Your desk is clean, your work moves ahead without a hitch.

How many monitors is enough? Well, that depends on you. For me, the limit is 2 – one laptop screen and a widescreen monitor capable of keeping two windows open at 95% each. I find that having more monitors gives me free reign to indulge a lack of concentration and maximize the potential for distraction. Sure, you can have a bunch of screens sitting around and look like you’re controlling a lunar landing. But why?

The brain can do only so many things at once without losing steam, and trying to multi-multi-multitask will only slow you down.

The convenience of using two or more monitors is astounding, but at some point too much is too much.
So, how many monitors do you use?

[Source Legal Practice Pro]

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For those not familiar with MILO (Macs in Law Offices), it is a listserve created for lawyers and law firms using Mac’s in their practice. Make sure to check it out as it is an invaluable resource for any attorney using a Mac. As for MILO Chat Weekly, it is a semi-weekly audio chat featuring our own Finis Price, Victor Medina, Ben Stevens and usually Grant Griffiths (though Grant was unavailable for Episode 4 due to his extensive input into Episode 3).