Author: William Burley
Currently, with the economic struggles of the country, many firms are putting more of a focus on telecommuting. I would guess this first started in late 2005. Due to ever increasing gas prices, furloughs, layoffs and general unease the virtual office is booming!
There is definitely a positive spin to having the ability to work from the comforts of your home. You can create your own schedule in most cases, there’s no need to get dressed up and the vast majority get more work produced at home. It seems like a win-win situation.
There is a possible downfall though that lies at the heart of the legal profession…CONFIDENTIALITY!
During the days of offices with paper mounds in the offices and file rooms, there were intricate controls over who handled the files. Only the file staff, if there were any, could even think about updating a file with the latest pleadings and Rule 11 Agreements that came into the office. You received your working copy and that was it until it was time for trial or the case settled. This is not so now. Many firms have made the significant and cost saving step of going ‘paperless.” The word is in quotation marks because I have yet to experience a truly paperless office with absolutely no files.
Many law firms are utilizing online document repositories that is like a program management software. They not only can upload and store documents in an electronic file room, they can assign tasks on the various matters being handled, remotely put you on the team for a particular case and keep track of the amount of work you’ve done as well as if you even logged on for the day. Don’t get me wrong…from a paralegal perspective, and a virtual one at that, I am more than a little happy that this type of technology is available. It makes the lives of everyone involved much simpler when it comes to working a case from the potential client interview to the trial and/or settlement.
With this ease, though comes a greater opportunity for confidential information to become “seen” by eyes that are electronic peeping toms. When e-mailing a document, uploading it to a file sharing program or using a virtual online office, there is a greater responsibility to ensure that no one outside the parameters of the firm can see what your clients have entrusted to you.
Below are some steps to take when working in a paperless and virtual environment:
Don’t use the Preview in your e-mail client.
While it’s very appealing to be able to simultaneously look at the contents of an e-mail and not have to click to open it, this can be a dangerous thing. Some viruses can be placed on your computer simply with this feature. Turn it off! We’ll have to raise that finger and double-click to open the message…the old fashioned way.
Were you supposed to get that attachment?
I know this will sound absolutely crazy in today’s age…but you do NOT have to open every attachment you receive!!! Not right away anyway.
You and one of your clients have set up a system of how you work. Client will normally call you and say, “Hey. I’m about to send you this file. It may be important to the case and this is why.” You then say thanks and get off the phone. You then receive an e-mail from Client. This is awesome and works just great…although you should still run a scan on the document before opening it.
One day, you receive an e-mail from Client and you haven’t spoken with them in a few weeks. Rather than simply opening the attachment, open a new message window and email Client to determine if they’ve sent an e-mail. This one, small extra step can save a huge headache.
I didn’t know I had a virus!
I would say 100% of the time a virus will catch us off guard. This is fine. Nothing to panic about yet. One sure fire way that you can alert yourself that something might be a little fishy is to set up a contact that is something like A or 1. Something that will give you the message that you’re trying to send an e-mail to someone that doesn’t exist. You may also get a dialogue box that tells you that there is no e-mail address to where you’re attempting to send an e-mail. This action can alert you to the fact that you need to change your password after you disconnect from the internet and run a virus scan on your computer.
When was the last time you backed up?
If you’re like most of us, then you don’t ever remember doing this…or it’s been a few months. This is simply unacceptable. You should set a schedule for backing up your information.
It’s a pretty safe bet to do a back up once a week, on Friday when you work in a firm. There’s tons of information that gets saved and changed during the course of a regular week…not to mention if there’s some litigation going on. Schedule this action for Friday right before you get to leave for the weekend. It will save you from having a panic attack if information is jeopardized.
Taking simple steps can save tons of time and money when working in a paperless, virtual office. It is up to each firm and each employee, contract or full time, to take those steps that will protect the client and the firm from having all the secrets spilled in the cyber world.
William Burley is the Managing member of Burley-Wilson & Associates, L.L.C., a virtual paralegal services firm located in Houston, Texas. He has over eleven years experience as a paralegal in litigation, labor and employment, social security disability and a host of other practice areas. William is also the founder and board chair of a Texas based non-profit organization dedicated to serving a vulnerable segment of the community.
William Burley has motivational conversations with groups and may be booked for webinars and other meetings. He may be reached by e-mail at wburley@burley-wilson.com or by visiting his website at www.burley-wilson.com.
Burley-Wilson & Associates 