Tips for Using Technology to Automate Your Firm

Today, technology must be utilized effectively to manage the torrent of info coming your way. The more that can be automated by machine, the better.

We've done pieces on technology and the law before, and today the saga continues. Here are a few more programs to consider for your firm.

Blogging Automation Strategies

If you don't like to write, you must be having a tough life as a lawyer. Most notable firms designate column writing (now blogging) duties to associates, but partners will occasionally write about the really interesting cases with the most novel issues. The ability for partners to write a piece that is relevant to their area of practice lends the firm an air of legitimacy.

Blogging is hard work and takes up valuable time. There's no getting around that. But some programs like WordPress allow you to write your pieces all at once and program your account to automatically publish without your constantly. Additionally, auto email generators have been utilized by law firms almost like another ad generating machine. For example, MailChimp comes to mind.

For a more sophisticated approach to blogging automation, you can take advantage of the blogging services offered by FindLaw's Lawyer Marketing.

Social Media Dashboards

Your firm's online presence is increasingly becoming a requirement. Who looks for law firms via paper anymore? But just having a website doesn't mean you're thriving. It just means you're not dead. Then you have to consider social media.

But social media accounts can be a hassle to juggle. This is why you should consider social media dashboards. Hootsuite is arguably the Internet's most popular social media management program. This is less an automation technique as it is a consolidation technique -- which is no less an important function.

Online Tools for Hiring Staff

If you're large enough to approach the point of needing a program to handle all the resumes landing in your inbox, you must be doing something right. A number of online tools are available in the vein of Recruiterbox that allow firms to track applications, respond to them, etc.

Some programs will filter out resumes by keywords and tags, though. Although this sounds like a good idea, keep in mind that it also has potential effect of being gamed (i.e. black-hat techniques) or will cause you to pass up highly qualified applicants. Therefore, relying blindly on an algorithm can have its downsides.

Related Resources:

• Today's Tech: How A Business Lawyer Uses Document Automation In His Practice (Above The Law)
• Robot Attorneys: Will Machine Intelligence Replace Lawyers? (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
• The Latest in 'Technology Will Make Lawyers Obsolete!' (FindLaw's Technologist)
• We (Lawyers) Just Got Replaced By a Contract-Drafting App (FindLaw's Technologist)