The Kennedy-Mighell Report

The new year is the perfect time to breathe some life into your approach to technology. Even small accomplishments can bring you big results. Where should you begin and what priorities should you set? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell survey what technology resolutions lawyers are making for 2011, how to narrow down your list of choices, and, most importantly, how best to ma...

What are the hot questions in legal technology today? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take on audience questions on legal technology and give you their best answers. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did technology rock the legal world in 2010 or was it a sleepy little year for legal tech? What were the tech highlights and lowlights for 2010? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell offer up a wide-ranging, fast-paced and highly-opinionated review of what transpired in legal technology in 2010. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same na...

There are lots of technology resources and conferences for large firms and small firms. Mid-sized law firms often feel that needed information and resources can be difficult or even impossible to find. Where can mid-sized firms get appropriately-focused technology assistance? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell and special guest host, Catherine Sanders Reach talk about the uni...

Facebook has just announced its new Facebook Messages, which has been referred to as "Facebook email" or a "Gmail killer." It’s not exactly email, but it does aim to centralize all of our messaging in the Facebook platform. Given Facebook’s scope, is this a game-changer? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take a look at Facebook Messages and its implications, how social media...

With law firms cutting back or eliminating summer internships and law schools focusing on teaching theoretical legal concepts, law students find themselves in a difficult position in a difficult market. How can law students learn needed practical skills, including how to use legal technology? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell talk to Professor Clark D. Cunningham from Georgi...

Traveling with technology today has, simultaneously, gotten both easier and harder. On the road, you need to be resourceful and give yourself plenty of options to meet unexpected challenges. At the same time, you still want to “pack light.” In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell share their notes and experiences from a recent trip, offer some of their best travel tips, and make a...

Internet search is only half of the equation. Many times, you simply want to return to a site you had previously found. Managing bookmarks and favorites has long been a less-than-satisfying experience. Why is this simple concept so difficult in practice? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss recent developments in bookmark management, different approaches and tools you m...

You go to Google and find the new "instant search" feature has been turned on for you. You upgrade a program and find that all of your personalized settings have been reset to the program defaults. Facebook changes privacy settings. Twitter surprises you with a new interface. Why do technology companies seem to think that they can make these changes for us? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy...

The word on the street is that associates and young partners are very unhappy with the state of technology in their law firms. The results of a new survey of associate satisfaction tells us just how unhappy associates might be. Or might not be. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell dive into the results of the 2010 American Lawyer Associates Survey, what the answers reveal about...

In real estate and on the Internet today, the key is location, location, location. Facebook Places, Google Latitude and Foursquare have opened our eyes to the potential benefits and concerns of geolocation services and features. Why are we voluntarily and publicly disclosing so much personal location information today? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss the growing ro...

The conventional wisdom has long been that your website, or perhaps your blog, should be at the core of your web presence. Today, your Internet presence is likely to consist of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts, and a variety of other places people can find you. Is this expansion of "presence" changing the common wisdom and bringing us to what's been called the "Siteless...

Lawyers have started to dabble in listening to and creating podcasts. Most of the emphasis we see is on how to create podcasts. However, listening regularly to podcasts can bring you a treasure trove of timely and practical information, especially if you don't have time to read everything in your "to read" stack. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell offer some great tips and te...

"Do more with less" is a mantra of the day. One of the great promises of the day is that technology will organize and optimize us, as computers take over the work we don't need to do and make our lives easier. The reality feels more like a jammed email inbox, a mountain of to-do lists and technology we often fight with. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell and special guest All...

It's what you do with the technology after you get it that really matters. A hot area these days in legal technology is the use of technology for project management, especially in e-discovery. But e-discovery is not the only place we're seeing project management discussions. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take a look at the impact project management concerns will play in...

The demand for pre-orders for the new iPhone 4 knocked out the AT&T order site on the first day. It seems like someone announces a new Android phone every few days. HP recently bought Palm. And the love affair between lawyers and BlackBerries seems to be cooling off . . . maybe. There's never been a more confusing time to be looking for a smartphone. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and To...

Law firms tend to struggle with setting technology strategies. They get as far as forming technology committees, yet often give them little or no direction. Are there some simple ways to set your underlying technology strategy and keep your firm on course? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss a simple approach to technology strategy based on familiar investment principl...

Many lawyers now find that they have much newer, and better, computers, cell phones and software at home than they have at work. And some companies are looking to cut costs by requiring their employees to purchase their own equipment. Are these trends changing the way both lawyers and their firms handle technology in the workplace? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss t...

A number of sites, including Google Apps, Zoho, Microsoft, and others, offer a set of standard "office suite" programs – word processing, spreadsheets, presentations – in an online format. We've seen some solos and small firms experiment with using Google Apps. Now, we've learned that a 200+ employee law firm has launched a major Google Apps implementation. Are we at the beginning of a new trend?...

Many people seem to be in the market for new computers or other computer hardware these days. There are more choices than ever and big changes in the market that can be confusing, especially for people who haven't been in the market for a few years. Have the traditional principles for buying computer hardware also started to change? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell cover th...

Tim O'Reilly was one of the original definers of "Web 2.0." He's now turned his focus to the "Internet Operating System," the next step down the path from "cloud computing." In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take their own look at the Internet Operating System, its implications and the mindshift it will require for lawyers and others. After you listen, be sure to check out T...

In this special edition of the Kennedy-Mighell Report, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell, take their show on the road to ABA TECHSHOW 2010 in Chicago and chat with the experts about the latest in legal technology. Dennis and Tom welcome some very special guests including: Natalie Kelly, the Honorable Herbert B. Dixon, Jr., Rodney Dowell, Paul Unger, Ernie Svenson and Jim Calloway, to share t...

From the Sedona Conference on e-discovery to the latest features of Office 2010, the hot technology topic of the day is collaboration. However, when most lawyers think of collaboration tools, their lists end after email and “track changes.” What are the real stories of collaboration technology in 2010? In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss the current state of affairs in...

Hardly a day goes by without lawyers hearing that they need to be diving into social media. And many are already there - on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other platforms. Google stumbled on privacy on its launch of its new social media platform, Buzz. The privacy and security concerns in social media are very real. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell take a practical look at...

Budgetary concerns have forced lawyers to take a hard look at software costs. That’s brought Open Source software onto their radar screens. The price - free - is obviously attractive, but Open Source is a completely different approach to software than lawyers expect. In this episode, co-hosts Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell introduce the approach and philosophy of Open Source, the programs availabl...