Solo and Small Firm Work-From-Home Resources

Solo and Small Firm Work-From-Home Resources

4.7.2020

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Navigating the new work from home landscape presents challenges previously not met by lawyers. Below please find a list of resources that may help your practice maintain its operations remotely. This list is not all inclusive, but might give you a starting point in available resources.

Video-Audio Resources for consultations and group meetings:

• Facetime
  • Cost:
• Free Service
  • Availability
• Only available between Apple products
  • How to use:
• Tap the green icon with a video-camera à select the contact you want to call or dial their phone number à have meeting à tap the red button to hang up
  • Purpose & Features:
• Video chat
• Chat with up to 32 people when using a Mac computer with MacOS Majave 10.14.1

• Google Hangouts
• Cost:
• Free trial, cost based on purchased package
• Availability:
• Any device, any operating system
• How to use:
• Go to https://gsuite.google.com to sign up
• Purpose & Features:
• Unified communications service that allows members to initiate and participate in text, voice or video chats, either one-on-one or in a group

• Microsoft Teams
  • Cost:
• Free Service during COVID-19, cost based on purchased package
  • Availability
• Available for all devices and operating systems
  • How to use:
• Go to https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software to sign up
  • Purpose & Features:
• Allows you to chat, meet, call and collaborate all in one place

• Skype
• Cost:
• Free service with optional upgrades for purchase
• Availability:
• Available on all devices
• Includes a Web-Browser version and downloadable App version
• How to use:
• Go to https://www.skype.com/en/ to download
• Purpose & Features:
• Provides calling, messaging, screen sharing etc.
• Includes a chat/instant messenger during the video conference

• Zoom
• Cost:
• Free Service with optional upgrades for purchase
• Availability:
• Available on all devices
• Includes a Web-Browser version and downloadable App version
• How to use:
• Go to https://zoom.us to sign up
• Features:
• Members can video conference in or call in to participate
• Host has ability to “share screen” to display your screen to viewers and show and interact with PowerPoints, outlines, videos, documents etc.
• Includes a chat/instant messenger during the video conference

Instant Messenger/Chat Resources:

• Slack
  • Cost:
• Free Service
  • Availability
• Available for all devices and operating systems
  • How to use:
• Go to slack.com to sign up
  • Purpose & Features:
• Messenger and file sharing system
• Conversations happen in channels that can be organized by topic, project, or team
• Conversations are saved for future reference

Scheduling/Voting Resources:

• Doodle polls
  • Cost:
• Free Service
  • Availability
• Available for all devices and operating systems
  • How to use:
• Go to https://doodle.com/en/ to use
  • Purpose & Features:
• Schedule meetings
• Take polls
• Organize your calendar

Document Sharing/Editing:

• Google Docs
  • Cost:
• Free Service
  • Availability
• Available to google email users only
  • How to use:
• Access through your g-mail account à click the apps icon in the top right à click the docs app à add document you want to share à sent it to participants
  • Purpose & Features:
• Share and edit documents with others
• Observe changes made by other users
• File storage

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