Attorneys can be very resistant to change. Ebenezer Scrooge, in A Christmas Carol, was visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past. Ebenezer learned from this experience the necessity to change his past ways to ensure a happier and brighter future.
I am constantly amazed by fellow lawyers’ reactions when I tell them I strive to have as paperless an office as possible. Some are skeptical. Some say it is not possible. Others tell me they are too old fashioned for that sort of thing. Some call me later for advice and help in implementing their own paperless systems. I am here to tell you that it is possible. You too can implement a paperless system in your office, whether your firm has 500 lawyers or you are a sole practitioner. Even though I am a sole practitioner on the outskirts of a major city with limited resources, my system has worked very well for our office.
A good starting point is to buy a good scanner. Personally, we use a Canon ImageRunner 5000-series all-in-one machine. While this machine is quite large and expensive if purchased new, I purchased one used for substantially less than the new price. Another alternative that many of my friends use is the Scan Snap series from Fujitsu. Whatever hardware you choose, be sure to carefully plan a system for scanning, cataloging, and electronically filing your documents . We use a simple process whereby all scanned documents are “dumped” into a common folder in our database. From there, they are named and electronically filed in their respective folders.
I also use a Canon IP90 portable printer that fits nicely into my briefcase. Of course, I can print documents with a few clicks when I head to court. November and December were busy months for me. I handled several hearings before the State Board of Workers’ Compensation. My trial exhibits were created with ease with the Canon machine. I also toted my small portable printer to court where I printed additional documents I needed. Going paperless has increased my capacity to produce work product.
