The pace of this innovation often feels exponential, probably because it literally is. Not only does the capability of computer chip technology regularly double, but so do other technologies not directly dependent upon transistor counts. Technology is an evolutionary process, and it speeds up exponentially.

Three of the most exciting innovations in this revolution are blockchain, cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Blockchain has highlighted a crucial aspect of the way data will work in the coming years—you can expect a world where data will be increasingly distributed, and increasingly more transparent and secure.

The cloud is pretty much impossible to avoid these days in at least one way or another. The convenience and processing possibilities inherent in cloud computing means it will only become more and more common.

When it comes to artificial intelligence, most experts believe AI will improve the lives of the majority of people within the next decade, in new and exciting ways. Who knows whether or not it will all end with a giant matrix of human batteries used to fuel the mechanical monstrosities of the future. 

Technology has, and will continue, to alter all aspects of our modern lives. And one of the most important areas this has happened in, is the legal industry. Technology has touched all aspects of the law, from the ways law firms market to potential clients, to the everyday procedural aspects of running a law firm, to the very ways attorneys present their cases to judges and juries. And creating this new tech are the driven and inspired companies of all shapes and sizes, that make up the legal tech industry.

Legal tech is a growing industry, and one that promises to keep growing. The increase in funding for legal tech companies, along with increased public awareness, and multiple recent mergers and acquisitions of legal tech companies, suggest we’re just at the start of the upswing.  In that vein, here are 15 legal tech companies to watch in 2019:

1. Lawble is a legal triage which assesses the needs of clients, routing them efficiently to the best resources.
2. DataNovo uses AI solutions to help patent owners secure licensing opportunities and obtain stronger patents.
3. dealWIP is a cloud-based software application designed to increase transparency and decrease time spent on project management tasks.
4. DocStyle LLC expedites document drafting by turning PDF files into properly formatted Word documents.
5. Connective Counsel focuses on client needs, eliminating friction between law firms and clients.
6. WarRoom helps attorneys be better prepared when trial time rolls around; highlighting and tagging deposition testimony is just one of the tasks WarRoom assists with.
7. JurisBytes encourages communication and client care through a simplified text messaging platform.
8. OurChildInfo.com allows parents to communicate after separation or divorce with no ability to alter, manipulate, backdate or delete posts, effectively memorializing the record.
9. TrialLine is a cloud-based mediation, trial presentation and storytelling legal timeline tool for attorneys, providing maximum insight into cases. 
10. Kinnami Software Corporation is a cloud software company that safeguards data by enhancing data verification and auditability.
11. Fixi Subscription Plans assists lawyers and law firms by offering subscription-based legal services to clients.
12. WyzeWaze helps lawyers streamline data from contract to closing.
13. HelpSelf Legal uses an artificial intelligence-assisted platform to improve workflow.
14. Dtour.life streamlines divorce case data, providing secure digital collaboration that makes the divorce process less stressful for those involved.
15. EffortlessLegal brings artificial intelligence learning to the legal world eliminating time-consuming, repetitive processes.

In the legal realm in particular, it is expected that artificial intelligence will assist lawyers in significant and meaningful ways, including electronic discovery, advanced automation regarding billable hours and the ability to access more information in a more efficient and less expensive manner. Whatever advancements the next decades holds, they will be headed our way very quickly.

Contact Law Father Today

At Law Father, we believe it is trial attorneys who stand as the last line of defense of  U.S. consumers access to the civil justice system. We are passionate about increasing a law firm’s profitability by increasing the number of quality cases a law firm has, providing case development tools that reduce the time cases take to cycle, and employing state-of-the-art trial support that helps jurors recognize the true value of personal injury claims. Contact us today to find out how we can help you by calling (800) 325-7715, or by filling out the contact form on this page.

The post 15 Legal Tech Companies to Watch in 2019 appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

For the third year in a row, the Techshow will host a competition between up and coming legal tech start-ups, where they’ll have 3 minutes to pitch their companies, and then be judged by event attendees. The pitch competition, organized by attorney, writer and legal technologist, Robert Ambrogi through his lawsitesblog.com website, started with a large number of companies being submitted to his site as possible contenders. From all of those entries, judges narrowed the field down to their top 25. From there, the final 15 to participate in the pitch competition we’re selected by popular vote through the website.

We’re proud to announce that the attorney timeline software created by Law Father, TrialLine, was selected as one of the winners and is heading to Chicago for the Techshow. As winners, TrialLine will not only be able to participate in the pitch competition, but will also have a table in the exhibit hall in the Techshow’s Start-Up Alley Pavilion.

For more information and tickets, check out Techshow.com. And if you end up making it to Chicago, stop by to introduce yourself and get a demo of what TrialLine can do.

TrialLine: Litigation Timeline Software

TrialLine is an immersive timeline creation tool for lawyers, attorneys and law firms of all sizes, that enables them to clearly and efficiently communicate the important details of a case. A cloud-based tool with an available desktop version, TrialLine makes it easy for attorneys to work on their cases from anywhere they have an internet connection, and on any device. Since all of the files important to the case are securely stored online, they’re always accessible. TrialLine also makes collaboration a breeze. Work with expert witnesses, staff members and other attorneys anywhere they may be.

Contact Law Father Today

At Law Father, we’re passionate about increasing access to the law for everyone, and we’re dedicated to helping attorneys increase their caseload. We have a decade of experience making beautiful and modern, conversion driven websites that highlight what makes a particular firm stand out from the crowd, running effective and efficient PPC and social media marketing campaigns, and helping attorneys win in the courtroom with our trial support expertise, and much more. Call Law Father today at (800) 325-7715 or fill out the contact form on this page to learn how we can help you.

The post TrialLine Chosen for ABA Techshow Start-Up Alley Pitch Competition appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

Let’s say you’re going to trial and you have a very strong witness, one whose testimony can make or break your case.  After carefully preparing the witness and the questions that will elicit the testimony you want, you take their deposition.  During the trial, the key parts of that deposition are read into the court record.  But for some reason they don’t seem to have the effect on the jury that you were expecting. That same deposition that was so compelling coming straight from the mouth of the witness isn’t having the same effect when it’s being read in the courtroom. The jury looks bored and disengaged, lost in the dry recounting of data. Lacking the subtle emotional cues your witness displayed when telling their side of the story, that crucial testimony can’t live up to your expectations, and can’t do the job you need it to do.

A Storytelling Species

Human beings are storytelling animals. In fact, there is growing evidence suggesting that storytelling played a biological role in our evolution. You probably know how important stories are from your own personal experience, whether it was being read to as a child (or reading now to your own children) or watching your favorite shows and movies. We are a species naturally drawn to stories.

You also know as an attorney that a trial is often won based on who tells the most convincing story.

When someone is telling us a story, we respond instinctually to small but powerful emotional triggers, whether it’s a look on someone’s face, or whether it’s something in their voice. We are social creatures who have evolved to be very sensitive to these subtle cues.  When these triggers aren’t present, we don’t have the same response to incoming information.

The Power of Video

Nothing can tell a story like video does. And with the rise of mobile technology, video is rapidly becoming the most consumed type of online content. It is estimated that 2015 will be the first year that U.S. adult internet users will spend more time consuming online video content than they do consuming online text content.

Video is interesting.  It’s engaging.  It turns otherwise dry facts into compelling stories.  It brings viewers information that’s immediately accessible with minimal effort on their part.  That’s why online shoppers who view product videos are 64% more likely to make a purchase than those who don’t.

Chances are, many of those online video consumers are on your jury.

Bring Your Deposition to Life

Inside the courtroom, the benefits of video depositions can be quite pronounced. Video can be far more compelling than a transcript.  It captures a witness’s body movements, voice inflections, and emotion, and in this way, it captures a jury’s attention.  A well-executed video deposition is able to tell a story and can turn good testimony into great testimony.

Outside the courtroom, a video deposition will also help you better assess how a witness will perform on the stand, whether they’ll appear credible, and even how they’ll stand up under rigorous cross-examination.

Further Reading: Does Your Law Firm’s Mobile Website Make the Grade?

DIY vs. Outsourcing

Because a lot can be riding on the strength of your video deposition, it’s important that it get’s done correctly.  The fact that video technology is inexpensive and widely available doesn’t necessarily mean that every lawyer has the skills needed to capture jury-swaying testimony.

Also, individual states have different laws regarding the use of video depositions in trial, so it’s important to know the rules that apply to your jurisdiction.

To ensure that you’re in compliance with existing laws and that your video is of sufficient quality to achieve the desired results, your best bet is to outsource your video depositions to an experienced media services company that is familiar with the law. Think of it as a smart investment, one which can help you win your case.

Contact Law Father For Help Today!

To learn more about the ways that the media experts at Law Father can help you present the best case possible, contact us today. Call (800) 325-7715, or fill out the contact form on our website.

The post The Benefits of Video Depositions appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

In the not too distant past, there used to be only two ways you could view a website: desktop or laptop. Now that we have the internet of things, even your refrigerator can get online.

This year, mobile internet use surpassed desktop use, and that means the way your law firm’s mobile website appears across different devices is more important than ever.

A Multiplicity of Screens

Back when we only had two options for getting online, it was easy enough to know how large you needed to make your website. Most monitors were 800 or 1024 pixels wide, so designers could build fixed-width websites and feel confident that they would display the way they were meant to.

But as the devices we use to get online change, it becomes more difficult to ensure that a website will be seen by everyone the way it’s intended.  Screen size can now vary widely, from the 4” screens of the iPhone 5, to the 6” screens found on the increasingly popular “Phablets”, to the 9 or 10+ inch screens you see on medium to large-sized tablets.

Further Reading: 5 Way’s Your Law Firm’s Website is Losing You Money

Dedicated Mobile Sites vs Responsive Web Design

Website designers have used two ways to get around the discrepancies between desktop and mobile screen size. One was to build unique, dedicated websites made for specific devices. These lived on separate subdomains and had different content, markups and presentations. If you needed to make changes to your site, you would have to change each individual site for those changes to be viewed across all the different devices.

Responsively designed web pages, on the other hand, automatically adjust themselves to fit the screen size they are being viewed on. Text automatically reformats to be easier to read and interact with, images resize so that they better fit the screen and load faster, and content is reordered to make it easier to read, or pared down so that only what is absolutely necessary is visible, both of which makes the page more navigable.

This all helps to create a better user experience, and user experience is one of the most important factors to take into consideration when building a modern website.

How Does Your Website Look on Different Devices

If your law firm’s website isn’t providing a good user experience for mobile visitors, you may be losing possible clients. Modern web users quickly lose patience with websites that are difficult to navigate or read, or that take a long time to load. Don’t miss out on clients just because your website is out of date.

Change Your Website – Change Your Law Firm

Give your current site a facelift or have a customized brand new, responsively designed site built just for you. All while taking advantage of major savings. Click here for an exclusive web design offer!

The post Does Your Law Firm’s Mobile Website Make the Grade? appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

As the internet has continued to dominate more and more of our everyday lives, it’s become impossible to ignore the importance of having an online presence. The ubiquity of cell phones in modern life allows people to access the web all the time from anywhere to do any variety of things. Including finding an attorney.

So most attorneys now recognize the importance of having a law firm website. But too often attorneys treat their site as one item on their business to-do list (“Business Cards? Check. Website? Check.) and in so doing they fail to see their site for what it truly is: The face their firm is showing to the world.

When you build your site yourself or hire someone to build a cheap site for you, there are often many things overlooked and many mistakes made, mistakes that cost you money. Inexperienced designers can build fatal flaws directly into your site that give visitors the wrong impression at best, and at worst have them scrambling to get away.

At this point, we’ve all seen well-designed websites and we’ve all seen poorly designed sites. But as basic and integral as design is, it’s incredible how many really terribly designed websites there are online.

CLICK HERE FOR AN EXCLUSIVE WEB DESIGN OFFER!

Here’s how your law firm’s website is losing you money:

It’s Not Visually Attractive or Pleasing to Look at

Look at the two websites below. The one on the left leaves you with eye fatigue. It’s visually overwhelming and hard to process. The website on the right is clean, uncluttered and pleasing to the eye. A fatiguing design creates a bad user experience and will have visitors hitting the back button and contacting someone else.

It’s Out of Date

Now that over 40% of the world’s population is online, more people than ever are familiar with what a modern, up-to-date website looks like. What used to be considered state of the art or cutting edge now looks hopelessly out of date. The site on the left below was a totally fine design not that long ago but can’t compete with the modern look of current websites, built like the one on the right.

It’s Cluttered, Confusing and Hard to Navigate Through

A cluttered site with too much text and unclear navigation is frustrating and a turn off for visitors. It can also obscure your central message. When people see your site, the message you want to communicate should be one of the first things they notice.
The site on the left sells things… I think… It’s hard to tell because there’s so much going on. The central message of the site on the right however, is clear: They “help real people solve real problems”. That’s a message worth communicating.

It Isn’t Personalized

Too often attorneys will use cookie cutter stock imagery for their websites, like the image on the left below. Generic images send a very concrete message to your visitors: “We’re a generic law firm”. Some studies have shown that visitors are 35% more likely to sign up for a consultation on websites that show pictures of the firm’s actual attorneys.
So much of what you do as an attorney when working with a client is based on a relationship rooted in trust. What better way to start off that relationship by introducing yourself right from the start, not introducing some faceless model that doesn’t even practice law?

It Makes it Difficult to Get in Touch With You

Unlike online retailers like Amazon, your potential customers can’t take care of all of their business directly through your website. They need a service, your service. And in order for you to help them, you need to talk to them directly so that you can determine what their legal problems are, and how you can help solve them. But far too often, attorneys put extra steps in the way of their visitors directly communicating with them. If your firm’s website doesn’t have a contact form that is easy to see on every page of the website (like the site on the left), you’re making it difficult for people to give you their business. And that’s just not good business.

First impressions are important. Your website is the first impression most people are going to get of your law firm. Make sure you’re leaving the impression you want them to have.

Further Reading: The Top 5 Reasons Your Law Firm Should be Marketing With Video

Change Your Website – Change Your Law Firm

Give your current site a facelift or have a customized brand new site built just for you.

Fill out our contact form online, or call us at 800-325-7715 to learn more today!

The post 5 Ways Your Law Firm’s Website is Losing You Money appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.

2015 has been a big year for the growth of online video, and there’s no sign that that growth will be slowing down anytime soon. With the rapid increase in mobile video viewing, and the introduction of fast mobile video platforms from companies like Snapchat and Vessel, web users are increasingly ‘cutting the cable’ and watching a majority of their video content on their mobile devices. In fact, it is estimated that by 2017, video will make up 69% of all consumer internet traffic.

As the old saying goes, “content is king”, and video content is quickly becoming king of it all.

A recent study done by eMarketer shows that 2015 will be the first year that U.S. adult internet users will spend more time viewing online video than they will spend viewing text content on social media:

Increased user demand and the decreased costs of producing video, means that it’s not only more important than ever for your law firm to use video in your marketing plan, it’s also more affordable.

Here are the top 5 reasons your law firm should be marketing with video:

5. Improved SEO

According to Comscore, adding properly optimized video to your website can increase your chances of being on the 1^st page of a Google search result by as much as 53 times. Video increases the amount of time people spend on your website (65% of video viewers watch more than ¾ of a video, according to Invodo). Video also makes visitors more likely to share your content on social media, which can help improve your website’s search engine performance.

4. Video is More Engaging and More Emotionally Impactful

By now we all expect to see video content. It’s everywhere we go from the gas station to the shopping mall. We have been conditioned to stop and pay attention. Video informs through both seeing and hearing increasing the chances that we will retain video messages. Statistically, people are also more likely to listen to the entirety of a message when it’s presented as a video than when presented in other formats.

3. Online Video Can be Everywhere All the Time

You no longer have to pay high prices for TV commercial spots. Digital videos can be hosted in multiple places online that are accessible to anyone on the web, often for free. This increases your online presence and also enables anyone in the world to find out about you at any time of the day or night – without having the be reliant on paid programming. Now you can place your video messages where people are already hanging out online – like on Youtube, which is now the second largest search engine in the world with an average of 3 billion searches a month. Can your law firm be found on this important network?

Further Reading: Why Trial Support is Critical for Attorneys

2. Video Marketing Converts more Leads to Clients

Because of built-in video analytics, it’s easy to track how effective your video is in helping build your business, which enables you to make real-time tweaks to your video content to make it more effective. You can track how much of the video is typically being watched, where the video is being watched, and much more. And, many marketing studies also show that video marketing has a better conversion rate than other content formats.

1. Video is More Personable

With video, you can quickly create emotional connections with potential clients. Video allows you to directly communicate your passion for the law, demonstrate your knowledge and skill level, and make sure people who watch your videos have a great sense of who you really are.

Put Your Law Firm on the Road to Growth

For years Law Father has recognized the importance of online video for converting web visitors into clients. For nearly a decade we have been producing attorney focused, customized videos for almost every practice area. That is why Law Father includes custom video production in our all encompassing marketing packages.

Here is a custom video we produced for one of our clients, Fuicelli & Lee, P.C. located in Denver, Colorado:

We have the experience, technology, and know-how to effectively communicate your passion for the law to your potential clients online.

Contact Law Father for Help Today!

Contact the digital media experts at Law Father today to learn how we can help you put your law firm in the fast lane to growth. Fill out our contact form online, or call us at 1-800-325-7715.

The post Top 5 Reasons Your Law Firm Should be Marketing with Video appeared first on Law Father Law Firm SEO.