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BarJournal FEATuRE

JULY/AUGUST 2015
extrA to the mac-curious,

Windows-Using Attorney:

you Are not Alone

BY TOM LAMBOTTE

n 2011, I received a call from Subodh lower than today, and the transition was much use the computer you are most comfortable
Chandra, founder and managing partner harder. And in the end, it was usually the die- with,” said Jin-Ho Lee, a partner at Milligan
of The Chandra Law Firm LLC. He wanted hard Mac users who made the leap. Rona Duran & King LLC in Boston. The
to switch the firm over to Macs from Fast forward to January 2019. I was having a firm of six attorneys made the switch to
IPCs. At that point I had been supporting discussion with Julius Trombetto, the Director of Macs in 2015. “If you’re already a Mac
attorneys nationwide with their Mac needs, Innovation at Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLC, user, using it for your work only makes
and it just so happened that I was working a law firm representing long-term care, post- sense. This takes away the barrier to
right in his backyard. Migrating the firm’s data acute, and senior living providers based out of productivity.” Why use an operating system
and implementing the change-over took some Cleveland. The firm has a combined staff of 30, you don’t enjoy? For many Mac users, being
work, and we ran into some challenges along and while they are not on Macs yet, they are now forced to work on a Windows computer is
the way, but we made it happen. He’s never offering everyone the option of choosing a Mac. detrimental to their productivity.
looked back. Five years ago, it would have been tough to even
Back in 2011, the barrier for attorneys make such an offer at an established firm with a Can you relate to the Mac-curious, Windows-
wanting to use Macs in their practice was team that size. using Attorney?
significant. While Rocket Matter and Clio both Aric Martin, Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLC’s A decade ago, there were plenty of valid
launched in 2008 as the first web-based case managing partner, made the conscious decision reasons for law firms not to switch to Macs.
management solutions, they were still emerging to embrace technology. Over the past few years, Part of the challenge of making the switch
businesses, and the cloud had not yet come into they have migrated their software solutions to today is that many law firms still believe that
its own. To go all Mac, firms had to customize the cloud. Everything they need is now accessible there are more obstacles than benefits. But
generic Mac software to fit the specific needs of via a Mac or PC, giving users the ability to choose thanks to the omnipresence of the cloud and
their law practice. The best Mac native options whatever platform they like best. improvements in software, it is now easier
were Daylite and Billings Pro. Eight years ago, “Most of the software nowadays is in the than ever to make the switch.
the number of Mac-using attorneys was much browser or Microsoft Office. Hence, you can First off, let’s clear something up: You wouldn’t
be the only one. A common concern is that no
other firms are using Macs.
But as it turns out, a phenomenon often
referred to as the Halo effect has helped the
spread of Macs into law firms. This occurs
when someone uses an iPad or iPhone in their
personal lives, likes the experience, and buys
another Apple product. In time, they consider
using Macs in their practice, often because
they are so easy to use and reliable.
According to the American Bar Association’s
Legal Technology Resource Center’s 2018
Legal Technology Survey Report (https://www.
americanbar.org/groups/departments_offices/
legal_technology_resources/TechSurvey0/) , 72%
of attorneys use an iPhone. And out of attorneys
that are using tablets, 77% of those are iPads.
Owning a Mac at home, whether it’s your
own computer or your kids’, contributes to the
Halo effect. In addition to having Macs at home,
22 | Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal clemetrobar.org