The war over Microsoft Word that is. I was fascinated to see that Canadian firm i4i Inc. has won a permanent injunction against Microsoft in relation to a patent infringement issue dealing with custom xml translations. I4i sued Microsoft in March, 2007, claiming the Redmond, Wash., company had infringed on a patent awarded in 1998 for manipulating complex data in electronic documents. The jury verdict had initially recommended damages in the...
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I’ve been perusing my google reader tonight searching for inspiration for blog posts. I’ve been (happily!) so involved in the actual “doing” of my virtual legal assistant work, I’ve spent little time blogging about it or even reading about it. Whenever I need inspiration I turn to my lovely google reader and the many, many legal blogs I subcribe to. I almost always see something within the feeds that inspires me or...
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The startup phase of business is hard, and it will be even harder if you haven’t planned properly for your expenses. Whether you, like me, are running a virtual legal assistant business or you are opening your first law practice, there are a number of things you need to consider when you sit down to establish your start-up budget. Clients I’ve been in business for approximately 9 months. I still am nowhere near full-time billable...
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I think one of the most commonly asked questions about virtual assistance, particularly virtual legal assistance, is when is the time right for a business owner to start partnering with the VA. There is no wrong answer to this question, as ultimately the time is right when you are ready to start alleviating the administrative burden. Still, I would say the earlier you are able to start the relationship the better. You may not need a lot of help...
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I’ve read some really fascinating posts about the legal system, the changes needed (see the comments at this ABA post for example), the cost of law school, tuition, salaries for new lawyers and so much more. As a virtual paralegal I read these posts partly to stay on top of changing values within the system I am a part of. I also read them with the pure fascination of one who truly wants to see some innovation take place within the system....
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