1.2 Legal Technology Basics

• Library: The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners (Virginia CLE) (2022 Ed.)

1.2 LEGAL TECHNOLOGY BASICS

1.201 In General.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way law firms operate. The abrupt change to a work-from-home environment sent a lot of firms scrambling to implement solutions that allowed their staff to be productive and safe. Many of the solutions before the pandemic were cloud-based, and that continues to be the trend. There is no one-size-fits-all technology solution, so lawyers must work with their technology providers to determine what works best for their firms. Since a comprehensive discussion of the specifics of legal technology is beyond the scope of this chapter, this paragraph focuses on recommended high-level solutions that balance price and features to find that "sweet spot" most firms desire.

1.202 Computers.

The systems that employees use to perform their job functions are at the heart of a firm's technology solutions. Law firms should ensure that all devices connected to the firm's network are owned and secured by the firm, including mobile devices.

When evaluating computers, firms should make sure that they are performing an apples-to-apples comparison when reviewing specifications and costs. If purchasing through Dell, firms should look for discounts on peripherals, such as monitors, keeping in mind that a second screen is an essential piece of equipment to pair with a laptop. Additionally, firms should not overlook warranties.

The following tables represent current recommended hardware specifications for both Windows-based and Macintosh-based "business-grade" desktops and laptop computer systems:

Windows-Based Desktop Computer
Hardware Component	Recommendation
Computer Model:	Dell OptiPlex 7080 Small Form Factor
Operating System:	Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-Bit
Processor:	10th Generation Intel ® Core™ i7-10700 (8-Core, 16MB Cache, 2.9GHz to 4.8GHz, 65W)
Memory:	16GB, 2x8GB, DDR4 non-ECC Memory
Video Card:	NVIDIA GeForce ® GT 730, 2GB, LP (DP/DP)
Hard Drive:	M.2 256GB PCIe NVMe Class 40 Solid State Drive
Network:	Intel ® Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Monitor:	2 x Dell 24-inch Monitor—P2419H
Warranty:	Three-year basic hardware service with three-year on-site/in-home service after remote diagnosis
Other:	No mouse and keyboard required; no out-of-band systems management; four USB 3.2 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and four USB 2.0 ports included

Macintosh-Based Desktop Computer
Hardware Component	Recommendation
Computer Model:	21.5-inch iMac
Operating System:	MacOS Big Sur
Processor:	2.3GHz dual-core Intel ® Core™ i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
Memory:	16GB 2133MHz DDR4 memory
Video Card:	Intel ® Iris ® Plus Graphics 640
Hard Drive:	256GB SSD
CD/DVD-ROM:	8X SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Network:	10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet Port, 802.11 ac Wi-Fi wireless networking (802.11 a/b/g/n compatible), Bluetooth 4.2
Warranty:	Three-year AppleCare Protection Plan for iMacs
Other:	FaceTime HD Camera, built-in 21.5-inch monitor and stereo speakers, microphone, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, four USB-A ports, Native DisplayPort output over USB-C, Apple wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse 2, SDXC card slot, and Kensington lock slot

Windows-Based Laptop Computer
Hardware Component	Recommendation
Computer Model:	Dell Latitude 7420
Operating System:	Microsoft Windows 10 Professional 64-bit
Processor:	11th Gen Intel ® Core™ i5-1145G7 2.6GHz Processor (Quad-Core, 8M Cache, vPro)
Memory:	16GB Non-ECC RAM
Video Card:	i5-1145G7 vPro, Intel ® Iris ® XE Graphics, 16GB Memory
Hard Drive:	M.2 512GB PCIe NVMe Class 40 Solid State Hard Drive
CD/DVD-ROM:	None
Network:	10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet adapter, Intel ® Wi-Fi 6 AX201 2x2 802.11ax 160MHz + Bluetooth 5.1 Wireless Card
Warranty:	Three-year basic hardware service with three-year next-business-day limited on-site service after remote diagnosis
Other:	Laptop 14.0" FHD(1920x1080) AG, SLP, Non-Touch, ComfortView Plus, FHD IR Cam, Mic, WLAN, CF, 4 Cell 63Whr ExpressCharge TM Capable Battery, weight starting at 2.7 lbs., one USB 3.2 port, two USB Type-C port, HDMI, memory card reader, camera, and microphone

Macintosh-Based Laptop Computer
Hardware Component	Recommendation
Computer Model:	16-Inch MacBook Pro
Operating System:	MacOS Big Sur
Processor:	2.6GHz 6-core Intel ® Core™ i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz, with 12MB shared L3 cache
Memory:	16GB of 2666MHz DDR4 onboard memory
Video Card:	AMD Radeon™ Pro 5300M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory and automatic graphics switching
Hard Drive:	512GB SSD
CD/DVD-ROM:	None
Network:	802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking (802.11 a/b/g/n compatible), Bluetooth 5.0
Warranty:	Three-year AppleCare Protection Plan
Other:	FaceTime HD Camera, 16-inch (diagonal) Retina LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 3072-by-1920 native resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors, stereo speakers, four Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C), and display port, Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor

All of these systems are quoted with a warranty, which should cover the effective lifespan of the business system. The warranty coverage may be extended to five years if needed. The costs of these computers can vary depending on any specials or incentives offered by the vendors but will generally run between $1,000 to $2,000 per system.

1.203 File Storage.

Most firms do not need an on-site file server. Rather, a simple network-attached storage (NAS) device that is capable of securely storing all of the firm's data is recommended. The Synology DS2415+ Diskstation device is a twelve-bay device that allows for up to 96TB of storage, which can be expanded even further with the purchase of another unit. Hard drives must be purchased separately. Firms can start with a few hard drives and add additional storage as necessary. The storage volume should be configured with redundancy and fault-tolerance, such as in a RAID-5 array, which will protect the data if a hard drive fails. About one-third of storage capacity is lost by setting up a RAID-5 volume.

This NAS device can share printers over the local network (via USB ports) as well as create private cloud storage, which is accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection; however, for...