2017 holiday gift guide for the tech-savvy lawyer

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, the relentless holiday gift-giving season is upon us. Like it or not, it's time to buy gifts for your loved ones and friends. If you've got a lawyer on your list, you may be struggling with choosing an appropriate gift, since lawyers can be a notoriously difficult bunch to buy gifts for. Fortunately, you've stumbled upon this article, so problem solved! Consider buying the tech-savvy (or not so tech-savvy) lawyer in your life one of these gifts. Then you can cross that name off your list and rest easy knowing you've chosen the perfect gift. So, without further ado, here's my 2017 Holiday Gift Guide for tech-savvy lawyers. First and foremost, there's the Apple Watch. With over 30 million sold, it's not surprising that in recent months I've seen more of them on the wrists of lawyers "in the wild." And, there's a good reason for this: they're the perfect device to help lawyers untether from their phones, all the while still staying in the loop about important messages, their schedules, and more. The most recent release of the Watch includes an LTE data connection option and greatly improved processing speed. So, even if the lawyer on your list already has an older Watch, it might be high time for an upgrade. Next up, a standing desk. Lawyers often lead a sedentary lifestyle, so why not consider buying a standing desk for the lawyer on your list? My standing desk of choice is the Active-Pro Sit-To-Stand work station. It measures 30" by 60" and provides more than enough space for a laptop, large second monitor and keyboard with plenty of room to spare. It has a rather hefty price tag that ranges from $969 to $1,039, depending on the options that you choose. But it's a gift that is sure to be appreciated! Now that streaming movies and TV shows has become commonplace, the lawyer in your life might appreciate a device to facilitate that. Apple TV is my favorite, but with a starting price tag of $179, it's one of the more pricey options. A much more reasonably-priced choice is the Google Chromecast Streaming Media Player. Ringing in at just $35, it's a bargain for what you get. With Chromecast, your smartphone or tablet controls the device and the apps you use for streaming are likewise stored on your mobile device and then "cast" it onto the TV. So it functions a bit differently than other streaming apps, which have memory chips whereby data is stored on the device itself. But even so, it provides an affordable way for the lawyer on your list to stream content. And, last but not least - books. Lawyers love to read, so why not buy a few books for the lawyers on your gift list? Here are three books that are sure to interest any solo or small firm lawyer: "Effectively Staffing Your Law Firm," edited by Jennifer J. Rose, covers everything solo and small firm lawyers with growing practices need to know about hiring - and firing - employees. In the second edition of "Tomorrow's Lawyers: An Introduction To Your Future," the leading legal futurist, Richard Susskind, shares his insights on what tomorrow's lawyers can expect as rapid technological advancements shape the practice of law. For even more insight on the future of law practice, don't miss Mitch Kowalski's newest book, "The Great Legal Reformation," which explores how technology is changing the way that law firm's conduct business through interviews and case studies of progressive law firms that are leading the way. So there you have it: my annual gift guide for lawyers. What are you waiting for? Start shopping! ----- Nicole Black is a director at MyCase.com, a cloud-based law practice management platform. She is also of counsel to Fiandach & Fiandach in Rochester and is a GigaOM Pro analyst. She is the author of the ABA book "Cloud Computing for Lawyers," coauthors the ABA book "Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier," and co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a West-Thomson treatise. She speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. She publishes three legal blogs and can be reached at niki@mycase.com. Published: Fri, Dec 08, 2017