Book Review: Unlocking the Future by Jeffery Allen and Ashley Hallene

Wow! What a great book. If you have a cell phone, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, an iPad, or any other device connected to the internet, you need this book in your library. Jeff and Ashley have put together a comprehensive, easy to read, understandable, and overall, as thorough as I can imagine such a work being guide on the latest in advancing technologies.

The book is particularly useful for us lawyers because it is written by lawyers. As such, they sprinkle the text with ethical comments, thoughts about losing confidential material, and a host of other problems that lawyers face.

The book is not a novel; it is not meant to be read cover to cover. It is a classic reference work, but one you will return to often. It has, however, one major drawback: it will be out of date almost before you get it delivered. The authors alert us to that problem, an alert that reflects the value of the book. The authors alert you to a large number of other problems and risks inherent in the technological world.

OK. Let’s go over what the book contains. It begins with a discussion of what should be in your technology toolkit. The variety of technology products is so broad that we novices need a lot of help determining just what will work for us. That is the subject of chapter 1. The discussion even gives you thoughts on whether to buy online or in a store. Both approaches, not surprisingly, have their own pluses and minuses. Do you want one terminal or two (personally, I have found two indispensable)? You’ll find some help in this book.

The book spends a good deal of time on AI (artificial intelligence), which is now sweeping the country. The authors describe how easy it is for criminals to worm their way into your computer and, hence, your assets, mainly money. The authors give you recommendations on how to control AI in your devices. The book also contains a glossary on AI terms that you will run across from time to time, a glossary that could come in handy.

Not everything in the book works. On page 97, the authors insert a chart that is supposed to be a workflow chart, but it is Greek to me. That is one of its very few failings, which for a book this size (well over 400 pages), is not at all that bad.

Incorporating a new system into a law firm, whether the system is hardware or software, can be a significant challenge. The authors walk you through the process, step by step, so that you have the best chance of a successful launch. For example, the book gives you things to think about when selecting a router, modem, or gateway. The authors also give you instructions for setting up a wireless network, which, in and of itself, can be a major headache.

The authors identify Chapter 6 as the most important one in the book. That chapter is devoted to security. The risk of your data being compromised is, according to the authors, significant. You must not only take steps to protect your data, but you must also be alert for changes in your protective software to ensure that your protection is up to date. As you do your research to get the right protection, you will find that you are faced with a number of choices of firms that market security in various forms. The authors give you a list of anti-malware and anti-virus programs and comment about the companies’ offerings.

Since a password is the guardian at the gate of your data, the authors talk at some length about strong and weak passwords. In that discussion, the text talks about lawyers, in particular, who need to be careful about protecting their clients’ data. In the weak category are “password,” “1,2,3,4,5,” your dog’s name, and similar offerings. The authors admonish lawyers to consider recommendations by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”). A client who suffers because you lost his data may well question you about your adherence to the NIST’s recommendations for securing data.

That same chapter discusses something I had no idea even existed—cybersecurity insurance. You will find a list of companies that offer such insurance and a discussion about whether or not you should carry it.

The next chapter moves on to how to use technology in your practice. That discussion includes a review of practice management systems as well as where technology fits in with legal research. Law libraries are either shrinking or disappearing. Books are slowly becoming anachronistic. Lawyers under 50 (and many over that age) do almost all, if not completely all, of their research online. Book publishers are recognizing that trend and publishing their works online as well as in book form. As a result, a lawyer must be able to move easily through the online universe of legal materials or simply fall behind.

The authors discuss the various tools available to a lawyer to assist with time management and calendaring. Proper time management is, for many lawyers, the holy grail of their practice, and anything that makes it easier is valuable. The authors discuss the choices available to you to do that very thing.

For trial lawyers, technology is a godsend. It allows you to organize your case, prepare your evidence, and have remote court access. The tools available to do those and other things are listed and described by the authors.

The foregoing is only a partial list of what you will find in Unlock the Future. The application of technology is seemingly unlimited. One of the most useful chapters in this treasure trove of technology information is the last one, Chapter 14. In that chapter, the authors list a host of apps and what they do. The variety seems endless. The chapter discusses the Apple App Store and the Google Play App Store. The number of Apps available to you is way more than you will ever use. The authors have chosen to talk about a few from that galaxy of choices. For each one they have selected, they explain what the app does. For example, they explain an app called TextArt as follows:

TextArt lets you turn your text into artwork. Whether you want to design a logo, a poster, a greeting card, or a meme, TextArt can help you unleash your creativity.

For me, the book is priceless. Technology continues to explode and overwhelm those of us who are not techno-experts. This book is the first step on your journey through that universe. It absolutely belongs in your library. Unlocking the Future is now available for purchase in the ABA bookstore.