Who are you?  What is your organization?
I’m the Practice Management Advisor for Practice411™, the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Law Office Management Assistance Program. The mission of Practice411 is to help Wisconsin lawyers in improving their efficiency in the delivery of legal services and in implementing systems and controls to reduce risk and improve client relations. My program offers resources to help lawyers manage the business aspects of their practices, including the use of technology; business and financial planning; and personnel, facilities, and operations management. But even I can’t have all of the answers and so, we’ve created additional resources such as our lending library and the Practice411 elist:  forming a community knowledge base of Wisconsin lawyers, IT professionals, office administrators and select staff as well as vendor attorneys to leverage the existing expertise and knowledge that exists in the Wisconsin legal community to assist each other.

Where does your organization fit in the legal industry? 
We are a mandatory (unified) bar association responsible for annual registration of all attorneys and firms licensed to practice law in Wisconsin. We strive to provide value to our members with the further mission of assisting the Wisconsin Supreme Court to promote the public interest in maintaining the highest standards of conduct in the legal profession and in the efficient administration of justice.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the legal industry now and in the upcoming year?
For the current and foreseeable future, the biggest challenge facing our organization and our members is the economy. These down times force our organization and our members to find ways to become more efficient and cost effective in order to survive while continuing to deliver quality services that are valued.

How can law firms work with you?
I am just a phone call or email away. I’m available by telephone, email or in person consultations at the State Bar Center (due to staff limitations, I do not provide on-site consultations). I also provide remote internet support as well as web based and in person CLE and training.

How can the legal vendor community work with you?
I’m always interested in learning about new tools that can help my members be more effective and efficient in their practice. As the Product Watch columnist for the ABA Law Practice Magazine, I welcome opportunities to get “hands on” with new products and services and to write about them. I also make myself available for a limited number of speaking engagements around the country each year to address diverse groups and interests. 

How can you help legal technology vendors be more successful?
My members look to me as a trusted source for legal technology information. They often don’t have the time or ability to spend a lot of time ‘kicking the tires’ and are looking for assistance in making decisions. I view my role to be an impartial conduit to connect my members with the resources that best fit their needs. The more I know about different services and products, the better able I am to assist my members, letting them focus on what they do best.

What online resource (website, blog, etc.) is most useful to you (i.e., you use it every day)?
I start with the State Bar’s website at www.wisbar.org and then on to Daily Rotation as a technology news aggregator. I also follow blogs on a number of legal and non-legal topics including those of my fellow Practice Management Advisors which are aggregated through the PMA Yahoo Pipes feed and carried on the State Bar’s website under Practice411™ Advice Alerts.

What have been your top “moment(s)” in legal technology?
One of the most surprising was to have my Compujurist blog included in the 2009 TECHSHOW 60 Websites in 60 minutes presentation. I’ve also been honored to be the Product Watch columnist for the ABA Law Practice Magazine for the past several years as well as speaking at TECHSHOW. But many of my “top moments” have been getting a thank you note from one of my members for helping them with their technology – it means that I’m helping lawyers and doing my job.

Atty Nerino J. Petro, Jr.
Practice Management Advisor
State Bar of Wisconsin
TEL: 608.250.6012
practicehelp@wisbar.org
www.wisbar.org