Who are you?  What firm are you with?  What is your role?

Paul J. Unger, Esq., Partner with the Affinity Consulting Group. As a firm, we are focused on helping legal professionals implement technology solutions in all aspects of their business – practice management, time, billing and accounting, document management, litigation technology. Our goal is to get firms to the highest level of productivity and effectiveness possible.

What is your firms’ specialty/niche?  

Our focus is on bringing technology to the practice of law. We work with firms and legal departments of all sizes across the country. We not only help firms choose and implement technology solutions, but we also bring the expertise to teach firms how to use the technology so it is most helpful in their day to day business. We, ourselves, are lawyers and legal professionals so we know what technology really needs to do – and we know how to explain that in a way that avoids “techno-babble”. I focus on trial/litigation technology, document management, training, technology audits and CLE speaking.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the legal technology industry now and in the upcoming year?

The biggest challenge I think we’ll face is maximizing the use of technology in a down, but recovering, market.  Many law firms and legal departments have downsized.  They need to learn how to maximize productivity using technology tools they already own, and how to do more with less people.  It’s not enough to know what an email or document management tool can do, its learning how to use all of its features so that you aren’t stuck working day and night. 

What advice would you have for legal vendors trying to compete in this crowded marketplace? 

When we talk to potential technology partners, we’re most interested in companies that understand our clients’ needs and have a unique, robust, mature solution.  Focus on delivering superior client service at a competitive price.

What associations are you active in?

The ABA, Ohio State Bar Association, ACLEA, Ohio Association for Justice.

 What online resource (website, blog, etc.) is most useful to you (i.e., you use it everyday)? 

I follow Legal Talk Network, ABA TECHSHOW's blog, anything by Brett Burney, Jim Calloway, Tom Mighell, Kevin O'Keefe, Matt Homann, and Dennis Kennedy.  I also follow dozens of other fantastic tweeters.

What did you speak about at TECHSHOW?

In 2010, I spoke on two of my passions, courtroom technology and the paperless law office.  My sessions were entitled “PowerPoint Storyboarding in the Courtroom” and “Paperless Law Office Library, Research and Forms”.  I headed up the paperless office track, served as vice-chair of TECHSHOW, and presented in the “60 Tips in 60 Minutes” session.  I serve as chair of TECHSHOW 2011.

Paul Unger (punger@affinityconsulting.com)
Affinity Consulting
Facebook: Affinity Consulting
Twitter: @PaulUnger