Social Media

It's hard to believe that ALPS has been around for twenty-four (24) years as of this past March 1^st. Over that time we have amassed a lot of experience, mostly good and some not so good, but on the whole it allowed us to become the best prepared Lawyers' Professional Liability Insurer in the country to meet the needs of lawyers in rural areas. During that time we've gotten very good at defending lawyers when malpractice claims arise and to quote Kenny Rogers, "We know when to hold-em and we know when to fold-em." I don't mean to sound glib, but this experience has allowed us to produce some of the highest quality live CLE events in the country for our affiliated Bars and thousands of lawyers throughout the country.

At ALPS we take pride in...

Guest blog post by Julie Brook, Esq., Legal Editor with the CEB blog

Serving a complaint via Facebook may be in our future. As BusinessWeek.com reports, the practice of online legal service is spreading around the world as courts look for new ways to keep their dockets moving.

In California, service of summons is generally made by

• personal service (CCP §415.10),
• substituted service (CCP §415.20),
• service by mail and acknowledgment of receipt (CCP §415.30), or
• service by publication when the plaintiff cannot with reasonable diligence serve the defendant by any of the other methods (CCP §415.50).

Service of notices and other papers may be made by mail in most circumstances. CCP §1012. Electronic service, i.e., serving papers by e-mail, is...

By Robert W. Minto, ALPS CEO, robertminto@alpsnet.com
 

It usually follows that when the wind blows the insurance market acts accordingly. Bracing itself the market hardens and prices go up. It's logical; repairing wind damage costs money and insurance prices increase to cover those costs. The wind blew in 2011 and early 2012 so we should see firming in property and casualty pricing in the next renewal cycle. What does the wind have to do with Lawyers Professional Liability Insurance (LPLI)? Technically nothing, but practically everything. LPLI is a subset of Casualty Insurance and is dependent on the same reinsurance sources as the general casualty markets. In other words, the industry as a whole floats on the same tides.

In Theory

The...

As the Social Media Community Manager for ALPS, I cruise a lot of law blogs (blawgs) and discussion groups each day. Over the last couple of months I’ve been paying particular attention quite a bit to comments about smartphone applications for lawyers.

These applications run the gamut of document management to tracking billable hours and beyond. Whether if you’re an iPhone user or a proud proponent of Google’s Android smartphone, there’s an app or apps out there for the seasoned lawyer, the solo startup, or the law student.

Below you’ll find what my research has shown to be the most popular and/or offers the most functionality for the mobile legal practitioner using iOS or Android based apps. There are hundreds that can help lawyers increase...

Let's start with a reminder. The people who use your firm's computers, which includes portable devices such as smart phones or computer tablets, represent a significant risk not only from things like their falling prey to a phishing scam but to intentional misuse. One effective risk management tool that can help address this concern is a well-written online activity policy that is coupled with education and enforcement.

The establishment of rules regarding personal use that address such issues as personal browsing on the Internet, the use of peer-to-peer file sharing networks, personal email accounts, file downloads, and use of social media are of particular importance. Detail ownership and privacy ramifications so that everyone in the firm...

Have you ever stopped to think about why your Internet security program updates on a fairly regular basis or why Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and other software companies release patches with similar frequency? The reason is that for all practical purposes computer security is something of a reactive defensive play. Internet security suites defend your computer or network from known and understood attacks. Once there is a new virus or other nasty program released by some cybercriminal, software and computer security companies investigate the malware and write code that will protect you from this new threat. Here is the problem. We all are potentially exposed to new and unknown attacks particularly if the computers that we're using have not been...

ALPS, the endorsed professional liability carrier for the Virginia State Bar, is offering two new Ethics CLE programs produced by ALPS Educational Services. These online and on-demand programs are for the 2012 VSB CLE year which runs from November 1, 2011 to October 31, 2012.

The two courses provide invaluable information for the practicing lawyer and are reasonably priced. Preview and register here.

Course Descriptions

2012 Top Ten Technology Traps and How to Avoid Them

The latest in computer technology, be it hardware or software, isn't the final answer when it comes to reducing exposure to a malpractice claim or avoiding ethical problems. In fact, the use of technological tools can increase one's risk. While computers can't commit...

Few people remember Dick Holler who wrote this song that Dion made famous in the late 1960s. His words represent a tribute to a century of Icons for social change. As I sit here thinking about Martin Luther King, Jr., I find it prophetic that a song wedges him between two equally incredible and perhaps circumstantial heroes of a common cause that began with the drafting of our Constitution, got swept under the table until the 1860s and simmered until the 1960s when our nation of laws finally decided to enforce the rights of people of all races, ethnic backgrounds and beliefs. Like the times before when rights of human dignity and belief surfaced before we raced to embrace them and then back slid to a state of comfort. Today, we grapple with...

Valued Clients, Associates, and Friends of ALPS,

I am proud to invite you to our latest for you – the ALPS 411 blog. This multi-authored site features expert staff and guest writers discussing the nitty-gritty of the daily practice of law, and sharing cautionary tales and real-world anecdotes to keep readers aware of and connected to current trends in the legal world. The overall focus is on helping you be safe and successful in the business of law.

Topics cover everything from risk management, professionalism, ethics, international law, and the use of technology, to useful information on malpractice avoidance, claims, underwriting, finances, marketing, social media, legal IT, e-discovery, career development, and more.

We invite you to...