A Complete Virtual Filing Cabinet
Mancino sets up case files with a simple-to-use application called Notebook, by Circus Ponies. It works like manual tabbed trial binders, but without the bulk. “My virtual filing cabinet is as complete as any paper file would be,” Mancino asserts. Notebook lets her attach supporting documentation and media to an outline of the case, so there’s no need to carry around boxes of supporting documents. And, with her indexed digital system, misfiling is never an issue.
Her paralegals use Fujitsu high-speed scanners to input documents using Adobe Acrobat with optical character recognition, indexing files so they’re fully searchable using Spotlight. In the scanning process, documents get consecutive digital Bates stamp numbers using an Acrobat plug-in called ARTS PDF Stamper, and then are cataloged in an Excel spreadsheet by Bates number.
My virtual filing cabinet is as complete as any paper file would be.
For some cases, Mancino uses TrialSmart by Clarity Legal Software, which is primarily for manipulation, organization and presentation of depositions. However, it can be used on a smaller scale for case organization and courtroom presentations. “For video depositions, I use iMovie and iDVD in conjunction with TrialSmart,” she says. “I can import video or stills from my FireWire video camera, take an MPEG video directly from a court reporter, or convert a video DVD directly. Then, using QuickTime Pro, iMovie, and iDVD, I can snip, mix, match, add music, text, deposition testimony, and export it for use in print or distribution as a video DVD.”
Adding to her litigator’s toolbox, Mancino recently started using a new application that enables real-time transcription. “I’m using Clarity’s DepoSmart, which lets me connect right to the court reporter’s computer during a live deposition,” she says. “As the text streams into DepoSmart, I can do real-time annotation and commenting while a deponent gives testimony.”
With all this important data on hand, Mancino leaves nothing to chance. All the Macs in her office are connected to a redundant FireWire RAID system, and everything is backed up three times a week using EMC Retrospect Server Client. Mancino’s main server is an old G4 Powerbook that lives in a closet. “It runs an amazing array of things,” she says.
E-Filing Made Easy
Fortunately for Mancino’s time and tire treads, Clark County makes electronic filing mandatory for all criminal and most civil cases, with family court going online next year. This means fewer long trips back and forth to the courthouse in Las Vegas.
“I’ll digitally sign any documents I need to file,” she says. “I then create a PDF using the ‘Print to PDF’ button from Mac OS X in Microsoft Word, and upload the PDF to the online e-file system. They electronically file-stamp it, and when it’s approved, I get an email confirmation and the system can e-serve the filing. I can download the PDF copy, and then file the document in the client folder without even printing it out. I can also download anything else filed in a case by another party using this same process.”
“As if I had 50 Paralegals Working For Me”
In winning the contractor dispute case, Mancino credits her Mac-based system of organizing cases in helping her project such a buttoned-up image that the opposition simply folded their hand.
“It all came down to being electronically organized, to get everything I needed to work together,” she says. The large firms like to bury you in paper, and we had zero problems keeping up. I could churn out the discovery motions and replies there right on pace with the opposing firm.”
“It was a lot of work, but it looked as if I had 50 paralegals working for me. When all was said and done, that’s what enabled me to get a positive resolution for my client. And we got a very favorable settlement.”
