Last week I had the privilege of attending the 2010 Annual ABA Meeting in San Francisco.  The speakers were excellent and I look forward to sharing that content with you.

The meeting reminded me of the many benefits of belonging to the ABA.  One of the most valuable (and probably underutilized) is ABA TechEZ.

Through ABA TechEZ ABA members can purchase software, hardware, and related technology services at a discount.  Even better, ABA TechEZ offers FREE training events every week.  Dubbed “Training Tuesdays,” these sessions offer ABA members expert technology training in 15 minutes or less.  The sessions are quick, to-the-point, and focus on specific features or products.  The training calendar is posted here.  Subscribe to the RSS Feed to automatically receive notices of future training sessions.

Almost everyone can make room in their calendar once a week for 15 minutes of tech training, but if you miss a session, check the ABA TechEZ Training Library for a free recording.  Here are some of the more recent programs:

• Redacting Documents with Adobe Acrobat
• Archiving Outlook E-mail Folders with Acrobat 9
• Removing Metadata with Word and Acrobat
• E-mail Management Tools in MS Outlook
• Mac Users: Boost Productivity with Spaces
• A “QuickJump” Around: Finding Files Fast
• Electronic Signatures with RightSignature
• Three Ways to Capture More Billable Time with Chrometa

Additional technology services are available through the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center.

All in all, the ABA gives lawyers great value for their money.  If you’re a solo, joining now is easier than ever with reduced dues.  So if you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth the investment: the answer is yes!

Copyright 2010 Beverly Michaelis