The Kennedy-Mighell Report

From IBM’s Watson to Apple’s new Siri to the growth of predictive coding in e-discovery, it’s been a heck of a year for computers catching up to humans. Lately, there’s been a lot of discussion about the question, "Can software take the place of lawyers?' Can it, or will it? In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss the latest software advances and the likely impact on lawyers, how lawyers might benefit from these advances, and how worried lawyers should be about competition from machines. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

iPads are making serious inroads into the work environment, even for lawyers. What role might the iPad play in the daily lives of busy legal professionals? In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell are joined by special guest David Sparks, author of the new book, iPad at Work, to discuss the potential benefits of using an iPad in legal work, practical iPad tips, and how the iPad and iPad apps are changing the way lawyers use technology. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon has just announced a new generation of Kindle devices, including a touch version and the Kindle Fire, a low-cost tablet device. The new Kindles start at $79. Are these iPad competitors, a new category of devices or another harbinger of the Post-PC era? In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss how the new Kindles might help lawyers, whether the platform is now the message, and where the tablet category might go after the death of Steve Jobs. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are more lawyers than ever using two (or more) monitors at their desks? Others use surprisingly simple tricks to make their days more productive and their lives a little easier. Once you’ve learned some of these techniques, you often think that they are "obvious" and something you should have implemented a long time ago. In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss a few simple productivity techniques like using multiple monitors that have made a big difference for them, how those tips might benefit you, and steps you can take to make yourself much more productive than you were before you listened to this podcast. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From 9/11 anniversaries to hurricanes to earthquakes to power outages and much more, recent events are causing us to consider how our new technologies impact our behavior in emergency situations. Technology, especially mobile technology like smart phones, has obvious benefits in emergencies and disasters, but our reliance on technology has raised a whole new set of issues. In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell discuss how new technology is changing our behavior and expectations in emergencies, what lessons we have learned, practical tips people have shared, and preparation and planning lawyers and the legal profession should consider. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Solid, actionable data on what law firms are actually doing with technology can be surprisingly hard to find. In the medium and large firm space, the annual ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing Survey provides detailed and comprehensive data about what law firms have been implementing and planning. The good news is that the 2011 Survey has just been released. In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell dig into this year’s Survey, identify some key trends and developments, and suggest what this data might mean for law firms for the next year. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you speak on a regular basis, you’ve undoubtedly found yourself in a situation where you have less time left than material to present. If you’ve ever been in audience where the speaker is running short on time, you’ve probably suffered as the speaker has tried to cope with (or even ignore) the problem. In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell draw from their own speaking experiences to share some of their favorite practical tips for presenting when time is running out, getting your message across without short-changing your audience, and keeping your audience, co-panelists and program organizers happy with your clock management. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With social media tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ capturing the lion’s share of attention and discussion, what is the role of blogs for the legal profession in 2011 and beyond? Does it still make sense to start up a new blog or continue an existing blog? Has blogging reached a crossroads? In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell draw from their many years of blogging to talk about where blogs fit into todays’ social media world for lawyers, where blogs might be going, and whether blogs should remain as part of your web presence and communications portfolio. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google’s new social networking tool, Google Plus has burst onto the tech scene like a supernova. Are you already on it and thinking about abandoning Facebook, Twitter and all previous social networking tools? Is there still time to take a deep breath and a measured response? In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell talk about Google Plus – both the tool and the phenomenon, its potential impact on social networking, and whether you need to be setting up Circles and moving to Google Plus. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom & Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are times when it feels like everyone is saying that all lawyers must use social media for marketing. And there are times when it seems like marketing must be the only possible use for social media. Is that really true? In this episode, Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell talk about what else social media can do for lawyers, and whether it’s time to open up the ways lawyers think about using social media. After you listen, be sure to check out Tom and Dennis’ co-blog and book by the same name, The Lawyers Guide to Collaboration Tools and Technologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices