Chemung County Police Cars Get Connected: Area Police to Use Wireless Broadband

Posted on June 11, 2009 by Jim Reed

I just heard about another way technology is making the Twin Tiers a safer place to live. WETM-TV reported on a new feature for Chemung County patrol cars: Internet access.

Thanks to a $225,ooo state grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the Chemung County Sheriff’s Department was able to purchase 22 Verizon Wireless network cards. Officers on patrol can use the cards in their laptops to connect to the Internet wherever there’s a Verizon signal.

All the deputies have to do is slide the cards into their laptops and they could connect to the main server at the sheriff’s office.

This is going to a real boon to officers on duty, County Sheriff Chris Moss explained. Sheriff’s deputies will be able to patrol our neighborhoods for longer periods of time. Along with license checks and blotter entries, they can now do much of their paperwork right in the car.

Testing of the system was during May. Soon all the police departments in Elmira, West Elmira, Elmira Heights and Horseheads will have the same technology.

Making more new connections

Here at the Ziff Law Firm, we too invest heavily in the latest, greatest technology so as to provide the best service possible to our clients. A few years ago I implemented a “paperless” office (clutter-free and ecological). Many of the Ziff attorneys contribute to blogs like this one, and/or our online FAQs. We use e-newsletters to offer more information and special offers. The firm even has its own Ziff Law Facebook page (you should check it out)!

It’s not always easy or cheap to put new technology to use. You have to learn new skills and spend money. I applaud the increased use of high technology to improve local services – especially when it comes to the best ways to share information securely and quickly. It’s going to make our neighborhoods safer and take some stress off of our police officers.

Thanks for reading,
Jim
_________________________________________
James B. Reed, Esq.
Personal Injury & Malpractice Attorney
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William St., Elmira, NY 14902
Tel. (607) 733-8866 Fax. (607) 732-6062
Toll Free 1-800-943-3529
mailto:jreed@zifflaw.com http://www.zifflaw.com.

The National Institute for Trial Advocacy — a Worthwhile Investment

Posted on August 13, 2008 by Christina Sonsire

Shortly after I joined Ziff Law, Jim Reed, the firm’s managing partner (and frequent poster on this blog,) told me to sign myself up for the two-week National Session on Building Trial Skills offered by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). “And by the way,” he remarked, “the program is located just outside Boulder, Colorado.”

‘Nuff said. As a former resident of Denver and Missoula, Montana, I am a true lover of the mountains and was ecstatic about the chance to spend some time savoring mountain life. Oh, NITA looked pretty cool as well.

I had no idea at the time that I was about to embark upon a career changing — if not life changing — voyage. Seriously. Two weeks at NITA equaled, for me and I suspect most of my classmates, at least five years of real world trial experience. Unfortunately, as most practitioners recognize, cases are not tried nearly as often today as they were fifty years ago. Increased pressures to settle matters quickly or engage in Alternative Dispute Resolution — such as mediation or arbitration — has created a professional atmosphere in which young attorneys wait years or even decades before ever getting a chance to see a case through to verdict. (The one notable exception is in the area of criminal law, where cases are tried on a somewhat more frequent basis.) (Watch an interview with The Honorable Jim R. Carrigan, one if NITA’s founders.)

I was fortunate to have tried a number of cases as a prosecutor before participating in NITA’s National Session. However, the skills and confidence I gained from NITA are unparalleled. I had an opportunity to test myself against some of the best up-and-coming attorneys in the country — and even the world! The faculty was comprised of seasoned practioners with practical, focused advice on how to become the very best trial lawyer possible, and the lecturers offered insight into cutting edge legal trends and technology emerging from all ends of the globe. (Read NITA’s Blog .) Continue reading →

Avvo.com Lawyer Rating Website– Good or Evil?

Posted on December 28, 2007 by Jim Reed

Kevin O’Keefe at Lexblog posted today about a relatively new website, www.avvo.com, that assigns numerical ratings to lawyers.

Here is how Avvo describes what it does:

Avvo is a website that rates and profiles every lawyer, so you can choose the right lawyer…

The Avvo Rating: Based on information we have collected about a lawyer, the Avvo Rating is our effort to evaluate a lawyer’s background, based on the information we know about the lawyer, using a mathematical model that considers the information shown in a lawyer’s profile – information that, in our opinion, is relevant to assessing a lawyer’s qualifications

Many law bloggers have been critical of the formulas used to calculate the Avvo rating and Kevin takes these bloggers to task in his post: Avvo Bashing Foolishness. Kevin says:

What’s the danger in giving people more information in their attempt to choose a lawyer in a world that’s been dominated by lawyer yellow page ads, sleazy TV advertising, and self-aggrandizing lawyer websites? If people want to use Avvo’s lawyer directory which includes third party commentary on a lawyers services and ratings, they’ll use it. If people do not believe Avvo is worthwhile, they’ll choose not to use it.

I agree with Kevin and here’s the Comment I posted to his post:

I agree with Kevin. Like it or not, Avvo is here to stay and compared to Martindale-Hubbell I think it is a dramatic improvement (and I say that despite the fact that my firm is rated AV by MH).

MH charged outrageous fees for the same type of information that Avvo now provides for free.

I like the social aspects of the Avvo site featuring client testimonials and peer endorsements.

Who can really argue with the fact that our clients are in the best position of all to judge the quality of our work? Client satisfaction should be of paramount concern to every attorney and any of us who recognize that fact should readily embrace Avvo as a great place for our happy clients to sing our praises. I have yet to educate my clients regarding Avvo (although I intend to in my next blog post and in my newsletter) and I have yet to draw any client testimonials in Avvo but I nonetheless think it is a site that should be embraced by all attorneys with happy clients…. “It is futile to resist….”

Jim

I would be very curious to hear how clients feel about Avvo so please post a comment to this post with your input.

Thanks for reading,

Jim

Jim Reed, NY Accident Lawyer

PS BTW, here’s a link to my Avvo rating. I am proud of rating an 8.2 but I have always aspired to be a perfect 10. My wife tells me “fat chance”!