Fall 2019
The theme for the fall 2019 semester‘s seminars was South Carolina LegalTech.
Past Presentations from the Current Semester
“Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies and the Hub at Columbia Project”
September 5, 2019 — Jonathan Dunsmoor, Esq., Law Office of Jonathan C. Dunsmoor
The technology revolution of blockchain has changed the world and the law in ways that we could not have imaged just five years ago. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple and others, are shaping the way banking, securities transactions, property records and healthcare data are stored using this technology. This presentation examines the current state of law within the top cryptocurrencies from a securities (SEC), commodities (CFTC), financial (FinCen) and tax (IRS) perspectives as well as what the future may hold for the practice of law using distributed ledger technology
1 hour CLE credit (195834)
“Cybersecurity under South Carolina’s Insurance Data Security Act: How Much is Enough?”
September 26, 2019 — David Condon, J.D., M.Sc., Managing Director of The McGuffin Consulting Group, LLC
South Carolina became the first state to adopt a model law called the “Insurance Data Security Act (IDSA).” Phased in between January 1, 2019, and July 1, 2020, the law governs all licensees of the State Department of Insurance (SCDOI) and is intended to increase uniformity in protecting sensitive personal information. The IDSA aligns information protection with comparable cybersecurity laws and regulations governing other industries and activities (e.g. HIPAA, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, FTCA, etc.).
Statutory compliance is an obvious concern for those covered by the Act and their counselors, so a seminal question is: How much cybersecurity is “enough?” Beyond expecting reasonable steps to protect information, the IDSA doesn’t provide a bright line definition of what would be “adequate” or “sufficient.” Rather, it establishes a variable standard based on multiple factors — meaning just that: what might be more than enough security in one organization could fall woefully short in another.
The immediate result is both good — flexibility — and bad — uncertainty. In time, guidance from SCDOI, administrative rulings, and case law will clarify the contours of ‘how much is enough.’ Until then, prudence dictates being proactive and erring on the side of caution. This one-hour program focuses on what’s required by the IDSA in evaluating threats and right-sizing a cybersecurity program to match safety measures and procedures with risks and resources.
1 hour CLE credit (197575)
“South Carolina Court System E-Filing”
October 3, 2019 — Jason Bobertz, Deputy Clerk of the Court, The Supreme Court of South Carolina and Daniel Jones, Staff Attorney, South Carolina Court Administration
This course presents legal and technical instruction about the South Carolina state Electronic Filing (E-Filing) System which is currently mandatory for attorneys filing in civil cases in the court of common pleas. Legal instruction concerning the proper formatting of E-Filed documents, details about electronic service, and calculating timelines to respond to E-Filed pleadings will be provided. The course will also present practical instruction in the form of a tutorial. This course includes beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of instruction.
1 hour CLE credit (197812)
“Cyber Warfare: The Need for Collaboration”
October 17, 2019 — Dr. Csilla Farkas, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Carolina and Director of the Center for Information Assurance Engineering, University of South Carolina
Our society is increasingly dependent on computing technologies. At the same time,
cyberattacks are becoming more-and-more intrusive and devastating. There is a diminishing
separation between cyber and physical systems. In this talk I present the changing
landscape of today’s cyber threats and the challenges faced by individuals, corporations,
and nations. I will provide an overview of upcoming approaches that bring together
computer science, social sciences, business, and legal expertise to identify and implement
the most suitable cybersecurity strategies.
1 hour CLE credit (196686)
“Tech Tip, Trick or Treat!”
October 31, 2019 — Faculty Lineup
Jack Pringle, Adams and Reese, LLP
Dave Maxfield, Esq.
Michelle Fogel, Senior Practice Support Coordinator, Burr & Forman LLP
Eve Ross, Reference Librarian, University of South Carolina School of Law
Gary Moore, Assistant Dean for Academic Technology University of South Carolina School
of Law
This LegalTech Series Seminar will feature five guest lecturers, each giving a brief seminar on various “Halloween themed” LegalTech topics.
“Tools to Keep You from Being a Zombie”
Computer networks and devices are now so accessible they rarely leave our hands. And for perhaps the first time in human history, the tools we use to help us be productive lawyers have also been designed specifically to capture our attention for decidedly unproductive purposes.
In fact, the “variable rewards” and “dopamine-driven feedback loops” engineered into smartphones, devices, applications, and social media platforms pose a constant and significant obstacle to stayed focused on important projects during the work day.
This brief seminar will posit that attention is the most valuable commodity possessed by those in the legal profession (or in any profession), and that all of us are going to need all the attention we can cultivate to navigate the “Second Machine Age.”
Accordingly, I’ll suggest and demonstrate some tools to help manage attention, navigate distractions, and keep our brains capable of doing the important stuff.
“Undead Value Stream Mapping from Hell”
In this seminar, the presenter will show how to use Value Stream Maps to “drive a stake through the heart of the Waste Monster!”
“Vampire Bytes”
In this seminar, the presenter will discuss estimating document numbers and eDiscovery
potential costs based on gigabit size using the EDRM data calculator and various data
volume converters.
“BOOlean Searching”
When you search for case law using an online database, do irrelevant results creep in? Do you ever have the sinking feeling that your online search may have overlooked the key to a great mystery?
What sort of wizardry would give you the power to maximize relevant results and minimize irrelevant results, no matter which online database you use?
Learn how BOOlean Searching using AND, OR, NOT, and more, can help you find all the case law on the issue that haunts you, without digging through a graveyard of quite so many cases on other issues.
Soon you’ll be ready to work BOOlean search magic like this, on any topic you’re researching: ((wizard! OR warlock OR witch) AND spell) NOT ineffective.
“Password, Password, Toil and Trouble”
In June 2018, PC Magazine conducted a survey of 2500 US Trick or Treaters, err consumers. In that survey, PC Magazine found that 35% of people never change their passwords. It’s even more bewitching when you combine that figure with a recent February 2019 Google survey of 3000 consumers which notes that 65% of people reuse the same password for multiple accounts. It is quite likely many lawyers fall into these spooky categories. Given all the data breach incidents, ghoulish ransomware attacks and other malware that goes bump in the night, password security and data protection are more important than ever.
In this seminar, the presenter will discuss using entropy, passphrases, Password
Managers and Two Factor Authentication as various means of better securing your data
and sensitive client information and provide a cure to “The Spell of the Easy Password”.
1 hour CLE credit (195834)
“How a Solo Can Be Han Solo — Using Technology for Courtroom Presentations”
November 14, 2019 — William Booth III, Esq.
A litigation attorney’s job using technology will never be considered easy—so let's learn about and see the practical aspects of setting up a PowerPoint presentation, carrying the screen and projector into court or into a deposition room and using a Microsoft Surface and a Miracast adapter. And without the assistance of IT support, nonetheless. For demonstration purposes, an opening statement and a closing statement will be done with and without the PowerPoint slide presentation to demonstrate the impact of using PowerPoint. Some new features of PowerPoint, including the morph feature, the designer feature, and the zoom feature, will be shown.
You have a case demanding that you figure out how to present pictures, data, animations, and some short scripts on the meaning of the law for your case. It’s no surprise that many courtrooms in the counties of South Carolina are not equipped with pull down projection screens or computer hook ups. You have a low budget for technology enhancement of your presentation but again, you know a visual presentation of key points and key evidence will enhance and give you the edge for persuading the jury.
For the deposition of a doctor for a personal injury case, you are allowed to present a video deposition at trial. The doctor can enhance his testimony by viewing a screen where key medical notes are shown and medical animation slides. The video can be embedded into a PowerPoint slide.
By using a Miracast adapter and a standard television, PowerPoint slides can be shown wirelessly from your Microsoft Surface. But you also must think about mobility of your equipment for carrying into the courtroom or into a doctor’s meeting room. Some of this equipment will be setup and demonstrated during this seminar including a background screen and stand, a TV stand, a TV stand carrying bag, a projector and a projector stand.
1 hour CLE credit (197379)
Past Legaltech Seminars Archive
Learn about past seminars.