Slashdot Mirror
A Linux Users Group for Professionals?
ir0b0t asks: "I'm a lawyer in a solo divorce practice in Missoula, Montana. I have migrated my office to OpenOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird and Sunbird but want to do more Open Source, yet I have issues that come up nearly every day. The problems I encounter are often unique to running a small law practice. Coders sometimes give me blank looks when I describe what I need. Other lawyers tend to automatically use proprietary solutions and show little interest in Open Source alternatives. I want to eventually use only Open Source code in my office. I am willing to do my homework. Are there others like me out there? Is there a Linux Users Group or other online forum for professionals like me who want more Open Source solutions for our work? Thanks."
PJ over at http://groklaw.net/ might be able to help, or point you to peolple who are doing this. I think she is planning a Linux LiveCD for lawyers.
I understand the problem you're going through; let's face it, most people look at you with a blank stare anytime you say *anything* related to computers.
That said, I worked on the migration of a firm in Billings, MT to OSS. What we found was that there really *is* no replacement for the capstone software, Amicus Attorney, and I couldn't even make it run on Crossover. So we use OpenOffice instead of MS, and Firefox/Thunderbird, but are forced into Windows for one app (usual story). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the legal field just isn't interested in Linux, *because* the big firms (like the Washington Big 10, for instance) are IP lawyers, so they're *defending* Microsoft etc. Tacky to use the competition, it seems.
If you have no need for Amicus, then what software, really, do you need? PM me, we can discuss the issue.