Fast Forward to the Past: Has Technology Come Full Circle

Mar17Tue2026

CLE

12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

Zoom

1 Ethics Hour(s), 0.5 Substantive Hour(s)

Updated Registration Flyer

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Description

VIRTUAL CLE (considred live CLE credit)

1-hour ethics and .5 substantive

$25 Student members & Paralegals | $35 DCBA members | $55 attorney non-members

Registration deadline: 12 noon, March 16, 2026

ACH Debit registration can be made here.

Lawyers are faced with an increasingly challenging technology environment. Trying to find the “sweet spot” where lawyers can effectively and efficiently provide service to clients, while meeting various ethical obligations for technical knowledge, and providing sufficient security to maintain confidentiality and safeguard client money, is like shooting a moving target.

When the only safe harbor from ethical infractions is in taking “reasonable precautions,” firms face a subjective landscape constantly morphing in response to actions taken or not taken by colleagues, and threat actors alike.

Increased pressure from clients and competitors to incorporate advantages offered by new technologies, many powered by Artificial Intelligence, add additional layers of complexity and cost to the computing environment. As does continued demand for remote and hybrid employment arrangements. The life of Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025. It required many firms to replace hardware incapable of upgrading to the new operating system. Where does it stop?!?

Solo & small firms are facing a conundrum; you can’t practice without a robust and safe operating environment, but the costs are getting out of control to do it ethically, and the time lost troubleshooting the technology cuts into revenue generation and client service. Is it time to return to the old days when we had only a dumb terminal on the desktop?

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Applicable ethics: Rule 1.1 [Competence] Rule 1.4 [Communication] Rule 1.6 [Confidentiality] Rule 1.15 [Safekeeping Property] Rules 5.1 and 5.3 [Supervision Responsibilities] PBA F.O. 2010-200 [Ethical Obligations on Maintaining a Virtual Office for the Practice of Law in Pennsylvania] PBA F.O. 2011-200 [Ethical Obligations for Attorneys Using Cloud Computing / Software-as-a-Service While Fulfilling the Duties of Confidentiality and Preservation of Client Property] PBA F.O. 2020-300 [Ethical Obligations for Lawyers Working Remotely] PA Breach of Personal Information Notification Act (PII): 73 P.S. §§ 2301 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”)

Speakers

Ellen Freedman PA Bar Association

Ellen has been serving as the Law Practice Management Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 1999. In that capacity she assists PBA's members with management issues and decisions on the business side of their practice; including areas like technology, financial management and profitability, human resources, marketing, risk management, setting up a practice, closing a practice, and much more. PBA members are encouraged to contact Ellen through the 800 "Hot Line" at PBA headquarters, (800-932-0311 x2228) or through email (lawpractice@pabar.org).

Ellen is founder and President of Freedman Consulting, Inc., which was founded in 1998. Her consultancy assists PA law firms with a wide range of issues and projects on the business side of the practice. Her assignments concentrate in strategic planning, retreat facilitation, management audits and best practices, and change implementation. More information about Ellen and her law practice management services may be obtained at http:www.FreedmanLPM.com.

Ellen holds the designation of Certified Legal Manager through the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), the credentialing body for the CLM degree. Of the 11,000+ members of the ALA, approximately 360 are certified legal managers. Ellen was one of the first 20 in the nation to have achieved this designation. She holds a Certification in Computer Programming from Maxwell Institute, and a Certification in Web Site Design and a B.A. from Temple University.

Ellen was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management in October, 2020. Membership in the College is by invitation only. Eligible nominees include those who have made significant contributions to the field of law practice management for over ten years. Since its establishment over twenty years ago, nearly 300 practitioners from 5 different countries have become Fellows of the College.

Ellen managed inside law firms for twenty years. Most of that time was spent in a mid- size (35+ attorney) firm environment. Prior to that, Ellen managed in a variety of multi-corporate environments. She was a member of the Association of Legal Administrators for over 20 years, and founded the Independence Chapter. She is a frequent author and speaker on law firm management issues on a national level.

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