Author archives

On his blog, The Subway Fold, Alan Rothman writes about legal tech and education, traditional and social media, big data and metrics, visualization and tech-oriented things about my hometown of New York. As to my bio for the database, I am currently seeking consulting assignments on KM, content strategy and project management. My blog is above and I am on Twitter at both @SubwayFold and @AlanJRothman1. Alan previously worked at three AmLaw 100 firms in NYC in legal tech and legal KM positions. He also wrote the first regular legal tech column for the NY Law Journal from 1990 to 1994. He then moved over to become one of the original forum moderators on Counsel Connect. Alan is Twitter at both @SubwayFold and @AlanJRothman1 and he may be contacted via email - alanrothman at yahoo.com.

Does 3D Printing Pose a Challenge to the Patent System?

3D printing is a growth market – for vendors, consumers, and for public libraries (providing them in combination with maker spaces – “a shared work area where people build things collaboratively.”) Within the sphere of this innovative technology there is growing recognition that 3D printing can produce objects covered by specific particular patents. This new area of copyright infringement is the focus of Alan Rothman’s article.

Subjects: Copyright, Intellectual Property

The Growing Need to Standardize and Validate Online Education Credentials for the Job Market

Learning new skills to support more effective engagement in a competitive job market has attracted many job seekers and employees to online education, most often through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Alan Rothman is proficient in the arena of e-learning and expands the discussion of what courses are available to how they are accredited and subsequently whether they are recognized by potential employers.

Subjects: Continuing Legal Education, Distance Learning, Internet Resources, Job Hunting, KM, Training, Web-Based Training

New Job De-/script/-ions for Attorneys with Coding and Tech Business Skills

Alan Rothman discusses the growing interest in and need for attorneys who have degrees and skills from another field that serves client requirements, previously focused on areas such as engineering, business and medicine. Already well established in professions that include journalism and economics, the legal arena is increasingly embracing the skills and value added work product associated with technical coding. This is reflected in new course offerings in advanced degree programs as well as in job positions that focus on data management and data analytics.

Subjects: Continuing Legal Education, Legal Education, Legal Marketing, Legal Profession, Legal Research Training, Recruiting, Technology Trends, Training

Summary of the Bitcoin Seminar Held at Kaye Scholer in New York on October 15, 2015

The market quote for Bitcoin on October 15, 2016 at 5:00 pm EST was $255.64 US according to CoinDesk.com on the site’s Price & Data page. At that same moment, Alan Rothman was attending a presentation entitled the Bitcoin Seminar. Rothman expertly documents the facets, vocabulary, instances and key components of the quickly emerging technologies that comprise bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and their impact on the financial sector.

Subjects: Law Firm Marketing, Technology Trends

Googles A/B Testing Method is Being Applied to Improve Government Operations

Alan Rothman discusses and documents a method of testing used in the private sector that also has significant in public sector applications – the process called “A/B testing.” Users are shown two nearly identical versions of something with one of them containing some slight variation. They are then asked to choose which one they prefer between the two. Rothman references how Google makes extensive use of this testing and design methodology, and also provides insight into how the federal government is implementing the tactics and strategies of this testing to provide more agile and actionable citizen and business related services.

Subjects: KM, The Tao of Law Librarianship

Vermonts Legislature is Considering Support for Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts

Bitcoin is a significant disruptive technology with a growing impact on the financial sector and legal sectors, around the world. Alan Rothman expertly educates us on new legislation from Vermont that is intended to move the state towards using blockchain technology for “records, smart contracts and other applications”. One of the key distinctions Rothman highlights is that Vermont is not in any manner approving or adopting Bitcoin, but rather, the state is diversifying and adapting the underlying blockchain technology that supports it.

Subjects: Business Research, Intellectual Property, Internet Trends, Legal Education, Legal Technology, Legislative, Technology Trends

Watson, is That You? Yes, and Ive Just Demo-ed My Analytics Skills at IBMs New York Office

Alan Rothman attended a demo of IBM’s Watson Technology, and the shares insights about the core components of this high profile new analytical tool. The technology holds potential value for multiple sectors and cross functional work streams, and as Alan notes, is still under development with additional applications forthcoming.

Subjects: Ahead of the Curve, Business Research, Competitive Intelligence, Information Management, KM, Social Media

Human Resources Management Meets Big Data in Devising Systems to Identify Star Employees

Alan Rothman provides much needed insight and perspective regarding the role of employee performance and productivity metrics, big data, and identifying future leaders within an organization. Although HR professionals and software applications have been engaged to deliver results that yield this knowledge, both are lacking in effectively leveraging and delivering processes to drive future success.

Subjects: Big Data, Communication Skills, Management

How Robots and Computer Algorithms are Challenging Jobs and the Economy

Alan Rothman casts an expert eye onto the landscape of an growing phenomenon – the rise of robotic technologies and their current and forthcoming impact on our workforce and on the economy. This review was sparked by a new book authored by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Martin Ford titled Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future. The depth and significance of the critical issues the book raises is the focus of Rothman’s insightful and engrossing commentary.

Subjects: Technology Trends

New Chips are Using Deep Learning to Enhance Mobile, Camera and Auto Image Processing Capabilities

Alan Rothman takes a look at the expanding experience of how we interface with our devices’ screens for inputs and outputs nearly all day and everyday. He explains how what many of the gadgets will soon be able to display and, moreover, understand about digital imagery is about to take a significant leap forward. This is a result of the pending arrival of new chips embedded into their circuitry that are enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms.

Subjects: Blogs, Gadgets