Technology 101 for Legal Professionals – Basic Tech Skills & Info Every Lawyer Needs to Know 2024

Ellen serves as the Law Practice Management Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Bar Association. 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 and so forth. PBA members are encouraged to contact Ellen through the 800 “Hot Line” at PBA headquarters, (800-932-0311 x2228) or through email ([email protected]). Ellen is founder and President of Freedman Consulting, which assists PA law firms with a full range of issues and projects on the business side of the practice. More information about Ellen and her law practice management services may be obtained at https://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 300 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 midsize (35+ attorney) firm environment. She launched her consulting practice in 1998 and joined the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1999. 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.

David G. Ries is of counsel in the Pittsburgh, PA office of Clark Hill PLC, where he practices in the firm’s Cybersecurity, Data Protection and Privacy Group. He has devoted his legal career to helping organizations traverse complex environmental, technology, and data protection challenges. He has used computers in his practice since the early 1980s and since then has strongly encouraged attorneys to embrace technology – in appropriate and secure ways. Dave frequently speaks and writes nationally on legal ethics, technology, and cybersecurity topics. He is the Editor of e-Discovery 4th Edition (PBI Press 2017), a coauthor of Locked Down: Practical Information Security for Lawyers, Second Ed. (American Bar Association 2016) and Encryption Made Simple for Lawyers (American Bar Association 2015), and a contributing author to Information Security and Privacy: A Legal, Business and Technical Handbook, Second Edition (American Bar Association 2011). He served on the ABA Cybersecurity Legal Task Force and the ABA TECHSHOW Planning Board and is a member of InfraGard’s Legal Cross-Sector Council and ILTA’s LegalSEC Initiative. Dave received his J.D. from Boston College Law School. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 412-394-7787. 

Attorney Daniel J. Siegel is a nationally recognized authority on legal ethics, technology, data protection, cybersecurity, civil litigation, workers’ compensation, and law-practice workflow management. He is the principal of both the Law Offices of Daniel J. Siegel, LLC and Integrated Technology Services, LLC, where he addresses the complex legal, ethical, and operational issues that frequently challenge lawyers and law firms. Dan’s practice is multifaceted. He defends attorneys in disciplinary matters, provides professional responsibility and ethics counsel, and serves as appellate counsel in high-stakes matters. He also represents individuals in estate planning, workers’ compensation, and personal injury cases, bringing a deep understanding of both trial and appellate advocacy. A leader in techno-ethics, Dan advises solo, small, and mid-sized law firms on the ethical and practical implications of technology, including cybersecurity, data protection, and the responsible use of emerging tools such as artificial intelligence. He also helps firms and businesses improve efficiency through workflow optimization and paperless office systems. Dan is the author of 16 books, a legal columnist, and a frequent national speaker on ethics, technology, and law practice management. He served as Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Committee on Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility from 2019 to 2025 and as Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Technology Committee from 2023 to 2025. He is currently Past-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Division. Widely respected for combining practical experience with deep subject-matter expertise, Dan is often called upon to address the most challenging issues facing lawyers today. He can be reached at [email protected].

Jennifer Ellis is an attorney licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and the principal of Jennifer Ellis, JD, LLC, a law practice management and technology consulting firm. Her legal practice focuses on ethics, and her consulting work assists lawyers and legal organizations with technology selection, implementation, and risk management, including cybersecurity and the practical use of artificial intelligence in legal practice.
Jennifer has extensive experience in legal education and professional development and has worked closely with bar associations and continuing legal education providers on the development and presentation of programs for lawyers at all stages of practice. She regularly speaks and writes on legal ethics, law practice management, and emerging technology issues, with an emphasis on helping lawyers evaluate new tools realistically and responsibly. Her work emphasizes clarity, accuracy, and ethical judgment, particularly where law and technology intersect. Find Jennifer online at jlellis.net.

Samuel G. Encarnacion is a personal injury attorney based out of the Lancaster, Pennsylvania office of Haggerty & Silverman. Sam is bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. He is available to help Spanish-speaking clients with their legal matters. Sam was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in Puerto Rico, and moved to Texas in 1980. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 and received his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law at Austin in 1991. Sam is dedicated to helping people. He serves on the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) Board of Governors, representing minority lawyers. Sam also serves on the Lancaster Bar Association (LBA) Diversity Committee. In May 2016, Sam began a three-year term as an at-large minority governor on the PBA Board of Governors. Sam served on the Board of Directors of the Lancaster Bar Association for 3 years. Sam is also a board member of the PBA Insurance Fund and Trust and served as its Chair for two years. Sam helped review the PBA’s Professional Liability Program and the insurance offerings made available to the association’s members. In 2013, because of his extensive work as Chair of the Trust, Sam received the PBA Special Achievement Award. Sam also has experience with criminal law. Since 1993, Sam has been with the Lancaster County Public Defender’s Office where he represents clients in criminal cases. He is also an instructor at the Pennsylvania Public Defender Trial Skills Training Program held annually at Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Sam has an AVVO lawyer rating of 10 out of 10. In 2008, Sam was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. From 2009 until 2015, Sam was a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Committee on Rules of Evidence. He served as chair of the committee from 2014 to 2015.