From Paper to Practice: Practical Technology Systems for a Modern Law Office (2026 Edition)

Lauren Scardella | The Scardella Law Firm

Lauren E. Scardella, Esq. is the founder of The Scardella Law Firm LLC and an experienced attorney who has built and sustained a fully paperless, technology-driven law practice. Since 2009, she has represented clients in high-volume municipal, DWI, and criminal defense matters, requiring efficient document management, electronic court filings, secure digital evidence handling, and constant electronic communication with courts, clients, and experts. In 2025, Ms. Scardella successfully transitioned her New Jersey-based practice to a fully remote model while relocating to Arizona, relying on a carefully structured technology stack, cloud-based systems, and streamlined digital workflows to maintain compliance, productivity, and client service. A frequent CLE speaker and co-editor of Municipal Court Practice for NJICLE, she brings practical, real-world insight into implementing paperless systems, training staff in digital workflows, and evaluating whether a remote or in-office paperless model best serves a law practice.

Tom O’Connor | Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center

Tom O’Connor is a nationally known consultant, speaker, and writer in the field of legal technology. A New England native who graduated from The Johns Hopkins University in 1972 with a BA in Political Science, he later earned a J.D. at an evening law school program while working as a consultant during the day.

That consulting experience is diverse and includes tobacco litigation, the BP oil spill litigation and several opioid MDL matters as well as pro bono work with the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

A frequent lecturer about legal technology, Tom also teaches CLE courses nationwide and is a prolific writer. He has several blogs which cover current legal technology topics and has written hundreds of articles including the 2006 award-winning article, “In Katrina’s Wake”, about recovery efforts in the legal community of post-Katrina New Orleans in which he participated.

Tom has authored four books on legal technology, including the best-selling EDiscovery for the Rest of Us and most recently, AI For the Rest of Us, both of which are self-published. In addition, he hosts the Ediscovery Channel on YouTube where he interviews well-known figures in the legal technology space.

Tom currently resides down the Mississippi down in New Orleans with his son Seamus, a Hosted Services Specialist with Platinum Intelligent Data Solutions. They both still mourn the death of legal marketing maven Gayle O’Connor, a wonderful wife and partner to Tom as well as a loving mother to Seamus.

Session I – Smart Tech, Sound Systems: Creating a Paperless Practice Without Reinventing the Wheel | 1:00pm – 2:00pm

• How to make the transition to a paperless office if you’re still using paper systems
• Creating a technology stack
• How to choose whether your practice should be a brick-and-mortar operation or a remote operation

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

Session II – Paperless Law Practice Tips for Litigators | 2:10pm – 3:10pm

• AI Evidence
• Document management systems
• Electronic communication
• eDiscovery