This paper evaluates and compares copiers, scanners, and printers appropriate for law offices of varying sizes — from sole practitioners to large firms. Drawing on product specifications and pricing data from major manufacturers including HP, Epson, Xerox, Sharp, Ricoh, and Dell, the paper identifies suitable hardware for each office tier and presents the information in comparative tables. It also examines the trade-offs between all-in-one multifunction devices and separate standalone units, and discusses when maintenance agreements are warranted. The analysis concludes with a practical recommendation for a solo practitioner setting up a medical malpractice office.
One of the harsh realities of modern jurisprudence is the sheer volume of paper that continues to be generated for almost any type of activity undertaken by lawyers today. Notwithstanding the promises of a paperless office that accompanied the introduction of word processing technology in the late 20th century, many modern law offices still consume paper at a remarkable rate. In this environment, identifying the most cost-effective and appropriate hardware to support the needs of differently sized law offices simply makes good business sense — lawyers do not want to pay for features they cannot use, but they do need certain core capabilities for most of their administrative tasks.
To shed light on these issues, this paper compares and contrasts major brands of copiers, scanners, and printers currently available and appropriate for use in a new sole practitioner's office, a medium-sized firm, and a large firm. An analysis of which options and brands are best suited for these differently sized offices — based on their respective pros and cons — is followed by a discussion of additional considerations such as whether maintenance agreements are needed and when an all-in-one model may be more suitable than three separate units. Factors such as major brand reputations and the costs and performance associated with each approach are also addressed.
The administrative needs of a law office generally relate to the type of practice involved, but it can be reasonably posited that almost any law office will need or routinely require hard copies of pleadings, online research, voluminous briefs, disclosure data, tax information, letters, memoranda, faxes, phone messages, receipts, and even checks and emails — even when these documents are readily available in digital form. Indeed, many people treat a letter from a lawyer as a document to be taken very seriously and will keep a copy indefinitely. Lawyers need these copies to satisfy legal requirements, to keep their clients informed, and to operate their offices in a businesslike fashion.
Moreover, it is reasonable to suggest that most lawyers are familiar with the broad benefits of multifunction office equipment, and a wide variety of copiers, scanners, and printers can be found in law offices across the country and around the world today. Clearly, some devices are better suited for certain office sizes than others, and these considerations are discussed in detail below.
As the term implies, scanners are devices used to capture an image from a hard-copy document, photograph, slide, or similar source and translate it into digital form so that it can be manipulated, stored, analyzed, or shared. Depending on the type of practice involved, some law offices may have little need for a scanner on a regular basis, while others — such as patent specialists — may require one every day. Depending on the level of need and intended application, there are a variety of scanner types suitable for different sized offices, including those described in Table 1 below.
Table 1. Various types of scanners.
Hewlett Packard Scanjet G3010 — 4800 x 9600 dpi resolution with 48-bit color; can scan grouped prints, two-up slides and negatives, and automatically create text-based PDFs with links. List price: $99.99. Low cost combined with solid performance makes this suitable for a sole practitioner law office.
Microtek ScanMaker i800 / i900 — Available in standard or Pro configuration (with upgraded software to read included IT8 targets). The i800 is a legal-sized flatbed scanner with a transparency adapter in the lid; the adapter's lamp moves with the CCD so illumination remains constant. The 120 and 4×5 film holders use a spring-tension design that flattens film for sharper scans; 7-second full-bed preview scan time. List price: $599.99. The i900 features Hi-Speed USB 2 and FireWire ports. Email and web support are free; Microtek offers one year of complimentary installation support and fee-based advanced troubleshooting through the MLI Consulting Group. The i900 also includes a one-year limited warranty. Suitable for a medium-sized law office.
Epson Perfection V700/V750 — Handles everything from documents to medium-format film; manages reflective material well. Optical scan resolution of 6400 dpi; dual lens system that automatically selects the appropriate lens based on resolution required; batch scanning of slides, negatives, and medium-format film using plastic carriers that slot into the scanning bed. Available in two versions: the $549.99 V700 Photo and the $799.99 V750-M Pro. Full-sized flatbed. Suitable for a large law office.
Source: Pasini, 2008.
According to the experts at Interaction Media Group, selecting the right copier for any office depends on several factors: the purposes for which the copier will be used, the projected monthly copy volume, available space, whether photographs and slides will be copied, and how the copier will be connected to a network. As one industry guide notes, "Once you have answered these questions, you are ready to determine which grade copier will best suit your needs" (How to Buy Copiers/Printers/Scanners, p. 3). Some popular major copier brands suitable for different sized law offices are described in Table 2 below.
Table 2. Various types of copiers.
Sharp AR 168s Copier — 16 copies per minute; high-quality copying, 600 dpi PC printing, and standard color PC scanning; advanced features include electronic sorting, offset stacking, and smart device sharing. More economical than cartridge-based systems and can reduce total cost of ownership. List price: $669. Suitable for a sole practitioner.
Xerox M15i Copier — 15 copies per minute; automatic document feeder and sorter; two-sided printing, scan-once-print-many, electronic collation, color scanning, secure faxing, and optional network printing. List price: $850. Suitable for a medium-sized law office.
Xerox M128 Copier — Virtually unlimited scan and program-ahead capability while the device is busy printing; Smart paper trays that sense paper size and automatically match input requirements; high-speed fax modem with JBIG compression, speed dials, and group dials; automatic two-sided fax transmission and two-sided printing of incoming faxes; large touchscreen graphical interface with integrated control panel for convenient access to all advanced features. List price: $5,199. Suitable for a large law office.
Source: Direct Source Copiers, 2008.
Like copiers and scanners, the needs of a given law office will dictate the most suitable printer type. It can generally be assumed that faster is better, quality is important, and reliability is essential for any printer used in a law office. Although inkjet printers are less expensive than laser models, they are typically slower and the ongoing cost of ink replacement can be prohibitive when a great deal of printing is done routinely. Therefore, anticipated monthly print volume and whether color printing is required are major factors in any printer selection. One of the most popular printer brands today is Dell. A representative sample of their printer line suitable for differently sized law offices is shown in Table 3 below.
Table 3. Various types of printers.
Dell 968w All-in-One Wireless Printer — Maximum printing resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi (color); ADF capacity: 50 sheets; input tray: 150 sheets; output tray: 100 sheets. List price: $169.00.
Dell Multifunction Monochrome Laser Printer 1815dn — Maximum printing resolution: up to 600 x 600 dpi; optical resolution: 600 x 1200 dpi; standard media capacity: 250 sheets. List price: $399.00.
Dell Color Laser Printer 3110cn — Maximum color resolution: 600 x 600 dpi; maximum B&W resolution: 600 x 600 dpi; maximum media capacity: 950 sheets. List price: $439.00.
Source: Dell Computer, 2008.
"Trade-offs of multifunction versus standalone units"
"When service contracts are worth the investment"
The research showed that the administrative needs of the modern law office are much like those of any other paper-intensive office where reliable equipment is essential. The same factors that apply to other business settings — volume, intended use, space limitations, and cost — also come into play in the selection of copiers, scanners, and printers for legal practice. The research also demonstrated that investing in these devices is not particularly complex, but does require careful analysis to ensure that the equipment selected meets the law office's needs and is sufficiently easy to use and reliable.
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