My name is Nicole Black (@nikiblack on Twitter). You can contact me via phone--585.210.0815 or you can reach me via [email protected].
I'm passionate about four things: criminal defense, food and wine, writing and technology.
I'm a GigaOM Pro analyst, an attorney, a published author [Cloud Computing for Lawyers (2012); Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier (2010); Criminal Law in New York (1999)], a newspaper columnist, a legal technology consultant (lawtechTalk), and an avid blogger (Legal iPad, Sui Generis & Legal Antics). I have written for The Xemplar and write bi-weekly posts for the Small Firm Innovation Blog.
I frequently speak at legal conferences, technology conferences, law schools, universities, bar associations, and law firm retreats about the intersection of law and technology. Topics range from Internet-based technologies such as cloud computing and social media to mobile technologies. You can contact me here to discuss possible speaking opportunities.
I am 40 years old, have been married for 13 years and have 2 children. I have lived in Rochester, NY for most of my adult life.
I graduated from Albany Law School in 1995 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1996.
I interned in the Monroe County Public Defender's Office appeals bureau from 1995-1996. During that time, I accomplished one of the most significant wins of my legal career: I was successful in overturning a murder conviction in the matter of People v. Sierra, 231 A.D.2d 907, 647 N.Y.S.2d 891 (4th Dep't 1996).
Shortly after I argued that appeal, I was hired as an Assistant Public Defender and worked there for nearly 4 years, handling over 3000 criminal cases during that time frame. I conducted countless hearings and trials, including a number of jury trials.
In 1999 I left the Public Defender's Office and was hired as an associate at Trevett, Cristo, Salzer & Andolina. I continued to handle criminal defense matters. I handled assigned counsel matters, my own retained criminal defense matters and worked with some of the partners at the firm--widely held to be some of the best criminal defense attorneys in town--on their cases. I also handled all types of civil litigation matters, ranging from personal injury litigation (plaintiff and defense), commercial litigation and built up my own employment discrimination book of practice. Currently I am of counsel to Fiandach & Fiandach.
I'm also a complete and total geek.
My love affair with computers began in the early 1980s with the TRS-80. I learned how to use the BASIC programming language and from that point on I was hooked.
My freshman year in college, I took a computer programming class and for my final project created the game "Mastermind" using the Pascal programming language. I was really proud of that project.
In 1995, the fabulous World Wide Web was revealed to me. Things have never been the same since.
After creating a home page using HTML, I spent a lot of time in the 3 or 4 public chat rooms available on the Web back then, eventually meeting the man I'm proud to call my husband.
In 2002 I designed a law firm's website using Microsoft Frontpage and, more recently, used iWeb to design my current professional website.
I began blogging in 2005 and currently publish 4 blogs. I am a social media enthusiast and am addicted to discovering and exploring the latest online tools and mobile applications.
I find the intersection of law and technology to be particularly fascinating and am doing all that I can to facilitate the fusion of these two seemingly reluctant soulmates.
