Member Services

Congratulations on making it all the way through ISBA's Desk4Success Challenge!

We've shared a whole host of ideas this month covering everything from decluttering your office + mind to polishing your professional presence, and timesaving tech tips to office wellness. We hope you've found some new ideas to consider implementing in your own practice.

Here's the list of D4S posts from this month:

At ISBA Mutual, we love lawyers — and we're recognizing YOU throughout ISBA Member Appreciation Month. To show our appreciation, we are giving away 25 Goody Bags which includes a brief bag with supplies for when you are on the road. Make sure you enter to win!

Here is what you can expect to discover in your Goody Bag:

• Power Bank to Charge Your Phone
• USB Drive to Save Files
• The Fundamentals of Loss Prevention Handbook
• Supplies: Notepad, Pen & Post-It Cube

30 years ago, ISBA Mutual was created with a simple mission: to be a benefit to the members of the ISBA. In keeping with that mission ISBA Mutual is proud to sponsor Free Online CLE for all ISBA members, the ISBA Solo & Small Firm Institute Series, and much more. Learn more about ISBA Mutual.

Today we're talking about the germs living on your computer and mobile hardware, a potential health hazard that can easily be remedied. You'll definitely want to complete this D4S Challenge to clean your hardware, because by some accounts, your keyboard likely contains more germs than your toilet seat.

The Dirty Lowdown. When it comes to bugs and computers, your first thought may be addressing cyber security issues to protect your client files and data. But when was the last time you concerned yourself with the bacteria-type of bugs lurking on the outside of your hardware?

A whole host of harmful bacteria and viruses — from e.coli to staph — have been found growing on computer keyboards and mice. Shared hardware between colleagues or family members carries an even greater danger of passing along diseases.

The good news is that by cleaning your hands and your hardware on a regular basis, you can limit your exposure. And, by ridding your hardware of dirt, dust and crumbs in the process, you'll also help your computer to run better.

Spring Clean Your Hardware. Cleaning the outside of a computer or mobile device requires extreme care; the components inside your hardware can become damaged if done incorrectly.

Let's face it, some work days are just harder to get through than others. Whether due to an overwhelming to-do list or just finding it hard to focus — everyone needs an assist now and then.

Today we're exploring using music in the workplace to improve concentration and productivity. And we'll also check out the flip side, using complete silence to aid performance.

The Power of Music. Music has the power to do for the workday what a white noise machine does for sleep, that is, block out distractions. Studies have shown that melodic music also improves your mood by releasing dopamine in the reward area of your brain, which in turn bring about additional positive outcomes from productivity to creativity.

When deciding if listening to music at work will work for you, consider what type of task you'll be doing and whether music will help or hinder you in that task. New research has shown that music can increase your attention span when working on things that are repetitive but may be a distraction when you're tasked with critical-thinking. Each person is different, though, so find out what is right for you.