the Best Fit PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Transcription

1 OFFICE TECH BY SUSAN L. TRAYLOR PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Choosing the Best Fit SUSAN L. TRAYLOR, Owner/Consultant of AZ Law Practice Management, LLC, has been helping Arizona lawyers for 14 years, teaching techniques and tools for running a law practice more efficiently and ethically. She works with lawyers setting up practices, improving general office management, trust account recordkeeping, developing efficient office systems, with a particular emphasis on selecting and utilizing practice management software. For more information see or contact Susan at straylor@az-lpm.com or (602) A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

2 I don t know how a lawyer, in today s law firm, can practice law without using practice management software, says a Phoenix litigation and criminal defense sole practitioner, June I wish I had the practice management software I used when I had my own firm, says a seasoned large firm attorney, MAETISA SHUTTERSTOCK.COM In many ways, choosing the law practice management software ( PMS ) that s right for your firm is similar to looking for a house. You want it to have the necessary basic features just as a house would have basics such as a living room, kitchen and so forth, and distinguishing features such as a walk-in closet and detached workshop. You also want it to be aesthetically appealing, and it should have a place for you to put all the information (stuff) you need to store. If you make the right choice, you will benefit from being comfortable and efficient in your new home, and you will have a good base from which you and your staff may thrive in your work. And, if you use and maintain your PMS properly over time, you will make a good return on your investment. Many of us know quite a bit about houses because we have lived in them throughout our lives. We also have researched houses, compared housing options, financed houses, moved into one or two, and modified them. In the same way, in choosing the best law PMS to fit our situation, we need to know: What is law PMS? What basic features should I expect from good law PMS? What are some of the features that set one product apart from another? What are the products/options available? FIGURE 1 Historically referred to as case management software, PMS is a category of software designed to manage a firm s dayto-day client/matter information that is, appointments, deadlines, communications, notes, billable time, documents, accounts and trust accounts, as well as general office management information (such as attorney professional development dates and deadlines, associations and other non-client related matters). For a more detailed listing of basic features of law PMS, see Figure 1. Word or WordPerfect Contacts Clients, Attorneys, Parties, People Assemble Document Phone Calls Track time Organize web research Smartphones/Tablets PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PMS Document Manager Appointments Reminders Matters/Cases organization Calendaring/Docketing A major distinction is that it is casecentric, rather than contact-centric like many of the nonlegal-specific contact manager or CRM software. Lawyers work on cases (or matters or files). Although the client (a contact) may continue on for years, it is the case that has a beginning, middle and end. PMS is a relational database starting with the client s contact information, then adding a case/matter for that client, and relating (or linking) all contacts, phone calls, time tracked, calendar items, , documents, etc., to the case/matter. Remote access Desktop PMS vs. Cloud PMS About 20 or 25 years ago, PMS software, desktop or on-premise type, entered the legal market and it continues to be a good option for many firms today. In that situation, the firm purchases the software, which it installs on the firm s network and computers. The firm owns the software and is responsible for maintaining it along with the computers on which it is installed. In some cases, the software should be upgraded every two or three years, but in other situations, the firm is able to use the same version for several years without upgrading. The decision to upgrade depends on whether the firm s PMS is still compatible with the firm s other software, as well as whether the vendor has terminated technical support for the older PMS version. Examples of traditional desktop law PMS are Abacus Law, Aderant (formerly Client Profiles), Amicus Small Firm, Amicus Premium, LegalFiles, Needles, LexisNexis Time Matters, Practice Master, Perfect Office, ProLaw by Elite, Daylite (Mac), Lawstream (Mac) and HoudiniEsq (Mac or Windows). Approximately six years ago, new products in law PMS entered the market in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) PMS, aka Cloud PMS. SaaS simply means that the vendor designs and develops the software, installs it on its own server, then leases or rents use of the software to the customer on a monthly basis. The customer is provided with a user name and login password that is used to access their cloud PMS w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y O C T O B E R A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y 21

3 O F F I C E T E C H Choosing the Best Fit from the office, home, court, or anywhere else (provided the customer has an Internet connection). The law firm does not need to invest in and maintain high-end servers and computers to run the PMS. The PMS vendor maintains the PMS software and the computers on which it is installed. Examples of cloud law PMS are AdvoLogix, Amicus Cloud, Clio, LexisNexis Firm Manager, My Case and Rocket Matter. PMS Desktop and the Cloud Front Office/Back Office Many of the traditional desktop PMS separate the financial functions (billing, payments, accounting, trust accounts) into separate modules, or applications. These are referred to as back office. This leaves the matters/files/cases, calendaring, communications, documents and time tracking to be termed front office functions. Traditional desktop PMS found it necessary to separate front office from back office because many law firms already used and were committed to their preferred back office software. In fact, to accommodate those situations even better, the law PMS vendors developed links from the PMS front office to the firm s preferred back office software to minimize the need for double entry of data. Examples of these third-party software providers are Tabs 3, Timeslips, PCLaw, Quickbooks and Juris. On the other hand, most of the SaaS PMS products developed today include front office and partial back office functions time/billing and trust accounting. The firm must use another software to perform general ledger accounting functions (e.g., trial balance sheets, profit/loss statements) or do it manually. In response to this, many of the cloud PMS products have designed links to third-party software such as QuickBooks. Automated Calendaring Automated calendaring is a feature unique to legal-specific PMS that allows the firm to create calendar events (appointments or tasks) that are dependent on each other according to predetermined day intervals. If one of the dates is modified, the dependent dates recalculate automatically. This feature is particularly helpful to litigation practices. For example: File Complaint = master event > Service of Process Due is calendared 120 after the complaint is filed > Answer Due is calendared 20 days after the Service of Process. In that example, if you file the complaint today, the service of process is automatically calendared 120 after today. Then, when the complaint is finally served, you merely change the date on the Service of Process to the actual date served, which, in turn, calculates the Answer Due in 20 days after that. Lawyers have found this feature useful for other practice areas, as well. For example: Initial consult > run conflicts check > intake date > fee agreement signed > (hearing date) > etc. Automated calendaring has been a basic feature of desktop or on-premise PMS software for many years as lawyers of non-litigation practice areas have found it a very helpful feature. However, many cloud PMS have yet to develop this feature. The alternative to designing automated calendaring inside the cloud PMS is to look for a third-party service to perform automated calendaring. Some examples are Compulaw and Deadlines. Synchronization With Mobile Devices When a PMS product claims it will synchronize with mobile devices, you should take time to understand what this means and how it will work for that particular product. Because you need only an Internet connection, user name and password to log into your SaaS PMS, those products are accessible by desktop, laptop, Smartphone or tablet. The SaaS PMS also typically have a Mobile Device interface for their PMS, making it easy to read on a small screen. On the other hand, when a desktop or on-premise PMS claims to have synchronization with mobile devices, you need to know: (1) Synchronization means only contacts, appointments and to-dos (see next section regarding s); and (2) To set up the synchronization link, you may need any one of, or combination of, the following: Microsoft Outlook, Google apps or Gmail account, third-party software like CompanionLink and/or DejaOffice, icloud or Exchange service. If you are practicing in a specific area of law, there may be software designed specifically for the area. Integration Know that handling your on your mobile device, then saving those s in your PMS is called integration, not synchronization. Most PMS products merely link s in the PMS either as a communication record or a document record. Some PMS allow you to work from thirdparty applications like Outlook, linking the s back to the PMS. Practice-Specific PMS If you are practicing in a specific area of law, there may be software designed specifically for the area. That is not to say that the generic, out-of-the box software as referenced above cannot be customized to accommodate these specific practice areas (and some even offer practice-specific modules at an additional charge). It simply means that if you are practicing in one specific area, and that area only, it may be a good idea for you to start by researching those software options first. Keep in mind that some of these practice-specific solutions may not include all of the basic features of the out-of-the-box traditional PMS. Examples of practicespecific software are ImmPro, LawLogix, INSZoom and e-immigration (immigration); BestCase (Bankruptcy); Needles and TrialWorks (personal injury); Courtview and Justware (public law); and Serengeti (corporate legal). Distinguishing Features or Integrations Just about every individual PMS product, whether it is desktop/on-premise or SaaS, offers some unique, special feature or inte- 22 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

4 O F F I C E T E C H Choosing the Best Fit gration with a third-party product. Rocket Matter integrates with Skype, Dropbox and Evernote. Amicus Small Firm and Amicus Premium offer Amicus TimeTracker, a Smartphone app that allows you to enter billable time or expenses that automatically synchronize with the Amicus database. You can log calls from your cell phone and bill for time automatically (AdvoLogix) via client and/or co-counsel portals (Advo- Logix, Clio, MyCase, Total Attorneys), or post a Client Intake Form on your website that, when filled out by the client, can be downloaded to automatically upload into your PMS (AbacusLaw, AdvoLogix). Others may have a seamless integration with their own rules-based automated calendaring (AbacusLaw and Aderant). If you prepare a lot of forms, you might find AbacusLaw s.pdf Form (fill) helpful; you can set up a group of.pdf forms with merge fields, select a Matter, then select Do the Group and AbacusLaw will pull data from the matter and merge it into all of the forms in the group, in seconds. Uptime Cloud for Law Firms (third-party host for AbacusLaw) offers a slightly different approach to PMS, which is a menu of law firm cloud services, including cloud voice/phone service. And MyCase offers a special integration with social media. Varying Definitions of Cloud PMS When a legal-specific PMS vendor claims to have a cloud option, make sure you clarify their definition of cloud. SaaS (Software as a Service) Another name for cloud is SaaS (Software as a Service). Some of the first SaaS PMS on the market were brand-new vendors such as Clio and Rocket Matter. Because these products never existed as a desktop or onpremise version, they were free to design their product without meeting any particular user expectation. When traditional desktop PMS, such as LexisNexis Time Matters and Amicus Attorney, developed cloud versions (LexisNexis Firm Manager and Amicus Cloud), there was the expectation that their SaaS versions would be identical to their desktop versions, but just in the cloud. Of course, that wasn t true. It is not possible to replicate the same user interface (appearance and navigation) of an onpremise version of the PMS into the SaaS version. (To use the house metaphor, even though you may be building a house with bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and living room, the building materials are different.) Some of the other consequences of this difference in building materials are, on the downside, that the cloud version may not have all of the same basic features as the desktop version and is often less customizable than the desktop version. Should Your Firm Go to the Cloud? MAMAGIO SHUTTERSTOCK.COM These days, one of the most frequently asked questions about law PMS is, Should we move to the cloud or stay with desktop (on-premise) law PMS? In other words, Should we buy or should we lease/rent the house? If you are new to PMS, getting up and running in a SaaS is a snap. But here are the considerations for moving your PMS to the cloud: Practice Management Software is like a Should I move to the cloud? Do I feel it is imperative that my firm s data be stored on my computer/server, in my firm? If the answer is no, know your ethical responsibilities for using/storing client data in the cloud. Call the State Bar s Ethics Hotline ( ) or view Ethics Opinions here: Is your firm s Internet connectivity fast and reliable? How about your home s or the court s Internet connection? Then you must decide on whether you want SaaS, third-party hosting of your firm s applications, a suite of cloud services, or a combination of those. What other software does your firm use? Must you continue to use it? Will it integrate with the PMS? How does the PMS work with your mobile devices? If you have been using a traditional desktop/on-premises PMS, you need to find out if and/or how much of your legacy data can be migrated to the SaaS PMS. Always ask your PMS vendor first if they offer a cloud or cloud-like version or option before looking to a new vendor. How does the integration work? Are s saved in the PMS? What is the process for saving incoming/outgoing s? How does this work with your Smartphone? How accessible is the technical support? Do they provide free training videos on their website? Do they offer paid training classes? Are there local consultants available for training? Where is the SaaS data stored? (Some vendors are not in the United States, but they do store the data in the U.S.). Are you able to export your data from the SaaS PMS? How much of your data can be exported and in what format? This is important to know should you decide to terminate your subscription to the SaaS PMS, not to mention you should be able to periodically download (backup) your data to your local network. Research the software options available to you (see table of Practice Management Software on page 30) and ask for a demo from the vendor. Use this article as a checklist of questions to ask (e.g., How do the basic features work? Which, if any, distinguishing features to you want or need?) Request a free 30-day trial of the software. It is important that you test-drive the PMS before committing to it. Cost Comparison: There is no shortcut here. You must sit down and crunch the 24 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

5 On the upside, however, the SaaS version is accessible from anywhere you have an Internet connection; it works like a browser (if you have browsed the Internet, so you will know how to navigate a SaaS PMS. Third-Party Host Some of the traditional desktop versions of PMS opted to take a slightly different route to the cloud. Rather than develop a SaaS version of their PMS, they arranged with a third-party vendor to host their PMS, allowing the PMS users to log onto their computer each day. But instead of logging onto the firm s local network to access their PMS and other applications, the user is logging onto the third-party vendor s server/network. An example is Abacus Sky. Alternatively, if a firm wishes to make arrangements with the third-party host of their own choosing to host all of their firm s applications and PMS, they may do so. An example of that approach is Legal WorkSpace. Browser-Based The PMS software is installed on your server/computer and your PMS data is stored on-premises, but users of the PMS log into the PMS using their browser. This makes your data available from the office, home, court or anywhere with an Internet connection. Your firm must still maintain the hardware resources and do installations and maintenance, but you have mobility with access to your PMS data and 24/7 control of your data. Examples are Amicus Premium with Amicus Anywhere and HoudiniEsq. Cloud Hybrid If you are married to using Microsoft Outlook and wish to store your PMS data onpremises but share it via the web, consider a hybrid called Credenza. While many desktop PMS have tight integrations with Outlook, Credenza is the only one that relies only on Outlook. It installs as a plug-in to Outlook, and turns your Outlook into a PMS. Vendors that offer various combinations of the above Some PMS vendors have opted to offer a menu of options: Desktop/on-Premises, SaaS, third-party hosting, and/or browserbased versions of their PMS. Examples of these vendors are AbacusLaw, Amicus Attorney, completelaw, HoudiniEsq., Law Base, LegalFiles, and LexisNexis (Time Matters, Firm Manager). Suite of Cloud Services Some of the PMS cloud vendors offer a menu of law practice-specific SaaS products under the category of PMS (practice management software). These services range from third-party hosting of desktop PMS, online phone service, expanded document management, MSExchange service, managed web hosting, outsourced associate and paralegal support services, and virtual receptionist. Examples are Uptime Cloud for Law Firms and Total Attorneys. For more on your decision to use cloudbased services, see the sidebar on the facing page. AZ AT numbers. When calculating the cost of desktop software, calculate it first for a 10-year time period (this may translate to three upgrades). Include the purchase price of the software for number of users, the price of annual technical support for the same number of users for 10 years, the cost of buying or upgrading servers, computers, storage, cost of consultants or IT department manpower to install, configure, and maintain the software on the firm s network. Then calculate the cost of monthly subscriptions to the cloud PMS, for the same number of users, for 10 years. PMS cloud vendors that have ROI and clouddesktop cost comparison tables or calculators on the websites are Amicus Attorney ROI calculator, Clio white paper, TrialWorks and a LexisNexis Firm Manager white paper. The decision to use a traditional desktop/on-premise version of a PMS or a cloud version is unique to each law firm. The more you educate yourself about this category of software and all the options available to you, the better fit you will make when deciding to go to the cloud or with desktop/on-premise PMS. The Cybersleuth s Guide to the Internet: Super Search Engine Strategies and Investigative Research Discounted rate for full day registration includes lunch w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y O C T O B E R A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y 25

6 BASIC FEATURES OF GOOD PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Basic features are those you should expect to find in any good practice management software. Basic Record Types Matter, Case or File Records Contact Records Calendar Records Phone Records Records Document Records Note Records Time Records Case type i.e. Family Law, PI, Bankruptcy, etc. Clients, attorneys names, addresses, phone numbers, addresses; links to the Matter Appointments, tasks, rolling list of to-dos, deadlines, reminders; links to the Matter or Contact Incoming/Outgoing phone calls, to/from whom, showing date, time, description, has a timer, and can link to the Matter or Contact Incoming/Outgoing s, to/from whom, showing date, time, description, has a timer, and can link to the Matter or Contact A profile record for each document related to the Matter; this is basic document management ; documents are easily saved/retrieved, can be searched using keywords Where a calendar, phone, or document record is not appropriate, the Note record can be used; can link to the Matter or Contact Can create time records either in timesheet center or automatically from appointment records, phone records, records, document records, etc. Basic Features Document Assembly Conflicts Checking Contacts Classification Automated Calendaring Date Calculator Alerts/Reminders Multiple Viewing Options Customizable Fields Audit Trail Reporting Integrates with Popular Time/Billing and Accounting Software Integrates With Popular Document Management Software Smart Phone/Tablet Integration Microsoft Outlook Integration Import/Export Data Security Training and Technical Support Remote Access Capability Merging your data into templates and/or forms for easy document generation i.e., with Word, WordPerfect or HotDoc templates Perform a name search through specific record types Contacts can be classified in more than one way, e.g., client, attorney, friend Create an appointment or to-do/deadline (events) that, when created, will automatically create dependent events. When the master event is changed, all the dependent events will recalculate to new dates For example: 20 days from today = _ or 3 months after 10/15/14 = Automatically generated reminders or alerts of inactivity or deadlines For example: Calendar view (day/week/month); Case view, Contact view; Dashboard view; workflow view Allows the program to be modified to fit the specific needs of the firm Shows changes made to a record Can pull, filter and sort data to generate Matter reports, Calendar reports, Time reports for firm management, and address lists, mailing labels, etc. Can automatically send Matter, Contact and Time records to programs such as QuickBooks, PCLaw, Juris, Tabs3, Timeslips (unless it has its own time/billing and accounting module) Can automatically link documents from popular software such as Worldox, Autonomy (imanage), OpenDocs, NetDocuments Ability to exchange Calendar and Contact data with popular Smartphones, i.e., iphone, Android O/S, Blackberry and ipads, and Android O/S tablets Ability to exchange Calendar and Contact data with Microsoft Outlook Ability to transfer data to/from another database, e.g., in ascii or.csv or Excel format Ability to set passwords and/or restrict/grant access to specific people in the firm Offers initial and ongoing training either through certified consultants, webinars, online videos, or individualized web-based sessions; electronic help guides; reliable, responsive technical support; what are the hours of tech support availability? Ability to access your database either through browser, VPN, third-party software such as GoToMyPC or LogMeIn 26 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

7 DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF GREAT PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Distinguishing features are those that are not standard but may be available in one or more good practice management software. As a PMS develops over the years, some of the following features may become standard features in all good PMS. Features Research & Resource Records Integration with LexisNexis or Westlaw Specialty Screens/Matters Custom Records Time/Billing & Accounting from Same Vendor Built-in Time/Billing/Accounting Rules-Based Automated Calendaring Integration with 3 rd party Rules- Based Automated Calendaring Extensive Customization Word, WordPerfect, Excel, PDF Plug-in/Add-on PDF Form Fill Document Generation Back-Fill Merge Templates Integrated Electronic Filing Client/Server or Browser- Based options A specialized type of document management of legal research, web research, firm resources, whether online or on the firm computer network Ability to seamlessly search for and save research, track related fees, charge to the Matter Ability to purchase Matter records for specific practice areas i.e. Family Law, Bankruptcy, Personal Injury, Litigation, Wills & Estates, Workers Compensation, etc. Ability to create your own record types, when the Basic record types do not accommodate your needs Vendor offers its own separate time/billing accounting software which integrates seamlessly with the PMS Vendor offers its own, built-in, time/billing & accounting functionality More sophisticated type of automated calendaring that references the rules for a given jurisdiction and court Can synchronize a third party, automated calendaring software specializing in creating rules for a given jurisdiction and court Above average ability to customize the PMS to suite the firm s needs Can work in Word, WordPerfect, Excel, Adobe, Outlook, and from a button on the toolbar, save your document back to the PMS, or perform some other function relating the record to the PMS Can modify.pdf documents, save them as templates in the PMS, then merge data from the PMS into the.pdf form When performing a document merge, can fill in variable data, and simultaneously update the PMS database with that data Can create templates in your for merging of data from the PMS Integration with online electronic filing service to streamline the electronic filing of documents with the courts Is available in either a traditional client/server version (desktop) or a browser/cloud version 3 rd Party Hosted Service PMS vendor s Cloud version means the their client/server (desktop) version of the PMS software, along with all other applications used by the firm, are installed, maintained aka hosted by a third party; you simply pay a monthly subscription and login Mobile Device Interfaces Can access the PMS from your Smartphone or tablet and the interface has been modified to adapt to the small screen Specialty Mobile Device Functions Can perform limited functions, i.e., Contacts, Matters, Appointments, To-dos, Time Entries, Expenses, etc. from your mobile device, and have the data synchronize with the PMS database Firm Website Integration Can pull data from the interactive forms on the firm s website, download that data and backfill the PMS database Client Web Portal Clients can login and access their documents and calendar information Contact Photos Can save a photo with the Contact Record Scheduled Backups Can schedule particular time of day and number of backups Instant Messaging within PMS Can create Instant Message through the PMS to other PMS users Google Integration* Ability to exchange Calendar and Contact data with Google. *This feature is quickly becoming a standard/basic feature with many PMS Integration with Social Media Has records or features that seamlessly interact with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter 28 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

8 TA B L E O F S O F T W A R E PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PRODUCTS Software Name, Phone and URL AbacusLaw (800) Abacus Sky (800) Description (according to vendor website) (as of July 26, 2013) Configure to your specific needs. Your own screens, fields, tabs, or entirely new databases? Easy. Your own reports, calendar rules, workflows or forms? Easy. You can configure everything in AbacusLaw at any time, without a programmer. 14 specialty versions, including Personal Injury, Family Law, Criminal Defense, Bankruptcy, and more, that have been pre-configured using the same revolutionary technology that s built into every copy of AbacusLaw. For litigators and nonlitigators. (Hosted Service for AbacusLaw) Abacus Sky is not just web-based AbacusLaw. Unlike all other software, Abacus Sky gives you all of the benefits of AbacusLaw, plus everything on your entire desktop. You can run all of your software, not just AbacusLaw, from anywhere, on any device. Price Court Rules available Custom practice areas Abacus Mobile (Smartphone) Abacus Sync See vendor website for price quote Same options and features as with AbacusLaw (above) See vendor website for price quote ABC Legal Case Management by Intuit (781) com/web-based-software/legal-software (SaaS Software as a Service) Legal software from QuickBase (by Intuit) is the flexible and affordable alternative to costly and cumbersome law software. Benefits include legal contract management, billing, document management, support multi-party litigation. Starts at $299/1st user $10 each add l user (Team) Aderant Total Office Total Office is a single solution specially designed for law offices. Whether you are a high volume (Formerly Client Profiles) litigation law firm, business transaction practice, corporate legal department, insurance company, (770) or government entity, this legal software is built to fit your needs and improve organizational performance. Built directly into Microsoft Office and Outlook. Advologix Legal Suite (888) (SaaS Software as a Service) Working closely with our customers, partners, and legal industry advisors, Advologix has developed a innovative solution for law firms to solve these issues and more. By combining collaborative web-based application delivery with industry leading legal practices, your law firm can now experience a renaissance in legal practice management. Amicus Attorney (800) (Desktop, SaaS, Browser-based options) Amicus Attorney is designed to help legal professionals improve the efficiency and profitability of their firms and to help them get the most out of the time they spend practicing law. Designed by lawyers for lawyers, this world leading software provides a comfortable, familiar environment Manage every aspect of your practice from Files, to Contacts, to Calendaring, to Time Tracking, to Phone Calls, Documents to Research Small Firm Classic (<10 users) $499/1st user, $399/each add l user Premium Edition (>10 users) includes Amicus Anywhere (browser version) $999/1st user, $599/each add l user Amicus Cloud $34.95-$44.95/mo per user subscription Client Profiles (Case Management) Clio (888) completelaw (877) completelaw Web or completelaw Hybrid (877) Credenza CourtView (585) See Aderant (above) SaaS (Software as a Service) Completely web-based, Clio is a practice management system that is specifically designed for solo practitioners and small law firms. Your important client data is securely accessible anywhere from your PC, your Mac, and even your iphone. Desktop From case management, client files, contacts, and calendars to time tracking, billing and accounting integrates all major functions syncs with Outlook server or web-based document management. Law Web in the cloud. Also available for Workers Comp Personal Injury SaaS (Software as a Service) Set up a Virtual Office. Office without walls. All persons stay connected with each other from anywhere. Manage tasks, appointment, court appearances, billings, and documents from one place. Check-in check-out/version control, know who has document now! Create and Manage . (Hybrid: Microsoft Outlook Add-on) Turns Outlook into a professional practice management system organize client, matter s, contacts, appointments, tasks and notes keep time entries organize documents make notes of phone calls practice management utilities and reports For State and Local Courts Prosecuting and Defending Attorneys Justice Administrators and Public Safety Managers CourtView CMS is our general case management system (CMS). For general jurisdictions we provide JusticeMAX Monthly Subscription Fee $49/mo per attorney $25/mo per support staff Monthly Subscription completelaw Web: Starts at $49 for solos; lease plans for persons completelaw Hybrid (SaaS & client/server) $79 lease plan or purchase Monthly Subscription Rate FREE = Basic Edition $24.95/user = Pro Edition 30 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

9 TA B L E O F S O F T W A R E PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PRODUCTS Software Name, Phone and URL Daylite Productivity Suite com/daylite/ HoudiniEsq (888) Description (according to vendor website) (as of July 26, 2013) continued (Not a Legal-Specific Software, but does have legal professionals template.) (Desktop for Mac, iphone & ipad) This database template is designed to help attorneys and other legal professionals understand how Daylite can organize information and manage business processes more effectively. You can completely customize this template and enrich the content by adding information relevant to your practice. Law on the Mac = productivity. (SaaS or On-Premise options) (Mac or Windows) Anywhere, Any Device Manage your Legal Practice from anywhere. Our web-based product can be installed locally (On Premise) or you can sign up for a on-line account (Cloud). Both options are web accessible. The only difference is where your data will be stored. Your own computer, or ours. Price Single License/$ and up Or $29.95/user/month pay as you go SaaS/Cloud 1 user $64/mo On-Premise account $192/yr See website for free, fully functioning downloads for solos JustWare (New Dawn Technologies) (877) LawBase Synaptec Software (800) LawStream (250) (for Mac and Windows/Vista) LegalEdge (610) LegalFiles (800) Legal Track (800) LexisNexis FIRM MANAGER (800) LexisNexis PC LAW (800) LexisNexis TIME MATTERS (800) MyCase (800) (Desktop or SaaS options) Government Case Management The unique design and flexibility of our JustWare Solution Suite programs offer standalone or combined case management and workflow solutions that can be used individually by your courts, prosecutors, probation and parole, pretrial services and public defender agencies. (Desktop or SaaS options) LawBase is a computerized Case and Matter Management System designed to increase the productivity and profitability of your office. LawBase is currently being used by thousands of law office personnel across the country, from solo practitioners to law firms with 750-plus attorneys to the legal departments of Fortune 500 companies to governmental agencies Case Notes, Smart Folders, Docketing, Document Assembly, Contacts, Conflicts, Workflow integrated computer program for managing time, money, contacts, and other information in law offices (New Web Platform) Since its inception in 1989, LegalEdge has been providing legal case management software to law firms, Corporate Legal Departments, Prosecutors (including adult and juvenile), Public Defenders, Juvenile, Attorneys General, City and County Attorneys and State and Local Government agencies knowledge management Cross-Platform suite of Case Management Web Applications. (Desktop or Web-Browser options) Full-featured case and matter management system lets you organize all your contacts, documents, deadlines and data within a proven, flexible set of practice-specific windows and Workflow that can be easily customized to your office. Our premier legal software offers exclusive, seamless two-way integrations with Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes and Novell GroupWise, so you can save all your file related s, calendars and tasks in one place, Insurance, Public Sector, Legal Departments, Universities, Law Firms, Legal Aid, Contract Management. SaaS (Software as a Service) or client/server Legal Track is more than a case management system that s integrated with Outlook. Our software is built on the Microsoft Dynamics platform. Stores data on robust SQL servers and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint (document management) and Microsoft Office Suite. No matter what your issue is, Legal Track can handle it. Legal Track caters to serious minded law firms and legal departments looking for a serious solution. SaaS (Software as a Service) Made for solos and small firms newly admitted attorneys, family law, personal injury, criminal defense, business law, litigation attorneys share files securely calendaring & to-dos reduce conflicts of interest go mobile, stay connected task management drag & drop your documents capture time and expenses All-in-one, Matter, Billing and Accounting management easily manage matters; track time, expenses, calendar appointments and tasks; bill and collect payment from clients; pay vendors; reconcile bank statements; and manage trust accounts all from a single source 24/7 remote & mobile connectivity Client, Case and Document Management Software Leverage flexible practice management software to foster collaboration on matters, streamline internal processes and fuel growth through increased billable hours and profitability 24/7 remote and mobile connectivity SaaS (Software as a Service) MyCase takes all of your critical practice challenges contacts, calendars, client communication, cases, documents, and billing and organizes them in a way that is incredibly straightforward and intuitive. MyCase is law practice management for attorneys who hate practice management social media integration $800 per 1st user (package pricing for more users) (Enterprise solution for 5+ user firms) 1st user $44.99/user/month Add l users $29.99/user/month FREE sign-up as Beta Tester and use until March 2014! 1st user = $985 includes first year annual maintenance 1st user = $985 includes first year annual maintenance $39/mo per attorney $29/mo per support staff 32 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

10 TA B L E O F S O F T W A R E PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE PRODUCTS Software Name, Phone and URL Needles (410) Orion (800) Description (according to vendor website) (as of July 26, 2013) continued Customizable Case Management Software for law firms. Whether your law office consists of a solo practitioner or is a large law firm, Needles provides you with the tools necessary to manage matters efficiently, thus decreasing delays and increasing accountability and productivity. Needles Case Management Software handles all case types, including Personal Injury, Workers Comp, Social Security, Family Law and Defense. Orion is the only solution your law firm will need to centralize your Financial Management, Firm Management, and Practice Management Complete with powerful features such as e-billing, Cost and Fee Recovery, and Document Imaging, Orion offers you turnkey law firm management and reporting. You ll know exactly where you ve been and where you re going. Price Priced by number of concurrent users; price includes support and training See vendor website for calculator by number of users The Plaintiff (877) ext PracticeMaster (402) Prevail (866) ProLaw (Elite) (800) Prosecutor II (800) Rocket Matter Saga Practice Manager (800) Time Net Law Total Attorneys Practice Management TrialWorks (800) Uptime Cloud for Law Firms (888) Plaintiff s Attorney Software Accounting and Case Management integrates with QuickBooks case management, document management, accounting, time and billing calendar forms Award-winning practice management software that helps you find case, client and contact information and find it fast. PracticeMaster includes a firm-wide calendar, and tracking for online research, and phone calls easily converts appointments, , phone calls and research into time entries in Tabs3 Billing Software so you don t need to remember to record them also integrates with other valuable programs, such as Outlook, and Smartphones (via Outlook). Case Management solutions for law firms, social security, veterans representatives and more. Fully relational legal management database time and costs tracking automatic document generation and tracking integrated calendar and task list The ProLaw software suite is designed to automate the practice and manage the business of law. Comprehensive features simplify, streamline and coordinate the work of attorneys and staff in small and mid-size law firms, corporate legal departments and government agencies. Front office, back office. ProLaw Mobile District Attorneys, County Attorneys, Criminal Prosecutors, States Attorneys, Commonwealth Attorneys and other prosecutors performing criminal and civil case management SaaS (Software as a Service) Rocket Matter is a web-based, practice management and time & billing solution designed exclusively for the legal industry. Saga is a case management & document assembly software package for lawyers practicing in all areas of law, including but not limited to Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, General Negligence, Litigation, Subrogation, Real Estate, Matrimonial, Business Transactions, Criminal, and Collections a holding of Aderant. (Mac) Manage your law firm on Mac. Complete case management, time tracking, accounting and reporting. Build a system that works for you by adding only the modules you need. SaaS (Software as a Service) Legal s smartest suite of tools leading practice management suite delivers tools built for the 21st century law practice. The fully-featured cloud based platform, allows you to work faster, smarter and more securely. Access your calendar, documents, client matters and contacts from any computer or device. Solutions are designed to help law offices, government agencies, and insurance companies in managing data SQL version... integrates with Quickbooks, Juris, PCLaw, Sanction, Summation Hybrid hosted mobile (SaaS & Hosted Service Options) Complete Law Office in the Cloud a modular suite of cloud services for law firms work from anywhere. Select the services your firm needs: from hosting of your existing legal software, to document management (LegalWorks) & practice management (AbacusLaw), to (MSExchange service) and phone service documents voice. Solos: 1st user $415/1st year; $127/2nd year; $127/3rd year 2+ attorney firms: 1st user/$600 Each add l user/$280 Platinum pricing: see website $1,100 per PC Monthly Subscription Fee: $59.99/mo/user $53.99/mo/user Quarterly $50.99/mo/user Annually $47.99/mo/user 2 year term 1st user/$ Each add l user/$ License Solo Bundle/$ See website for more pricing options Abacus Sky Cloud Server $165; AbacusLaw $30/mo/user AbacusGold $50/mo/user LegalWorks in Beta til Fall 2013: LegalWorks Express $35/mo/user LegalWorks Prof l $55/mo/user See vendor website for pricing on other menu options 34 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

11 TA B L E O F S O F T W A R E TIME/BILLING AND TRUST ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE USED BY LAW FIRMS Software Name, Phone and URL AbacusLaw Accounting Description (according to vendor website) (as of July 26, 2013) Legal software pulls together all the features you need legal calendaring, contact management, case management, document handling, conflict checks, phone messaging, time capture, billing and accounting trust accounting so you can do anything and retrieve anything from one location Price Contact vendor for price quote (Abacus Accounting must be used with AbacusLaw Front ffice) Amicus Accounting Gavel & Gown Amicus Premium Billing Gavel & Gown Amicus Cloud Gavel & Gown Bill4Time Legal Bill4Time Credenza Pro CredenzaSoft Easy TimeBill Easysoft (800) Easy Trust Easysoft (800) Juris LexisNexis (800) Legal Billing from Chaos PC Law LexisNexis Complete time, billing & accounting program developed specifically for law firms. (Links with Amicus Small Firm Edition or available as a stand-alone product) Amicus Premium Billing adds billing, collections and trust to Amicus Attorney. It makes Amicus a complete practice management solution that manages both the professional and business sides of your practice. (SaaS) Amicus Cloud works on any platform with a modern browser. PC s and Macs of course. And it has been optimized for tablets like the ipad. front office case management as well as Time entries, expense tracking, integrated Billing (or the ability to work with most desktop billing systems) and Trust management. (SaaS) Web-based time and billing software Improve the way you run your business. Enter time and expenses on the go using your mobile phone, earn more money by tracking more time with accurate detail, and look professional and modern by sending invoices and getting paid electronically. Simple to use, easy to access. (SaaS Hybrid Outlook Plug-In) Turns Outlook into a professional practice management tool a true multi-user practice management and billing system lets you send out invoices right from Outlook record expenses, create draft bills, send invoices, track payments, monitor work-in-progress (Desktop or SaaS) Easy TimeBill is desktop legal billing software to track and enter billable time, generate invoices, receive payments and perform bank accounting. Users can issue checks, make deposits and perform bank reconciliation while also tracking billable personnel and billable activities. (Use only for Trust Account) A fully integrated Trust Accounting program to manage client funds. Print checks and generate client ledger balances and bank reconciliation reports seamless integration with Easy TimeBill (above) Juris is the leading billing and accounting solution for mid-size law firms in the United States. It s a powerful tool that gives you the insight to increase both profitability and partner income. Juris can help improve your firm s financial performance with streamlined billing, accounting, advanced reporting and on-demand performance intelligence that are vital to making informed business decisions. Juris allows your firm to make better business decisions. for busy lawyers and other professionals. It tracks billable time, expenses, and payments as well as offering reports and basic client statements can work by itself as a simple billing package, but can also be used in combination with one of our contact management programs. Client, Matter, Billing and Accounting Management Software easily manage matters; track time, expenses, calendar appointments and tasks; bill and collect payment from clients; pay vendors; reconcile bank statements; and manage trust accounts all from a single source 24/7 remote & mobile connectivity. $499 1st user license/$399 each add l license $199 1st user license/$199 each add l license (Amicus Premium Billing must be used with Amicus Attorney Premium) Monthly Subscription $34.95* per user license or $44.95** per user license *Requires that you have your own MS Exchange or MS Hosted Exchange, or **You may subscribe to Amicus Exchange Legal Solo $19.99/$ add l user Up to 20 clients and 30 projects Legal Pro $39.99/$19.99 ea. add l user Unlimited clients/projects/storage Legal Enterprise $99 Unlimited clients/projects/storage Monthly Subscription $24.95 per user license Permanent License: 1st user license $558 Each add l license $238 One Year License: 1st user $279; each add l $238 (includes support) SaaS: 1 user $34/mo (includes support) Permanent License: 1st user license $558 Each add l license $238 One Year License: 1st user $279; each add l $238 (includes support) SaaS: 1 user $29/mo (includes support) Contact vendor for price quote $39.95/user 1st new user license $985* *Includes annual maintenance plan 36 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

12 TA B L E O F S O F T W A R E TIME/BILLING AND TRUST ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE USED BY LAW FIRMS Software Name, Phone and URL QuickBooks Pro or Premier Intuit Description (according to vendor website) (SaaS or Desktop) (Windows or Mac) Generic small business accounting software; does have Professional Services version which gives the option to set up QuickBooks Pro for a legal-specific environment (and earlier versions). Call AZ Law Practice Management, LLC for trust account setup instructions. (as of July 26, 2013) continued Price Pro: Windows From $249.95/single user Premier: Windows From $399.95/single user Mac: $249.95/single user Online: from $12.95/mo RTG RTG Data Systems Sage TimeSlips Tabs3 Billing; Tabs3 Financial Time59 Business Data Designs TimeSolvLegal Tussman (SaaS or Desktop) Get a full-featured timekeeping and client billing system for only $95. Designed for attorneys, RTG Bills easily handles multiple rates, trust accounting, split bills, contingent fees, late charges, taxes, many timekeepers, concurrent users, and more. efficiently manage the time and billing cycle. Sage Timeslips is easy to learn and use, and helps professionals capture time quickly and accurately for greater productivity and increased profitability. It integrates with popular accounting software like Sage 50 Accounting US and QuickBooks, key practice management solutions like Time Matters and Amicus Attorney, as well as Microsoft Office solutions. Tabs3 Billing Track your time, create statements, allocate payments, and run client status reports with just a few clicks Tabs3 Financial Software integrates with Tabs3 Billing Software to manage your law firm s finances and save you hours of data entry. Financial programs include General Ledger, Accounts Payable and Trust Accounting. (Saas) Web-based time and billing software for solo lawyers with it s ease of use and low cost Time59 is ideal for solo practitioners, but it s also in use at many multi-lawyer practices. These firms take advantage of features like no extra cost for multiple concurrent users and unlimited billing rates per client. (SaaS) (PC and Mac) Secure Web-based Time, Billing, and Project Management Software for law firms UTBMS Conflicts Management LEDES Reports outsourced billing available (includes trust accounting.) (Outsourced Legal Billing available.) It tracks all your time and costs then automatically generates bill can automatically create client costs from checks and charges (with the optional Accounting module.) started by a practicing attorney, specializing only in billing, accounting and calendaring software for law firms since 1985; Our software is suitable for any type of practice, including insurance defense, intellectual property, bankruptcy, immigration and family law. $95.00 software + $15/timer license or SaaS $15.95-$48.95 per month per user (from 1 to 9 users, respectively) subscription Contact vendor for price quote Contact vendor for price quote Tabs3 Billing and Tabs 3 Financial software are sold as separate modules Special pricing for Solo & Small Firms $99.95 per year Contact vendor for price quote Contact vendor for price quote O F F I C E T E C H Voices From the Law Office: The Tech Challenge Ahead We invited a few attorneys who serve on technology-related State Bar committees and Sections (specifically the E-Commerce and Technology Law Section and the Technology Committee) to tell us what areas of tech will most occupy lawyers in the coming years. Here s what a few of them had to say. Anne E. Aikman-Scalese Lewis and Roca LLP Browser technology and mobile delivery have significantly affected the trademark search and prosecution process. There are now more ways than ever to discover common law marks in use in the U.S. and worldwide via the Internet. This can help reduce the risk of adopting and registering marks, but the downside is that some clients will call you and tell you they have cleared their trademark because they looked it up on the Internet and didn t see anything they considered a conflict. Daniel Jurkowitz Pima County Attorney s Office I think the most recent technology change to have a positive impact on the practice of law is the advent of the Smartphone. The functionality of these devices is so astounding, that it s like having a computer, a research library, and a legal staff in your pocket. Pleadings, contracts and other documents can be edited on the fly. Searching statutes, reviewing rules and looking up cases is a breeze. Document images can be captured with a scanning app. Siri or an app can take dictation. Meetings can be attended by Skype, GoToMeeting or WebEx. PowerPoint presentations can be streamed to a projector. Let s not forget that they are also phones, calculators, timers, cameras, calendars, contact books, music and video 38 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y

13 O F F I C E T E C H Voices From the Law Office: The Tech Challenge Ahead players, etc. All of this allows a lawyer to maximize productivity wherever and whenever necessary. Samuel Saks Cantelme & Brown PLC In my view, document automation technology has had the most significant impact on the practice of law, and will continue to do so as it becomes more prevalent. Far beyond traditional fill in the blank forms, document automation allows complex documents or sets of documents to be assembled quickly and accurately based on predetermined logical rules and data sets. For example, a complicated contract can be constructed using a series of simple text fields and yes/no checkboxes. Subject-verb agreement, conditional clauses, and optional terms are all accounted for and modified on the fly. As an interesting byproduct of the automation, thousands of contracts can be analyzed to determine most commonly used (or disputed) clauses. For litigators like myself, this technology reduces errors and saves a significant amount of time in drafting pleadings. Laura Rogal Jaburg & Wilk PC In general, lawyers have not been early adopters of technology, which puts us at a disadvantage for being able to serve our clients. Technology provides a number of critical functions in our practice, and if they are not utilized we as practitioners are missing out. Every time I see an attorney bring a tablet to court instead of a Red Well folder, I am ecstatic, but those attorneys are still few and far between. Mobile technology is poised to bring the lawyer, the client and the judiciary together to make our processes more streamlined and cost-effective. Better education of attorneys on devices that are available to them, the applications which can be utilized, and the usability of the mobile technology will be critical over the next few years to help facilitate a more widespread use of this technology. I encourage attorneys of all ages and practice areas to attend a CLE on mobile technology this year I hear the E-Commerce and Technology Section will have some great ones. As an aside, most of our courts now offer Wi-Fi access, which I m not sure enough lawyers are aware of. Michael R. Arkfeld Arkfeld and Associates, author and ediscovery educator Today, electronic discovery is a vital part of litigation. Attorneys are faced with a changing format of evidence evidence created and stored electronically. Now, s, metadata, text messaging, word-processing documents, spreadsheets and other electronic files are the smoking guns of evidence. The ability to request and/or produce electronic evidence, including issuing a legal hold, can mean the difference between winning and losing your next case, and avoiding court-imposed sanctions and disciplinary actions. Despite the critical nature of e-discovery, in-house and outside counsel as well as practice support professionals frequently find themselves unprepared to successfully handle the myriad issues surrounding the discovery of electronically stored information (ESI). Many of your clients may be unaware of their preservation obligations regarding ESI and the necessity to issue a litigation hold and suspend their document retention policies once the duty to preserve arises. It is essential that legal professionals become aware and have a working knowledge of essential legal and technical issues surrounding electronic discovery. Mark E. Lassiter The Lassiter Law Firm PC The two biggest changes to law practice arise from the Cloud and the move toward software as a service ( SAAS ). These two changes have dramatically lowered lawyers up front technology capital and operating costs and allowed lawyers to be more mobile (and thus untethered to traditional brick and mortar law firms with their attendant higher overhead costs). Law firm cybersecurity is now mandated by government regulation. The HITECH provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) made major revisions to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Until law firms can prove themselves otherwise, they should assume that they are subject to the new privacy, security and/or breach-notification requirements of the new HIPAA rules and become compliant by September 23, 2013 (when Health and Human Services will start civilly enforcing these provisions). Violations may include monetary penalties of $100 to $50,000 per violation and up to $1.5 million per year for violations of identical provisions. Noncompliant law firms are likely to have multiple violations. The Bring Your Own Device ( BYOD ) to work phenomenon is becoming a major IT problem and will only get worse with the new HIPAA laws and regulations. Some corporate clients are even firing law firms that don t rein in lawyers who just want to use my ipad without my law firm restricting how I use it, but are unaware of the security and regulatory dangers this poses. Finally, there s a lot of buzz right now about lawyer marketing on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., and a whole cottage industry of legal marketing consultants and CLE providers has emerged in recent years to hype it and charge lawyers to implement it. Personally, I don t think social media really materially helps lawyers marketing efforts (although it doesn t hurt). Social media may have been helpful for the early adopters that exploited it when it was first available, but now even the most technophobic of lawyers have joined the fray, making social media so ubiquitous as to be worthless. (When was the last time you looked beyond the first-page results of a Google search?) AZ AT 40 A R I Z O N A AT T O R N E Y O C T O B E R w w w. a z b a r. o r g / A Z A t t o r n e y