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Describing a criminal defense legal practice as busy is a serious understatement. On a daily basis, these firms handle countless criminal matters, many with some pretty high stakes. When dealing with something as serious as a person’s freedom, criminal law firms need systems in place that help them provide stellar legal representation. That includes maintaining client files in an organized manner, staying ahead of critical deadlines, and invoicing with the highest level of efficiency.
This blog will take a dive into the features criminal defense practices need and why they're important.
It is not uncommon for a busy criminal defense practice to simultaneously handle hundreds of criminal matters, all in varying stages of completion. This equates to a calendar full of preliminary hearings, discovery due dates, court appearances, and filing deadlines. Keeping up with a calendar this full can be virtually impossible without the right tools in place. Further complicating matters, even a single missed deadline can have detrimental consequences for the client, as well as the law firm.
Legal practice management software can ease the burden of managing multiple criminal law attorney calendars through the integration of intuitive calendaring tools. Individual attorneys can easily keep track of their own deadlines and appearances, while the criminal law firm administrator can keep an eye on the entire team’s upcoming schedule. Here are some calendaring features that particularly benefit criminal law practices:
The urgency of a criminal law matter often requires a speedy commencement of representation. New clients typically come in feeling as though they have the weight of the world on their shoulders, and they expect immediate assistance. They may need a speedy bail motion filed or they may already have a court appearance scheduled for the following day.
These constant and urgent demands mean that criminal defense law firms need the ability to onboard new clients quickly without the delays that can come from inefficient processes. When it comes to criminal matters, clients don’t have a moment to lose and neither do their attorneys.
With legal practice management software that streamlines the intake process, law firms can quickly get clients onboarded so that the important work of representation can begin. For instance, automated conflict checks can be extremely useful within a busy criminal defense practice. This tool help firms efficiently scan all of their matters for potential conflicts of interest so attorneys quickly know whether they are able to take on a case.
Website intake integration is another useful tool for expediting the intake process. With this resource, firms can collect necessary client data directly from an intake form that was completed through the website. This saves firm members the time of recollecting information that the client has already provided.
Once the intake process is complete, representation can begin. Criminal attorneys can get their clients up to speed on the game plan by providing them with access to everything they need to know. By using a legal practice management system that includes client portal features, firms can quickly make new clients aware of upcoming court dates, discovery needs, and billing details.
As previously stated, criminal clients are often in the midst of extremely stressful situations and they need the assurance of knowing that their attorneys are diligently working on their behalf. The best way to accomplish that goal is through consistent client communications. Criminal defense law firms need tools that help them achieve a client-centered experience.
Client portals are useful tools for providing clients with the information they need. Firm members can quickly upload regular information and clients can independently access their account any time of day or night. This not only promotes client communications, but it also maximizes efficiency. Instead of calling into the firm with their questions, clients can simply log in to get most of the information they commonly need.
Other practice management software features that help with client communications include mobile texting tools and conversation tracking resources that track communications directly into a matter for easy reference when needed. With an automated time capture feature, criminal defense law firms can also easily track time spent on communications to promote accurate billing.
When handling complex criminal matters, law firms often distribute individual tasks among several members of the firm. This type of divide and conquer strategy needs legal practice management software that lends itself to team collaborations with such innovative tools as:
A criminal defense attorney who shows up to court with a disorganized and messy case file is an attorney who loses the confidence of their client. Disheveled case files make it difficult to locate necessary information, especially under the pressure of a crowded courtroom. This is why it is imperative that criminal defense law firms maintain their files in an organized manner and document management tools help get that done.
Document management systems save criminal defense law firms countless hours by streamlining the competitive tasks of document creation and filing, along with searching for relevant information. They also allow firms to share documents with clients and collect documents from clients through a secure platform. Firms that already utilize a document management system like NetDocuments can benefit from a law practice management system that offers complete NetDocuments integration.
Preparing the best criminal defense for clients requires appropriate management and organization of matter files. Document management features help criminal defense law firms digitize volumes upon volumes of documentation for improved workflow, organization, and legal industry compliance.
Law practice management software gives criminal defense firms the tools they need to navigate a case from intake to payment using a centralized hub. Comprehensive case management, combined with integrated billing and accounting tools, keeps law firms on top of their numerous responsibilities. By automating many of the repetitive tasks that come with running a criminal defense practice, law firms can maximize productivity and remove the roadblocks that can hinder them from delivering on their promises of top-notch representation.
Complex client demands and frequent policy changes drive the priorities of an insurance defense law firm, particularly in the areas of administrative and matter processes. Handling these challenges requires comprehensive legal practice management software that offers the features necessary to successfully handle all the pressure points of insurance defense legal practice.
This post will delve into some of those issues and suggest how the right software features can help firm attorneys and administrators effectively address them.
Insurance defense generally involves the representation of various legal matters related to the insurance industry. In more specific terms, these firms are retained by insurance companies to represent their insured clients who face lawsuits related to their insurance contracts. For instance, an insured restaurant owner is sued by a customer who allegedly slipped and fell inside of the restaurant. The insurance company hires the law firm to represent the restaurant owner.
While this may seem like a pretty straightforward legal arrangement, it can quickly become complicated because of the three-sided relationship that exists. Unlike other practice areas where attorneys typically further the interests of one easily identifiable client, insurance defense attorneys are forced to balance their responsibilities to the insured with their responsibilities to the insurance company.
This situation begs the question, “Who is the client?” The insurance company pays the legal fees for representation, but the firm has a professional responsibility to the insured. Oftentimes, the interests of the insurance company differ from the interests of the policyholder, leaving the law firm in the middle of the conflict. Faced with these unique challenges, in addition to standard administrative and client tasks, insurance defense law firms need specialized tools that will help them manage complex matters while maximizing productivity and promoting profitability.
Billing poses a challenge to insurance defense practices due to the variety of specific guidelines and restrictions that insurance companies may place on invoicing processes. For example, insurance defense law firms may be forced to contend with restricted billing rates or fixed fee billing arrangement requirements. These types of constraints make efficient billing processes extremely important.
When working with numerous insurance companies, an insurance defense firm may need to navigate numerous billing arrangements. One insurance client may require the firm to work under a fixed fee arrangement, while another may allow for traditional hourly billing. These variations require a legal billing platform where firms can easily invoice for a variety of arrangements by customizing billing options for each individual matter.
Insurance companies often require law firms to use Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard (LEDES) invoicing codes, which can be a difficult task without the right legal billing software in place. This type of billing is primarily used to promote uniformity within the legal industry and assist insurance companies in their processing of law firm invoices. Insurance defense law firms need systems that offer the ability to easily generate LEDES invoices in .dat or .txt file formats for proper online submission. They should also have UTBMS codes already in place and LEDES formatted templates for faster invoicing.
It is not unusual for a single insurance defense matter to include volumes of documents. From medical records and witness statements to policy documents and insurance company communications, these case files can be quite extensive. This is why insurance defense firms need document management software that helps them easily store and organize all matter-related files and documents in one central location.
With the right software, credentialed users can efficiently view, edit, and share documents as needed. This makes collaboration internally within the firm, as well as externally with the insurance company, much easier to accomplish. Some other useful document management tools include:
Using a legal practice management software that integrates with a cloud-based document management system, like NetDocuments, allows insurance defense law firms to organize, secure, and find all of the documents they need right from the practice management platform.
The intricacies of insurance defense law require a superior matter management system that tracks every aspect of these complex cases. When choosing a legal practice management system, law firm administrators need to look for features that address the specific needs of their practice area, such as:
Under some circumstances, insurance companies may call in a third-party auditing firm to conduct an audit of a particular matter. Having an organized case management system saves the extra time and resources that would otherwise go into preparing for the audit. It also presents every aspect of the matter, from intake to final billing, in an organized and structured manner, increasing the likelihood of a successful audit.
This goes back to the most complex aspect of insurance defense law. Competing interests between the insurance company and the insured can bring up ethical uncertainties for the firm and its attorneys. The appropriate strategy for handling these sticky situations largely depends on state rules. For instance, the North Carolina State Bar deems the insured as the "primary" client in an insurance defense case, whose "best interest must be served at all times." According to the Bar, the attorney owes the insured a heightened duty of communication and loyalty at the least.
To best serve their clients and protect themselves from potential allegations of wrongdoing, law firms need a foolproof method of managing, storing, and organizing all client communications. Tools like in-app text messaging, client portals, and conversation tracking help law firms securely maintain and manage client communications directly within the matter for future reference at any needed time.
Intuitive email management is another tool for elevating client management. With email integration options, firms can save client emails to matters in a matter of seconds. Advanced email search tools help firm members quickly locate emails using properties like subject, sent/received date, or email content without the hassle of manually searching through a crowded inbox. Billing is also made easier with an email management feature that automatically creates billing entries for sending or reviewing client emails.
If you're an insurance defense firm or you're looking to expand into the practice area, the goal of your operations should surround agility and organization. Specialized tools will help you manage complex matters while maximizing productivity and promoting profitability.
For more than a year now, the practice of law has looked vastly different than any other time in history. From Washington DC to Arizona, courthouses were shut down to the public and attorneys for common proceedings, greatly affecting the traditional law firm environment.
For some firm leaders, less time in the courtroom resulted in more time spent on administrative tasks, especially in situations where downsizing needs impacted support staff numbers. Attorneys found it necessary to take on a larger percentage of law office management duties.
With the world starting a slow return to normal, court systems nationwide are beginning to open up, welcoming attorneys and the public back into courthouses for in-person appearances and other court-related business. While some jurisdictions remain at partial or limited capacity, others have made the transformation to 100%, forcing many attorneys to make a quick transition.
For attorneys handling more of their firm’s administrative duties, returning to the courtroom can feel stressful. They may worry about balancing an increased workload and more time away from the office with their increased administrative duties. But legal practice management software offers these attorneys the help they need to provide clients with quality legal service while also handling law office administrative needs. With tools like automation and legal billing, attorneys can stop worrying about their long list of administrative tasks and focus on a successful return to the courtroom.
Here are some specific ways that legal practice management eases the transition back to the courtroom:
Many law practice management software options contain accounting features, but not all platforms are the same. Law firms should have accounting tools that can manage both general firm finances and client billing tasks. General firm accounting needs help law firms with:
These tasks are typical to most accounting software and don’t necessarily require an accounting system specific to the legal industry. However, attorneys returning to the courthouse need maximum efficiency and a software that goes beyond the accounting basics to handle client invoicing.
Invoicing takes up a significant amount of valuable time when not handled efficiently. It can also lead to troublesome inaccuracies. Maximum law firm efficiency requires legal practice management accounting that saves valuable time during the invoicing process and promotes billing accuracy. Other useful legal accounting features include real-time financial insights that provide law firms with data about the firm’s financial wellbeing and vendor tools that help automate third-party vendor payments.
Trust/IOLTA accounting is another extremely important law firm duty. Firms need a legal practice management system that streamlines the various trust accounting processes and promotes compliance with state regulations. Accurate trust accounting requires the ability to keep record of client funds held in trust and accurately track all deductions from these accounts, including payments automatically applied to bill balances.
Some necessary duties specific to trust/IOLTA accounting include:
A return to in-person court hearings makes accurate calendaring an absolute necessity. Some attorneys have been attending virtual court hearings for more than a year. Making the transition back to physical appearances requires some challenging adjustments.
A firm-wide calendar helps keep all firm members in sync and on the same page, even those working remotely or temporarily away from the physical office. Personal viewing options allow individual firm members to view the day ahead with a single glance. Lawyers need a legal practice management software that offers a variety of calendaring features, such as:
Legal practice management software makes it easy for law firms to track all things related to each firm matter. Real-time dashboards provide accurate updates pertaining to trust balances, billed fees, billed expenses, and outstanding accounts receivable. Spending reports and email alerts help keep matters within established budgetary limits. Firm leaders can also review work completed on a case by various categories, including specific timekeepers, fees, or expenses.
With some legal practice management software options, law firms can work within the system to build out a matter. The system can then automate the case by assigning tasks or even completing some tasks. This adds up to valuable time savings for the entire firm, and especially attorneys returning to the courtroom. Legal practice management workflow systems can also keep law firm teams updated, as well as clients. Firms can set automated emails to be sent to clients as their matters reach specific milestones.
Moving away from the office and back into the courtroom means that firm attorneys routinely need remote access to documents. Law firm management software can maintain firm documents in a safe and secure environment while also allowing for easy sharing with credentialed parties. Firms can organize documents by matter and save administrative time by creating standard folders to be generated for every new matter.
There are also document management options that allow clients to securely upload documents to the firm, which clients appreciate because it saves them time and effort as well. The legal practice management system notifies the appropriate firm members when clients upload documents, as well as when they download documents shared with them.
Other useful document management features include:
Navigating the legal landscape since the start of the pandemic has not been for the faint of heart. From work from home to Zoom, and virtual courtrooms, firms are having to quickly learn to balance a different kind of workload.
The functionality and purpose of legal practice management software are to offer attorneys and their firms a means to provide their clients with the quality of service they expect while also juggling the back office, behind the scenes needs in whatever environment they may be faced with. As we begin to focus on a successful return to the courtroom, you can rest easy knowing that no matter where you are, you will be able to get your job done and keep your clients happy.
Any human resource (HR), firm administrator, or back-office professional working within a law firm environment can affirm that firm culture creates its own set of distinct challenges. Regulatory guidelines and industry standards require considerations not often seen within other business industries. While most big law firms maintain an HR department to address these complexities, HR issues often wind up on a law firm administrator’s long list of duties.
This blog will take a look at eight unique HR challenges commonly experienced by law firm administrators.
Law firms constantly compete with one another to attract new talent. With such a high level of competition, firms need financial incentives, like aggressive compensation packages and new hire bonuses, to stand out from the crowd. While administrators typically don’t make compensation decisions, they do have significant influence to craft a workplace culture that attracts new talent. Legal professionals want to work in an environment where they feel heard and appreciated. By implementing policies that address this desire, law firm administrators can help their firms attract quality new hires.
In recent years, younger law school graduates have also voiced a preference to work with firms that have taken public stances on social issues and actively support initiatives that they find important. These candidates want to feel good about where they choose to work, and some of them are even willing to forgo larger salaries to meet this philosophical need.
Recognizing this growing trend, administrators can take steps to highlight their firm’s philanthropic efforts during the recruitment stage. Whether it's pro bono representation or direct financial contributions, charitable information should be highlighted when recruiting.
Over the past year, the lack of diversity within law offices has garnered a lot of attention, with increasing criticism about the industry’s lack of racial, ethnic, and gender inclusion. Traditional recruitment efforts to find and secure new associates often create applicant pools that are far from diverse, so this is where firm administrators should start when seeking to address the issue.
For instance, administrators can suggest that firms expand their recruitment efforts to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and job fairs that focus on promoting diversity. By casting a wider net, firms can better position themselves for the consideration of a more diverse candidate pool.
Administrators can also take steps to revamp their firm’s recruiting processes and minimize bias. Tools like blind recruiting and diverse hiring committees promote diversity and help law firms meet their goals.
In addition to finding the best diverse talent, law firms also need strategies to keep them. Sustained law firm diversity requires an environment where all attorneys feel welcomed and valued. Firm administrators can promote this culture with policies such as:
Getting talent into the firm only represents half of the challenge. Competition among law firms not only exists at the first-year associate level, but also drives lateral hires. Traditionally, law firms have been seen as long-term commitments, with associates working for years to reach the partner track. But increasing numbers of law firm attorneys are choosing lateral movement to a different law firm over tradition.
For law firm administrators, this means crafting strategies to keep firm attorneys happy and satisfied in their current positions. Here are some suggestions:
Legal tech innovations are constantly improving law office management and the practice of law. From legal practice management and document production to legal research and court document filing, advancements in technology have swept through the legal industry.
Unfortunately, many law firm administrators find it difficult to implement these new technologies due to resistance from firm members. Some senior attorneys may not want to change their current methods of getting tasks done. They may fail to recognize any value in implementing new technologies.
Addressing this resistance can be done through HR policies that require a certain number of tech training hours each month. Administrators can also consider peer training programs between more advanced and less advanced firm members. Law firms have a duty to stay abreast of standard legal industry technologies and firm administrators must stress this duty as an HR responsibility.
The practice of law is notoriously stressful. On a daily basis, attorneys work under tight deadlines to produce results that are free from error, beneficial to their clients and sometimes even life-changing. While attorneys stress about their outcomes, staff members stress over hovering attorneys and their long list of tasks.
Together, all of this creates an extremely stressful environment, where late hours and poor work-life balance become the norm. This leads to depression and anxiety, which are widespread problems among attorneys. Mental health issues cost law firms substantial amounts of money, so it is in the firm’s interest to address these concerns.
While administrators cannot do much about court timelines and demanding clients, they can implement policies that seek to address the amount of stress experienced by law firm members. Administrators should consider policies such as:
Praising attorneys for working early and staying late only exacerbates an already stressful situation. An unhealthy work environment can diminish productivity and leave attorneys feeling burnt out.
Attorneys have a requirement to earn a certain number of continuing legal education credits each year. In most business environments, HR takes on the responsibility of tracking employee education efforts. However, within a law firm, CLE also comes along with reporting requirements. Particularly within a large firm, this can quickly become an all-consuming task. For this reason, many firms choose to have a dedicated staff member to track and report CLE efforts. This individual may fall under the supervision of HR or the firm administrator.
In addition to CLE requirements, continuous education may also include such things as professional development training for improved client contact, marketing techniques for improved rainmaking, and courtroom demeanor presentation skills. Law firm administrators may also implement training for legal support staff in the form of court filing rule updates and technology training.
The reporting structure of a law firm can be extremely convoluted and tricky to maneuver. The lines of supervision often overlap, creating an environment ripe for potential conflicts. For example, attorneys supervise the work of their support staff. However, those staff members report to HR for personnel needs. With this dynamic in place, a simple vacation request can become a big problem. While HR may approve the request, the supervising attorney may reject it due to a pressing case deadline.
Another unique characteristic of law firm hierarchy is the status system that commonly exists. Founding partners, shareholders, and top rainmakers often make up the leadership level of the firm. Non-equity partners fall a little below them, followed by attorneys, then legal support staff, and administrative support staff – in that respective order.
Under circumstances like these, it can be hard to identify where the HR department fits in and what power they have to effectively carry out their duties free from interruption. This creates a situation where law firm administrators routinely walk a fine line between HR and firm management.
Outsourcing has become a common practice within the legal community as law firms look for ways to offer a high quality of service while cutting costs. For instance, when a big case walks through the door, law firm leaders and administrators may find it more efficient to bring on contract attorneys and paralegals rather than pulling their existing staff from other client matters.
While outsourcing can promote profitability for the firm, it can present some challenges on the HR side. Firm administrators must ensure that contract workers remain in compliance with confidentiality and qualification. Even as temporary staff, these legal professionals must meet all professional requirements.
Law firm HR duties often spill over into management and administration. As such, law firm administrators need to consider HR challenges and be prepared to address them as needed.
In an environment where the business side of practicing law equals the importance of the provision of client services, legal operations have emerged as a driving force behind law firm administration. Evolving from the combination of various support and administrative tasks, legal operations are the processes and activities that help legal departments efficiently serve clients by applying business and technical principles to the delivery of legal services. While commonly used in the discussion of in-house legal departments, the concept can also be applied to law firms, particularly those that routinely provide corporate legal services as outside counsel.
Many corporate-centered law firms currently face the challenge of shrinking corporate budgets even as service demands increase. Meeting this challenge, while simultaneously providing clients with stellar service, requires a greater focus on legal operations. Through strategic planning, project management, and technical innovations, legal operations help law firms streamline their financial responsibilities so that attorneys can place their focus on the actual practice of law.
Over the last few decades, corporate law firms and legal departments have been expected to shift their focus from solely advising business clients to driving value for them. They have been charged with streamlining services and managing operations more in line with business clientele. In doing so, firm administrators have placed a significant focus on analyzing current firm practices and making necessary adjustments, including the reorganization of processes and procedures for cost savings and greater operational efficiency.
While legal operations have been part of the legal industry for decades, it is still a relatively new concept that is continuously evolving. The following trends will likely impact legal operations over the coming years.
As law firms pursue greater cost savings in the provision of legal services, reporting and data analytics serve as a driving force. Firms will increasingly rely on reporting to provide information about the effectiveness of administrative and legal service procedures. From financial reports like accounts receivable to administrative data like attorney profitability and matter management budget reports, data analytics arm firm administrators with the information they need to make strategic decisions about the firm’s direction for greater profitability.
Legal technology innovations will continuously play an integral role in helping law firms and legal departments streamline procedures and scale-up in response to growth. While legal technology isn’t new to the industry, service providers constantly introduce new and innovative solutions for meeting the specific needs of legal practices.
Much of the buzz around legal technology has centered on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years. Through the use of algorithms and machine learning, many law firms currently use AI to streamline a variety of law firm procedures, including legal research, the performance of due diligence, document review, and even some forms of legal writing. But even with the increased use of AI, law firms have a more valuable tech tool when scaling their processes for growth.
Every law firm needs a practice management system at the center of its legal operations platform. These tools support the foundation of the firm, providing administrative systems and client matter management, as well as the data and reporting functions that firm administrators need for informed decision-making. The right practice management system promotes efficient law firm operations along with quality client experiences. From client relationship management and the efficient movement of matters to e-billing and document management, practice management software serves as a catalyst for streamlining operations and driving efficiencies within the law firm.
Alternative Legal Service Providers (ALSPs) have provided traditional law firms with some unexpected competition as clients increasingly choose these cost-effective options. ALSPs are nontraditional providers that offer legal clients assistance with a variety of services, from legal research to litigation support. Increasing numbers of corporate counsel and law firm clients have turned to ALSPs for their technical innovations and specialized expertise at lower costs.
However, though ALSPs have been largely seen as competition to traditional law firm representation, law firm administrators increasingly recognize the value in these services. Not only are they consulting with these entities about the latest legal technologies, but they are also choosing to implement ALSP offerings into their own provisions of service, creating a sense of collaboration rather than competition.
Alternative fee arrangements have gained considerable momentum throughout the legal community over the last decade. An industry firmly entrenched in the billable hour has begun offering a greater variety of pricing options, including fixed fees and customized hybrid billing arrangements.
Clients prefer these options because they offer a more transparent provision of service, providing a greater understanding of the total cost of their cases. Law firms have found value in these arrangements because they are easier to budget for and provide greater billing predictability. With alternative billing, law firms can provide their clients with affordable and efficient legal services.
Although the legal community remains hesitant about the widespread usage of alternative fee arrangements, many of the latest legal technologies have been equipped with tools to properly track and manage these options. As a result, these arrangements will likely affect legal operations managers in the year ahead.
As in-house legal departments and large corporate law firms seek to meet the immediate needs of a changing legal environment, legal operations will continuously play a major role. Firm administrators will identify new methods and tools for streamlining firm operations, saving costs, and providing clients with top-notch service.
As law firms prepare to turn the corner and head back to normalcy, flexibility is playing a major role in the execution of their plans. Return-to-office announcements from the nation’s largest law firms range from a 100% workforce return to continued remote working arrangements, but they all include a higher level of flexibility than traditionally seen within the legal community.
Over the last decade, remote working arrangements became quite commonplace within corporate America. A growing number of companies began offering their workers the opportunity to work from home, recognizing the financial savings and employee satisfaction that resulted from these arrangements. Even federal and state government agencies made significant strides towards remote work in recent years. Yet, even as these changes took hold, many members of the legal community routinely resisted the widespread move to remote work preferring a more traditional view of the legal practice.
While recent changes are partially driven by the pandemic, they also stem from evolving attitudes about what law firm offices should look like. An increasing number of law firm leaders and administrators have recognized the value in accommodating at least some level of flexibility within the workplace. They found that productivity actually increased instead of the decline that they anticipated. For years, law firm leaders centered their objections to remote work on declined productivity assumptions, but for some, seeing it in practice debunked that theory.
In addition, a growing number of law firm employees feel more comfortable voicing their preferences for flexible working conditions. With negative views that clouded remote working arrangements, many firm members felt it best not to make these requests, even though they wanted these options. Now that real-world experiences have changed leadership attitudes, attorneys and support staff feel empowered to request and advocate for greater flexibility.
Lastly, many law firms have enjoyed the overhead savings that resulted from reduced in-office use. Leaders are increasingly questioning whether, and to what extent, physical office space will be necessary for their firms to sustain going forward.
In a recently published email sent to employees by one of the Am Law 100 ranking law firms, a co-managing partner stated, “A key takeaway from the survey we conducted last year is that you want flexibility in where you work. We are working on the parameters and protocols for our return, including developing a flexible work policy that will address the expected number of days in the office per week and many other details. We are planning for our attorneys to be able to work some days in the office and some days remotely on average each week. Where roles and responsibilities permit for our staff, we are also developing flexibility arrangements.”
This sentiment echoes across the legal industry, indicating a major shift from traditional law firm standards. The following are direct quotes from return-to-office policies being put forth by some of the largest law firms in the country:
From the minimization of in-person interaction to the continuation of 100% remote work, these variations exemplify the different perspectives and interests of law firm leaders. The traditional law office environment will continue to look very different over the coming months.
Law firm administrators will most certainly bear the lion’s share of responsibility as firms implement these flexible work arrangements. To do this in an effective manner, they need technologies that support firm members, promote consistency in the face of transformation, and ensure the uninterrupted continuance of client services.
Practice management software offers law firms the resources and capabilities they need to continue operating at a high level in spite of various phases of office returns. As many firms moved to remote work arrangements in 2020, cloud computing and storage were integral tools for the continuation of business through these transitions. These same technologies will also drive firms into their new normal in the months and years to come.
Here are some ways that legal practice management will help law firm administrators meet the needs of a flexible work environment:
Many of these cloud-based technologies include document storage, which minimizes the need to transport physical files back and forth between work locations. It also makes remote collaboration seamless, which is especially useful with firm members working staggered in-office schedules.
With custom, real-time dashboards, firm administrators and members can quickly view a variety of case details. From matter ledgers with complete billing histories to matter budgets with customizable budget alerts, these tools help law firms stay on top of client matter details even in the midst of transitioning back to the office.
With court rule and deadline management tools, firm members no longer have to rely on the manual calculation of court rules and deadlines. Court date calendaring systems calculate litigation, transaction, or administrative deadlines and automatically add them to the firm calendar. This promotes greater organization, planning, and accountability throughout the entire firm.
As law firms announce their respective return-to-office strategies, flexibility appears to be a common theme. To best handle these transitions, law firm administrators and members need a comprehensive practice management system that promotes consistency while minimizing potential roadblocks.
After months of planning and building from the ground up, we are excited to announce the launch of a brand new exclusive community for our clients!
Centerbase's mission for the community is to provide clients with a vibrant channel to ask questions, find answers, and engage with legal professionals from around the country on Centerbase best practices. Be the first to know and participate in discussions on upcoming product updates, training webinars, and the direction of our product roadmap.
We want to foster conversations about getting the most out of Centerbase to drive success at your firm.
So when can you get involved? The answer is right now!
All Centerbase users will receive an invite to the Centerbase Client Community via email. So be on the lookout for your invitation! We’ve already seen some great discussions from clients who are actively answering questions and contributing ideas.
Access to the community is exclusive to Centerbase clients. All users of Centerbase can start having great conversations and seek insights and solutions right now.
The Centerbase Client Community includes a personalized social media-like experience. Subscribe to topic channels like Billing, Reporting, Settings & Customization, and Timekeeping to get the latest updates on things that are most important to you. Gain Reputation Points by commenting, answering questions, and voting on polls which can be used to purchase Centerbase gifts and swag!
Be sure to subscribe to the Feedback and Suggestions topic to upvote product ideas from other Centerbase users and suggest your own.
Yes. A combination of Centerbase employees and community champions will make sure the Community’s conversation stays civilized, meaningful and true to our Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. Our moderation team will also ensure that urgent queries and support requests are addressed.
Email, phone and call-back requests are still available as normal to users of Centerbase. Our team of dedicated Support Specialists will be active throughout the community. If you are unable to find the help you need from the community, our team of specialists will be standing by to lend a helping hand.
Registration for the Community is invite-only as it is intended to be an exclusive channel for our partners and clients. All Centerbase clients will receive an invitation via email to create their account. If you cannot locate your community invitation please reach out to us here and we'll have another invite sent your way ASAP.
We'll see you there!
Staying current with technology can be an expensive undertaking. Software is constantly improving, and firms that continue to use server-based software are finding it impossible to keep up with advancing technology. If a firm wants to take advantage of the latest and greatest, it must be willing to adopt a cloud-based system. By asking the right questions on the front end, your firm can rest assured that a cloud-based system is a safe and viable option.
There are innumerable advantages to a cloud-based system that goes above and beyond the fact that you will always have the most updated version of the software you select. It is impossible to list all of the advantages here, but below are a few:
The use of a cloud-based system allows the firm to pay-per-user fees in a monthly fashion – there is no longer the need to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in order to purchase a server-based software that will soon be outdated. There is also no need to pay for IT support to maintain servers, address security concerns, and stay on top of software updates.
With server-based software, the firm spends an enormous amount of financial resources to put the software in place. While it certainly performs its due diligence before making a software selection, firms are still faced with holding their breath and hoping for the best, sometimes finding that once the software is in place it does not perform as the firm had hoped. While no one wants to make a change once a decision has been made, with a cloud-based system where the firm is paying for the system in small monthly increments, if the software does not meet the firm’s needs as expected or the firm outgrows the software sooner than expected, there is the ability to pivot if necessary.
Cloud-based systems can expand as the demand increases, so as the firm grows, it only has to pay for an additional user license. There is no need for the firm to purchase additional servers, etc. to accommodate growth.
As we all learned this past year, the ability to access our files from any location is imperative to today’s practice. By having all file information hosted in the cloud, firm attorneys and staff can access the files from any location. Firms that were paperless before the pandemic were able to continue their practices without missing a beat. This advantage is valuable even outside of a pandemic, though. The mobility of your case files allows your attorneys to access the entire file wherever they are – in court, in a client’s office, etc. In addition, multiple individuals can be working on a client file at the same time. In the old practice of paper files, only one person could have access to the file at one time.
One of the most valuable advantages of using current technology is your ability to perform some tasks faster. Good case management software can lay out the steps of certain types of cases, provide you with the status of a case at a glance, and provide a list of follow-up items and checklists. The billing side of your software can make it easy for your attorneys to enter their time, encouraging concurrent timekeeping, which will always be more accurate and prevent lost time.
It was not that long ago that many law firms were leery of taking their technology to the cloud. Despite Ethics Opinions of the American Bar Association and many state bars that approved the use of SaaS systems in law firms, firms were hesitant to move in this direction. There were many concerns that contributed to this hesitation to jump on board with other industries, but with the appropriate due diligence on the front end, firm partners can rest assured that they can take advantage of cloud-based systems and their many advantages. Here are some questions you should ask:
Does the provider own or lease the servers? The more companies that are involved in the storage of your data, the greater the risk that security may be compromised.
It is important that your data does not leave the United States. Otherwise, you run the potential risk of your data being held “hostage” in the EU.
What is the frequency of backups? Where are the backups stored? Are there multiple locations? (If a natural disaster occurs at the location of a backup supply, is it geographically distant from another location so that the data is not lost?) Are there redundant power supplies?
The provider should use SSL encryption to ensure that communications between your computer and the cloud server are secure.
Your agreement should clearly state that the firm owns the data. You will want to know how the data can be extracted should you decide to change services in the future. In what format will the data be provided? Will it be readable by other programs?
It is not as foreign for law firms to use cloud-based software today as it was even five years ago. By asking the right questions, you can ensure that you are confident in the security of the software you choose and take advantage of the many benefits of having a cloud-based system.
Law firms are entities built on tradition, where the experience that comes with aging is revered and often celebrated at the highest levels of the firm. But in today’s legal environment, technology and innovation rank just as high as maturity. Change has become a constant within the industry and law firms must keep up in order to remain relevant.
Unfortunately, getting every member of the firm on board with tech changes can be challenging for firm administrators. Some more seasoned employees may resist new ways of handling business, or they may find it difficult to grasp unfamiliar technologies.
But these difficulties don’t mean that administrators must abandon the firm’s technology plans. It also doesn’t mean that seasoned members of the firm will be left behind. With the following tips and strategies, law firm administrators can get all members of the firm onboard the technology train.
Legal technology is transforming every segment of the legal community, including the workforce, the delegation of tasks, economics, skillsets, and client expectations. Many attorneys don’t like these tech advances because they recognize their effect on the traditional roles of practicing law. As new legal technologies emerge, the profession transitions from its lawyer-centric traditions into a more tech-driven competitive marketplace. And it's not attorneys who are pushing these changes. Clients are also consumers and they bring their consumer-driven expectations with them when seeking legal representation.
Law firm administrators must also consider the generation gap that may be at play within the firm. Young legal professionals cannot imagine a workplace without technology, so they often welcome and adapt quickly to new innovations. Their other colleagues remember, and may even long for, a time when the only technology an attorney needed was a telephone and a typewriter. When this is your perspective, the prospect of new technologies can be terrifying.
To start promoting the use of technology among more seasoned members of the firm, administrators must first put aside misconceptions about this segment of their workforce. Preconceived doubts about their abilities and willingness can disadvantage the firm as a whole. The truth is that most baby boomers don’t fear tech, they just see it differently than younger workers do.
Here are some additional misconceptions that law firm administrators may have about seasoned workers:
Law firm administrators must have honest discussions with the hesitant members of the firm so that they understand the value of new technologies. Help them understand how they can benefit from new innovations. Then, provide them with the type of training they need to actually learn.
One training method may not fit all. Firm administrators should think outside the box and consider alternative training methods like online tutorials and mentorships. Mentoring can consist of formal partnerships or informal training between members of the firm who are more tech-savvy and members of the firm who are tech-challenged.
The most effective strategy will look at training options from different perspectives to consider what works best for individual members of the firm. For example, human resources can craft individual tech development plans for each stage of the firm’s career cycle.
When workers are approached from a perspective of productivity and skill-building, they will see the firm as being supportive of their growth instead of forcing them to make changes. That type of motivation drives success. When seasoned members have a reason to change, along with real encouragement, they will be more willing to embrace new technologies.
If the firm members who resist technology are members of law firm leadership, the financial benefits of technology can be real incentives. For example, in this age of technology law firms are experiencing competition from some new kids on the legal block. Alternative Legal Service Providers (ALSPs) have made gains within such technology-driven market segments as e-discovery or legal research. These providers are taking business away from traditional law firms by offering specific legal services in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. For this reason, law firms must implement new technologies in order to stay competitive and relevant.
A lack of technology skillsets will place lawyers and law firms at a significant disadvantage moving forward. For example, e-discovery has completely transformed the task of discovery over the last decade. Using artificial technology, firms can now search through voluminous documents in a fraction of the time it used to take.
In addition, courts and legal service clients have come to expect certain tech advances from law firms. Courts have increasingly turned to electronic filings and applications over the last few years. In addition, judges are starting to expect the use of technology when reviewing the reasonableness of legal fees. If law firms do not voluntarily implement these changes among their members, outside influences will force them to evolve.
The demand for traditional legal practice is diminishing, while the demand for tech-based legal service delivery continuously grows. Law firm administrators must communicate to their leaders that resisting these changes can have lasting negative effects in the years to come.
While the American Bar Association (ABA) has been slow to implement technical training at the law school level, they have addressed the expectation for tech skills and knowledge among practicing attorneys and law firms. In 2012, the ABA modified the Model Rules to extend a lawyer's duty of competence to keep "abreast of changes in the law and its practice," to include knowing "the benefits and risks and associated with relevant technology." A number of state bars have followed, modifying their rules to include technological competence within attorney competence.
These changes are not limited to law firms. Corporate legal departments have been experiencing similar enhancements. The Corporate Legal Operations Consortium, as well as the ACC Legal Operations Group, has designated technology as a multidisciplinary competency optimizing the delivery of legal services.
As law firm administrators seek to introduce new technologies into their firms, they may find that some more seasoned members resist the changes. But the legal industry is quickly changing, and innovative technologies must be a part of that transition. By implementing these strategies, law firm administrators can encourage older members of the firm to embrace tech advances.
We’ve all heard it before – “fail to plan, and you plan to fail.” And we have all heard it because it is true. Without a plan for where you are headed, you will never arrive at the desired destination.
It is important to make time to plan. With the many demands of your practice, it can be very difficult to tear yourself away from your firm to work on your business in addition to working in your business. It is important to recognize that despite the fact that those hours spent on working the business are not billable, they will pay big dividends in the long run. Firm leadership should set aside at least one day per year to work on your business plan and define how you plan to get there. These meetings should be held off-site, away from the demands and distractions of the office.
Goals should be broken down into timelines: you should identify ten-year, five-year, three-year, and one-year goals. Goals should be quantifiable and SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Based. Examples of goals can be team size, gross revenue, profit, number of new clients, addition of new practice areas, etc.
Start at your end goals – those that are farthest out. By working backward from your ten-year point, you can break your goals down into chunks so that you can identify how you will get there. Breaking those larger goals down in this way makes them seem more attainable and will keep you from just giving up.
Your one-year goals are considered short-term goals. Reaching these goals should help you to attain your three-year goals. For example, if you want to increase your attorney size from 5 attorneys to 10 attorneys within three years, you know you need to add 1-2 attorneys per year over the next three years in order to get there. This feels manageable, and by working toward that goal gradually over three years, it won’t feel unachievable. Your three-year goals should lead you to your five-year goals, etc. By setting shorter-term goals as mile markers along the way, you will have a road map to guide you to your final destination.
To go one step further, one-year goals should be broken down into 90-day chunks. Otherwise, you will find yourself at the end of a year wondering how the time passed so quickly and nothing accomplished as you had hoped. By setting 90-day timelines for specific tasks to be completed that lead to your one-year goals, you will stay on task. Your leadership team should meet at least quarterly to review the progress of these goals. Without this accountability measure, the goals will likely fall prey to the other demands your team has to meet.
Leadership may want to consider involving multiple levels of team members in your process as you work on your plan. While they do not have the final say in your decisions, by providing them the opportunity to have input, you will increase the chances of buy-in and success. Different teams in your firm may have different goals created for them that lead to the bigger picture goals, and it will be important that they meet regularly to review progress just as your leadership team will.
You will also want to identify your firm’s particular strengths and potential obstacles and how you plan to overcome them. This is referred to as a SWOT analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. By bringing these areas to light and focusing on playing to your strengths and addressing how you will overcome your weaknesses, you will be better for it.
Business planning does not come naturally to all attorneys. If this planning and follow-up feels foreign to you and you are not confident you have the bandwidth to navigate the process among all your other responsibilities, there are many consultants available who specialize in law firms. These specialists are familiar with your challenges and can help guide you through the maze and help you stay on task. By taking the time to plan for your future in a very intentional way, you will be surprised to find that what once felt like unattainable pipe dreams can truly be a reality.
