Case Management Software (Continued from page 21)
“right-click” menu doesn’t appear to be available for contacts in other modules. The Time Sheets module includes sup- port for Uniform
Task-Based
Management System codes. There’s also centralized accounting set up which can be accomplished via the Amicus Admin- istrator, if you are using PC Law or Timeslips. Individual users on a network don’t have to post time. Time can be posted for everyone by the Administra- tor. There’s also an enhanced link with TABS III.
Amicus now includes the Seagate Crys-
tal Reports print engine which enhances the reporting capabilities. There are more pre-defined reports, including more than 50 workstation level reports and more than 35 administrator level reports. Ad- ditional report packs are available. You can create your own custom reports if you purchase the Seagate Crystal Reports da- tabase reporting tool. Accessing custom fields in document assembly has been improved. Instead of having to insert something like “Custom Field Page 1, Field 2,” for instance, you can use the ac- tual name of the Custom Field. Document assembly works with MS Word 2000 and WordPerfect 9. There’s a new Custom Fields toolbar for HotDocs. The program’s Administrator module has been enhanced for network users. If there is an update to Amicus, instead of each user separately having to install it from disks, it can be distributed by the Admin- istrator and the update will run the next time you start Amicus Attorney. The new version of Amicus Attorney also contains an improved import/export. A really useful feature in the Client/Server Edition is the program’s ability to sched- ule an automatic backup. Also, backups can be stored in more than one location at the same time.
PROLAW (By Denise P. Ward. This article originally appeared in June/July 1998 Law Office Computing.)
ProLaw Software’s case management, billing and accounting software touts it- self as a single front and back office solution for law firms. The program’s cre- ators assert that it is one program that can do virtually all things for your office. I thought these were some pretty far-reach- ing claims, and I approached this review with some skepticism. I have to concede that I found that ProLaw performed its organizational magic very well indeed, far
36
exceeding my expectations. One of the most unique things about
this program is that its purchase comes wrapped into an on-site training period that includes installation of the program by a ProLaw employee. It is not that the use of the program is so complex (it is not), but that the installation process in- volves customizing information from all areas of your office. It also often involves data conversion from existing programs, so the on-site element makes such a project a much less daunting task. Fundamental to the “front office” fea-
tures of the program is a central address book where every law firm contact imaginable can be found. More than merely a contact manager, the address book visualizes the relationship between a name and your firm as well as the rela- tionship between the name and your cases. Included is built-in telephony together with the ability to track and send e-mail and store Web page addresses. Conflict checking is facile because of the unlim- ited classification of people and cases. Document management is a natural in this product as well, automatically index- ing any document sent OR received. A user can also implement event-driven document assembly, and I found that cre- ating a word processing form within ProLaw was actually pretty easy. The calendar tracks everything for the individual user as well as for the firm and includes features such as the generation of calendar entry reminders, notes for such entries and related calendar events that are easily moved and reorganized. What I liked most, though, was the ability to track the entire history of a case through the calendar—from each and every letter and meeting, to the settlement conferences, to the signing of the stipulations. This abil- ity to visualize a case’s progress and processes coupled with the ability to find all the information in one place was sen- sational. A natural outgrowth of the calendar function are the case manage- ment features, especially for firms using Outlook or Groupwise. The unified inte- gration of entries from those programs into ProLaw is brilliant. The creators are well aware of the software that law firms are using and allow for integrating with many popular programs. As important as information management is, the actual business end of the law is vital as well. Most of us still live and die by our timekeeping and struggle endlessly to keep better track of our time. ProLaw captures time easily with a few mouse clicks. However, even more important than keeping track of time is billing for time. Most time and billing programs turn
Trial Reporter
the creation of invoices into a dreaded chore. ProLaw created some excellent statements, allowing me to create a de- sign for my invoices or utilize some of their built-in formats. Other important “back office” features include the ability to analyze the impact of a settlement offer in a contingent case and the ability to precisely track the dis- bursements in a trust account. The accounting features, which for me are sometimes the most baffling parts of these types of programs, seem to have been cre- ated for those of us whose eyes glaze at the mention of terms like general ledger and posting. There is one place to post each and every transaction, whether that transaction is writing a check, making a deposit or allocating one vendor’s bill among multiple clients. The built-in cost recovery features made my secretary smile, as she is the one who has to review my toll call phone records and track down those Federal Express receipts for client billing.
The last “back office” feature seems
more directly designed for the larger firms rather than the smaller. The reporting fea- ture of ProLaw creates all kinds of reports analyzing the firm’s health. There is an amazing array of ways to look at the data: by attorney, by client, by matter type, by originator or by billing method. The re- ports can be generated using one of the multiple types of reports included and custom fields are also available. Overall, this was a pretty dazzling pro- gram, integrating an incredible amount of information at the same time. The program’s strongest feature is the on-site training that prepares all users for future data entry and collects existing firm and client data. This integrates the documents and work habits and thereby eases the transition to this program. The financial investment is large, but one that is well worth considering for your firm’s inte- grated future.
TIME MATTERS 3.0 (By Steve Schmidt. This article originally appeared in October/November 2000 Law Office Computing.)
How would you like each lawyer in
your firm to have an exact duplicate of that lawyer’s files, appointments, To-Do’s, billing and e-mail on a laptop maintained automatically on a daily basis? Time Mat- ters 3.0 does just that. It’s one of three core programs indispensable to any law office that wants to be completely auto- mated, and the program in which all of the raw data should be created. With Time Matters 3.0, Timeslips 10 and
Spring 2001
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