Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an online practice management system (see article below), a digital dictation system, an iPhone app for court rules and deadlines, an Android and iOS flight tracker, and a desktop Mac program for Gmail accounts. Don't miss the next issue.
A Trusted Name Enters the Web Practice Management Game
Over the past few years, startup companies offering Web-based (SaaS, cloud-based) practice management systems have faced competition only from one another. But given the large number of solos and small law firms that don't use any practice management system, this situation could not last. Sooner or later, the incumbents would take note and enter the market with their own offering. One such company took the time to work with hundreds of lawyers to develop a Web-based practice management system, which seems to have paid off judging from the praise at its recent unveiling.
LexisNexis Firm Manager … in One Sentence
The Firm Manager application is a secure Web-based practice management system designed for sole practitioners and small law firms with an introductory price of $44.95 per month per user.
The Killer Feature
Having to look for what you need slows you down. If you have to look, you lose valuable time and you may miss something.
The Firm Manager dashboard enables you to view everything critical to your practice on one screen, including upcoming appointments, meetings and tasks, and a special display of deadlines that have slipped and recent email messages. From the dashboard, you can drill deeper into your data. For example, you can pull up a client's contact information, view your entire calendar, read an email message, etc.
"You never have to worry about missing an appointment or critical client task again," Michael Lipps, LexisNexis' Vice President and Managing Director of Legal Business Software Solutions told us. "With one glance, you can see everything you need to prioritize tasks and organize your time — what needs immediate attention versus what can wait. We've previewed this screen with almost two hundred attorneys and nearly every one of them loved this feature."
Other Notable Features
The Firm Manager application offers Client Intake tools to help you strengthen your client relationships and focus your marketing efforts. You can start using it at the start of each new relationship, recording how a client found you as well as their legal needs now and in the future.
As you would expect, the Firm Manager application offers contact and calendar management. However, it also offers the unexpected — Bidirectional Outlook Synchronization (Outlook 2007 and 2010) thanks to LexisNexis' longstanding partnership with Microsoft.
Other features include time and expense tracking, email and on-screen alerts for appointments and tasks, conflicts searching, document management by client/matter, and email and live Web support.
The mobile Web interface enables you to access Firm Manager features from smartphones such as the BlackBerry and iPhone and tablets such as the iPad. LexisNexis' 99.9% Uptime Guarantee for the Firm Manager application ensures that if you have an Internet connection you'll have access to your data.
What Else Should You Know?
You can try the Firm Manager application for free during its current public beta. Those who sign up before May 1, 2011 can take advantage of the introductory price noted above. If you cancel your subscription, you'll have up to six months thereafter to export and expunge your data. Learn more about Firm Manager.
How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.
