TechnoLawyer: Accounting/Billing/Time Capture

Originally published in the December 14, 2012 issue of TL NewsWire. Instead of reading TL NewsWire here, sign up now to receive future issues via email.

In 2012, we reported on 205 new products in TL NewsWire. In what has become an annual tradition, today in this year's last issue of TL NewsWire we present to you the TL NewsWire Top 25 Products of 2012. You'll find commentary on the Top 10 products, a list of the next 15 products, and links for all 25 products.

How do we determine the winners? We don't. You do. Each TL NewsWire article about a new product contains a link to that product's web page. We anonymously track everyone's clicks on these links to help us figure out which types of products most interest TL NewsWire subscribers, and also to create the annual TL NewsWire Top 25 Products.

THE 10 HOTTEST TL NEWSWIRE PRODUCTS OF 2012

Congratulations to the 10 hottest products in the TL NewsWire Top 25!

1. Total Attorneys App Store

After raising a significant round of capital, Total Attorneys came out swinging this year with two cleverly framed blockbuster announcements.

Several companies announced "application programming interfaces" or APIs this year, which enable other products to more easily integrate with theirs. To its credit, Total Attorneys chose not to use this term given that most lawyers are not programmers and therefore don't know what it means.

Instead, Total Attorneys announced an app store. Thanks to Apple, everyone knows what that means! Using this colloquial term vaulted Total Attorneys App Store to the top of the TL NewsWire Top 25. So congratulations to Total Attorneys not only for the add-ons it announced, but also for how the company framed this announcement.

2. Total Attorneys

Before launching its app store, Total Attorneys relaunched its cloud practice management system. This alone would have likely earned it a spot on the TL NewsWire Top 25. But Total Attorneys also announced an incredibly low price of just $1 per user per month, which explains its second place ranking.

Total Attorneys isn't crazy. Instead, like Amazon's strategy of selling its Kindle tablets at or below cost and later earning a profit on ebooks and other content, Total Attorneys essentially gives away its practice management system with the hope that you'll purchase apps such as credit card processing.

3. CitePin

When we reported on CitePin, we called it the "Evernote of the Legal Industry" as it's a cloud application designed to keep track of legal information such as legal research in a freeform manner but with legal-specific features.

CitePin clearly excited many of you. Just one caveat. This company reminds me of the Pink Floyd song, Is There Anybody Out There? We could not find an email address. We filled out the contact form requesting a screenshot to no avail (our thanks to LawSites for letting us use one of its screenshots).

4. TheFormTool PRO

According to the CEO of TheFormTool, the TechnoLawyer Network, including TL NewsWire, enabled the company to grow much faster than it originally anticipated.

TheFormTool PRO adds document assembly functionality to Microsoft Word without the need for programming skills. Because of the intense interest in TheFormTool PRO, we reviewed it twice from two perspectives in our BigLaw and SmallLaw newsletters.

5. MobileScan Pro 100

It would shock me if a scanner didn't make the TL NewsWire Top 25. In many law firms, scanners have become as essential a peripheral as printers. In fact, many law firms find that they need several types of scanners — high-volume, network, desktop, and mobile.

Ambir's new scanner garnered so much attention from TL NewsWire subscribers because it's the Batman of scanners — highly mobile with a dual personality. It functions as both a sheet-fed scanner and as a wand scanner. Also, it can scan without any cables to a Micro USB card.

6. Workshare PDF Professional Plus 2.0

Workshare PDF Professional 1.0 ranked second in last year's TL NewsWire Top 20. And here is version 2.0 ranked sixth in this year's TL NewsWire Top 25. Acrobat XI Pro also made the list this year but it's further down. That's because while PDF software is a hot topic, PDF software designed specifically for lawyers is an even hotter topic.

You probably found Workshare PDF Professional's support for PDF/A and its file size shrinking technology of interest given that many courts require this format and have file size limits. Version 2.0 also offers integrations with Autonomy Worksite and Microsoft SharePoint, two popular document management systems used by midsize and large law firms.

7. eBillity

eBillity has interesting origins. One of its co-founders used to work at Bill4Time, a cloud legal billing software pioneer. As a result, the two products share a number of features, chief among them an iPhone app as well as desktop widgets for Mac and Windows. Also, the pricing for Bill4Time and eBillity is identical.

Perhaps because of its late entry into the marketplace, eBillity has teamed up with larger companies. For example, it powers Thomson Reuters' new Time and Billing product. And when Intuit abandoned its cloud billing product, it recommended that its customers switch to eBillity.

8. Harvest

Harvest serves the billing needs of several industries, including legal. It offers both iPhone and Android apps, thus covering the majority of TechnoLawyer members (49% use an iPhone; 28% use an Android smartphone). For law firms with three or more timekeepers, Harvest costs less than rival products.

9. CaseFox

Clearly, TL NewsWire subscribers like cloud billing software as CaseFox also falls into this category. We cited CaseFox's ability to accommodate temporary contract lawyers as its Killer Feature. CaseFox also falls on the less expensive end of the pricing spectrum.

10. PDF Converter 8

We covered three new Nuance products this year. Not surprisingly, its PDF software received the most attention.

PDF Converter 8 is practically a word processor given its editing capabilities. That's why you'll find some of Nuance's Dragon speech recognition technology built into the software. Like Workshare PDF Professional, PDF Converter 8 integrates with a number of products popular among lawyers, including CaseMap and Worldox.

THE NEXT 15 HOTTEST TL NEWSWIRE PRODUCTS OF 2012

Congratulations to the 15 remaining products in the TL NewsWire Top 25 Products of 2012!

11. OmniOutliner for iPad

12. Leap

13. Amicus Attorney Premium Edition 2012

14. Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover

15. HoverBar

16. Acrobat XI Pro

17. Apollo

18. Standzfree

19. TranscriptPad

20. Disconnect

21. DocMoto

22. Amicus Cloud

23. Samsung ML-2165W Mono Laser Printer

24. iPad 3

25. SwingHolder

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Originally published in the August 17, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Early refrigerators lacked freezers. We now take this integration for granted. Software products for small law firms have followed this same path. Clio, a cloud application, is one such product as it offers integrated legal billing, practice management, document management, and more. In this issue of SmallLaw, Oakland lawyer Jeffrey Allen reviews Clio, which he has used for several years. Thus, Jeffrey has a unique perspective, having seen Clio evolve in functionality. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a buyer's guide to VoIP telephone systems.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the June 26, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Today we present a comprehensive review of Sage Timeslips 2012. And who better for this task than New Jersey lawyer and SmallLaw senior product reviewer Edward Zohn. Sadly, many reviewers use a product for an hour. By contrast, Ed used Timeslips in his practice for a few weeks. As a result, Ed's review evaluates everything from installation and customization to time entry to Timeslips eCenter to the QuickBooks link and much more — plus his TechnoScore rating. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a solution to a serious problem in small law firms — training an associate only to have them leave and sometimes even steal your clients.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the May 24, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Time flies when you're busy at work, which makes it all the more difficult to accurately capture and bill. Maybe someday we can build a time machine and persuade Reginald Heber Smith not to invent the billable hour. Until then, the most promising technology is automatic or passive time capture. In this issue of SmallLaw, estate planning lawyer Chandra Lewnau reviews the new version of the most actively developed and well-known of these tools — Chrometa 2012. Chandra has become a senior product reviewer for SmallLaw because of her thoroughness. True to form, her review leave no feature unexplored. As an added bonus, below the review you'll find a response from Chrometa. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for advice on how solos and small law firms can compete against LegalZoom now that we have more insight from its recent IPO filing.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the March 13, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Has your small law firm cut the cord? No, not your cable service. We wouldn't expect you to practice law without sneaking in some CNBC and ESPN. We're talking about your servers — those computers that house software for billing, email, document management, practice management, and telephone service. In this issue of SmallLaw, law practice advisor Erik Mazzone discusses cloud substitutes for all five that will enable your law firm to cut (most of) its Ethernet cables and reclaim its server room. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a thoughtful essay about how technology can make lawyers less rather than more productive.

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in the February 21, 2012 issue of SmallLaw: Like Matthew McConaughey in The Lincoln Lawyer, some lawyers practice out of their automobile. But even if you work out of an office, you probably practice on the go sometimes. In this issue of SmallLaw, law practice advisor Erik Mazzone discusses five products that will enable you to sign up new clients, draft documents, and get paid from your car, your office, a courthouse, or ideally a beach somewhere warm. Also, don't miss the SmallLaw Pick of the Week for a law firm that looks to plumbing companies as a model (we kid you not).

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small firm, big dreams. Written by practicing lawyers who manage successful small firms and legal technology and practice management experts who have achieved rock star status, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in small law firms, as well as comprehensive legal product reviews with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also links to helpful articles in other publications about solo practices and small law firms. The SmallLaw newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to LitigationWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 73 articles from the past two weeks worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our LitigationWorld Pick of the Week.

The Evernote of the Legal Industry

Firms Wave Goodbye to Billing for Research Costs

Law Firm Ediscovery Reaches a Crossroads

Judge to Parties: Avoid Boilerplate Privilege Logs

Congratulations to Mike Ferrara of CMS Wire on winning our LitigationWorld Pick of the Week award: Microsoft to Add Ediscovery Features to Office 2013

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All practice areas evolve, but none faster than litigation. Written by successful litigators and other litigation experts, LitigationWorld provides you with practical tips related to electronic discovery, depositions, litigation strategy, litigation technology, and trial presentations. You'll also receive in-depth litigation product reviews as well as links to the most noteworthy articles in other online litigation publications so that you'll never miss anything. The LitigationWorld newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a billing and practice management system designed to minimize lost billable time (see article below), a Bluetooth gadget for your car stereo, an iPhone and iPad accounting app, and early case assessment software. Don't miss the next issue.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT INTEGRATION REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

LexisNexis conducted a pair of surveys of lawyers this year about billable hours, the results of which were so startling that they piqued the interest of the Wall Street Journal. For example, lawyers reported billing only 66% of the time they worked. Among the leading culprits — forgotten billable work caused by ineffective methods of tracking time. At least most lawyers are honest, but it's time to get paid for all your billable work.

Time Matters 12 … in One Sentence

Launched this week, LexisNexis' Time Matters 12 is a practice management and billing system.

The Killer Feature

Time Matters' new Time Entry Advisor feature minimizes lost billable hours. It presents all your unbilled activities in a spreadsheet-like view, enabling you to efficiently transform them into time entries. Time Entry Advisor lists calendar events, documents, email, tasks and more — virtually everything Time Matters organizes for you and your colleagues.

Other Notable Features

LexisNexis has also significantly enhanced Time Matters for Microsoft Outlook. For example, when you open a meeting in Outlook you can see you can see key Time Matters contact and matter data associated with each attendee. You can also open a Time Matters billing record from a client's Outlook email message to bill for the time spent to respond. The new capabilities complement the existing integration of Time Matters with Outlook and Microsoft Exchange Server, which enable you to directly synchronize your email, events, and tasks in Time Matters with Outlook.

"By expanding the integration of LexisNexis Time Matters with Microsoft Outlook, and through the addition of the new Time Entry Advisor feature, Time Matters 12 helps legal professionals operate more efficiently, while helping law firms increase revenues by capturing billable hours that might otherwise be lost," Mike Lipps, LexisNexis' Vice President and Managing Director of Legal Business Software Solutions, told us.

Other new features include the ability to save matter-related email messages in Time Matters as documents, improvements to TM Save (for saving documents directly to Time Matters from programs such as Adobe Acrobat), and integration with LexisNexis PCLaw 12, LexisNexis' legal billing and accounting software. Those who use LexisNexis Billing Matters software will find 34 new UTBMS codes (e.g., ediscovery), and the ability to copy Bill Profiles, Bill Preferences, and Rate Tables.

What Else Should You Know?

Time Matters runs on Windows PCs. LexisNexis sells Time Matters via an Annual Maintenance Plan, which in addition to all software updates also includes Time Matters Mobility for access to key Time Matters features from smartphones, online Anytime Training courses, and live telephone technical support. Learn more about Time Matters 12.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 158 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week.

Legal Technology Picks and Pans

Top 10 Creative Ways Lawyers Can Use an iPad

Time to Blow Up the Billable Hour Formula

Subcompact Publishing: A Good Model for Law Firms?

Congratulations to Jeff Richardson of iPhone J.D. on winning our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week award: A Lawyer Reviews the iPad Mini

Don't miss today's issue or any future issues of BlawgWorld.

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Our newsletters provide the most comprehensive coverage of legal technology, practice management, and law firm marketing, but not the only coverage. BlawgWorld enables you to stay on top of all the noteworthy articles (and podcasts) published online without having to hire a research assistant. Even when you're busy, you won't want to miss each issue's Pick of the Week. The BlawgWorld newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 150 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week.

Initial Thoughts on Amicus Cloud

Review: Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen

Leadership Is a Skill, Management Is a Role

The Best and Worst Content Marketing Tactics

Congratulations to Jeff Krause of Jeff Krause's Practice Management Blog on winning our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week award: Time Management Technologies and Tips for Lawyers

Today's issue also contains links to every article in the November 2012 issue of Law Practice Today. Don't miss today's issue or any future issues of BlawgWorld.

How to Receive BlawgWorld
Our newsletters provide the most comprehensive coverage of legal technology, practice management, and law firm marketing, but not the only coverage. BlawgWorld enables you to stay on top of all the noteworthy articles (and podcasts) published online without having to hire a research assistant. Even when you're busy, you won't want to miss each issue's Pick of the Week. The BlawgWorld newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.