This article provides an introduction to law office technology, providing descriptions of legal specific types of software such as case management, time and billing, document assembly and more. This article first appeared in Student Lawyer May 2004.

Molly Kilmer Flood, M.L.I.S, Research Specialist

On June 2, 2003, Jonas L. Blank, a summer associate at New York’s Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, returned from lunch and wrote an e-mail. Using very colorful language, he gleefully mentioned that his days were filled with extended lunches, typing personal e-mails, and not much actual work. Mr. Blank’s summer of slack came to an abrupt end that day; he mistakenly sent this message to twenty partners at his firm.

Technology is a key component in the modern law office. It has the power to make or break your legal career. A single e-mail could negate all of your hard work. Bernard Hibbitts, Professor of Law at the University of Pittsburgh, has seen an increasing amount of potential employers seek out law students with technical skills. In the September 2002 issue of The National Law Journal he observed, " Down the line, as their own appreciation of technology becomes more nuanced, law firm partners will come to appreciate students with hands-on tech experience also have advantages when it comes to working with high-tech clients and developing high-tech legal policy". The first few days of your summer or permanent employment is bound to be intense. Acclimating to a new environment is never an easy process. Technophobia is the last thing you need on your agenda. Basic knowledge of legal software may help you through the anxiety of those first few days. It can also help you make an excellent impression with your supervisors.

Law school curriculums have not traditionally addressed technology’s role in the practice of law. Recently classes like "Neteracy for Lawyers" at the University of Pittsburgh and " Law Practice Technology" at Golden Gate University have reversed that trend. These courses allow students to test drive some of the most popular software in the field. Law schools realize that technologically proficient lawyers are a valuable resource. Brian Donnelly, the Director of Educational Technology and Lecturer in Law at Columbia University School of Law, has seen this first hand at their "Lawyering in the Digtial Age" clinic. Clinic participants incorporate technology into their work with public interest attorneys and organizations. All research, collaboration, and case support are accomplished online. According to Donnelly, "All lawyering tasks have an information component, and those law students who understand information technologies are especially qualified to get the most out of their talent, regardless of whether they go on to work in the private, governmental, or public-interest sectors."

Law office technology is far more than WestLaw, Lexis Nexis, and Microsoft Office. While the paperless office may still be a pipe dream, many legal files are now stored electronically. Contact information has moved from the Rolodex to the database. Conference calls are summarized, imputed, and archived. Many law firms are now just as concerned with server space than file space. Software has a significant role in a majority of legal tasks. Law office technology dramatically changes the way work product is researched, created, and stored.

Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management (KM) has become quite the buzzword. However, defining knowledge management is not a simple task. You will likely hear the term discussed, if you accept a job or internship at a large law firm. An Internet search will reveal plenty of theoretical discussions, but you’ll be hard pressed to locate any practical information on what knowledge management truly is. In the March 2002 issue of Law Technology News, Philadelphia attorneys Daniel Evans and Storm Evans created an excellent, legal-specific definition of knowledge management. KM was described as, "A process designed to capture substantive knowledge about the practice of law in a way that will allow that knowledge to be recalled, reused, or applied when needed". When knowledge management procedures are in place, lawyers should be able to review work product from a similar case, access archived research, and identify in-house experts. Knowledge management initiatives intend to tap into all of the institutional knowledge available. If an attorney leaves the firm, his or her expertise would live on in their saved content. More and more law firms are jumping on the knowledge management bandwagon. According to the 2003 AmLaw Tech Survey, 58% of the firms surveyed had a knowledge management initiative.

Much of the software we will discuss can double as excellent knowledge management systems. Case management systems are excellent KM tools. This software stores key knowledge management resources including: meeting and conference call notes, legal and general Internet research, and case timelines. The pleadings, contracts, and e-mails archived in document management systems are huge depositories of institutional knowledge. Even the bulletin board features found in e-mail programs like Outlook, Lotus Notes, and GroupWise can be used to store valuable information.

There is no one-way to achieve knowledge management nirvana. You may find that your firm has a database or on-line bulletin board directing you to in-house on International Tax issues or notary publics. Other firms have massive "best practices" databases that organize successful pleadings, strategies, or other legal information by subject matter.

What software awaits you at your work computer? Three major categories of law office software are: case management software, document assembly software, and document/content management software. Regardless of genre, all legal software aspires to reduce paper, save time, increase productivity, and promote overall organization.

Case Management Software

Your firm has been chosen to represent a new client for upcoming litigation. Case management software will be your steady companion from this point until the verdict or settlement. All relevant contacts will be inputted into the database. The calendar will remind you of discovery and other court deadlines, as well as any depositions or meetings that have been scheduled. Calls with clients are summarized and timed. An automated message appears when your response brief is due. When the matter is resolved, you can create an invoice for the cost of your services.

Case management programs offer a myriad of services. Case management systems, like ProLaw, Amicus Attorney, and Time Matters, provide attorneys with a shared database containing all case and client specific information. Programs can include: office-wide calendars, task management systems, office accounting tools and a telephone call tracker. Advanced systems may also include time and billing software, customer relationship management (CRM) features, and report writers. It is an extremely convenient method of managing client and case information. Many programs link with personal digital assistants (PDAs) allowing wireless access to key information.

While many e-mail programs offer task and calendar options, it is hard to dismiss the added features that are included with legal case management software systems. Individual and group calendars can be created. Users are able to access their colleagues’ daily, weekly, and monthly schedules, taking the guesswork out of meeting planning. Most programs also contain a legal date calculator. This feature helps calculate court deadlines and the status of any statue of limitations. Most systems will even allow you to input local court filing rules. In fact, some already have the your state’s rules in their system. A legal timeline can be created incorporating all of a specific case’s rules and deadlines. The system can be configured to remind you of every required filing, response, or appearance

Collaboration is a key component to most case management systems. Attorneys can access their colleagues’ notes from meetings or phone calls. Once a record or name is entered, it is available to any user. The beauty of case management programs is that information only needs to be input once. If the name of an expert for an upcoming trial is added to the master database, his name is then placed in the contacts database and is available for conflict of interest searches. Any depositions or pleadings that mention this expert would also be instantly available.

Document Assembly Software

It’s a wretched cliché, but time is money. If you are working in a billable hour environment, your time is expensive. Document assembly programs like HotDocs and GhostFill take the guesswork out of designing complex legal documents. The software creates templates by reviewing existing documents in your word processing program. Proper names and addresses are replaced with general language (i.e. John Doe is replaced with "client’s name"). These templates prevent users from having to reinvent the wheel any time a pleading, contract, or other filing is needed. A clause library helps bail out those with writer’s block or weary fingers. Standard phrases and paragraphs can be saved and stored for later use.

Document assembly software ensures that all outgoing correspondence and legal documents will boast uniform design, margins, and general format. Many larger firms have these programs configured into their word processing software. Instead of seeing a Microsoft or Corel menu when creating a new document, a document assembly software provider menu appears. A small word of caution: new users of document assembly software may have difficultly acclimating themselves to this new way of creating documents. Users accustomed to Microsoft Word or Corel Word Perfect may initially balk at an unfamiliar interface. Proper training and support should effectively combat this transition.

Document Management Software

"Needle in the Haystack" searches are a tradition in any legal environment. Hours can be wasted tracking down one specific document hidden within a vast correspondence file. Document management software attempts to solve that problem. This software works with your word professing software. After a document is saved, a document profile window appears. This profile contains fields such as: document name, author, client/matter number, document type, an expanded description field, and document history. Systems should be "locked down". Users are unable to bypass the profile sheet and must input information. Once this simple form is completed, the document is automatically added to the firm’s document library. Document retrieval should now take seconds. If basic queries fail to deliver any responsive results, document management software does allow for complex Boolean searches (AND, OR, NOT).

Feeling paranoid that your work product will be available to the entire firm? Security is a major component of any document management system. Users can typically access only documents pertaining to cases/matters they are assigned to. Of course, you can play spy and see who has been checking out your work. The document history feature displays any time the document has been viewed, printed, or downloaded. Document management software typically allows you to take your work home with you. Copies are generally stored on your local hard drive or via the Internet in a secured location.

The latest versions of document management software provide comprehensive support for archiving e-mail messages. Worldox archives e-mail using an e-mail profile window. iManage eliminates this step and routes incoming and outgoing messages directly to iManage servers. E-mail archives are extremely useful in tracking correspondence and work product. They should also serve as another reminder to avoid using your work e-mail account for personal purposes.

Training

You should not be expected to master all of this software on your first day. Technology training is a key component of any employment orientation. Quarles & Brady LLP trains its summer associates on Summation’s litigation software and iManage’s document management software. Wildman Harrold’s summer associates are also trained to become iManage proficient. Wisconsin’s Godfrey & Kahn has a dedicated computer training staff to answer any questions you may have. If you are stilled perplexed by the firm’s software, you may be able to take advantage of training offered by the specific software manufacturer. Most companies offer remote training via phone or videoconferencing. Some manufacturers may even offer traditional training classes in your area.

Conclusion

Technology is now an integral aspect of the legal profession. Firms are investing millions of dollars to obtain high performing case management, document assembly, content management, and knowledge management systems. They are looking for forward thinking individuals to embrace these exciting innovations. Law office technology is not very difficult to learn, and it is extremely useful. It sweats the small stuff so you can concentrate on practicing law and furthering the career you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

* Mention of a company, product, or service does not indicate endorsement or support by the American Bar Association or the authors.