Washington Lawyer - September 2019 - 8

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Choosing the Technology

THAT FITS
YOUR NEED
By Rochelle Washington

ost D.C. Bar members who come to us
for practice management advice know
that technology is essential for efficient firm
management, but need guidance with
choosing the best tools for their practice.
Their question isn't "Should I use technology?"
but "What technology do I need?"
When asked this question, my usual recommendations include case management and accounting software. These products, however, are just the tip of
the iceberg for law firm technology. There's a dizzying number of products
and services out there that promise to help ensure all areas of your firm run
smoothly, including products for team collaboration, legal research, document
management, and form automation, as well as virtual assistants and appointment-setting apps. It can sometimes be difficult to pick the ones that suit your
needs and almost impossible to know where to start. But, with thoughtful
planning, the right technology for you will increase your productivity and
competitive edge.
The Approach. Technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution. One strategy for
choosing and implementing optimum technology is to assess where you can
automate, delegate, or eliminate internal processes. You can approach this in
any order. Look at your internal workflows and identify where and when technology can assist you. Workflows include tasks, both legal and administrative,
that are somewhat typical for any law firm, such as administering client funds,
tracking billable time, generating and sending invoices, setting appointments,
managing cases, paying expenses, and so on. Exactly when and how you do
each of these things will be part of your unique workflow.
If you have not done so already, write out each of your processes step by step,
down to the most menial tasks. If you have an office procedures manual, review
it carefully to ensure you are not performing unnecessary, redundant tasks. If
you don't have one, this process will help you create your own office manual.
Just take it one workflow at a time. As you go through your processes, ask
yourself, "Can I automate this?" If the answer is no, decide whether you can
delegate it to someone else; if not, ask yourself if you can eliminate the process
altogether. Remember, you can ask these questions in any order. It's the only
way to determine where you can best implement change using technology.
Selecting Products. Technology alone will not make you a super lawyer, but a
smart plan and well-thought-out selection of tools for your law office will make
you more organized, productive, and efficient.

WASHINGTON LAWYER

SEPTEMBER 2019

The selection process usually starts with the choice between a server-based
or a cloud-based product (Software as a Service or SaaS). There are still many
server-based products available to lawyers, and they usually require large
upfront costs because you will own them. However, most software companies
are moving away from this model. If you find a server-based product you like,
just be mindful that the version you purchase usually is not supported longer
than five years by the vendor. This means that if it works and you like it, all will
be well. However, if anything goes wrong and your version is no longer supported by the vendor, you will be forced to purchase the newest version
of the product, and that could prove costly.
Today more lawyers use cloud-based products and services. These products
are usually subscription based and require a lower monthly or annual fee, but
you must pay for them as long as you wish to use and access them. I discourage
the use of free products and services whenever client information is involved. If
you read the terms of service, you probably will not like them. After all, lawyers
wrote them. With free versions you are likely giving away ownership rights or
allowing the provider access to confidential client information. Recall the saying
"nothing in life is free" because it applies here.
Best Practices. To err on the side of caution, I recommend using only paid
versions and preferably business or enterprise versions of any cloud-based
product that will be used to store confidential client information. Even with
paid products, you should always read the terms of service for any software
to determine if they are safe for your client data. Find out who owns the
information, how and where it is stored, who has access to it, and how or if
information is ever deleted. You will also want to know what happens to your
information if you fail to pay or choose to stop using that software service.
Here are seven tips for choosing among similar products:
1. Block out time to review and test drive the software programs. Give yourself
at least a couple of hours for this.
2. Try at least two similar programs you like. Most software companies provide
a free trial using your credit card. I recommend entering information into the
system as you would for a routine case to see if you can navigate the system
easily. Once you finish your test drive, go back and immediately delete the
credit card information. This ensures you won't be charged after the trial
period if you don't select the software.
3. Make sure the software has the capabilities you need. No matter how fancy it
is or how many of your colleagues use it, you must be sure it has the right
features.
4. Select a product that's intuitive to you. If you need the user manual to enter the
client's name, it's not the product for you. The best technology doesn't have
to be complicated to use.
5. Choose a program that's attractive to you both visually and functionally. If the
software doesn't have the aesthetic look and feel that you like, you may not
want to use it. When selecting software you intend to use regularly in your
practice, you should like - or even enjoy - using it.
6. Ensure it will integrate with other services. Consider the products you may
already have in place and make sure they will work well with any new
product you intend to purchase.
7. Select a product you can afford. Does the price point meet your budget for
overhead expenses? If it is cloud-based software, which is typically subscription based, you will have to pay for it for as long as you use it.
To reach a practice management advisor, contact Rochelle Washington at 202-7802764 or rwashington@dcbar.org, or Dan Mills at 202-780-2762 or dmills@dcbar.org.

https://www.dcbar.org/

Washington Lawyer - September 2019

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