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PracticePanther Promotes Process Productivity with New Features 

PracticePanther, the comprehensive law practice management solution focused on small to medium-sized law firms, spends a lot of time listening to its users. This ongoing conversation helps it refine and expand its features to serve its growing customer base better. Recently, Jonathan Prosperi, product manager at PracticePanther, sat down with Lawyerist’s Zack Glaser to talk about their approach to product development and some of the changes rolling out to customers in the latest updates.

PracticePanther’s Approach 

PracticePanther works with clients and partners to ensure it’s building the best, newest, and most thoughtful features to empower law firms and help customers have a better, more complete experience. All the changes Jonathan highlighted emerged from his team’s conversations with end users. 

Product managers meet with users to know on-the-ground needs—no guesswork or ivory tower theorizing. Any PracticePanther client can request a meeting with Jonathan directly within the application. These meetings help people feel connected to the platform, be heard by the company, and know their ideas are going somewhere. 

The result? PracticePanther frequently updates their platform to enhance their user experience. In this instance, they implemented ways to make current workflows faster and increase control of matters and financials. Here, the team made simple but effective user enhancements that illuminate existing powerful tools. 

User Input Drives Feature Enhancements

PracticePanther’s workflow and interface improvements focus on activities, intake, matters, billing, and system performance.

Increased Visibility of Firm Activities 

With a new firm Activities screen, leadership can keep a watchful eye on their processes and efficiency with ease. PracticePanther’s Activities screen shows all tasks and events within the system. Previously users could set task due dates and mark them completed. Activities now show the completed date alongside the due date, making it easier to see firm productivity. Users can separate these two data points in the Activities window and view them side-by-side in columns.

Default Intake Form 

PracticePanther provides a new default intake form with “most requested” questions, so it’s immediately usable by new firms. Rather than leaving it up to the attorney to make a form, the platform lets users hit the ground running. When prospects complete the intake questionnaire, that information flows directly into PracticePanther. 

Flexibility is essential too. PracticePanther makes it simple to add and remove questions to fully customize the form to meet each firm’s needs.

Enhanced Matter Visibility 

PracticePanther has also added the ability to see the corresponding rate in the matters list. Each matter could, and still can, have its rate set by matter type or user. Customers can now see the rate in the matter list and the report tables. They can also quickly sort or filter by rate. 

Additionally, users can now archive matters. If a potential new client doesn’t convert or a matter is paid out the firm doesn’t completely lose the data. Previously, the only option was to delete matters. Now, users can easily look back at previous case information without cluttering their working dashboard. Archiving matters removes them from the active list without eliminating them from the system. It speeds up searches, removes unnecessary information from reports and filters, and declutters the user’s view.

Greater Billing Flexibility 

Daily or monthly billing rituals have been made easier with the updates to financial tracking and contact-level invoices in PracticePanther. 

For any matter, the unapplied dollar amount is money the firm holds in its operating account. This is cash it has received from a client for a matter, but not yet applied against that matter’s balance. With a recent change to the matter list, users can now see the unapplied amounts in the default view. Additionally, users can quickly determine which matters have earned and paid money that merely needs to be applied against an invoice. 

A second change to billing concerns contact-level invoices. When one client has multiple matters with the firm, is it preferable for the invoice to list matters by name or by matter number? PracticePanther employees and users hotly debated the topic, with about 50% on each side. So, developers did the sensible thing and allowed users to organize matters either way on invoices. 

Small changes like these permit users to work quicker in ways they want to work. 

Accelerated System Performance 

The final focus area for recent revisions is general system performance. PracticePanther sped up lots of little things. Each second saved may seem inconsequential in isolation. But you’ll notice the benefit with bulk operations like generating invoices—particularly during “rush hour” at the beginning of the month. Similarly, PracticePanther improved global search speed and the display and refreshing of data tables. For example, the data just snaps in when generating a report housing dozens or hundreds of clients. Snappy and seamless performance is one of those things that never makes the “cool feature” checklist, but users appreciate it every day. 

As Jonathan said, the folks at PracticePanther want to “make sure people feel good about using our software.” 

Check Out PracticePanther 

Our video conversation and the five items above highlight only a few of PracticePanther’s ongoing enhancements. If you’re a current user, visit their release notes section to learn what’s new and upcoming.

If you’re not already a user, learn more by visiting www.practicepanther.com or contacting Jonathan at jonathan@practicepanther.com, who’d be delighted to hear from you. The ethos of PracticePanther comes through in listening to customers, continually improving the product in big and small ways that make a daily difference, and the words Jonathan closed with: “I take a lot of pride in connecting with people who care about our product. I want to know what they’re thinking about, what they want to see in the future, so I make myself available.”

 

Monetizing Your Firm’s Internal Processes

I’ve spoken with a lot of lawyers who want to make their own software. In fact, as a creditor’s rights attorney, I knew quite a few who developed platforms for their own use. Many of them entertain the idea of selling these platforms to others. Yet, few of them try, and still fewer of them are successful.

What is it, then, that allows some lawyers to tap into this alternative income stream? And why are others left simply dreaming of what they could do? Software development for lawyers is about selling processes. The firms that have good processes to sell will find success. Others will not.

Impetus for Building Software

Lawyers often find themselves wishing that a platform would do something more. Nothing ever works perfectly for the systems they have in place. Which makes sense. There are countless ways to practice law within the practice of law. So, unless a lawyer is willing to adjust their processes to fit the system, the system will never be enough.

Commonly, this leads a firm to build their own product based around their own systems If a firm has the need and the means, it’s not a bad idea to build something bespoke that fits their firm perfectly.

Although this is a great reason to build a product internally, it’s not a great reason to sell the product externally. 

Selling Processes Rather than Software

As stated earlier, no product will be perfect for a firm unless the firm is willing to adjust its practices and procedures to fit the product. This is true for any software. Yes, some tools fit well into a firm’s procedures, but they don’t generally fit everything. 

This was true for Greg Siskind, a Lawyerist Community member and renowned immigration attorney. With his team from Siskind & Susser, he has designed an immigration-specific practice management platform. They are co-developing it with FastCase, using the NextChapter software.

From his perspective, this platform is a natural extension of a book that his team has published for decades. They refer to it as the Immigration Cookbook, and it helps other attorneys learn proper practices and procedures for immigration cases.

With this new software, practicing immigration attorneys won’t need to adjust their systems and procedures just to use it. They’ve already done that when buying into the Cookbook. Here, Greg and his team have already sold the processes. The software is simply a way to use current technology to implement those processes.

Developing Software as an Attorney

Software development for attorneys, then, is not really about building software. It’s about building processes. And, frankly, it’s about building better processes than the next attorney. Then, and only then, can a firm develop a successful application. Future users will have to see a need to use the system upon which the software is built. Otherwise, they may just develop something on their own.

Further Reading

Check out our Healthy Systems resources to learn more about developing processes and procedures for your firm. There, you’ll see how to build processes, document them, and implement them into your particular practice.

Supercharge Intake with Setmore, LEX Reception, and LawPay

Many lawyers begin their firm automation processes at client intake. This is generally a good idea. Yet, fully streamlining the myriad interactions can seem impossible. Firms need to account for preferred timing, methods, and comfort levels of communication on the part of the clients. They also need to allow for adjustments and even errors.

Setmore is a robust calendaring and appointment scheduling system for lawyers. It can give clients access to self-scheduling—or not. Further, it allows attorneys to maintain complete control over their calendars through their preferences, settings, and integrations. LEX Reception users get access to Setmore Pro as part of their account, but anyone can set up a free account at Setmore.com.

Setmore Features for Law Firms

Setmore is a legal-specific calendaring platform from the AnywhereWorks team. AnywhereWorks makes LEX Reception, Teleport, and other apps that give lawyers the freedom to run their firms free from geographical constraints. It offers appointment scheduling, client management, payment processing, and integrations with leading legal technology providers.

Appointment Scheduling

Managing a law firm’s multiple calendars is tough enough without input from clients and potential new clients. Yet, clients and other third parties are beginning to expect a certain level of interactivity with the appointment scheduling process. Setmore accounts for this freedom while still allowing a firm to maintain control of its time and attention.

As one can see on their website or in the demo video below, the main feature of Setmore is the public-facing scheduling app. Users—usually clients—can browse scheduling options and availability on their own time using their computer or mobile device. They can then select and schedule appointments without interacting with someone at the firm.

This app exists on the firm’s Setmore page and can be sent to clients via email, text message, or any other method of sending a URL. Equally important, firms can embed the page on their website or even add a QR code to business cards. 

Calendar Management

This much client access to a law firm’s calendar can be uncomfortable. Accordingly, Setmore gives users ample control over their availability with different types of appointments, hour and day restrictions, and buffer periods based on appointment type. The platform also builds reminders into the system and has a two-way sync with Google and Microsoft calendars. This means firms can set it and forget it rather than constantly stressing over appointments.

In addition to the high level of control over individual calendars, the app can be set up for every team member. These members can set individual restrictions and the firm can manage multiple calendars at the same time. Clients can even select specific users to meet with or change team members based on their availability.

Client Management

In addition to appointment scheduling, Setmore helps users track information about their clients. It can track information like name, email address, and phone number with ease. Additionally, users can include custom fields to track like case type, matter description, or even incident date. Setmore’s integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and Zapier make it easy to sync this information with already adopted CRMs. 

Payment processing

Setmore also has multiple payment processing options. Although they integrate with many non-legal platforms, their LawPay connection is the most useful for attorneys. This allows firms to accept payments for consultations, integrate initial trust account payments into the onboarding process, and more.

Integrations

As part of the AnywhereWorks family of products, Setmore integrates with products like LEX Reception, and Teleport. In addition to this, it also integrates with a host of CRMs, marketing products, website providers, and social media platforms. 

Law Firm Client Intake Tech Stack

Although Setmore can be used on its own as a law firm appointment scheduler, its best use comes as part of a tech stack. When combined with LEX Reception and LawPay, firms can integrate the management of incoming calls, appointment scheduling, and online payments. 

This means the firm’s receptionists have more capabilities. They can set appointments using the firm’s preferred method—the Setmore platform. Further, they can easily see team member availability and even take payments over the phone.

The firm’s appointment scheduler has more functionality as well. Through the integration, much of LawPay’s capabilities are embedded directly into the platform. So the office can take payments as appointments are selected. These payments are then integrated directly into the LawPay application and tracked as any other payment.

Setmore Demo with LEX Reception and LawPay

Recently, Zack sat down with Jillian, Bre, and Abby, of Setmore, LEX Reception, and LawPay to discuss how this tech stack can supercharge a law firm’s intake and client communication systems. Take a look and see how these three platforms seamlessly interact.

How to Get It

Law firms can learn more about Setmore, LEX, and LawPay, where they can get a demo, set up a free account, or dive right in with their Pro tier subscription. 

Additionally, LEX Reception users already get access to the Setmore Pro tier through their accounts. Learn more about LEX at our full review page and see what discounts Lawyerist subscribers get.

 

Buying Laptops for Your Firm in 2023

Buying a laptop for a law office is actually quite easy. Once firms understand that the computer is only a tool doing a specific job, a lot of the consternation falls away. Questions like, how fast should the processor be, or what size hard drive should we buy, are easily answered. What is it that the user actually needs? Sure, there are some basic requirements to get right, but, ultimately, it’s a question of function.

Luckily, most law firms need their laptops to serve a lot of the same functions. And, although there are many ways to get a laptop purchase wrong, there are many more ways to get it right. Many of the decisions lawyers get stuck on are simply a matter of preference. Below, we’ll go through the important features a firm should consider. These include how much they should expect to spend and where they should look to buy from.

Laptop Specifications for Law Firms

Mac vs PC

The first question many firms consider is whether they should buy a Mac or a PC. This feels like an important question. While it does start to limit a user’s choice of connected devices, it’s not as constraining a factor as it once was. Most (but certainly not all) programs that attorneys use will work equally well on a Mac as they will on a PC. Even Microsoft Word works seamlessly on a Mac these days. Well, as seamlessly as MS Word can work.

Law firms should use whichever computer style they are comfortable with. Even the price difference melts away when comparing computers with similar specs.

Laptop Speed for a Law Firm

Unless a firm is using its computers for extraneous tasks like video editing, or online gaming, there is no need to think too much about processor speed. Firms don’t need the fastest processors on the market they’ll never use the speed they paid for. On the other hand, they do not need to get the cheapest processor out there—time is still money. 

Firms should look to straddle the middle of the processor market with something like the Intel i5, i7, or comparable. And for Mac users, the M1 processor of the 2020 Macbook Air will likely handle anything a typical law firm will throw at it.

Laptop Memory for Law Firms

When it comes to memory specifications, most people think that more is always better. And, for the most part, they are right. Although there is no need to buy too much memory intentionally. Hard drive space isn’t as expensive as it once was, and law offices are saving more and more data in digital form.

Firms should simply keep in mind where most of their data will be stored. Will it be in a cloud-based practice management system or will it be local? For a cloud-based firm, a 256GB hard drive will likely work. A local firm will probably want to start with 1TB and go from there. Typically, one can add extra storage space with relative ease.

Screen Size

A firm’s choice of screen size is more about the user’s preference than anything else. Where some prefer the portability of a 13-inch, others can’t get work done with something less than 17 inches. Rather than focusing on the laptop screen size, however, firms should look to add a second monitor to their laptop setup.

How Much a Law Firm Laptop Should Cost

When computers were simply performing word processing and basic communication tasks in law offices, a firm could get away with a cheap setup. Those days are gone. Most of what a lawyer does in their practice involves a computer. The computer is now the most important tool in a law office. Firms should not buy cheap tools.

Although it can vary considerably, a firm should look to spend at least $1000 on a new laptop for their office. It would not be uncommon to spend $1500 to $1750. One should expect to replace these machines once every three years. A computer won’t typically fail within three years, but it will start to lag behind and cost the firm money.

Where Lawyers Should Buy Their Laptops

Law firms should look to purchase their laptops from a reputable online dealer. They should not go to the big box stores to choose from a limited list of machines intended for mass consumption. Firms should buy directly from Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and other tried and tested technology companies. They can also look to resellers like Newegg.com or Backmarket.com where they can get quality refurbished laptops at reasonable prices.

Key Takeaways for Buying a Law Firm Laptop

At the end of the day, a laptop is simply a tool in a law office. Purchasers will do well to keep this in mind during their search. Although there are some minimum standards to consider, it is not necessary to purchase the fastest laptop on the market. A good law firm laptop will likely cost between $1000 and $1750 and will need to be replaced in about three years.

Rocket Matter Incorporates Kanban Project Management into LPMS

Rocket Matter brings an innovative tool from other industries into matter organization: the Kanban board. Kanban is a visual approach to project management that originated with Toyota engineer Taiichi Ohno in the late 1940s. Now, attorneys can use it to improve matter organization with Rocket Matter.

How Kanban Works for Matter Organization 

Kanban helps attorneys quickly see matters in stages versus a staid list of dates or tasks. A Kanban board consists of several columns, each one representing a matter stage. Matters progress from left to right across the columns, moving from initial filing (or matter opening) through matter closing.

One doesn’t need a computer to use the Kanban board method. A web search for images produces tons of whiteboards with sticky notes. But Rocket Matter took the Kanban concept, and made it their own, building it into the core of matter management.

The heart of Kanban is visualizing workflow. Think about the common stages of your matters. Maybe your work consists of one or two practice areas (e.g., personal bankruptcies in one or two jurisdictions). Then, perhaps a single board for bankruptcy is appropriate. However, if your practice is family in both a litigation and mediation context, then perhaps two boards is correct. In this case, one for litigation matters and one for mediation matters. 

In the example above, the firm created boards based on matter type. The graphic shows the stages of family law matters, but clicking on the “Boards” button reveals boards for each of their matter types.

Designing a Kanban Board for a Law Firm

In designing boards, be careful to balance segmentation and overview. You want to see as many matters as reasonable while still seeing useful data. Freely experiment and revise your board structure. You’re unlikely to get it perfect the first time. And that’s ok. Just be comfortable revisiting core assumptions. One contract drafting firm originally created Kanban boards for each type of contract, resulting in an overwhelming number of boards to review. Trying to visualize their work that way produced a cluttered picture. After consulting with Rocket Matter, the firm created a single board based on common statuses of all contract types. Their revised board included columns like: 

  • New

  • Review/Draft

  • Waiting on Client

  • Waiting on Attorney

  • Approval – Client

  • Approval – Party

  • Complete

As a result, in a single board, the firm sees the stage of each matter, client’s name, primary attorney, and total number of matters in each stage. And, importantly, they see how long the matter has been in that stage.

Using Kanban to Speed Up Matters 

The Kanban board provides a picture of the “health” of the business. You can configure a time limit for how long a matter resides in a stage. The matter’s header changes color as the matter sits in that stage, aging from green (shorter than the time limit) to yellow (near the time limit) to red (over time). Visualization makes it simple to see which matter stages are bottlenecks within the firm.

Kanban for Unique Matters 

Rocket Matter’s Kanban functionality is also useful for attorneys in general practice who believe each case is truly one of a kind. For example, stages could be simple: new, to do, in progress, on hold, waiting on client, waiting on other, and complete. Or even more basic: to do, doing, and done.

Automating Kanban on Rocket Matter

In addition to a static visualization of matter status, you can link the Kanban boards to Rocket Matter’s “matter template” feature. For example, when you move a matter from mediation to pre-trial discovery, Rocket Matter can automatically prompt you to add or change matter information. Prompts can suggest that  you:

  • Add events/dates to the matter

  • Add tasks to the matter

  • Add and complete relevant custom fields

  • Add tags to the matter

  • Add people/relationships to the matter

Adding automation to Kanban boards in Rocket Matter is entirely optional, but it’s a way the system takes the burden off of the attorney to remember to do certain things when a matter reaches a new stage.

Practice Specific Automation 

Whether you automate a board or not depends on your practice areas and how you’ve organized your boards. With the bankruptcy practice example above, jurisdictions may have local rules that make adding a single set of dates or tasks to a matter inappropriate. Dates or tasks for “jurisdiction A” may be computed differently or be unnecessary in “jurisdiction B.” A single bankruptcy board can’t take those differences into consideration. Those local rule differences make a uniform automated template a poor fit. For the “many jurisdictions” bankruptcy practice, you could create “jurisdiction-unique” matter templates, but the matter template must be added to the matter manually.

However, if your bankruptcy practice covers only two jurisdictions, perhaps having two Kanban boards makes sense, even if the stages are very similar because you could use matter templates customized per board for each jurisdiction. You’ll find a strong interplay between how you organize your boards and the matter template automation appropriate to them. This is where iteration becomes fun!

Integration with Rocket Matter’s Business Intelligence Tool

In an earlier article, we discussed Rocket Matter’s powerful Business Intelligence Tool (BIT). This tool lets you build your own reports for nearly any data field in the system, whether it came with the program or you created it. All Kanban board fields are accessible to the BIT.

As an example of the BIT’s versatility, you could build a report to look at your family law Kanban board. To illustrate, the report below shows the stages of all matters where the client’s gender is female.

Get More Project Management Power with Kanban

Kanban boards give Rocket Matter users a powerful project management tool. Ultimately, project management is about business intelligence. It allows you to know where things stand, where they’re going, and spotting the problem areas and bottlenecks. Combining Kanban boards, intelligent workflow automation, and business intelligence tools offers attorneys an unparalleled view of their practice.

Rocket Matter Kanban Board Demo

Recently, Zack sat down with Rocket Matter’s Sandy Sokolin to discuss exactly what this looks like in their practice management software. Take a look at the video below to see more.

How to Get It

To learn more about Rocket Matter and it’s project management features, schedule a free demo and get a trial account at RocketMatter.com. You can also check out Case Management Tips, a free download from Rocket Matter on how to win back control in your practice.

Want to learn more about Rocket Matter’s other features? Check out our full review, where you can see a features list, other demo videos, and community comments. Remember that Lawyerist readers get a membership benefit through the review page.

 

In this Economy? Technology for Economic Uncertainty

With the recent mass layoffs from the likes of Google, Amazon, and Twitter, it’s easy to imagine a looming (or existing) economic downturn. Some practices are relatively recession-proof. But, all firms would likely benefit from asking what they will do if the demand for legal services decreases. 

Somewhat counterintuitively, we’ve also seen a decreased appetite for outside investment in legal technology products. After a slew of acquisitions over the last few years, it appears that private investment is starting to dry up. Which makes some sense. On the whole, attorneys are likely going to spend less money in the near future. Meaning, they will likely spend less on their technology.

Yet, in order to compete in a recession, technology is just the thing lawyers should be doubling down on.

There are two ways to compete with other lawyers in an economic downturn. Lawyers either need to win the existing pool of potential new clients or expand the market they can serve. Legal technology, and technology as a whole, can help with this.

Enhancing Productivity

Most lawyers know that technology can help firms automate tasks and increase efficiency. Although they aren’t always implementing appropriate procedures, they are aware of the capabilities, nonetheless. Investing in technology that helps increase productivity lowers the cost of doing business. This, in turn, means that a law firm can either decrease its prices or increase its margins. 

Increasing Client Satisfaction

In addition to enhancing productivity, technology can help law firms increase their client satisfaction. Whether a firm attracts clients through referrals or Google reviews, happy clients generally lead to more clients. Using client relationship managers (CRMs) to track and delight current and potential new clients can easily be the edge one needs in a competitive market. 

Broadening the Market

Perhaps more subtly, technology can also help firms expand their market. No, we’re not talking about using Bankruptcy software to break into a new area of law (although that has value). Here, we mean providing value that current clients didn’t necessarily know a firm had. 

Many times, this means productizing current services, like, offering automated residential leases. This can act both as a source of a steady income and as a lead magnet. 

Other times, this can mean educating clients about what a law firm can really provide. Could a law office be a place where local businesses get together in Mastermind sessions?

No matter what approach a firm takes to prepare for economic uncertainty, one thing is clear—technology can help. We never recommend simply throwing money at software companies. But tightening the belt should not come at the expense of efficiency, productivity, or security. In fact, as one can see from above, this is the time to do more with technology, not less.

Next Steps

If you’d like to learn more about how to choose legal technology, check out our Field Guide to Buying Products and Services. There, you can learn about different types of legal tech, what they are used for, and which ones might be right for your practice.

Law Ruler Brings Softphones Directly to Your CRM

Lead management is a crucial aspect of any law firm’s operations. It helps to ensure that potential new clients (PNCs) are effectively tracked and followed up with in a timely manner. However, managing these leads can be a challenging task, especially for high volume law firms. Many law firms have turned to softphone applications for assistance. Increasingly, though, firms are finding integrated softphones to be their best bet. 

Softphones for Law Firms

Softphones, also known as “virtual phones” or “IP phones” are an alternative to traditional telephone hardware. A softphone system allows users to make and receive phone calls using their computer or mobile device. They allow lawyers to use their firm’s business number while away from their office or on the go.

Additionally, softphones can be used to integrate the functionality of a phone system directly into an application. Client relationship managers (CRM) with a built-in softphone can track and record calls, automate tasks, provide analytics, and increase productivity.This is done all within the same piece of software. Call information (duration, disposition, and participants) is stored in the same place as a PNC’s information (name, marketing sources, and case type). This makes tracking, automation, and reporting easier.

Automated Call Tracking and Management

One of the most important features of Law Ruler’s softphones is the ability to automatically track and manage all incoming and outgoing calls. Firms can assign calls to particular users and set up round-robin call distribution.  Firms can also create automations that make sure no PNC goes unnoticed. Managers see what users are doing in real time so they can more effectively distribute resources. Law Ruler’s softphones provide a complete record of all calls made to and from potential clients. This information can be used to track the progress of the lead and help identify improvements to the lead management process.

Automated Lead Management Tasks

Another key feature of Law Ruler’s softphones is the ability to automate lead management tasks. The software can automatically schedule follow-up calls and send email reminders to potential clients who have not yet responded to an initial call. This helps to ensure that leads are followed up with in a timely manner, and significantly increases the chances of converting them into clients. Law Ruler’s softphones also allow law firms to set up automated follow-up tasks. These can be customized to meet the specific needs of the firm, helping to ensure that no lead goes unresponded to.

Analytics and Reporting

Law Ruler’s softphones also offer a wide range of analytics and reporting tools that help law firms to better understand their leads. The software stores detailed information on the number and length of calls made and received, and the number of leads that have been converted into clients. This information can help identify areas where the firm can improve its lead management process. Firms can then focus on leads that have a higher likelihood of converting into clients. With Law Ruler’s softphones, law firms can access real-time data and analytics on their leads to make better-informed decisions and improve their lead conversion rate.

Direct Integration into the CRM

Law Ruler’s softphones fully integrate with a firm’s legal client relationship management software. Lawyers can manage all aspects of a case—leads, calls, tasks, and appointments— all in one place. This helps streamline the lead management process and make it more efficient.  This can save law firm’s time and resources.

Easy to Use

Law Ruler’s softphones are simple to use, and can be quickly adopted by law firms of all sizes. Accessible from any device, the software can be easily integrated with a firm’s other tools and software. With Law Ruler’s softphones, law firms can improve their lead management process without having to invest in expensive new hardware or software.

Law Ruler Softphone Demo

Recently, Zack sat down with Matthew Defrain to talk about the specifics of the Law Ruler softphones. They dig further into the automations, workflows, and general use of the Law Ruler softphones in the video below.

How to Get It

To see first-hand how Law Ruler can automate your marketing and get you more clients, schedule a free demo today! Law Ruler is much more than integrated softphones. As part of the ProfitSolv family, they can be used on their own or as part of a larger cohesive legal tech stack.

 

Lawyerist’s Merger Announcement with Affinity Consulting Means Two Brands, One Team, Healthier Firms

Lawyerist is adding more expertise, resources, and expanded ways to help firms through its recent merger with Affinity Consulting Group. 

On January 1, 2023, Lawyerist Media, LLC, the go-to resource for small law firms building healthier businesses, merged with Affinity Consulting Group, LLC, the leading consulting firm helping legal organizations find better ways to work.

Affinity Offers Hands-on Implementation Services

While the two teams are similar, Affinity Consulting offers more design and implementation services. Similar to Lawyerist, Affinity Consulting works with legal teams on strategic plans, firm retreats, training, and business coaching. While Lawyerist has traditionally offered a “done with you” implementation plan, Affinity Consulting provides customized “done for you” solutions. 

The Affinity team is the go-to team for designing, building, and implementing new technology and system solutions for legal teams. The Affinity team helps firms through the entire configuration and rollout process for all the tools firms need, including:

  • Practice management
  • Billing and accounting    
  • Salesforce consulting
  • Document automation
  • Document management

“Affinity Consulting is the only choice for teams looking to outsource the building and implementation of tech solutions for their firm. They bring a new level of services to our community that we haven’t previously been able to offer,” explains Lawyerist CEO Stephanie Everett. “We are so excited to share their expertise with our community.” 

Lawyerist Grows Stronger

While the merger means some internal changes, it will not change how the legal community interacts with the Lawyerist brand. Lawyers can still:

“It might not look like much has changed for many of the lawyers in our community, but they will all benefit from the additional expertise and resources the Affinity team brings to the table,” said Lawyerist CEO Stephanie Everett. “Affinity’s resources will allow us to build more tools and services to help small firms build future-focused firms.” 

Lawyerist + Affinity Build for the Future

Leadership for the enhanced team is excited to explore new ways to expand services and value to the legal community. “This is a deal where 1+1 = 19 in that our teams really are better and stronger together,” said Affinity Group’s co-founder and Managing Partner, Debbie Foster. “This merger will benefit the entire legal community as our teams come together to build new products and tools that legal organizations of all sizes need most right now.”  

“This merger will benefit the entire legal community as our teams come together to build new products and tools that legal organizations of all sizes need most right now.” 

debbie foster

The beginning of 2023 includes The Small Firm Roadmap Revisited, the second edition of Lawyerist’s best-selling book. And, a new podcast, Powerful Leaders No Apologies, a show focused on women in legal owning their power and changing the world. 

Lawyers interested in learning how the team can help their firms can connect at Affinity Consulting Group or Lawyerist.

 

Law Practice Exchange Helps Maximize Firm Value

Law Practice Exchange helps lawyers discover unrealized value in their practices. LPE has changed the marketplace for the better. They’re connecting offices with a wider range of potential purchasers and educating firms on what buyers are looking for. Solos and small firms can get better compensation for what they’ve built and purchasers can find better products.

Uncovering Value in a Law Firm

Although they have value, the physical assets of a firm don’t make the practice. Gone are the days of simply selling the firm’s library of state codes and treatises. Firms today have two distinct advantages from those of yesteryear: an expanded buyer pool and information on what creates value in a firm.

Expanding the Field of Law Firm Buyers

With Law Practice Exchange, attorneys can reach beyond their own network to sell their practice. There may not be a local buyer for an attorney’s rural Tennessee bankruptcy firm. But the book of business, local goodwill, and industry knowledge may be just what an expanding North Carolina firm is looking for. There is greater value for both offices when these two firms connect.

Creating Value in a Firm

Classically, attorneys haven’t been encouraged to think of their firm as a business. This means that many practices don’t think strategically about how to build value in their firm. After all, this is an asset many lawyers spend their entire lives working on. Why reduce its value to physical possessions in the end?

Law Practice Exchange helps firms understand they build more than what can be seen. Real estate, physical assets, and a book of “potential” clients aren’t all a firm is.

LPE helps firms uncover areas to work on in order to build value. There is a vast difference between a firm whose processes live in one paralegal’s head and one that has documented, repeatable, and scalable practices. Similarly, a firm with streamlined intake and corresponding marketing is much more appealing than one that relies on personal referrals.

How to Get It

Want to learn more about how to maximize the value of your firm? Take a look at our full review of The Law Practice Exchange. See more videos, hear from our community, and compare products.

 

BluShark Adds Strategy to Law Firm Social Media Content

The goal of most content marketing is to drive potential new clients to a lawyer’s website. Social media posts, as a form of content marketing, should do that for an attorney as well. BluShark Digital uses social media platforms to supplement and enhance its clients’ marketing strategy.

Although many attorneys use social media, not all of them do it well. Posts are rarely incorporated into an overall scheme. BluShark understands that social media strategy should include just that—strategy. With proper planning, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn can become powerful assets in a firm’s intake efforts.

In reality, however, most firms simply don’t have the time to sit down and create a social media strategy. And those that do have the time, rarely have the experience to make it work. The obvious solution, other than ignoring it, is to hand off many of the responsibilities to an experienced third party. Still, lawyers will need to have an idea of what they want to accomplish before they can hand it off.

Social Media Strategy for Law Firms

Before a firm can have a good social media strategy, it will need a good content marketing strategy. This means understanding their ideal client, what voice to use, and what content appeals to their audience. With BluShark, this means asking, “Who is this for?” And, “What do we want to accomplish with this?”

In some cases, social media can be used to enhance a firm’s credibility among its peers. For example, a firm that relies on referrals may simply want to connect with its network. Or a firm might use social media to expand its network by engaging with other thought leaders.

Other firms may want to amplify their brand awareness. A DUI attorney may not have an extensive referral network, but they can get their name out to the public. Sometimes that means letting the firm’s personality shine through. Commenting on recent news on Twitter or posting thoughtful newsletters on LinkedIn can help establish relationships with future potential new clients.

How to Get It

What to learn more about using social media in law firm content marketing? Check out our full review of BluShark Digital, including community comments, features, FAQs, and more videos.

Ready to contact BluShark directly, request a consultation from them over at BluSharkDigital.com.

 

Documate Improves Data Manager to Help Lawyers Build Powerful Automations

At this point, lawyers know that document automation is more than just merging form fields into a static document. It’s also more than just conditional statements and formatting. Used thoughtfully, the apps or workflows created in Documate can gather a tremendous amount of information. Many law firms have built intake applications, self-serve document creators, and even client portals. Documate has recently updated the power and usability of its Data Manager to account for this.

What is Documate’s Data Manager?

Data Manager, as the name suggests, is where information ingested by each app is stored. Generally, it will gather information like name, address, phone number, and email address. It can store things like incident dates, the number of children, and drop-down menu selections. Lawyers who are familiar with databases like Airtable will find it comfortable to use.

Simply storing this information is something that every document automation product has to do. But, creating a method to use this information is not something they all do well. The ability to use the information in multiple documents and multiple apps is what Documate has in the form of Data Manager.

Building with Data Manager

With Data Manager, the information that is gathered when creating a document can be accessed outside of that document. Users find the line item for the information they want to use and select that information. They can then run alternative apps using that data.

This helps to reduce the double entry of information in a lawyer’s practice. Which, in turn, helps to reduce errors. An attorney can gather some personal information about their client in the initial interview and use that in a later document. For example, a client inputs their first name, last name, and address for the engagement letter. That information can be used later when creating a simple residential lease for them.

There is much more that can be done by the savvy attorney. Recently, our Legal Tech Advisor, Zack Glaser, sat down with Dorna Morni, of Documate to discuss the new and improved Data Manager. Have a look and see what else the Data Manager has to offer.

Demo of Data Manager with Documate

How to Get It

Ready to learn more about data in Documate? Check out our full review. There you will find community reviews, additional demos, features charts, and more. Remember that Lawyerist subscribers get additional discounts through the Affinity Benefits offered by our partners.

 

Accel Marketing Helps Law Firms Gain Clients with Custom Educational Content

Content marketing is a fundamental aspect of a lawyer’s web presence. But not all lawyers understand what content they should be creating. Many simply want to “go viral” or “get more views” on social media platforms. Accel Marketing understands that law firm content needs a purpose. 

Lawyers should create content that their potential new clients (PNCs) want to consume. Answering questions PNCs often ask builds trust with readers. They also build authority with search engines—which drives SEO and SERP.

Law Firm Content Marketing

It’s not always easy to practice law and create compelling content for PNCs. Lawyers often find that they don’t know exactly what it is their clients want to know. More commonly, however, they often don’t know who their potential clients really are or how to engage them.

Accel Marketing is a boutique law firm marketing partner. They don’t apply one-size-fits-all (or even one-size-fits-many) approaches to their client marketing. They determine the individual needs of each law firm and create custom educational content for their clients.

Custom Educational Content with Accell Marketing

Depending on the nature of a firm’s PNCs, this may be a blog post, an article, or even a video. Accel Marketing builds this content specifically for its clients. Or, more specifically, for its clients’ clients. 

This content is then used within the overall marketing efforts of the firm. Blogs are posted on social media, articles are backlinked, and questions from potential clients are specifically answered. This builds authority both on and off the internet platforms.

Recently, our Legal Tech Advisor Zack, sat down with Accel’s Vice President, Phil Bolton, to ask about the creation of custom educational content. Watch the video below to learn more.

Interview with Accel Marketing

How to Get it

Want to know more? Check out our full review of Accel Marketing Solutions. There, you can read community reviews, compare features, and view more demo videos. If you’d rather jump right in, get a free consultation at accelmarketingsolutions.com.

 

Automations Are Key to Reducing Law Firm Errors

Automations can be a great help to any law firm. They can reduce errors, decrease needed effort, and even manage workflows. Yet, most offices don’t automate as effectively as they would like. Often, they are overwhelmed by the possibilities or don’t know where to start.

Although they can get complex, firms only need to create basic automations to realize the benefits. Something as simple as filing an email can save hours of work. And products like Gmail and Outlook are making it easier and easier to do so.

Even moderate automations, however, are usually within the skills of a modern lawyer. Many technology products have been focusing on no-code automation capabilities. This means it’s unnecessary for a programmer to create these systems.

Basic Concepts of Law Firm Automation

Law firm automation often conjures up images of complex Rube Goldberg machines running our offices. Yet, the basic concepts behind automation are quite simple. A trigger starts the automation, and it results in an action.

A Trigger is a predefined event that initiates an automation. It can be the passing of a date, the creation of an email, or the entry of data into a form field. Often, it’s the manual click of a submit button. But it can be as simple as receiving an email from a certain address.

An Action, on the other hand, is a step taken based on the trigger. Each time the trigger event passes it initiates the actions. For example, an email arrives, and then an out-of-office response sends. Or, commonly, in law firms, an online form is filled out and a task is created.

To automate a process, these two things need to be connected. The Action has to have a way of knowing the trigger event has passed. Usually, this means that the trigger exists in the same piece of software in which the Action happens. However, platforms like Zapier and Power Automate are helping firms connect platforms without needing to write any code.

How to Use Automations in a Law Firm

It’s one thing to know how to automate tasks, and it’s another to know what to automate. Once people understand the basics, they can see triggers and actions everywhere. Smart firms will have a plan for where to start and how to manage and maintain their automations for the future.

The best place to begin is to look at the firm’s documented processes. Once there, the team will likely begin to see places where they can trigger actions automatically. These potential automations will vary in their implementation difficulty and in their effectiveness. Obviously, they should start with the ones requiring the least effort and having the most significant impact.

Once created, an automation must be maintained and revisited on a regular cadence. Automations are an integral part of a firm’s documented processes. Written documentation of triggers and actions helps avoid untangling a labyrinthine mess in the future.

Learn More about Implementing Systems

Part of running a Healthy Firm is creating and maintaining Healthy Systems. In our resource area, lawyers can learn how to document their processes, manage their projects, and build and maintain their legal tech stack. Head to Healthy Systems to get started, and check out some of our related Podcast episodes.

 

Clio Streamlines Connected Apps Experience for Users

As noted in a previous article, Clio has launched its embedded app program.  This will allow select partners to integrate apps “in the tab of the matter.” This is part of a continued effort to promote a positive user experience for Clio users within third-party partner platforms. After all, Clio can’t be the legal tech operating system it wants to be if its user experience feels like a patchwork quilt.

This means that, within reason, Clio needs to maintain a certain level of control over the apps it integrates with. But, it still needs to be as open as possible to integration partners. Essentially, it needs to have a formulaic way of partnering with app developers. Not all of its potential partners are going to have the resources and experience of apps like Lawmatics.

Clio Certified and Embedded Apps

Clio solves this problem with its Clio Certified Apps program. Within this program is a host of benefits to encourage the program’s use, including the ability to build an embedded app.

In order to qualify to build in the tab of a matter, a developer must meet certain criteria. These criteria, for the most part, are user-experience aligned. Apps must have a 99.5% uptime on a 30-day rolling basis and provide demonstrable customer value.  Partners also must commit to a maximum customer support turnaround of one day.

Clio Integrated App Experience

Although partners get the benefit of working more closely with the Clio team, their benefit is also Clio’s. A more streamlined user experience means more users will adopt the application. Certified app developers are required to implement “Add to Clio.” This is a sign-in protocol that uses a single sign-on to allow users to simply sign in to Clio and they are signed in to both apps.

How to Get It

Ready to learn more about how Clio is changing the user experience? Check out our full review of Clio Manage in our Product Reviews. Here, you can read community comments, compare features, and see other demo videos. If you’re eager to jump in, head to Clio.com and get a free trial or demo.

 

iLawyer Harnesses Over-the-Top Advertising to Deliver Impact to Law Firms

Modern law firm marketing isn’t just about SEO—despite what many may think. At its core, it’s about getting in front of potential clients. Lawyers need to understand who their clients are and advertise as directly to them as possible. A firm’s potential clients aren’t always sitting on their computers searching the internet for answers. iLawyerMarketing understands this and has a host of advertising opportunities for attorneys.

When a potential client is searching directly for services, a lawyer certainly wants to be at the top of their results. When they aren’t searching, however, firms still want to stay top of mind. PI attorneys, among others, have used television advertising for years. But television viewing has changed and marketing on streaming services is becoming more and more popular.

What is Over-the-Top Advertising?

Over-the-top (OOT) marketing is video advertising on streaming services like Netflix, Roku, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others. It’s a platform that is not (yet) oversaturated with other lawyers. And it meets clients in more than just their living rooms. Rather than playing a traditional TV ad spot, these ads come to viewers through their phones, tablets, and smart TVs. 

Not only is there a placement benefit, but this form of advertising can also be more targeted. Which helps with getting in front of the right audience at the right time. It also helps firms keep from paying for the attention of others who are not in their ideal client profile. This is obviously helpful for anyone who is concerned about their firm’s return on investment (ROI). 

Over-the-Top Marketing With iLawyerMarketing

iLawyerMarketing not only helps with tracking ROI on a firm’s OOT advertising, but it can help create the content as well. Video creation is one of the many services that iLawyerMarketing offers. As a full-service marketing partner, they can build websites, create educational content, enhance SEO, and manage PPC campaigns.

How to Get It

Ready to learn more? Check out our full review of iLawyerMarketing. There you will find community reviews, additional demos, features charts, and more. Remember that Lawyerist subscribers get additional discounts through the Affinity Benefits offered by our partners.

 

Lawmatics Grows Integrations with Focus on Client Management

Lawmatics continues to expand its Law Practice Management Software integrations with its new MyCase connection. This expands its already stacked list of integrations, which includes Clio, Filevine, PracticePanther, Rocket Matter, and Smokeball. Although a laundry list of integrations is not uncommon, the depth of them is. Lawmatics, once again, goes beyond integration-in-name-only and positions itself to complement, rather than rival.

Lawmatics as Client Relationship Manager

With all the new releases Lawmatics has had in the last year, one could easily see them as an LPMS. But, importantly for lawyers, they don’t see it that way. This has allowed them to work on integrations that are truly helpful. Their integrations are not just slapped onto the end of their software with little knowledge or forethought.

They have features like custom invoices, payment gateways, eSignature, document automation, and task management.  But, these features are situated in the platform to help in the Client Relationship Management (CRM) stage. They are intended to complement the matter management phase, rather than awkwardly supplant it. 

This means that, yes, a firm has the option to receive trust account funds and create custom invoices using Lawmatics. But, these functions integrate directly into the firm’s LPMS platform, as they will ultimately end up there. 

It also means that information that isn’t necessary for matter management won’t clog a firm’s active matter database. Pre-matter tasks, certain custom fields, and answers to intake qualification questions usually don’t need to move into a firm’s LPMS.

Recently, our Legal Tech Advisor, Zack Glaser, sat down with Matt Spiegel, the founder and CEO of Lawmatics. They discussed the MyCase integration and the approach Lawmatics took.

Interview with Lawmatics

How to Get It

To learn more about Lawmatics and their other features, read our full product review. Or, you can get a free demo at lawmatics.com. Remember, Lawyerist subscribers get an affinity discount through our product review page.

 

Combating Inflation and Other Legal Trends for 2023

Recently, the good folks at Lawyaw invited me to discuss the state of the legal industry and upcoming trends for 2023. I joined speakers Andreas Becker of Lawyaw, Rio Peterson from Clio, and moderator Garima Goswami, also from Clio. The discussion focused on some of the key findings in Clio’s Legal Trends Report. We talked about the state of the legal industry, trends we see on the horizon, and methods lawyers can use to adjust to these trends. 

Some specific trends stood out above others, including an increased need for legal services and inflation rising faster than billing rates. Yet, the fundamental methods for adjusting to these remain the same. Lawyers should focus on designing and documenting their processes. Then, increase the efficiency of those processes through relentless iteration.

It’s no surprise that Clio’s Legal Trends Report shows an industry adjusting to an increasingly connected world. Casework has increased in the last year, collection rates are still down, and inflation is outpacing the billable hour index. Further, online client reviews are influencing legal services decisions, and cloud-based firms are finding greater client and staff satisfaction.

We address all of these in the webinar. But I want to focus specifically on increased casework and combating inflation in our practices. These are relatively new trends in the legal industry. 

According to Clio’s LTR, the need for legal services has increased over the last year. And it doesn’t seem to be stopping. This is likely spurred by pent-up demand due to court closures and other effects of COVID-19. However, this is expected to continue as more and more attorneys are turning to educational content marketing. This, in my opinion, is broadening the market by educating consumers about their options.

Thoughtful and prepared attorneys can use this information to grow their businesses and possibly counteract the effects of other recent trends. Most attorneys, in my experience, aren’t prepared for an influx of clients or casework. After all, there are only so many hours in the day. So, even though this is an opportunity, it could prove detrimental to the unorganized.

Inflation Outpacing the Billable Hour Index

The Legal Trends Report notes that increases in the billable hour index are not keeping pace with the current inflation rate. Essentially, lawyers are allowing the market to devalue their services. But, as we discuss in the webinar, it isn’t always easy for lawyers to increase their rates. Sometimes rates are set by statute, while in other cases, it’s simply difficult to pass on increased costs to clients. In a competitive market, it’s tough to be the first to raise rates.

This means that many lawyers are looking to do more with less. Or, more specifically, to do more with what they already have. As law firms contend with rising costs, they will, inevitably, look to create efficiencies. As Andreas notes in the webinar, however, many lawyers get overwhelmed when thinking about efficiency. There’s so much to be done, and so many places we can fix, many of us simply freeze.

In order to excel in the current state of the legal industry, attorneys need to use their resources wisely. This starts with building healthy systems. If they haven’t already, lawyers should create a procedures manual and document how they get their work done. Then, periodically revisit that manual to look for potential efficiencies.

As Andreas states in the workshop, look for processes that are high-impact yet require low effort. Don’t start by attempting to automate your discovery process. Begin with your engagement letter, or automate a portion of your intake workflow.

Learn More

For access to the full discussion, you can sign up here and access the recording. Lawyers can learn more about building healthy systems in our Healthy Firm section. There, we have information on Healthy Owners, Healthy Profits, Healthy Teams, and more. It’s free for Lawyerist subscribers.

 

Buying and Selling: Insights from The Law Practice Exchange 2022 Trends Report

The country’s leading law firm broker, The Law Practice Exchange (TLPE), has released its 2022 Trends Report on Law Firm Buying and Selling. The market for buying and selling law firms remains strong and will likely continue to grow. 

2022 Sees a Rise in Law Firm Buyers

After an initial cooling-off period when the pandemic struck in early 2020, the market for law firm transactions is once again growing. Traditionally, individuals were the primary buyers of small law firms. That trend has shifted to mid-sized and larger law firms. 

“The tight job market has made it more difficult for mid-size and large firms to hire,” explained Tom Lenfestey, founder and lead broker for TLPE. “Many of these firms have looked to acquire smaller firms to grow their teams and effectively serve clients.” Another explanation is that larger firms see acquisition as a way to grow geographically or capitalize on remote work opportunities. 

Boomers See Opportunity to Fund Retirement

The largest group of sellers continues to be lawyers ready to retire. Most law firm sellers are men over 65 years old or women over the age of 55. They are looking to retire and monetize their efforts in building a law firm. 

Interestingly, Lenfestey sees women start their succession planning process earlier than men. “Female attorneys seem to plan for succession earlier.  The average age of our female sellers is ten years younger than their male counterparts,” said Lenfestey. The quip that women are better planners seems to play out in the legal marketplace. 

More Finance Opportunities On the Horizon

Lawyers no longer have to rely solely on personal savings to finance their deals. TLPE’s report confirms that more lawyers are looking to outside sources to fund their transactions.

“We are seeing more banks realize the potential for this market and are dedicating resources to financing law firm deals,” said Lenfestey. 

Most banks have previously offered financing for law firm transactions. Now, however, banks are hiring loan officers to focus exclusively on law firm lending. One example comes from M&T Bank. They first began focusing on small law firms by offering Nota, a banking platform that provides business banking solutions for small law firms. 

“We only expect the market for buying and selling law firms to grow.”

tom lenfestey

Nota CEO, Paul Garibian says that offering law firm financing is on the horizon. “There will only be more opportunity in this market as regulations continue to relax and law firms build businesses with transferable value. Nota continues to evaluate how to help our clients to scale their law practices via financial services products, including capital for buying law firms.” 

More financing options will only fuel the future growth of what many see as an expanding market. “We only expect the market for buying and selling law firms to grow,” said Lenfestey. “If you’re a boomer ready to retire, reach out because there could be opportunities to sell your firm before you close the doors.” 

Marketing Systems Lead to Higher Valuations

Law firms that invest in their marketing, technology, and people see the highest valuations. How much a law firm is worth obviously depends on the specific business model. But TLPE’s report gives some insight into how buyers value law firms. Small law firms are seeing a revenue multiple of anywhere from 45% to 95% of gross revenues. 

Where a firm falls in that wide spectrum mostly depends on the firm’s business model. Lenfestey advises small law firm owners to focus on developing processes and procedures to ensure the firm is as efficient as possible. The more the firm can show that the firm’s success is not dependent on a single person, the better. With advanced planning, law firm owners can make moves now to maximize their firm’s values when they are ready to exit.  The full 2022 Trends Report on Law Firm Buying gives more insights into top trends to watch, the profiles of typical buyers and sellers, and the most sought-after law firm practices.     

 

Cosmolex Expands CRM with LawRuler Embed

Cosmolex and LawRuler both exist as part of the ProfitSolv family of products. This includes Rocket Matter, TimeSolv, and even Tabs3. But Cosmolex (at least for now) is the only product that can be called a true all-in-one law practice management solution. Recently, though, the table stakes for an all-in-one solution have changed. At this point, a client relationship manager (CRM) is almost required. So, Cosmolex bolstered its position by embedding LawRuler’s functionality directly into its platform.

Yes, LawRuler enhances Cosmolex’s offerings in the CRM sphere. But LawRuler isn’t simply a CRM in name only. This marriage is the unification of two independently robust products. Specifically, two independent products with above-average automation capabilities. Which makes the embed a harmony, rather than a jarring fusion.

Cosmolex Expanded Automations with LawRuler

Although there are still some aspects to work out, the automation capabilities from LawRuler sit nicely in the Cosmolex system. Lawyers can quickly build lead intakes and almost forget about them. They can automate email campaigns, text messages, and task workflows for their teammates. And this automation is done with relative ease, using a simple trigger-action workflow.

Recently, Zack sat down with Erica Birsler, from Cosmolex, to talk about how Cosmolex made this embed happen. Watch the video below to see more.

Demo Video

How to Get It

Ready to learn more? Visit our full review of CosmoLex. There you can compare features, read community comments, and read frequently asked questions. Remember, Lawyerist subscribers get Affinity Discounts from our partners through their full review page.

 

MyCase Embeds LawPay to Extend ePayment Capabilities

As we noted in a previous article, LawPay (or more specifically, AffiniPay) recently purchased MyCase. This move says a lot about the direction of legal tech investment as a whole. And the implementation of this marriage speaks about the platforms’ direction. MyCase, rather than creating a deep two-way integration (as one might have assumed), went a step further. So, they incorporated the functionality of LawPay directly into the MyCase platform.

Lately, this seems to be where legal technology companies are going—and where users are asking them to go. Integrations are becoming less and less about simply transferring information back and forth. Now, as we see in this partnership, users are asking to be able to use the functions of one platform inside of another.

LawPay Embedded in MyCase

LawPay’s functionality is now fully accessible from within MyCase. Users don’t need to leave to run a transaction, send an invoice, or even save a credit card to the vault. There’s no need to keep both platforms up while working throughout the day. If a lawyer wants to store a credit card to the vault, they can do so through MyCase. Similarly, if they want to create a custom payment page, there is no need to go through LawPay. Simply create the page in MyCase.

Additionally, as an embedded application, the information from LawPay is accessible inside MyCase. This means that lawyers can run higher quality reports and track more specific key performance indicators (KPIs). With MyCase’s built-in client relationship manager (CRM), users can easily track the value of their marketing without resorting to third-party software.

Recently, I sat down with MyCase to get a look at what this embedded functionality looks like. LawPay users will already be familiar with the functionality, it will just be delivered inside the MyCase platform. Check out the video below to see more.

Demo Video

How to Get It

Ready to learn more? Check out our full review of MyCase software. There you will find community reviews, additional demos, features charts, and more. Remember that Lawyerist subscribers get additional discounts through the Affinity Benefits offered by our partners.

Dreyer’s Niching Up Makes a Strong Case for Specialization

Details

Law firm marketing specialist, Chris Dreyer, recently penned Niching Up: The Narrower the Market, the Bigger the Prize. It tells of how a focused practice can lead to a larger client pool, higher value cases, better margins, and clearer marketing spend. Chris, himself, has seen the advantages of specializing and wants to share the pros and cons in his new book.

About Chris Dreyer

Chris has been running Rankings.io since 2013. His marketing firm first specialized in legal marketing. In 2020, he took his own advice and niched up. Now he focuses exclusively on SEO for personal injury attorneys. And has made the Inc. 5000 list for fastest-growing privately held companies four years in a row.

Advantages of Niching Up

In his book, Niching Up, Chris discusses the pros and cons of narrowing a law firm’s market focus. He likes to say, “the riches are in the niches.” He notes that lawyers find more than efficiencies in specialization. They can also focus their marketing dollars more easily on their ideal client. Additionally, as a law firm becomes known as an expert, they can find higher dollar cases and more reciprocity in referrals.

“The riches are in the niches.”

Chris dreyer

Contrary to some popular advice, Chris suggests that a lawyer shouldn’t simply dive headlong into a niche. Niching Up suggests that lawyers need experience before they can effectively specialize. Chris notes that a lawyer should select a niche only after they gain awareness of a particular opportunity. Many times, a law office can look at its own numbers to determine what area of law brings them the most benefit.

Finding a Law Firm’s Niche

Niching, when appropriately applied, can help law firms save money and make more money at the same time. Specialization helps firms focus their marketing efforts. It also can make lawyers stand out in a crowd.

When a law firm specializes, it is easier to define its ideal clients. A lawyer who is trying to be everything to everyone often feels that everyone is a potential client. By defining a niche, lawyers can focus on what makes their potential clients special. A law firm focused on high-value estate planning has an easier time defining its clients than one that does probate, business law, and DUIs.

Additionally, a focused practice wastes less money marketing to the masses. Often in the legal marketing space, lawyers feel the need to saturate the market in order to get clients. This is because it’s the only way to stand out. With specialization, lawyers can meet their ideal clients where they are—be it TikTok, Facebook, or even industry publications.

Interview with Chris Dreyer

Recently, Lawyerist Lab Coach and CEO Stephanie Everett sat down with Chris to discuss how a lawyer can benefit from niching. Watch their interview below to learn more.

How to Get It

For lawyers who want to see how specialization can affect their practice, Niching Up is already out on Amazon.com. Better yet, those who want to jump in right away can go to Rankings.io and download the first chapter for free.