Our rating is based on our subjective judgment. Use our resources—including our rating and community ratings and reviews—to find the best fit for your firm.
Leap is a good fit for small firms looking for a robust desktop solution with mobile apps. It is probably not a good fit for those looking for an inexpensive solution for managing their practice as, at $149 per user per month, it costs more than most law practice management software.
More About LEAP
LEAP 365 is a cloud-based law practice management software designed for small-firm attorneys. It combines an integrated document management system, trust accounting, time recording, and billing. Because everything runs in the cloud, LEAP users can merge letters, forms, and templates with client data anywhere.
With LEAP’s mobile apps, you have full access to all your matters, contacts, documents, correspondence, and more while you’re on-the-go. The mobile apps sync automatically to the cloud, so you are always up to date. You can also send and receive secure emails and make calls, all within the mobile app. Your email correspondence will automatically be added to your electronic matter.
LEAP has an extensive library of document templates and preconfigured matter types, helping cut down on data entry by automating your most commonly-used forms. Access up-to-date forms via their comprehensive range of legal forms, and take advantage of their extensive array of legal reports that help you track depositions and communicate with third parties, such as attorneys or court reporters.
LEAP’s robust document management system means you can convert documents to PDF, perform full-text searching, scan from your mobile device, and more. Although LEAP lacks full accounting capabilities, you can improve organizational efficiency by using their integrations for accounting with QuickBooks Online, email with Office 365, and RapidPay for credit card processing.
For law practice management software, the following are essential features, and you should therefore expect to see a check in every box in this section.
Case/Matter Management
Matter management is the defining feature of law practice management software, of course. However, some software is targeted at specific practice areas and may implement case management in different ways in order to manage information specific to those practice areas.
✓
Client/Contact Management
Managing clients and other contacts is a core feature of law practice management software.
✓
Task Management
Basic task management includes creating tasks with due dates that can be associated with cases/matters and assigned to different lawyers. Some products stick to pretty basic task management, while others offer enough features to make any Getting Things Done devotee happy.
✓
Calendar
As with email, this feature means a full calendar client, not just an integration with Outlook or Google Calendar.
✓
Timekeeping
Timekeeping is a core feature of practice management software, essential for lawyers who bill by the hour but useful even for those who don't.
✓
Additional Features
Conflict Checking
An actual conflict checker is more than just a search box. This applies to software that actually has a conflict checking feature. Implementation varies, but at a minimum you should be able to search the entire database for matching names. It should check for conflicts accurately and intuitively, allow for a lateral hire to input their conflict database into the system, work quickly when new clients call, and comply with the rules of professional conduct for checking conflicts.
✗
Email Client
Does it include a full email client? (Alternative solutions that don't amount to an email client, like plugins for Outlook or Gmail, do not earn a check for this feature. See software integrations, below.))
✓
Document Management
Basic document management allows you to add documents and associate them with your cases/matters.
✓
Document Assembly
Loading your firm’s document templates into your law practice management software can save time and ensure consistency. This check means basic document assembly suitable for form letters, invoices, etc. For advanced document assembly, you’ll probably need additional software.
✓
Secure Client Portal
✓
Basic Bookkeeping
This means basic checkbook register–style bookkeeping, which is more limited than full accounting. You should be able to keep track of your operating accounts and reconcile your balances, but you may still need full accounting software.
✗
Trust Accounting
This means you can track your client trust accounts, including expenses and payments. It is normal to see trust accounting without basic bookkeeping or full accounting, in which case you will need something else for accounting.
✓
Full Accounting
Some software includes full double-entry accounting features, making additional accounting software unnecessary.
✗
Billing & Invoicing
Does the software allow you to send bills or invoices?
✓
Online Payments
Payment processing is increasingly offered either as an included or add-on feature, especially with cloud-based law practice management software.
