March 28, 2005
Software for the Modern Lawyer
Managing your cases effectively can create billable hours. Case management software is a popular way for firms to integrate all areas of their practice and become more efficient. These programs automate daily tasks, freeing up time to be used for billable purposes. One of the important attributes of Juris® is that it connects with most comprehensive case management systems in addition to offering its own case management solution built into Microsoft® Outlook®. One Case Management solution in particular is TrialWorks™. David J. Caiati is the Controller in the firm of Mazanec, Raskin, & Ryder Co. L.P.A., with offices in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; The firm uses Juris® in combination with TrialWorks Case Management Software by Lawex Corporation for a unified front office/back office business system. David passed along the following comments to share with morepartnerincome subscribers:
Software for the Modern Lawyer
Submitted for www.morepartnerincome.com subscribers by author David J. Caiati:
At some point, you have probably heard of document management software; but for a law practice, there is a better way to bring everything together into one system – case management software. Such programs can integrate contact management, address books, case notes, all documents, e-mails, calendaring, and billing together into one comprehensive package. Our practice selected TrialWorks™, from the Lawex Corporation, as the case management solution. Powered by a Microsoft® SQL Server database, TrialWorks collects and stores all documents and information for our cases making it a turnkey solution for our business.
Being In a Familiar Environment
When implementing any case management package, there is sure to be a certain amount of transition in the process – especially for the attorney that’s grown accustomed to working with pen and paper. While change is never easy, TrialWorks makes the transition manageable with a file-cabinet type interface. It uses tabs, similar to file folders, to group important information. For example: Correspondence, Discovery, Pleadings, Meds, Clients and Contacts are just some of the tabs that contain the case information.
Living by the Rules
Once the program is open, all the features are available to each user, but the watchful eye of the network administrator can control their day-to-day activities. For example, transaction logs are capable of tracking all work by user or by case. In addition, the TrialWorks SQL Security permits an administrator to set form, field, and report specific permissions that can restrict user access. Mirroring the Windows NTFS security module, the administrator has complete control over what users can see, add, edit, and delete from the database. In addition, the security module has the ability to set rights at the user and group level.
Starting Out
One of the most ideal features of TrialWorks is its ability to take the guess work out of opening a new case. The initial data entry is done using a Case Wizard, which collects some of the basic information based on the case type. Other relevant information is collected at the time of entry, including valuation, important dates for litigation, and client data. In addition, since the user initially is prompted to select the type of case they are entering, supporting forms are available for special needs such as pharmaceutical matters, auto accident, medical malpractice, product liability, or slip & fall. The user has the freedom to complete as much – or as little – information they choose at first, since all intake forms can be completed later. Our firm has been using Juris as their time and billing software for 5 years and Trialworks has developed an interface that will automatically transfer our new cases from Juris to TrialWorks saving data entry time and expediting the file set up process.
Time is Money
As in any professional service business, time is a precious commodity. The advanced docketing abilities within TrialWorks permit users to date almost anything for each case. Most importantly, a user managed auto-calculation system enables simple and accurate docketing of important dates based on the date of accident, creation or receipt of a document or receipt of a court imposed deadline. In addition, all dates entered in TrialWorks can be added to a designated Microsoft Outlook calendar. Time entries can be automatically created based on the production of certain documents and then directly linked to Juris. Workflows called Fast Tracks can be used to automate the docketing process to save time and assure that certain client specific or liability specific procedures are followed.
Playing Well With Others
Integration with other software and services enhances the functionality of TrialWorks. In addition to its integration with Juris, TrialWorks integrates with the Microsoft Office Suite and other software used by the firm. The Office Suite integration is an important one. TrialWorks uses Word for word processing, Excel for reporting, and Outlook for calendaring. In addition, other services include the full integration with MediConnect online medical records retrieval, e-Law© online case filing system, Sanction and Summation®.
Communicating With Others
TrialWorks is designed to keep track of all case related information, and it makes the information readily available to all users. For instance, the e-mail capture abilities allow the program to tag and file all e-mails related to a case automatically. In addition, users have the ability to track phone calls, notes, and memos for each case. One of the biggest benefits of using TrialWorks is the ability to store and share all information with everyone throughout the firm. Expert and contact information is easily searchable and readily available. Using the powerful indexed search engine, the entire database becomes a bank of knowledge that can be shared amongst all users of the system.
Evaluating Progress
Extensive reporting features permit TrialWorks users to see pertinent information on one or more cases in pre-configured reports. Docket, case, cost, time, and client reports are just some of the categories of available reporting. In addition, the Custom Report Export gives users the additional ability to easily design their own reports and view them in Word, Excel, or Internet Explorer. Since the TrialWorks data is stored in a SQL Database we have the ability to use Microsoft Access and create just about any report we desire in any format imaginable.
Having the appropriate software, and a staff trained in using it, enables our law firm to create a high output of legal work in a short period of time. By automating even the simplest tasks, we are able to handle more cases than we have in the past, and always have the information related to the cases available – whether on the road, at home, or in the office.
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