Business

Can’t Happen Here?

The irony wasn’t lost on anyone when law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe—with its powerhouse cybercrime counsel division—transformed from defender into defendant after a March 2023 cyberattack. The firm’s client data was the target of this exploit which netted the thieves a trove of personally identifiable information:

The loss of this information led 460,000 individuals to file a very expensive civil suit against the firm.

Orrick’s misfortune is a wakeup call for every law firm that thinks cyberattacks are what happens to someone else.

To keep your law firm safe from cyberattacks, it’s time to build your cybersecurity savvy. Let’s begin by looking at the popular methods cybercriminals are now using to access sensitive data and some of the cybersecurity measures law firms can take to prevent them.

Every Breath You Take

Every login you make, every fee you stake—they’ll be watching you.

That’s the modus operandi for hackers who try to fool you into entering login information into a bogus website when using a web portal.

Think about it: each time you click in a login box and enter your credentials, you potentially open yourself, and your firm, to a cyberattack.

Here are two ways that can happen.

Plenty of Phish in the Sea

Who passes up $300,000 of free money from a Nigerian prince?

Phishing is one of the original cybercrimes that now seems almost quaint. But make no mistake, currently more than 90% of cyberattacks begin with phishing.

And they’ve come a long way since the 1990s when AOL accounts were hammered by the Nigerian prince scam.

Cybercriminals have updated the look and feel of phishing emails, which is one reason they continue to be effective. Instead of the clunky language and absurd offers that festooned earlier iterations, today’s generative AI-based phishing may look more like a casual message from someone you know.

That’s because today’s cybercriminals can scrape your personal information from social media, allowing them to hit you with messaging that seems far more authentic.

The result is an email that looks like a harmless note from a friend. Perhaps something like this:

“Hey Christine, it was great seeing you at our kids’ soccer game last week. I got some great photos. Click here to download them.”

The examples we’ve just looked at—bogus websites, hijacked WiFi, and phishing emails fall under the technology-based attack category.

But hackers have also developed attacks that are human behavior-based. You may hear about these less, but they are just as devastating.

Law offices are vulnerable to either method, so let’s examine the countermoves designed to protect against them.

Technology-Based Cybersecurity

Today’s hackers have a diversified portfolio of attack. They use everything from video game controllers to “Internet of Things” devices to access information. In the business world these cyberattacks are known to frequently occur.

• Ransomware encrypts files for payment.
• Malware infiltrates systems.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks flood networks.
• Credential stuffing uses stolen credentials for unauthorized access.
• Phishing deceives users via emails.

Vigilance should be combined with cybersecurity measures to reduce the likelihood that one of these attacks will be successful.

The table below spotlights several highly effective measures.

Who’s to blame?

Cybercrime is pervasive across platforms. It’s difficult to place culpability on any one contributor but statistics illustrate how human behavior, technology, and financial incentive all give oxygen to cyberattacks:

86%

Percentage of web application developers who do not view
application security as a top priority when writing code.

1

The number of unencrypted USB drives needed to
negate a law firm’s total spend on cybersecurity.

59.4 million

Number of people in the U.S. who have fallen victim
to vishing (voice phishing) in one year.

$10 Trillion

2023 projected impact of cybercrime, exceeding the GDP
of every nation except the U.S. and China.

Human Hacking (Social Engineering Attacks)

Hackers aren’t just tech geeks. They understand how emotions affect behavior. Strong emotions such as fear, anger, and greed will shut down your logic center and affect how you make decisions.

Cybercriminals count on this, so they use social engineering attacks to leverage your emotion to their advantage.

To protect yourself, be careful about the action you take in response to things such as a notification about winning a raffle, a delayed order, an urgent call from a “court employee”, or even a tech support call.

Tech support, really?

Yes, here’s an example of how a social engineering attack can be dressed up as a tech support call.

The Setup

A phisher masquerading as a tech support operator sends an email (remember, 75% of targeted cyberattacks begin with an email). The phisher sees that you responded to the email then (a.) calls you to advise that you’ve been “hacked” and (b.) says he will help you disarm the virus and clean your computer.

The Execution

Tech Support: This is Dave at [your company’s tech support]. I see that you’ve been hacked. I’m calling to make sure you shut down the intrusion and clean up your system. Are you ready?

You: Sure, yes, thank you for calling, Dave.

Tech Support: No Problem. This will be easy. Step 1: Go to this [bogus] website and download the .exe file.

You: OK, done. I see my user name and a box to enter my login credentials.

Tech Support: Good job! Go ahead and enter them.

You: The dialogue box is asking if I know the publisher?

Tech Support: It’s a confirmation prompt. Just click “Yes.”

You: OK, I just entered my credentials.

Tech Support: OK, now just click on the .exe file and it’ll take care of the rest.

You: Do I need to do anything else?

Tech Support: If the cleanup returns an error you’ll need to respond. If you don’t get a report at the end of the cleanup then everything’s fine and you’re good to go.

You: OK, great. Thank you so much, Dave!

Why this works:

Dopamine affects your decision making. When you feel trust or positive emotions toward someone your brain releases dopamine. Who better to trust than tech support?

Social engineering is the most successful means to a data breach. Now that you better understand how social engineering attacks work, here are effective cybersecurity measures you can use against them.

Rapid Legal Has Your Back

Think your law firm’s cybersecurity team is hard to please?

Show them the industry-leading protections Rapid Legal uses to keep user data safe. Even the most discerning IT professionals are sure to give them a thumbs up:

• Run on a highly secure, SOCS-2 certified infrastructure that adheres to the rigorous AICPA Trust Services Security, Availability, Confidentiality, and Privacy Criteria.
• Encrypt all web traffic with 2048-bit RSA TLS/SSL.
• Encrypt sensitive data—such as passwords—when stored in databases.
• Use advanced webpage code that prevents injecting malicious scripts by attacks such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS).
• Ensure that all payment-related information is passed directly to the payment processor and never stored on local servers or databases.
• Use advanced anomaly detection on servers to notify of unusual activity that may be signs of hackers.
• Employ layers of physical protection of servers and data using firewalls, private subnets, and server routing rules.

Get the Industry’s Best

Law firms have a 27% probability of being hit by a cyberattack, which can place legal professionals on the front lines of data breach attempts.

To make sure hackers stay out of your firm’s files and enjoy peace of mind on every eFiling and litigation support service you order, contact a Rapid Legal account manager to schedule a call or book a demo today.

Find out how Rapid Legal industry-leading protections guard your law firm’s confidential data while delivering unrivaled value and performance.

Nothing is more enjoyable than having to do the same task twice.

Said no one, ever.

That’s why law firms seek to streamline every operation they can by eliminating, automating, or simplifying repetitive and unnecessary tasks. Streamlining is good for the business of law. It increases worker productivity and lowers operating costs.

Wondering whether it’s time for your law firm to focus on streamlining its document workflows? Ask yourself whether you’re awash in redundant tasks and rework; or if your technology tools seem to create more delays than they eliminate.

If the answer is, “Yes,” then you’re probably in need of a process overhaul.

This article showcases how law firms are using Rapid Legal’s integrations with other legal software to break through information silos and streamline document workflows. Good news: If you’re a Rapid Legal customer you’re closer to solving those problems than you think.

What Makes Workflows Fail

A high-level view of law firm operations reveals several distinct challenges that sap efficiency from document workflows. There are five you should know about; some you may recognize from your own experience as a legal professional:

#1. Document Organization and Retrieval

“Seek and ye might find.” Law firms deal with a massive volume of documents and organizing this mass of information is a major challenge. Retrieving individual documents quickly and efficiently is a tall ask that only gets taller as law firms grow.

#2. Version Control

Through the magic of software, multiple staff members can now collaboratively read and amend documents. It’s a terrific productivity hack. However, if those edits aren’t strictly tracked and version controlled so everyone knows which version is current and who owns it, catastrophe follows.

#3. Security and Compliance

Information that flows in and out of law firms is inherently sensitive. To protect clients and themselves, law firms face the daunting task of engineering a compliant document workflow that ensures information is stored securely and is access restricted.

#4. Workflow Efficiency

Drafting and reviewing documents, editing them and getting approvals are common to law firm document workflows. The difficulty in managing these tasks is that they tend to be moving targets. Managing them in a way that minimizes bottlenecks, reduces manual tasks, and improves overall efficiency is a continuous challenge.

#5. Technology Integration

Integrating document management systems with other tools the firm uses—case management software, billing systems, client portals, or vendor portals—can be tough. Portals, for example, provide a handy central hub where documents may be shared with the correct recipient, but not every portal is guaranteed to integrate with your law firm’s document management system.

Each of these five challenges can create downstream issues that hinder a law firm’s speed or efficiency—or both. No law firm ever rose to the top on a clunky workflow, so let’s look at what cultivates a workflow that moves quickly and correctly.

Lost Productivity by the Numbers

Can’t Slow Down

The work many legal professionals do demands speed and efficiency, especially drafting, reviewing, and organizing documents. When those tasks become bogged down by slow performance they stymie the document workflow.

That problem can be solved, however, by using an efficient document management system that frees up valuable time. The surplus minutes and hours can be redirected to higher-value tasks such as legal research, client communication, and case strategy development.

Likewise, using a document management system that is fast and efficient enables firms to handle a higher volume of cases, respond quickly to client needs, and outperform competitors.

Speed and efficiency are oxygen for legal work. However, a law firm’s document management system, practice management system, and litigation support service platform must work and play well together to achieve a fully streamlined workflow.

If they don’t, nothing else matters.

How Rapid Legal’s Integrations Help

To operate at the top levels of efficiency, law firms must pull friction out of the document exchange process. Legal documents are exchanged online countless times daily, and any inefficiencies in that process compound over time until a hole is punched right through the firm’s bottom line.

One way to remove that friction is to use a vendor whose technology platform integrates with a law firm’s internal document management and office management system.

That’s exactly what Rapid Legal had in mind when it engineered integrations with leading legal industry software manufacturers. These integrations are easy to implement and can be scaled up or down at no extra cost.

Let’s examine how those integrations streamline law firm workflows.

NetDocuments is a cloud document management platform that enables law firms and legal teams to secure, organize, automate, and collaborate on documents. The integration between NetDocuments and Rapid Legal allows legal professionals to seamlessly upload and download documents for their eFiling order—directly from NetDocuments.

The integration between the two systems saves time, produces a demonstrable ROI for the law firm, and frees firm resources to focus on work that generates greater value.

Burnaby, British Columbia-based Clio is one of the most recognizable names in cloud-based law firm practice management technology. In 2023 Rapid Legal integrated its litigation support service technology platform with Clio, enabling legal professionals to place an eFiling order within the Rapid Legal portal, attach documents from their Clio account, and receive court-returned documents.

Another benefit of this integration is that billing data from submitted Rapid Legal eFiling orders are populated and saved within the law firm’s Clio account. As a streamlining mechanism, this integration delivers a simplified way for law firms to do expense reconciliation and invoicing.

Rapid Legal launched its integration with Chicago-based iManage with the aim of reducing the number of steps legal professionals take to move documents from their own systems into their litigation support provider’s platform.

As a result, from a single login, legal professionals can move their documents freely with Rapid Legal from right inside the customer portal.

Each of the three integrations we’ve discussed is available to Rapid Legal customers at no cost and offers full scalability anytime with no additional fuss or expense. They allow law firms to continue using the systems they already know and understand seamlessly in parallel with Rapid Legal’s industry-leading platform.

Use Cases from the Real World

Wondering how law firms are putting Rapid Legal’s integrations to work to streamline their document workflows? We’ve taken snapshots from three law firms that use these integrations to do just that.

Fewer steps and faster filing.

A Los Angeles-based midsized law firm and longtime iManage user enjoyed the efficiency of iManage’s document search and retrieval features. The firm’s court document eFiling provider wasn’t integrated with iManage—a disconnect that forced the user to take multiple steps to move documents between the two systems.

By switching to Rapid Legal, the law firm could load documents into the Rapid Legal workflow directly from iManage. This eliminated the need to download a document from iManage to the local computer before uploading it into Rapid Legal’s portal. Removing this repetitive and unnecessary task from the workflow saved valuable time and money.

Keeping Up With Court-Returned Docs

One of Orange County’s large personal injury law firms wanted better visibility into its court-returned documents. This was problematic for the firm since its litigation support service provider didn’t offer an integration with the firm’s document management system, NetDocuments. The incompatibility caused frustrating delays for law firm staff who wanted timely updates.

Rapid Legal’s integration with NetDocuments solved that problem. When the firm’s staff wanted to view their court-returned documents they simply logged into their NetDocuments account and navigated to the Client and Matter they selected when submitting the eFiling order in Rapid Legal.

From there, they located the folder named “Returned from Rapid Legal,” whose portal they used to submit the eFiling order. In the “Returned from Rapid Legal” folder a list of all Rapid Legal orders submitted under this Client and Matter appeared.

From that point, viewing the documents was a simple matter of locating the proper folder by matching the Order Number assigned when the eFiling order was submitted in Rapid Legal.

Case Cost Visibility

A small family law practice headquartered in San Francisco wanted greater visibility into its case costs, so it looked to Rapid Legal’s integration with Clio to gather those insights.

The process was simple. Once logged into Clio, getting the cost information became a matter of clicking over to the “Activities” page where eFiling expenses can be navigated by their matter, date, or type. The user could check the status of a particular expense’s invoice as well.

Assigning expenses to the appropriate expense category was a simple matter of scrolling to the expense that needed to be altered and clicking on the “edit” button in its row. Once the matter’s “edit” button was clicked, an expense category for that matter could be selected.

See the Unseen with Data Sharing

Smoother eFiling and litigation support service ordering is just the beginning of the benefits system integrations provide. Rapid Legal can engineer other portal integrations that pour shared data into reports that identify trouble spots before things get expensive.

For example, a law firm that is having trouble allocating expenses to specific client transactions may be mystified when it receives a credit card statement with large transaction amounts. By sharing data with the firm’s litigation support service provider, the firm could customize an invoicing process tailored to address this issue.

As a result, with just a quick search, the firm can define and attribute its spend to specific clients.

Read this real-world case study of how Rapid Legal engineered a CRM-to-CRM integration and saved a law firm the equivalent cost of one full-time employee reconciling invoices and expenses for fee motions.

Did You Get Served?

Service of process is an area of a law firm’s litigation support services that merits close attention. That’s because service of process orders have many moving parts that can drag a budget into the red even if things seem fine on the outside.

Here are four examples of service of process data your litigation support service provider should be sharing with you to make sure your service of process spending aligns with the value it receives:

• Service level distribution: Sharable data in this report tracks process serving orders by service level. This allows you to analyze the service you’re buying and make sure it’s the service you actually need.
• Orders by type: This data report shows exactly where the greatest volume of a law firm’s work lies. Review the data and then decide whether to make adjustments to your firm’s resources or reset client expectations.
• Service of process orders by pricing zone: Use this data to determine what’s being spent on costly deliveries to remote areas compared to less expensive urban areas.
• Service of process performance: Law firms may use their success rate with documents served and proofs of service to help sell the firm. The numbers provide a solid backup to performance claims.

It’s All Within Reach

Don’t let the reality of a fully streamlined document workflow slip away. Rapid Legal’s integrated platform can seamlessly connect your document management system with leading industry software to save valuable time.

It’s all within reach: upload and download documents directly from your preferred systems, effortlessly manage billing data, and gain real-time insights into your case costs—without missing a beat.

Don’t let inefficiencies hold you back. Take the first step towards a fully streamlined workflow with Rapid Legal; book a demo or schedule a call today to learn more.

Jobs are like relationships. Everyone wonders about the choices other people make.

If you’re feeling like the law firm you’ve chosen is too big, too small, or too in-between, maybe it’s time to ask whether a different size law firm would be a better fit. After all, you’ll spend about 90,000 hours (about 10 and a half years) at work over a lifetime, so devoting 6 minutes now to making sure you’re working in an ideal environment is a good investment.

To help you understand the common differences among law firm sizes, this article maps out the pros and cons of large, midsize, and small firms that will help you zero in on an environment where you can thrive.

About the Size of It

Your gut will usually tell you if something’s not right. Whether you’re feeling limited, lost, overwhelmed, or uncertain, there may be something about your current job telling you it’s time to change venues.

That’s not necessarily bad news, considering that recent statistics suggest your decision to work in the legal industry already is a good choice:

These numbers show that, regardless of your role in the law office, your career success prospects look bright in the years ahead; making this a good time to channel your inner Goldilocks and find a law firm that feels like the right size for you.

So, what’ll it be: small, medium, or large?

The Big Deal About BigLaw

If you want to work on the world stage and reach the salary range’s top percentile, big law firms—aka BigLaw—are where you want to be. However, big rewards come with big demands. So, before you decide BigLaw is the place for you, make sure you understand what’s underneath the hood at big law firms.

The nation’s largest and most prestigious firms typically are characterized by having multiple offices spread across the globe with thousands of employees. A good example of a big law firm is Los Angeles-founded Latham & Watkins LLP, which operates in 14 countries and employs more than 3,500 lawyers.

Big firms outshine small firms in the same way Disneyland outshines a county fair. They have more space, more money, more attractions, and tend to be a destination rather than a stopover.

Legal professionals who join a big firm can expect to find extensive resources, a deep bench of talent, and name recognition. Big firms also attract marquee performers and provide sophisticated services smaller firms cannot.

Then there are the perks.

Beyond the upmarket furniture and high-rise views common to BigLaw offices, the advantages of working at a big firm go deep. They include:

• Top incomes
• Excellent training for young attorneys
• Challenging practice opportunities
• Smart, capable colleagues and mentors
• Industry prestige
• High-value networking and connections

On paper, big firms look like the stuff of dream jobs, but there are tradeoffs for working at the high end of the profession, such as:

• Long hours
• High pressure, competitive culture
• Strict dress code
• High billable quotas
• Limited client contact (for associate and junior roles)
• Challenging work-life balance

Another yellow flag at some big firms is a reporting structure that can be confusing. Whether you’re an associate attorney, legal assistant, or paralegal, you may find yourself working for multiple partners who rarely talk to each other. Nonetheless, they all are your bosses, which can breed confusion and frustration.

There is also intense pressure to give clients exactly what they want. The continuous demands of such exacting work can make it difficult for you to relax, even during time outside the office, making a work-life balance hard to achieve.

And don’t think that because a firm has its name emblazoned on the side of a skyscraper that every corner of the practice is a rainmaker.

In reality, large law firms that try to be everything to every client may have unproductive practice groups. The greatest expense for a law firm is salaries for lawyers and staff, so teams that have poor productivity drain away profitability and negatively affect the bottom line.

Go Big or Go Home?

Let’s say your career coaches and recruiters are hounding you to move into BigLaw. Should you listen to them?

It depends.

High-end casework constitutes the bulk of what large firms handle. So, if you prefer to work on high-profile, complex litigation and transactional legal work—or if celebrity clients and behemoth merger and acquisition matters are your thing—a big firm should be a good fit.

One more thing to tip the scales in favor of a big firm: Working in BigLaw looks good on a resume and can make you the most interesting person at a cocktail party.

Meet You in the Middle

Did we mention that big law firms are laying off employees due to overstaffing from the pandemic? Let that sink in before you set your heart on being part of the Am Law 100.

Some of the most active firms hiring today are midsize law firms, which can be categorized as firms with an average range of 16 to 350 attorneys on staff.

The “best of both worlds” qualities that characterize midsize law firms breed a good mix of clients, which can be attractive to some legal professionals. Midsize firms have the horsepower to take on larger clients that include large corporations from sectors such as real estate, litigation, finance, banking, and labor.

If matters in those areas appeal to you, a midsize firm is right up your alley.

Associate attorneys are winners at midsize firms, too, because they’re likely to have greater opportunity to work directly with clients than at a big law firm.

What about the money?

Midsize law firms fall short of the robust compensation for which big law firms are known. Overall, however, midsize firms offer better salaries than job seekers can expect at small law firms.

For example, a first-year attorney at the midsize Los Angeles-headquartered firm, Irell & Manella LLP, can expect to earn a $215,000 base salary.

Midsize firms may not grab a lot of headlines but that doesn’t keep them from being highly successful. In fact, Irell & Manella LLP has quietly secured verdicts and judgments worth more than $3.2 billion, including what is reportedly the largest patent judgement in history.

Midsize firms are on the move in the legal landscape and have led market growth for several successive quarters. A recent report shows midsize firms grew 2.8% in 2023 compared to Am Law 100, which saw its demand contract 0.6%.

That’s a figure that would be appealing to any career coach, and one that a job seeker who is seriously considering a midsize law firm should keep in mind.

Culture Club

The culture of midsize firms may be especially appealing because they tend to have less red tape than big firms, making them more agile. Legal professionals who work at midsize firms are also likely to have greater visibility to partners and colleagues compared to a big firm.

Other factors that contribute to the broad cultural and professional advantages at midsize firms include:

• Opportunity to become a skilled generalist
• Trial exposure
• Billable hour expectations that generally are more manageable than at large firms
• Clients may receive more attention from partners than associates
• Lawyers are more likely to know clients personally
• An hourly price advantage over large firms

But midsize firms have their drawbacks, one of which is a lack of resources that big firms typically possess. Likewise, midsize firms probably will not have the focus that is common among small firms.

So, who is a good fit for the midsize law firm?

If you want to do a little bit of everything among a wide variety of specialties, a midsize firm can offer a good way to build those skills. This can be a particularly good move during the first several years of a career, assuming the firm has good mentors.

Small Teams Can Do Big Things

If big firms and midsize firms still sound like too much for you, maybe it’s time to think small.

Practices that have 15 or fewer attorneys may be categorized as small law firms—or sometimes referred to as “boutique” firms. They often work in specialty areas or deal with complex subjects such as tax code or immigration law.

Boutique firms oftentimes are distinguished by offering a best-in-class specialized service or are staffed by legal professionals who speak niche languages. Additionally, small firms are often where lawyers find their first jobs.

There’s no shortage of benefits to working at a small law firm. Legal professionals across the board may be drawn to small firms because of:

• More flexible hours
• Better work-life balance
• Hands-on law practice experience
• Smaller bureaucracy
• More casual atmosphere
• Closer-knit staff
• More room for risk-taking and upward mobility

Because of their size, smaller firms also tend to have less in-house competition than big firms, which opens a door for legal professionals to be involved with more of the cases they want.

But what about salaries and long-term employment outlook?

Salary and Security

The salaries small firms offer will almost always be lower compared to salaries big firms pay, so there’s no surprise there. But if you’re exploring a future at a small firm, chances are that money isn’t your chief concern. What deserves closer scrutiny is job security.

Competitive threats from Internet-based legal services have shaken the legal industry and may be a problem for small firms. Likewise, artificial intelligence increasingly is infringing on tasks such as document review, legal research, and drafting contracts, which may make some legal professionals nervous.

Another Achilles heel for small firms is a tendency to have a short list of clients that generate the greatest amount of revenue. Losing only one or two of those clients could dramatically change the firm’s financial footing, so if you’re considering a small firm, it’s wise to find one with stable, long-term clients.

The work dynamics at small firms may also be problematic for some legal professionals, since the job tasks for legal assistants and paralegals may become blurred at smaller practices.

For example, at a small firm, a paralegal could be attached to administrative work that normally would be managed by a legal assistant in a midsize firm or BigLaw firm. This could be frustrating for the paralegal, especially if she or he enjoys focusing on doing more substantive legal work.

Downsize for the Right Size

If your career sweet spot is a client-centric role with a firm that is typically more agile and focused, a small law firm may be the place to call home.

That’s especially good news if you’re located in California, where 42% of law firms have between two and 10 attorneys. This large concentration of small law firms makes the Golden State an ideal place to find the perfect small law firm that fits you.

Fit for Life

Whether you long to be surrounded by the lore and mythology of BigLaw, or you want to be part of a specialized team that drives the boutique services of a small law firm, the best way to find your fit is to look for a firm that aligns with your career objectives and personal values.

You’ll know the right size firm when you feel it. It may not be the final destination for your career, but it very well may be what makes the journey enjoyable.

As a solo practitioner, navigating the world of legal technology can be overwhelming. It’s like searching for a new show on Netflix, except the stakes are higher. Finding the right software for your firm requires sifting through countless online reviews and sponsored endorsements. To save you time and effort, we have compiled a comprehensive guide to the key software applications that solo practitioners should consider when optimizing their legal tech stack.

Table of Contents

• Legal Tech Stack Defined
• Document Creation and Email
• Document Management
• Practice Management
• Accounting and Billing
• Ancillary Applications

What Is a Legal Tech Stack?

A legal tech stack is a combination of tools, applications, and services used to develop software. However, the terminology is commonly used in business and legal arenas to refer to the technology tools and solutions in which businesses, in this case, law offices, use to run their practice. Law practices will oftentimes “stack” multiple solutions on top of each other to make a comprehensive technology suite that covers their needs.

It’s important to acknowledge that there are other alternatives for software on the market outside of the applications we’ve listed. The applications we chose are all known for their quality, price, value, scope of features, and ease of use; however, you should always consider the specific needs of your practice before shopping for legal technology.

Document Creation & Email

Every solo practitioner understands the need for email and document creation for their law practice.

Google and Microsoft are famous for their email features such as spam filters, advanced search functions, and meeting scheduling abilities. Equally as important, they supply the tools needed to create documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.

For communication capabilities, they offer great scheduling functionalities to organize calendaring and strong instant messaging and video conference features for remote work and collaboration.

Google Workspace and Microsoft Office also integrate with virtually all major legal practice management and enterprise software on the market, supplying much-needed flexibility when building out your legal tech stack.

Google Workspace

Pros:

• Easy-to-use platform that combines email and document creation in one location
• Cloud-based collaboration features perfect for remote workers and hybrid workers
• Strong security and encryption features, including for email, protecting data
• Plenty of cloud storage, starting at 30 GB, that can be upgraded anytime to unlimited storage

Cons:

• Relies heavily on having an internet connection, which can cause problems when the inevitable outage happens
• Document creation features such as templates and formatting are more limited in scope than Microsoft

Microsoft Office

Pros:

• Integrates with all major practice management and enterprise systems
• Immense scope of features in its document creation applications enabling more technical formatting
• Security features such as data loss prevention, threat intelligence, and multifactor authentication offering robust protection against data leaks and cyber attacks

Cons:

• Limited collaboration capabilities on SharePoint may require a third-party user to download more software like Office Online to receive basic collaboration functions

Honorable Mentions:

• OpenOffice
• OfficeSuite
• LibreOffice

Document Management Software

Where there are lawyers, there are documents. Mountains of them. Document management systems (DMS) are a godsend to the legal profession. Think of a DMS as a digitized librarian for your firm. They centralize your documents, organize them, and track different versions of the same document for easy access and collaboration. These systems can save you and your staff precious hours rather than sorting documents manually.

When considering a DMS, look for strong search functions to streamline document retrieval, allow for integrations to practice management software and your email, and have strong backup and recovery functionality for information security.

NetDocuments

Pros:

• Intuitive, centralized repository makes searching for your documents easy and efficient with features such as full text search, document versioning, and folder organization
• Great mobile accessibility allowing you to work remotely without sacrificing any of the program’s features
• HIPPA and SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) certified which supplies an elevated level of security for sensitive and confidential documents
• Provides a customizable home screen that populates your portal with the most-used content for quick and easy access

Cons:

• Does not support Mac OS, which presents a problem for solos who don’t use PC operating systems
• NetDocuments will not help you migrate your data when you integrate with its platform. A third-party service provides that support which can be tedious and lead to improperly synced data

Gavel

Pros:

• Useful client-facing features such as a questionnaire generator that can retrieve helpful information
• Powerful automation engine empowers you to create templates in minutes including court forms
• Designed for solo practitioners and small firms as it requires simple coding to turn complex contracts into simple questionnaires

Cons:

• While it’s great for solos and small firms, Gavel is not ideal for firms wanting to scale up in size as it lacks features such as document classification, full text search, and version control
• Expensive for solos or small firms with limited resources

Honorable Mentions:

• iManage
• Legal Files
• Law Yaw

Practice Management Software

Think of practice management software as the nervous system of your law firm. Good practice management software should centralize all important administrative components of running a firm in one easy-to-use platform, from case and document management to client intake and billing.

Your practice management software should have an easy-to-use interface with strong calendaring and task management features as well as Application Programming Interfaces (API) available. Software with open APIs allows you to integrate third-party applications to enhance its capabilities. Lastly, make sure your software supports mobile accessibility so you can practice law effectively on the go.

Approach buying practice management software like you would buying a mattress: don’t be cheap. Great practice management software streamlines the administrative process and helps your firm run like a well-oiled justice-delivering machine. Here are three of the best-performing practice management software on the market:

Clio

Pros:

• Full suite of practice management features to run virtually all aspects of your firm, from billing, client intake, and managing matters to document automation, scheduling, and even managing emails. Clio even offers a CRM (Client Relationship Management), Clio Grow, as an added service
• Open API integrates with all major litigation and administrative solutions and allows you to customize their legal tech stack
• Stellar customer service will answer your calls and supply thoughtful support when you need it
• Share documents with clients through the Clio portal to enhance collaboration and communication

Cons:

• Its accounting functionalities, specifically its reporting and billing approval functions are limited, but that can be remedied by integrating it with an accounting software
• There are occasional bugs with its system, but they usually resolve themselves after a system update

PracticePanther

Pros:

• User-friendly interface with excellent project management features that allow you to automate tasks
• Easy setup with limited training needed to master the software means you can easily adopt this software instead of spending hours learning how to use it
• PracticePanther Can be used remotely and offers a mobile app that empowers you to manage your practice on the go
• Open API allows for a bevy of integrations with prominent applications. Equally important, this will compensate for any technical shortcomings PracticePanther may have

Cons:

• Much like Clio, PracticePanther has limited accounting and billing capabilities, specifically its ability to report revenue
• PracticePanther does not offer in-person support, which may frustrate users who wish to talk to a person over the phone

MyCase

Pros:

• Secure client portal allows for easy collaboration between you and your clients
• Comprehensive suite of functions such as advanced time tracking, case management, scheduling, and document management simplify running your firm from one centralized software
• MyCase offers mobile access which lets you manage your practice remotely

Cons:

• Limited API means you will most likely need to hop across a few different applications to use them rather than working from a centralized portal
• MyCase is great for solos but lacks the customizability that mid to large firms need, so it isn’t ideal for scaling up your practice

Honorable Mentions:

• CosmoLex
• Rocket Matter
• Smokeball

Accounting & Billing

Just like any other business, a law firm needs airtight billing and accounting. When it comes to accounting and billing software for small to mid-sized businesses, the standard bearer is QuickBooks. The software is easy to use and covers all major billing needs, such as creating invoices and tracking billing and expenses.

While most major practice management software has basic billing and timekeeping capabilities, dedicated accounting and billing software will provide your firm with a fuller scope of financial services.

QuickBooks

Pros:

• Industry leader in accounting and billing
• Wide breadth of functionality to cover all your financial needs such as payroll, accounts payable & receivable, invoicing, and credit card processing
• Integrates with most of the prominent practice management software due to its popularity
• Tailored to small businesses/practices

Cons:

• QuickBooks Online is the cloud-based version of the software, which lacks some of the more sophisticated tools of its desktop counterpart, QuickBooks Professional
• QuickBooks Professional doesn’t have mobile accessibility

Xero

Pros:

• Open API that allows it to integrate with many prominent software applications such as Microsoft Office and Clio
• Cloud-based infrastructure allows for mobile access
• Tailored for small to mid-sized businesses/law firms with self-professed stellar customer support

Cons:

• There is a learning curve to use this software easily, despite it being easy to migrate and install
• While it offers immense value to your firm, at $40 a month it is not cheap. More advanced features also add up quickly

TimeSolv

Pros:

• Designed specifically for law firms and boasts a user-friendly portal with plenty of useful functions
• Tracking and billing management is a breeze, and the program offers accounts receivable & payable features, budgeting and forecasting capabilities, plus more
• More robust suite of billing and capabilities, including built-in reporting, than practice management software

Cons:

• Its limited API does not integrate with practice management software
• It lacks advanced reporting capabilities

Honorable Mentions:

• ZipBooks
• Zoho Books
• Accounting Girl

Ancillary Applications

You’ve eaten your vegetables and now it’s time for dessert. While the above software is essential for running your practice in the digital age, there is a litany of accessory programs you can implement to take your efficiency to the next level.

Data Security and Backup

Did you know that small law firms are more susceptible to cyberattacks than large law firms? IT services may be expensive, but strong cybersecurity can make or break a law firm, no matter the size. An effective cloud backup can prevent you from losing all your data if your hardware fails while a Virtual Private Network (VPN) encrypts your internet connection to protect you from cyberattacks and hackers.

While many of the listed software have great security, using a third-party service to store and backup your confidential and important files is always a good idea. VPNs (Virtual Private Network) are especially important since many of these systems are cloud-based, which raises the likelihood of data leaks and hacks. A VPN will route your internet connection through a secure, private connection that hides your practice’s IP (Intellectual Property) (Intellectual Property) address from nosey data trolls and hackers.

Cloud Backups

CrashPlan for Small Business

Pros:

• Continuous data protection backs up your data in the background, so you never have to worry about manually backing up your data
• Unlimited storage space allows you to save as many versions of documents as you need, regardless of their size
• Multifactor authentication support supplies an added level of security, decreasing the likelihood of leaks or hacks
• Smart file recovery allows you to choose which files/data you’d like to backup and/or recover

Cons:

• CrashPlan has been known to reduce internet speeds noticeably, so you will need fast internet to mitigate this issue

IDrive Business

Pros:

• Backup unlimited devices for your practice, including smartphones, tablets, and even external hard drives
• Allows you to save up to 30 versions of files, which is great for keeping track of the development of a document
• You can manage your backups remotely, giving you the flexibility to work remotely
• You can search and restore lost data rather than having to perform one massive backup and then parsing through old files

Cons:

• No unlimited storage, however, the base plan supplies up to 500 GB of storage

Honorable Mentions:

• Acronis Cyber Protect
• Backblaze Business Backup
• Carbonite Safe Core Computer Backup

VPNs

NordLayer

Pros:

• Excellent for home offices and small offices with a small number of end users
• Wide breadth of features such as user management, remote and hybrid workplace protection, auto-connect, and military-grade AES 256-bit encryption
• ThreatBlock prevents users from entering dangerous website or opening compromised ads
• Has servers with dedicated IP addresses which ensures greater data security for the user than standard VPNs

Cons:

• You can only use NordLayer on six concurrent devices, which can be limiting for practices who wish to scale up in size

Perimeter 81

Pros:

• Allows for remote access which is great for practitioners with a hybrid office schedule or practitioners who need to work remotely
• Unlike most VPNs, Perimeter 81 has negligible effects on the speed of your internet while it is running
• Excellent security features such as audit resource access to detect network abnormalities, bank-level security encryption, and DNS filtering that shields employee data when they connect to new networks
• Its smallest requirement of 5 to 10 seats is great for practitioners who aim to scale up their practice

Cons:

• Its benefit of scalability is a pain for practitioners who only have a few devices they need to protect

Honorable Mentions:

• SurfShark
• Express VPN
• Twingate

Legal Research Solutions

Research maketh lawyers. It’s arguably the top three most crucial skills of a lawyer, no matter the firm size, so a good legal research software is worth its price in spades. Thanks to advances in technology, you no longer must take out a second mortgage to access great research resources. Even better, legal research software streamlines the process so you can spend less time searching for the right sources and more time using them to build your cases.

Great legal research software should have a huge library of sources, secondary sources, intuitive platforms for easy research, and have plenty of features such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) to help find relevant statutes and cases, Boolean search terms, and easy-to-use search functions.

Casetext

Pros:

• Incredible value and flexible pricing at just $65 per month/user
• Intuitive portal allows for easy searching and navigation and its AI-based CARA feature finds relevant cases for your search
• Casetext allows you to annotate the content you’re reading, which is great for building cases and researching
• Case alerts provide you with added information about legislation or updates on cases you are tracking

Cons:

• It is only cloud-based so, you will need an internet connection to use this program

Fastcase

Pros:

• Comprehensive library holding federal and all 50 states’ constitutions, case law, statutes, and codes as well as a database of over 400 million briefs, pleadings, motions, and orders.
• Its excellent design, easy-to-use dashboard, and AI integration will save you time finding the right resource
• Open API makes integrating Fastcase into your legal tech stack quick and easy
• Allows for Unlimited printing, shareable public links, and more to enhance collaboration

Cons:

• Statute and rule annotations aren’t available in all 50 states yet, so you may have to contact a particular state’s bar association if your state isn’t covered by Fastcase

Honorable Mentions:

• LexisNexis
• WestLaw
• Bloomberg Law

Take Your Practice to New Heights with the Right Legal Technology

Selecting the right technology for your solo practice is crucial for streamlining your processes, enhancing collaboration, and maximizing efficiency. By carefully considering your specific needs and requirements, you can tailor your legal tech stack to fit your practice and clients. With the right tools at your disposal, you can effectively manage your cases, organize your practice, and find the winning edge to succeed, all within a single platform. Explore the possibilities and take your solo practice to new heights with the power of optimized legal tech tools.

If you need assistance in seamless eFiling, eService, and physical filing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Rapid Legal. Rapid Legal’s easy-to-use portal integrates with major litigation systems such as NetDocuments, Clio, iManage, and more.

We are here to support your journey towards a more efficient and successful practice. Stay connected with us on Facebook and LinkedIn for daily updates, articles, and valuable insights.

As legal professionals, you deal with complicated matters all day so why should your diet be complicated? Perhaps it is all of the advertising we see on TV, hear on the radio, and view online. Cue the infomercial with the fast-talking, ultra-fit TV personality who is hawking the latest health supplement promising to “take four inches off your waist in a month” or the influencer who will “make you your best self”, only to find that influencer testifying before Congress for making false claims the next week.

The beauty of eating healthy is that it is simple. Maddeningly simple. When it comes to nutrition, follow the holy trinity: eat lean proteins and anti-inflammatory foods, eat your big meals early, and snack smart with whole foods.

Lean, Mean, Anti-Inflammatory Machine

As a busy legal professional with a maelstrom of work awaiting you each morning, you’re going to need a reliable source of energy to sustain you through the day. Avoid refined sugars and processed foods. They may fill you up and provide quick energy, but they will leave you bloated, sluggish, and uncomfortable in a few hours. These foods also cause inflammation, which can lead to health problems down the line.

Lean proteins such as chicken or salmon, healthy unrefined fats like olive oil and nuts, and complex carbohydrates such as oatmeal, ancient grains, and sweet potatoes are guaranteed sources of clean energy to propel you through even the most taxing days. They also promote a healthy gut biome, which is linked to increased mood and decreased stress and anxiety.

To fight inflammation, eat fatty fish like salmon or tuna, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and cherries. These foods take longer for your body to digest, meaning the energy they provide is more sustained throughout the day. If you are looking for meal ideas that combine these whole foods without dietary restrictions, check out the Mediterranean diet.

Front Load Your Big Meals

Did you know when you eat can be just as important as what you eat? There is a behemoth of scientific evidence that shows eating a big breakfast rather than a big dinner supports healthier cholesterol levels, insulin levels, and overall metabolic rates. You will also have far higher energy levels at the start of your day.

Moreover, eating late disrupts your circadian rhythm, which will negatively impact your sleep cycle. As a general rule of thumb, eat your biggest meals earlier in the day so your body isn’t digesting as much food while you sleep.

To maximize your breakfast, eat within an hour of waking up. Oatmeal with some berries and nuts or an omelet with colorful vegetables will jumpstart your metabolism to conquer the day.

Dinner should be the lightest meal of the day and should be eaten two to three hours before you go to sleep, so your body has time to digest the food. If you feel yourself getting peckish before bed, have a glass of water or a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Snack Smart to Stay Focused

Snacks are like document management systems, they’re not required, but boy, do they make life easier. A smart snack is crucial in maintaining your energy and blood sugar levels throughout the day, so choose snacks that provide a balance of macronutrients, essential vitamins, and healthy fats. Here are three recommended snacks with nutritional breakdowns:

Greek Yogurt or Skyr with Berries: Packed with protein, calcium, and cancer-preventing antioxidants. Choose plain Greek yogurt or Skyr, a healthier Icelandic alternative, and add fresh berries and a touch of honey to satisfy your sugar craving.

Sliced Banana with Cottage Cheese: It’s time we give cottage cheese the love it deserves. It’s a satiating, tasty, and protein-rich snack that pairs with a ton of fruit. When coupled with a banana, it delivers vitamins B6, A, and C, fiber, potassium, phosphorous, iron, protein, and healthy carbohydrates.

Veggie Sticks with Hummus: Bright crunchy vegetables like carrots, cucumber, and bell peppers paired with a protein-rich hummus dip are always healthy. Aside from its satisfying crunch, this savory snack is loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. Pro tip: chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein, and they’re super affordable.

Enjoy Your Food But Moderation Is Key

Cheat meal. Reward meal. Whatever you want to call it. It’s okay to eat unhealthy foods occasionally. Life is short, so you should enjoy it. If you never allow yourself to eat that Bolognese from your favorite Italian restaurant or drink that Frappuccino which is basically a glorified milkshake with caffeine, you’ll be miserable. Sometimes we need a glorified milkshake with caffeine!

The whole point of eating healthy is to feel good, but if you take all the joy out of eating because you only allow yourself to eat baby carrots with hummus and a side of ice chips, then you’re missing the point.

Yes, baby carrots with ice chips and hummus is a low-calorie, nutrient-dense snack, but there’s more to life than eating healthy snacks while you file motions at your desk. Food is one of the purest joys in life, and it’s one you should allow yourself to enjoy.

Of course, you should only have junk food in moderation as a treat but give yourself enough grace to treat yourself. Pick a night out in the week and go big. One cheat meal won’t undo a week’s work of healthy choices, so channel your inner Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle and treat yourself.

Eat Your Heart Out

The amount of nutritional and wellness information out there can be overwhelming, but focusing on eating lean protein and anti-inflammatory foods, eating your big meals early, and snacking smart will do wonders for your health and energy levels.

Whether you are a paralegal assisting with legal research, a legal administrator managing the office’s operations, or a lawyer preparing for trial, these simple tips can maximize your productivity, improve your longevity, and boost your mood to deliver legal excellence.

Rapid Legal Is Here for Your Law Firm

Nutrition is important to us too so we can deliver exceptional litigation support to you. Your law firm’s time and resources are precious, so let us handle your firm’s eFiling, eService, and court filing needs. Schedule a call or book a demo with a Rapid Legal team member today to learn more about how Rapid Legal can fulfill your law firm’s litigation support needs.

In the tumultuous waters of today’s fast-paced digital world, legal professionals are caught in a relentless tempest of information. Like intrepid swimmers battling the tides, they navigate through a deluge of emails, memos, court documents, legal research, and case files that threaten to engulf them. It’s a struggle that can quickly transform into an overwhelming surge, leaving them gasping for breath in the face of information overload.

The consequences are profound, with productivity sinking by a staggering 40% and the ability to make informed decisions teetering on the edge. Even more astonishingly, this deluge of data has been known to temporarily dampen the very intellect that legal professionals rely on. But fear not, for amidst the chaos lies a strategic path forward and the right tools to conquer the formidable challenges of information overload.

Armed with a steadfast approach and wielding the arsenal of technology, legal professionals can rise above the turbulent currents and not just survive but thrive in their vital roles. By taming the storm and harnessing the power of knowledge, they can navigate the treacherous waters of their profession with confidence, clarity, and unyielding determination.

Embrace the Power of Organization

The average person is bombarded by the equivalent of 174 newspapers worth of data per day, so organization is critical when fighting information overload. Implementing an effective filing system, whether physical or digital, allows legal professionals to quickly locate and access critical documents.

Categorize information based on relevance, urgency, and priority, employing consistent naming conventions and folder structures. Additionally, leverage technology solutions such as document management systems and case management software to streamline information retrieval and minimize clutter.

Filter and Prioritize

Not all information is created equal, and learning to filter and prioritize is essential in managing information overload. Utilize email filters to automatically sort messages into folders based on sender, topic, or urgency.

Establish a system of tags or labels to categorize emails and documents, enabling quick identification of important items. By assigning priorities to tasks and documents, legal professionals can focus on the most crucial matters at hand and reduce the risk of missing deadlines or critical details.

Optimize Legal Research

Research is a fundamental part of a legal professional’s work, but it can also contribute significantly to information overload. To optimize legal research, take advantage of online databases, digital libraries, and research platforms that offer advanced search capabilities.

Familiarize yourself with Boolean operators and advanced search techniques to refine your queries and obtain targeted results. Additionally, consider using research tools that provide citation and research management features, making it easier to organize and retrieve relevant information.

Collaborate and Delegate

Legal professionals often work as part of a team, and effective collaboration is crucial in managing information overload. Foster a culture of open communication and knowledge sharing within your firm or legal department. Support is crucial to a healthy work environment.

Leverage collaboration tools and project management software to facilitate seamless information exchange and assign tasks. Delegating responsibilities to trusted colleagues not only lightens the load but also ensures that each team member can contribute their expertise and stay focused on their areas of strength.

Reliable Vendors Are Your Lifeline

Never underestimate the importance of a stalwart litigation support service provider. Companies like Rapid Legal curate their services to meet the specific needs of legal professionals to streamline processes and maximize efficiency.

Our user-friendly platform is integrated with industry-leading management systems such as NetDocuments, iManage, and ECFX, which allows legal professionals to attach their documents for eFiling without leaving the portal. We also offer world-class customer support, court expertise, and expert reviews of eFiling orders to minimize errors and rejections.

Continuous Learning and Professional Development

The legal landscape is ever-evolving, with new laws, regulations, and precedents emerging constantly. By investing in continuous learning and professional development, legal professionals can stay ahead of the curve and mitigate information overload.

Attend relevant seminars, webinars, and conferences, and participate in legal associations or online forums. Engage in ongoing legal education programs to enhance your information literacy and knowledge, enabling you to filter out the noise and focus on the most critical updates.

Practice Mindfulness and Self-Care

In the quest to overcome information overload, it is crucial not to neglect your well-being. Practice mindfulness techniques such as meditation, deep breathing, or mindfulness exercises to cultivate mental clarity and reduce stress. Make time in your schedule to use meditation apps and practice breathing exercises, both of which are proven to reduce stress and boost productivity.

Take regular breaks and establish healthy work-life boundaries to prevent burnout. Engage in activities outside of work that bring you joy and relaxation, as these rejuvenating moments can enhance your ability to handle information effectively.

Master The Deluge

Overcoming information overload is a constant challenge for legal professionals, but by implementing effective strategies and utilizing appropriate tools, it is possible to navigate this digital deluge successfully. This will improve the quality of work, increase confidence, and noticeably increase productivity.

By embracing organization, filtering and prioritizing, optimizing legal research, fostering collaboration, pursuing continuous learning, and prioritizing self-care, legal professionals can reclaim control over information overload and enhance their productivity and decision-making abilities. Remember, taming the information beast is not about consuming more information, but rather about leveraging the right information at the right time.

Rapid Legal Is Here to Help Legal Professionals

Legal professionals need all the support they can get, and Rapid Legal is here to help. Schedule a call or book a demo with a Rapid Legal team member today. Rapid Legal can also help your law firm with all its eFiling, court filing, and process serving needs.