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Product Review: ProLaw

BY John Messersmith IV
November 01, 2003

Our Richmond, Virginia-based insurance defense firm prided itself in being more technologically advanced than other firms anywhere close to our size. However, given the technologies available at the time, we were using multiple standalone programs which meant data was stored in separate and discrete databases, none of which communicated with each other, and each of which required separate data entry. Add mandatory task codes, individual case budgets and volumes of documents to review and categorize, and you have a perfect formula for case management frustration. To continue to be a leader in law firm technology, we needed to make a significant leap in efficiency, productivity and knowledge management.

Until 1993 we operated from one office, but at that point we expanded to include Fairfax, Roanoke and Norfolk as well. Linking our offices became important, as did refining our business processes to eliminate as much duplicate data entry as possible.

After considerable analysis of our firm's existing software and case management practices, we went shopping. We chose tradeshows like the ABA Techshow to familiarize ourselves with software options. Anyone who's ever attended a tradeshow knows how overwhelming the vendor presentations can be, and how after a while all products appear to blend in one's mind. It's inevitable, given the amount of information every vendor attempts to convey in each short, intense demo session. We solved that by picking up demo disks wherever possible, and then looking them over in the comfort of our own offices once we'd returned.

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