Product Review: ProLaw

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.

ProLaw stood out for many reasons, including its ability to integrate all firm practice management functions under one database ' something nobody else at the time was doing well, if at all. We also felt confident that our data conversion from our old system to ProLaw would flow well, based on feedback we obtained during our review process.

Once we decided to purchase ProLaw, we requested enough evaluation copies of the software to provide one to each attorney and staff person in order for them to become accustomed to the interface and explore the features of the program without fear of deleting or corrupting real data. This provided an additional benefit by reducing necessary training time during rollout.

'Front Office'
(Contacts management, case management, document management, marketing functions)

Prior to ProLaw, our firm operated using several software packages. Some were hybrid, some were task-specific, but none communicated with any other, which meant data entry was an onerous task, to say the least. One of our primary objectives was to minimize duplication of effort from a data entry standpoint. With ProLaw, we've met that objective and then some.

ProLaw's contact management features have played a large role in minimizing data entry. Once a client, vendor, expert witness or client contact has been entered in the database, they're there for good, and are centrally available to all users. Conflicts checking, marketing efforts, accounting procedures, relationship analysis ' all rely upon a stable contacts database. Sending our holiday cards, targeting mailings to various segments of our client base and producing our newsletter mailing lists are necessary components to our practice. We are now able to perform a myriad of contact-specific tasks with little effort, knowing our database is a current as we can make it.

Centrally located case data has also provided us greater case management ability. Every phone call, every notation, every document is attached to each matter within ProLaw, allowing any professional working on the case to see a timeline of activity at any moment. This allows a clear view of cases at all times, and the ability to diffuse potential problems much more quickly than when we were forced to locate the physical case file and sort through every document within before determining the cause of an issue. Given that most issues stem from breakdowns in communication, having a tool that minimizes the possibility of a break in the communications stream represents a distinct advantage within the case management process.

We're also enjoying ProLaw's document management capabilities. We've just begun to use this part of the program, but have been pleased with what we've accomplished so far. We've not yet explored forms capability to a great extent, but plan to do so as time permits.

ProLaw's document assembly feature proved so accommodating that we chose it over another, separate program that had been specifically designed for document assembly, and on which we had intended to rely. Our attorneys have become more involved with producing their own correspondence, which, when combined with their ability to easily enter their own time using a variety of simple methods, has contributed to the need for less support staff. We actually feel that having ProLaw enabled us to weather the dot-com fallout with less negative impact than many other firms since we were able to do so very much with fewer staff than most.

In time we'd like to explore the ProLaw database's capability within a knowledge management framework. This is definitely down the road, but we're already considering ways to further benefit from the considerable volume of data that resides within the database.

'Back Office'
(Accounting, time and billing, financial reporting)

Time and billing has become much more efficient since we adopted ProLaw. Our attorneys routinely convert electronic notes taken during phone conversations into time entries, simply and quickly, automatically producing the narrative of the entry. The program's flexibility with regard to time entry is helpful, since time can be entered on the fly as well as after the fact. Introducing a good time entry routine to our staff was easy, and we've netted increased billable time as a result of their diligence.

Accounting functions are straightforward and produce solid results. To date we have relied upon standard reports, for the most part, and consider them reliable bases on which to make firm financial planning decisions. Interestingly enough, the integrated database allows greater benefit from our financial data since attorneys are able to access all payments and invoices and statement images and financial history on each matter.

One Office ' The Upshot

ProLaw has affected a positive culture shift in our firm in several respects. Our attorneys, who before were forced to request account balances, AR status reports and other financial data from our accounting department, now, by simply hitting one button while in a given matter, can fully access a client's financial picture. This not only allows them a more holistic view of each of their cases, it also affords them more ownership of each case they work.

They now know exactly how much time has been billed, how that relates to the total budget for each case and which invoices have been paid or remain outstanding.

Our attorneys are closer to their clients as a result of this access. Our clients are also getting answers more quickly than ever since there is literally no delay between them requesting and them receiving case status information on all levels.

This works nicely for many reasons, the most obvious being that our clients' perception that we are truly “on top” of every single case at every single moment is very important to us.

Another, and from a firm view, highly positive outcome has been billing more time. We realized a nearly immediate, dramatic increase in the number of hours each of our attorneys was billing simply because they were faithfully entering real time, all the time. While we expected an improvement, the 10-15% increase we gained was far beyond our estimates. Simply capturing time had been a challenge before ProLaw. Now capturing, billing and receiving compensation for time spent is a smooth process.

Implementing ProLaw has also enhanced our ability to effectively manage complex commercial litigation. In addition to document management capabilities, the ability to use ProLaw via a wide area network, or even from home, allows multiple attorneys and staff to access a given case file simultaneously. Consequently, professionals can obtain complete and real-time information in order make valuable contributions regardless of their geographic location relative to the physical file. ProLaw has made it far more efficient to effectively bring the necessary resources to bear on large cases.

Perhaps most importantly, we are producing consistent, high quality work product on all levels for our clients, and doing so within the constraints that insurance companies impose upon their defense firms.

We've come a long way since we began using this practice management tool, and look forward to the future as we move to further avail our firm of its offerings. We know full well we have just begun to reap the benefits of this robust software, and anticipate even greater gains as we do so. Our decision to purchase ProLaw is perhaps the best choice we've made in the last five years.

To learn more about ProLaw from Elite, please visit www.prolaw.com, or call 800-977-6529.

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.

ProLaw stood out for many reasons, including its ability to integrate all firm practice management functions under one database ' something nobody else at the time was doing well, if at all. We also felt confident that our data conversion from our old system to ProLaw would flow well, based on feedback we obtained during our review process.

Once we decided to purchase ProLaw, we requested enough evaluation copies of the software to provide one to each attorney and staff person in order for them to become accustomed to the interface and explore the features of the program without fear of deleting or corrupting real data. This provided an additional benefit by reducing necessary training time during rollout.

'Front Office'
(Contacts management, case management, document management, marketing functions)

Prior to ProLaw, our firm operated using several software packages. Some were hybrid, some were task-specific, but none communicated with any other, which meant data entry was an onerous task, to say the least. One of our primary objectives was to minimize duplication of effort from a data entry standpoint. With ProLaw, we've met that objective and then some.

ProLaw's contact management features have played a large role in minimizing data entry. Once a client, vendor, expert witness or client contact has been entered in the database, they're there for good, and are centrally available to all users. Conflicts checking, marketing efforts, accounting procedures, relationship analysis ' all rely upon a stable contacts database. Sending our holiday cards, targeting mailings to various segments of our client base and producing our newsletter mailing lists are necessary components to our practice. We are now able to perform a myriad of contact-specific tasks with little effort, knowing our database is a current as we can make it.

Centrally located case data has also provided us greater case management ability. Every phone call, every notation, every document is attached to each matter within ProLaw, allowing any professional working on the case to see a timeline of activity at any moment. This allows a clear view of cases at all times, and the ability to diffuse potential problems much more quickly than when we were forced to locate the physical case file and sort through every document within before determining the cause of an issue. Given that most issues stem from breakdowns in communication, having a tool that minimizes the possibility of a break in the communications stream represents a distinct advantage within the case management process.

We're also enjoying ProLaw's document management capabilities. We've just begun to use this part of the program, but have been pleased with what we've accomplished so far. We've not yet explored forms capability to a great extent, but plan to do so as time permits.

ProLaw's document assembly feature proved so accommodating that we chose it over another, separate program that had been specifically designed for document assembly, and on which we had intended to rely. Our attorneys have become more involved with producing their own correspondence, which, when combined with their ability to easily enter their own time using a variety of simple methods, has contributed to the need for less support staff. We actually feel that having ProLaw enabled us to weather the dot-com fallout with less negative impact than many other firms since we were able to do so very much with fewer staff than most.

In time we'd like to explore the ProLaw database's capability within a knowledge management framework. This is definitely down the road, but we're already considering ways to further benefit from the considerable volume of data that resides within the database.

'Back Office'
(Accounting, time and billing, financial reporting)

Time and billing has become much more efficient since we adopted ProLaw. Our attorneys routinely convert electronic notes taken during phone conversations into time entries, simply and quickly, automatically producing the narrative of the entry. The program's flexibility with regard to time entry is helpful, since time can be entered on the fly as well as after the fact. Introducing a good time entry routine to our staff was easy, and we've netted increased billable time as a result of their diligence.

Accounting functions are straightforward and produce solid results. To date we have relied upon standard reports, for the most part, and consider them reliable bases on which to make firm financial planning decisions. Interestingly enough, the integrated database allows greater benefit from our financial data since attorneys are able to access all payments and invoices and statement images and financial history on each matter.

One Office ' The Upshot

ProLaw has affected a positive culture shift in our firm in several respects. Our attorneys, who before were forced to request account balances, AR status reports and other financial data from our accounting department, now, by simply hitting one button while in a given matter, can fully access a client's financial picture. This not only allows them a more holistic view of each of their cases, it also affords them more ownership of each case they work.

They now know exactly how much time has been billed, how that relates to the total budget for each case and which invoices have been paid or remain outstanding.

Our attorneys are closer to their clients as a result of this access. Our clients are also getting answers more quickly than ever since there is literally no delay between them requesting and them receiving case status information on all levels.

This works nicely for many reasons, the most obvious being that our clients' perception that we are truly “on top” of every single case at every single moment is very important to us.

Another, and from a firm view, highly positive outcome has been billing more time. We realized a nearly immediate, dramatic increase in the number of hours each of our attorneys was billing simply because they were faithfully entering real time, all the time. While we expected an improvement, the 10-15% increase we gained was far beyond our estimates. Simply capturing time had been a challenge before ProLaw. Now capturing, billing and receiving compensation for time spent is a smooth process.

Implementing ProLaw has also enhanced our ability to effectively manage complex commercial litigation. In addition to document management capabilities, the ability to use ProLaw via a wide area network, or even from home, allows multiple attorneys and staff to access a given case file simultaneously. Consequently, professionals can obtain complete and real-time information in order make valuable contributions regardless of their geographic location relative to the physical file. ProLaw has made it far more efficient to effectively bring the necessary resources to bear on large cases.

Perhaps most importantly, we are producing consistent, high quality work product on all levels for our clients, and doing so within the constraints that insurance companies impose upon their defense firms.

We've come a long way since we began using this practice management tool, and look forward to the future as we move to further avail our firm of its offerings. We know full well we have just begun to reap the benefits of this robust software, and anticipate even greater gains as we do so. Our decision to purchase ProLaw is perhaps the best choice we've made in the last five years.

To learn more about ProLaw from Elite, please visit www.prolaw.com, or call 800-977-6529.