Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

How Document Management Software Made Order Out of Chaos

By Paul Chancellor
June 28, 2012

Law firms generate an enormous amount of data and information that can bog down lawyers and prevent them from doing their jobs effectively. Most law firms now have some sort of digital data storage. But, transitioning to digital data storage, with or without parallel paper files, presents a new challenge: how to manage thousands of electronic documents saved on the firm's computers.

The fact that several software programs are used for different purposes further complicates this process. Microsoft Outlook could be used for e-mails and calendaring, for example, while Excel is used to track deadlines and manage case statuses. Information is often duplicated within different programs, making it tough to find the most recent information. The end result is that lawyers can't find documentation quickly, leading to more hours spent trying to find information and less time for getting substantive legal work done.

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent Trolls Image

With trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.