Unit 8: Specialty Legal Software

Topics for Seminar

• Assignments this week• LexisNexis• Westlaw• Special law firm management software• SmartDraw

Assignments for this week

• Seminar• Discussion (1 question) – prepare a PowerPoint

presentation• Test

Specialty Software• LexisNexis and Westlaw are special legal research

websites that dramatically cut the time for conducting legal research.

• Abacus Law and other law office management software are special legal computer programs that can be used for case management, calendaring, contact management, document management, time entry, billing, and client payments as well as other functions.

• SmartDraw is a specialty software that can be used to create graphics such as timelines, evidence charts, legal flowcharts, patent drawings, and crime scene diagrams.

Try them out

Find links to many specialty legal software websites and programs at

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/chet/chet_goldman_techresources_1/

LexisNexis

• LexisNexis and Westlaw are legal research websites• Electronic legal research has cut the time and expanded

the scope of possibilities for the lawyer to conduct legal research

LexisNexis

LexisNexis

LexisNexis

LexisNexis

LexisNexis

LexisNexis

LexisNexis

Westlaw

SmartDraw• You can create professional looking charts:

SmartDraw

• And decision trees

Smart Draw: Business Cards

SmartDraw: Web Designs

• You can even create your own web design!

Sample Timeline

Sample Timeline

Sample Timeline

SmartDraw Timeline

AbacusLaw Calendar Program

• Legal specialty software that can be used for:- Case management

- Calendaring

- Contact management

- Document management

- Time entry

- Billing

- Calculate deadlines

- Client payments and more

• Starts at $199/ 1user• http://www.abacuslaw.com/forms/freedemo/

freedemofamsv.php (free demo)

Abacus Law http://www.abacuslaw.com/downloads/RefGuide.pdf

Abacus Law: Calendar• Day, Week, Month, and Staff Views:• * Why might you want to see “staff view?”

Abacus Law: Contacts, Events, Matters

• These are used to organize or find specific information in various ways:

Abacus Law: Conflicts Check• How fantastic is this!!! What do you think of this

program to conduct a conflicts check?

Abacus Law: Call Manager• You can also use this program to track phone calls and

messages, with a record kept:

Abacus Law: Date Calculator• This is one of the best features – why is the date

calculator so important?

Abacus Bat

• This is an email system that allows you to synchronize with other technology:

Abacus Accounting

• This fantastic program allows you to do all of the following:• Browse by files• Enter time tickets to record time• Record costs, payments, trust deposits, • Track pre-bills and actual bills• Write checks, maintain a payroll• Monitor activity on accounts

Abacus Accounting: Client Payments

Abacus Accounting: Time Tickets

• What would you use this for?

Timekeeping Software

• Keeping track of billable and non-billable time

• For attorneys, paralegals, secretaries and file clerks

• Some compatible with Smartphones

• Apps available for Smartphones

LexisNexis Time Matters

• Access case or client info.• Enter time and expenses • Web-based service (no cabling or synching required)• Works on iPad, Blackberry, iPhone, Android• Integrated with Microsoft products• Still developing following for cell phone use:

- Time, task, event, note, document and email records

- Alerts and notifications

- Ability to access archived records

30-day trial: http://www.lexisnexis.com/trial/pm_trial.asp

Case Management Software

• Organize and explore facts, people, and issues

• Create specialty reports and documents, including trial notebook info.

• Easy search and retrieval of all of the evidence

• Documents associated with case stored on computer in

electronic folders

Prolaw (Westlaw Publisher Product)

• Integrated with Microsoft Office Suite

• Features include:- Email and Electronic File Management -Billing

- Westlaw Legal Calendaring Rules -Budgeting

- Case and Matter Management -Billing

- Firm-wide Reporting -Records Management

Questions?