practicehacker

I’ve been in virtual stealth mode since last year’s ABA TechShow, but it’s time to take the wraps off and get jiggy with legal technology again. So I spent yesterday in pre-show meetings with vendors, fellow attendees, speakers, and the short-list of industry insiders I go to for insight; and they didn’t disappoint. Over the next 2 days TechShow 2012 is going to highlight some real strides in areas like

• affordable e-discovery
• document management
• workflow management
• iOS and Android “apps”
• SaaS as a new platform

Today I’ll be on the show floor and in presentations so I don’t expect to report back until Friday or the weekend, Until then, here are a few heads-up points to look for in my coverage:

APIs Everywhere: Clio, MyCase, and RocketMatter want to buddy up with your favorite web services to create a one-stop practice destination. So far Clio is leading the pack, having made deals with DirectLaw (virtual law office), Chrometa (automated timekeeping), and Zencash (invoice and receivables management). There is no doubt that this week’s flurry of announcements is merely the tip of the iceberg. Things are going to heat up fast in this competition, so watch this space for updates.

Forecast Cloudy: In 2008 Clio introduced an all-in-one practice management vehicle just as “the Cloud” became a buzzword. The system became a hit, but the truth is it’s still a mere shadow of the desktop applications it sought to replace. Why? Because the Cloud is not an integrated environment like the office network. In reality it’s a jumble of isolated web-based applications that don’t talk to one another or interact in a meaningful way. But that will change this year as common office functions and software products take to the Cloud, continue falling in price, and start fitting together into unified environments. The results should show up directly in your bottom line via lower costs, better time-capture, and better tracking.

More, Better, Cheaper: Small firms and sole practitioners seldom get what they want. But this year could be the tipping point. Where we once had to put up with one SaaS, e-discovery, document management, or legal research vendor, today other companies are coming into existence all the time; and thanks to lower barriers to entry, more funding in the legal technology space, and proven demand, these new competitors often represent the latest technology, are Cloud-based, offer subscription pricing, and employ the all important freemium to reach small firms and solo’s.

Workflow Rules! I reviewed ActionStep in this post. Now the company is poised to shake things up at TechShow It’s flagship SaaS application handles law office management, document creation, calendaring, contacts, billing, etc. But instead of being matter-centric, the system is workflow-centric. That means its puts goals and tasks ahead of  information for its own sake. In light of the sheer volume of data assailing lawyers already, a Get-Things-Done (GTD) approach like that just seems like a no-brainer.

That’s it for now. See you all on the other side of TechShow 2012. And if you’re already there, find me or give me a shout at @practicehacker. I’ll be at the show all day today, culminating with the Clio Meet Up at Sushi Samba in Chicago’s trendy Near North neighborhood.

I don’t get away much. But last year over Christmas I headed to sunny Florida where I … looked for cool apps online. I know: I have a problem. On the upside, my search revealed several really interesting applications like Tout, which monitors your e-mail and lets you know when messages were read, who read them, from where, etc. – all of which is more important than you may think at first. Tout is still evolving, but even in its current beta incarnation you’ll most likely find it a vast improvement over not tracking your e-mail messages at all. To demonstrate the power of tracking, check out this  analysis of my 2011 e-mail traffic and get your own analysis done here. While you’re at it, sign up for the Tout private beta and start taking control of your e-mail.

Ever feel that if only you had the right tools, backing, money, time, background, education, encouragement and inspiration, you could build a killer app?

I used to think so; especially when I learned about efficient use of widely distributed human resources via frictionless online sharing (a/k/a crowd-sourcing). But like so much of new, new Internet, crowd-sourcing never actually took hold on the ground level where people like me dwell (that is, not in Palo Alto or San Jose). And it never, never penetrated entrenched industries such as law practice.

Then there’s SellanApp, a site that proposes to put the creation, financing, and distribution of mobile apps within the reach of non-techies like me.  Its wonderfully subversive. You might even call it a good way to hack the process of creating apps. And sure it probably won’t work, just as crowd-sourcing failed to catch fire 10 years ago. Then again, it just might.

SellAnApp from NewLogics on Vimeo.

It’s not often that I’m impressed, but I recently came across a SaaS product that had all the usual bells and whistles, as well as something different. ActionStep has what I expect in a practice management app, but instead of focusing on features it organizes everything around goals, objectives, and tasks. This means I can focus on doing my part while everyone else involved in that project is automatically kept informed of my progress and prompted to stay on the same page. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose one of the templates or create your own
2. Designate tasks, decide who should perform them
3. Specify the conditions that will call up those tasks

ActionStep is now ready to spring into action. In addition to launching tasks when the specified condition comes to pass, the program can notify team members of each other’s progress automatically. My favorite feature is the way ActionStep coordinates the whole process by letting me make tasks mandatory or optional, then making them dependent on the completion of prior milestones.  So I define the steps to be followed,  stay informed of everyone’s progress, and prevent anyone from getting around the rules.

For example:

ActionStep’s document automation features let me customize standard intake forms to include the type of matter and prospect contact information.

Once I indicate that the document is finished, my paralegal is prompted automatically to call or e-mail the prospect. ActionStep even auto-generates the e-mail message.

The calendar feature pings me to attend the meeting. Once I indicate the meeting is over, ActionStep automatically bills the time and sends any notes or uploaded documents to my paralegal so she can take the next step.

So far so good. But here’s the real difference between ActionStep and existing systems:

If I indicate the meeting resulted in a hire, then ActionStep adds tasks like creation of physical and electronic files, customization and enclosure of a Retention Letter, and creation and enclosure of an e-mail to the new client.

If I indicate that the meeting did not result in a hiring decision, ActionStep can prompt me to follow up in time or send out a “No Hire” letter.

The system is competitively priced on a subscription basis and you can click here for a free 30 day trial.

P.S. If you try it out, post your impressions in the comments , share them by e-mail, ping me on Twitter, or post on my Facebook wall. I’d like to know what you think. Cheers.