MinnLawyer Blog

This morning I attended an interesting continuing legal education seminar sponsored by the MSBA’s General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section. Essentially, it was a live side-by-side comparison of three of the leading law practice management software programs — Time Matters, ProLaw and Client Profiles.

We hear a lot and read a lot about programs like this, but it’s rare to see them actually being demonstrated together. It’d be impossible for me to go into detail on the particular features of the three programs, but suffice it to say that each includes tools that will assist attorneys with, among many other things, client and contact management, calendar and task management, docketing, document management and time and billing. Company representatives discussed their programs, demonstrated how to use many of the key features and talked about pricing options. Costs for the software programs range from $800-$1,000 for one licensed user and from $900-$1,300 for installation and training, or as the reps called it, the “getting started” package. There’s also a yearly maintenance/tech support plan for each program, which varies from a couple hundred dollars to $1,000.

Of the 30-plus attendees, I think only one person indicated that he was currently using an electronic case management system like one of the ones being demonstrated. I have to admit that I walked away from this program thinking that if I was a solo or small-firm practitioner, I know that I’d at least consider utilizing some kind of electronic system, especially if the price is right. It seems to me like an effective way to stay organized and save time, thereby allowing more time for actual billing.

Kudos to section chair Adam Heaton, who spent many months putting this program together. I think the solos and small firm attorneys who attended must have appreciated it — almost everyone stayed to the end!