University of Florida Levin College of Law

Mission & FAQs | Articles & Worksheets | Vendors

MISSION
Our mission at the Legal Technology Institute is to assist the legal profession in making informative decisions about purchasing and using technology. This includes providing information as well as listening to our clients and industry leaders.

We have been consulting professionally with lawyers since 1989. After hundreds of consultations with law firms and corporate and government law departments of all sizes, we have developed a methodology and set of procedures to help law firms with the decision to utilize technology.

We have written dozens of articles about computerized case and matter management systems (CMSs). In addition, the ABA/Law Practice Management Section has published a book by LTI Director, Andrew Z. Adkins, III: "The Lawyer's Guide to Practice Management System Software." We've also worked with many developers, providing ideas and suggestions to improve the "flow" of information in their systems, as well as the design of the software systems. We offer our expertise online as well as through consultation.

This Web site is designed to help law firms and law departments better understand case, matter, and practice management systems as well as provide them with tools to make a good decision. We've provided several worksheets to help you through this evaluation and selection process. Included are Sample Worksheets such as CMS Request for Proposals and CMS Comparison charts. We've also provided links to CMS articles to help you know and understand not only the CMS functions, but also reviews of CMS software.

If you find any data or information that may be incorrect, please notify LTI and we will make every effort to correct the errors.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the "best" case management system?
I get asked this question a lot. First of all, "There is no Holy Grail in case management." What works well for one firm may not work well for another. You've got to do your homework and "shop" for a case or matter management system, one that works for your firm. Most case and matter management systems do the basic same things (Rolodex/Address Book, Case/Matter Database, Calendaring, Case Diary/Notes, Document Generation, and Reporting). The differences between the systems are in how they handle these various functions and how they interface with your existing technology environment.

The worksheets on this CMS Web site will help you determine what your needs are and what to look for in a case or matter management system. Look at several different systems, compare the "flow" of information between the different CMS functions and how they'll work within your firm or law department. Compare pricing, but don't buy the least expensive just because it is the cheapest.

Whatever system you buy, you'll be able to do some customization - count on it. Whether you do it internally or whether you hire the CMS developer to do it for you will drive the cost. What you want in the long run is a CMS system that works the way your firm does.

What is the difference between case management, matter management, and practice management system software?
Good question, another one that I'm often asked. There is definitely confusion in the industry - let me help you understand the differences. First of all, case management system software is typically geared toward litigators, who work on "cases." Matter management system software is typically geared toward law department and/or transactional attorneys; that is, non litigators. The differences between case and matter management system is usually in how it is marketed toward the profession. Both systems can be customized to work in both types of practices; the differences is in how much can be configured and how much configuration is needed.

Practice management system software combines either case or matter management system software (the "Front Office") with the financial management, or "Back Office" functions. This gives the law firm (law departments rarely bill clients) a total "all-in-one" system from a single developer.

Who installs the case management system?
Depending on the system you purchase, you may have the capability to install the system yourself or utilize your internal IT department staff. Every system is different. Most firms choose to have the CMS developer (or their sales consultant) handle the installation, implementation, customization, and training. The sales consultant usually works with the firm for scheduling the implementation. If you do choose to use a sales consultant, make sure you check references and experience of that particular person.

Who will maintain the case management system?
Depending on the complexity of the system, you may be able to maintain the CMS system internally. If the system is SQL driven, many firms already have other SQL server systems in place and utilize the same person(s) to maintain the CMS system. CMS developers usually release updates several times a year.

By all means, make sure you purchase a maintenance and support agreement from the CMS developer; this is typically 18% - 20-% of the software cost. This helps ensure you get the latest updates and receive technical support directly from the developer.

Is there a long learning curve with a case management system?
It depends on the system you purchase and the computer literacy level of those using the system. Computer savvy users may not need any training at all and can use the system "out of the box." However, those users are few and far between. It is worth the investment to have training conducted by the CMS developer or the sales consultant. Everyone receives the same training, which helps in the long run educate all users on how the system works.

Most new users to CMS have a hard time grasping the concept of a "matter centric" desktop as opposed to the "Word processing centric" desktop that they are used to. Even though law firms typically do most CMS functions already, putting it all into one package can, at times, be intimidating. Having a grand overview of the system and comparing to how the firm currently works will play well in the implementation.