| Latest-generation Outlook Integration technology, | | | | master database, the change is reflected in every |
| employed by the top case management systems, | | | | user's card file, so everyone has the most up-to-date |
| takes the issue of "user adoption" by attorneys and | | | | contact information for each client. |
| effectively removes the barriers that commonly | | | | Outlook Integration gives users the ability to organize |
| impede the capturing and sharing of critical data | | | | contacts by party type or categories (plaintiff, |
| across the firm. Today's systems are easy-to-use, | | | | defendant, etc.). Users can associate the party with |
| seamless and allow attorneys to continue working in | | | | one or more cases, giving administrators the |
| the environment where they already spend a large | | | | opportunity to search the system to easily identify |
| portion of their time - in Microsoft Outlook. | | | | parties associated with certain cases or matters, and |
| In the past (and in some cases even today) | | | | the ability to establish the relationship each party has to |
| developers of these systems have attempted to | | | | a case. In addition, once that information is captured, a |
| "push a large rock up a steep hill" by insisting that | | | | good case management system will automatically |
| lawyers log into an entirely new interface in order to | | | | conduct a conflict of interest search. |
| participate in the system. User adoption struggles as | | | | Tasks: Law offices use Outlook tools to create To Do |
| law firms investing in these systems find attorneys are | | | | items or packages for all lawyers and support staff |
| reluctant to embrace new processes that go against | | | | assigned to a case or matter. Today's case |
| the way they are already accustomed to working. | | | | management systems allow To Do management (also |
| Innovators in legal technology acknowledged that there | | | | referred to as tasks, ticklers or critical date reminders) |
| must be a better way, and have focused on designing | | | | to be fully integrated with appointments, documents |
| "smart" case management tools that integrate tightly | | | | and other components of the system. With Outlook |
| with the Microsoft Office suite. By deploying a stealth | | | | Integration, law offices have the have the ability to |
| approach to collecting case and matter data that | | | | manage To Do items for individual, group, practice area |
| seamlessly fits the way attorneys work, these | | | | or firm-wide reporting. |
| technology leaders have succeeded in tailoring their | | | | Piecemeal vs. the Real Deal |
| systems to the natural daily workflow of today's law | | | | An all too common scenario still seen in some law |
| office. | | | | firms today is the insistence to forego a CMS in favor |
| As a result, the industry has seen an increase in user | | | | of an inadequate combination of Outlook, Word and a |
| adoption, as well as a significant improvement in the | | | | document management application. Such a system |
| success rate of legal case management | | | | leaves too many holes in the process. |
| implementations. | | | | Outlook and Word are excellent programs, but they |
| The Lawyer's Outlook - A History | | | | are not designed as "collaboration" tools. And |
| According to ILTA's 2009 Technology Survey, 94% of | | | | document management systems, once a good step |
| law firms are now using Microsoft Outlook/Exchange | | | | for law firms, only provide a fraction of the benefits |
| as their primary email platform. In a legal industry once | | | | offered by a good case management system. |
| dominated by Novell's GroupWise and, to a lesser | | | | These systems also do not allow you the ability to |
| extent, Lotus Notes, it is by no means a stretch to | | | | assign workflow or to create standardized processes |
| declare Microsoft Office as the de facto "standard" | | | | and procedures to follow. |
| among personal information managers. | | | | In short, Outlook is a great "personal" information |
| By positioning itself as the market leader in productivity | | | | manager, and it does a great job of expressing |
| software, Microsoft has become an attractive choice | | | | everything that is going on in the workday of the |
| for IT Directors for a variety of reasons. The user | | | | individual professional. Where it falls short is being able |
| interface is familiar and intuitive to many, helping to | | | | to provide the "big picture" of what is going on in the |
| control training time and cost. Outlook and Exchange | | | | firm. |
| work very well together, cutting down on IT | | | | Embedded case management technology into the |
| involvement in configuration. Outlook 2007 raises the | | | | Microsoft Outlook environment allows firm |
| bar with regards to organization of Email, Contacts and | | | | management to truly get the big picture - what people |
| Calendar, making it easier to organize and delegate. | | | | are doing, when they're doing it, where they're going to |
| And, despite Microsoft's reputation on the issue, | | | | be and what the resources are so they can make |
| Outlook 2007 includes strong security abilities and | | | | adjustments in overall scheduling. That's a piece that |
| features. | | | | Outlook alone doesn't bring to the table, and that's also |
| So what is the advantage of Outlook to a law firm, as | | | | the component that allows even the most disorganized |
| opposed to an accounting or an engineering firm? | | | | law office to become an efficient and collaborative |
| Out-of-the box, there really isn't much of an | | | | organization. |
| advantage, nor should there be. It has never been a | | | | What Every Lawyer Wants to Know (and Isn't Afraid |
| part of Microsoft's business philosophy to develop | | | | to Ask) |
| versions of Outlook that meet the needs of individual | | | | We've examined some of the benefits of case |
| vertical markets such as legal. | | | | management/Outlook Integration from a firm |
| Instead, Microsoft chooses to release broad-based | | | | perspective. So how do you answer the question |
| applications that meet the needs of organizations | | | | "what's in it for me?" ("Me" referring to those individuals |
| across the board, while relying on their partners to | | | | whose input is most essential to the success of any |
| develop the add-in functionality to help fine-tune it to | | | | CMS - the Lawyers) |
| the needs of industry-specific organizations such as | | | | A case management system allows attorneys to |
| law practices. It is a testament to Microsoft and their | | | | better leverage all of the resources that are available |
| engineering that they have built an application such as | | | | to them within the firm. An associate, for example, |
| Outlook that has such a high degree of applicability | | | | may be able to lend a hand by helping to cover some |
| across so many individual markets, and that it was built | | | | important agenda items, but only if they have access |
| on an open architecture that allows legal technology | | | | to the necessary information. If an attorney is out of |
| partners to embed case management technology | | | | the office and a client calls with a request, someone |
| which enables the software to perform functions | | | | else within the firm would be able to easily access the |
| directly suited to a legal practice. | | | | case or matter information via the case management |
| The rise of Microsoft Office in law firms has not gone | | | | system and quickly fill the request. In the past, such |
| unnoticed by developers of legal case management | | | | client requests could possibly take 2-3 days to fulfill. |
| systems. In fact, those companies leading the charge | | | | This type of response can help relieve stress, as well |
| would likely agree that the most important component | | | | as go a long way towards increasing client satisfaction. |
| of any case management system is its ability to | | | | Case management systems give attorneys reminders |
| integrate with Outlook and the Microsoft Office suite. | | | | in a wide range of instances such as case activities, |
| While it is estimated that attorneys and their staff | | | | time capture, etc. These systems serve to make an |
| spend greater than 70% of their workday with Outlook | | | | attorney's life a little easier and a little less stressful. |
| open on their workstation or within their mobile device, | | | | They can also be credited with helping to give |
| case management companies continue to develop | | | | attorneys an improved quality of life and better control |
| integration technologies that allow users to work as | | | | over what's going on around them, in addition to |
| much as possible within this environment in which they | | | | increased billings. This all adds up to a potent |
| have grown accustomed. | | | | combination for law firms to capitalize on. |
| Outlook Integration -- defined | | | | Furthermore, finding of case and matter-related |
| At its most basic level, Outlook Integration refers to a | | | | information is greatly improved. Attorneys quite often |
| case management system's ability to automatically | | | | need to find something and find it quickly. Search |
| transfer information back and forth seamlessly | | | | functions allow attorneys to find things very quickly |
| between a case management system (CMS). A good | | | | without having to comb through folders and subfolders |
| system that has been tightly integrated with Microsoft | | | | on the network. |
| standards will offer bi-directional synchronization, | | | | If You Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em |
| meaning that if an attorney or paralegal enters an | | | | Microsoft Office 2007 represented a major redesign |
| appointment in Outlook, it will automatically be updated | | | | that offered a very intuitive user interface. At the |
| within the CMS and vice-versa. This is referred to as | | | | same time, top CMS developers are focusing their |
| one-time entry. | | | | resources on increasing "user adoption" of their |
| Now considered to be in its fourth generation, CMS | | | | products, mainly by making their use as seamless as |
| Outlook Integration technology has gotten stronger and | | | | possible. |
| stronger, with the best systems representing a true | | | | In fact, many active contributors to case management |
| "Outlook client". The current generation focuses on | | | | within the firm (attorneys for the most part) almost |
| ease-of-use, allowing for a seamless user experience. | | | | never enter the case management environment, |
| The beauty of these systems lies in the capture of | | | | remaining instead within the Microsoft Office |
| data via day-to-day workflow, allowing users to build | | | | environment all day. The name of the game here is |
| the case information database while eliminating | | | | comfort - allowing users to stay in the environment |
| redundant data entry into separate systems. | | | | they are comfortable in (Microsoft Office) while |
| Case-related information is aggregated in one | | | | remaining active contributors to the data collected |
| centralized database for answers to questions. | | | | within the case database. |
| By allowing attorneys to remain in the Microsoft | | | | By focusing efforts on creating as seamless an |
| environment, law firms can avoid the burden of | | | | experience as possible, CMS developers avoid a |
| requiring them to learn an entirely new set of | | | | "changing of the culture" and instead, follow the path of |
| commands. The result is a higher overall rate of | | | | least resistance by allowing these users to continue |
| adoption and sharp improvement in the firm-wide | | | | working in the environment they choose. This trend is |
| sharing and organization of critical case and matter | | | | likely to continue in future generations of case |
| data. | | | | management. |
| Now let's take a closer look at the four main functions | | | | If a Tree Falls in the Forrest... |
| of Outlook that are essential to any legal organization: | | | | Or, put another way, if an attorney spends 10 minutes |
| Email, Calendaring, Contacts and Tasks. | | | | drafting an email response to a client inquiry and |
| Email: It is not uncommon for attorneys to receive | | | | doesn't immediately enter his/her time into the time |
| upwards of 250 emails in a single day, and law firms | | | | entry system, will it be billed? The answer to this is, all |
| continually struggle with how to handle the volume. If | | | | too often, no. |
| you talk to an IT Director at any law firm, they are in a | | | | At the base level, any good case management |
| constant struggle with the sheer size of the Exchange | | | | system should have the ability to prompt timekeepers |
| database as it builds up. By being able to take data | | | | for time entries when they initiate or complete certain |
| and make it available to everyone involved in the case, | | | | types of tasks or events. Don't' even waste your time |
| and not just the attorney who has access to that | | | | looking at a system that can't do that. |
| inbox, you're able to make true collaboration possible | | | | Many firms who successfully implement such systems |
| on cases and matters. That is where the case | | | | see the biggest increase in billable time occur in their |
| management systemcomes in. | | | | Outlook email. Many of attorneys are still not billing for |
| When users send or receive an email message, they | | | | their email time, and this represents a huge loss in billing |
| have the ability to "associate" the message to a case | | | | potential for any law firm. |
| or matter. Without this association, an attorney may be | | | | Let's look at it from a workflow perspective. A legal |
| able to see his/her personal emails, but there would be | | | | assistant creates a document from an attorney's |
| no way to share that message across the office or to | | | | dictation. The assistant clicks a button and sends it |
| get a "case perspective" view of all emails associated | | | | back with note saying "I need you to review this." The |
| to that case or matter. Associated emails are then | | | | document shows up in the attorney's review queue. |
| transferred from Exchange to MS SQL database | | | | The attorney reviews it, annotates it and saves it as a |
| records, becoming part of the integrated case | | | | new version, all within the case management |
| management information. | | | | environment. Then the review is marked complete. |
| Documents attached to emails have also presented | | | | Two things happen: 1) the assistant is promptly notified |
| enormous challenges for law practices struggling with | | | | that the document has been reviewed, and 2) the |
| organizing mountains of information. A good case | | | | attorney gets prompted to make a time entry for his |
| management system addresses this issue by | | | | her efforts. That alone is going to help accommodate |
| prompting users to store the document within a case | | | | for a significant increase in billing. At a secondary level, |
| file. | | | | because the case management system has, or should |
| Another major issue with email involves time capture, | | | | have, the ability to track all of the activities, the law firm |
| which will be explored later in this document. | | | | has a nice journal to review during billing to match up |
| Calendaring: Perhaps the single most important function | | | | those activities with the information that show up on |
| for attorneys is the Calendar, which allows them to | | | | the WIP report for the month. |
| schedule appointments, manage activities, review | | | | That is a specific example of how law firms increase |
| available time and invite others to meetings. Especially | | | | their bottom line with a fully integrated CMS. Generally |
| important with today's reliance on mobility is the ability | | | | speaking, law firms who implemented such systems |
| to synchronize calendars with a handheld mobile | | | | have reported an increase in billings on an average of |
| device such as a Blackberry, iPhone and Windows | | | | 10-12%, with some firms even reporting much higher |
| Mobile devices. | | | | percentages. Firms often notice a significant |
| CMS integration with the Outlook Calendaring module | | | | year-over-year increase without any justification in |
| is highly beneficial, as it is in email. Calendar entries | | | | terms of their caseload. |
| associated with a case or matter create the | | | | Conclusion... |
| foundation for a firm's docketing system. Outlook | | | | So what's next? It appears much of the current trends |
| Integration means once appointments are associated, | | | | will continue. Outlook isn't going anywhere any time |
| the firm can access a case perspective and | | | | soon. However, the way in which case and matter |
| generatedocketing reports. | | | | information is accessed will change. As mentioned |
| Contacts: The Outlook card file is the modern day | | | | earlier, mobile computing continues to be a driving |
| "Rolodex" for law firms, the place where lawyers, | | | | factor in new technology. Giving lawyers the ability to |
| paralegals and secretaries enter all client-related data. | | | | access case management data via their handheld |
| Without Outlook integration with a CMS, each | | | | devices is the future, and systems are moving in this |
| individual's card file becomes an island of important | | | | direction. |
| contact information that cannot be shared with anyone | | | | As you can see, the "Outlook" is bright for lawyers |
| else in the firm. Duplicate card files, with varying | | | | and their staff having the ability to collaborate on |
| degrees of accurate contact information, will exist | | | | cases through the use of the case management |
| across the firm. And if a contact's information needs to | | | | interface or the Microsoft Office / Outlook system. |
| be updated, it can only be updated one card file at a | | | | Lawyer adoption concerns are eliminated because |
| time. | | | | they are already using Outlook. The true benefits will |
| CMS companies overcome these issues by creating a | | | | exist for law firms who invest in case management |
| firm-wide "related party database". When a contact's | | | | systems that transform it into the Lawyer's Outlook. |
| phone number or email address is updated within the | | | | |