Blog

Sign Up Now

Archive for October, 2011

October 27, 2011

#cliotraining Tip: Adding Tasks on the Go with Clio Mobile

The ability to access Clio from any Internet-connected device is consistently referred to as one of its great features during #goneclio interviews. Clio users like being able to access client information and add tasks no matter where they are, be it in court, out for a walk or while sitting in a local drive thru waiting to pick up lunch or dinner.

So today, we’re going to review how to add tasks while on the go with Clio Mobile:

  1. Go to https://m.goclio.com on your mobile device and login.
  2. Choose “Tasks” from the Home screen.

  3. Choose “Add Task.”
  4. Enter a Description, and a choose a Due Date.
  5. Choose “Add.”

That’s it! You’re done.

Now, if you want to add a Task to a specific Matter, you simply select “Matters” from the Home screen, select the appropriate Matter and follow steps 4-6.

Want to learn more? Check out the Clio Mobile section of our Support site.

And if you have tips to share, let us know. We’d love to hear them!

No Comments »

October 24, 2011

Canadian Bar Association Law Firm Leadership Tweetup with Ari Kaplan

Clio and award-winning author Ari Kaplan are teaming up for a tweetup!

Ari is speaking at the Seventh Annual Canadian Bar Association Law Firm Leadership Conference, so if you’re in town for that or are just visiting, and have wanted to meet Ari Kaplan and hang out with the Clio team, stop by and say hello!

Where:


Yew Lounge, located in the Four Seasons Hotel
791 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2T4

When:

Monday, October 24
6-7pm.

Contact us for details.

No Comments »

October 21, 2011

Jack Speaking: Security and Ethics of Cloud Computing at GPSolo 2011 Fall Meeting & National Solo and Small Firm Conference

Jack Newton, co-founder and president of Clio, is giving a webinar at the GPSolo 2011 Fall Meeting & National Solo and Small Firm Conference about the ethics and security of cloud computing.

Cloud computing is one of the hottest trends in legal technology. Rather than installing and running software on your local computer, your software and data is hosted by a third party and made available over the Internet. While this new approach to cloud computing offers many benefits, lawyers in particular need to be away of security-and privacy-related “best practices” prior to entrusting confidential client data to “the cloud.” The presentation will answer the following questions:

  • What is cloud computing / Software-as-a-Service?
  • What does cloud computing mean for lawyers?
  • What are some of the benefits (and some of the disadvantages) of “the cloud”?
  • What are the ethical implications of using Software-as-a-Service? Is it OK with my Bar?
  • What questions about security and privacy should you be asking a prospective SaaS provider?
  • How should you evaluate the costs of SaaS versus traditional desktop software?
  • How can you protect yourself against worst-case scenarios?

Newton will also review the ethics issues relevant to cloud computing and provide a survey of recent ethics opinions related to cloud computing.

You can watch the security and ethics of cloud computing webinar (registration required). You can also watch all the sessions from room Lawrence A, for free.

We’re also exhibiting so if you can’t make it to the webinar, stop by the Expo Hall. We’re happy to answer any questions, or just say hello!

1 Comment »

October 19, 2011

The Changing Legal Education Landscape

There has been a noticeable shift in discussion around law schools, from graduating with heavy student debt and no job prospects to what law schools prepare graduates to do. It’s hard not to conjure up the quote from the movie, My Cousin Vinny:

“They teach you contracts, precedents. Then the firm that hires ya, they teach ya the procedure. Or, you could go to court and watch.”

Contracts. Precedents. Law schools have traditionally taught the law with the expectation that hiring firms will teach the graduate how to be a lawyer. There was little public grumbling about the pattern pre-recession. It worked, and there was no reason it shouldn’t continue to work. But as many sought refuge from the recession in law school, and other graduate programs, they emerged to find the pattern, the method, broken.

In July, The Wall Street Journal pointed out the broken pattern when it wrote about how some law schools are getting practical by shifting course emphasis “from textbooks to skill sets.” It quoted Larry Kramer, law dean at Stanford: “law firms are saying, ‘You’re sending us people who are not in a position to do anything useful for clients.’” The recession forced corporations to reconsider what they pay for legal services, helping fuel the push towards flat fee or alternative billing. The trickle down effect caused a re-evaluation first of the cost of training new law graduates, and now, a re-examination of legal education itself.

In September, The Economist stated it more bluntly in its article, “Not Enough Lawyers:”

“Today students pay thousands of dollars to study for their bar exams, even after they have finished law school. But even after they pass, the bosses of legal firms note that new hires still need to be taught nearly everything about actual practice on the job.”

At first glance, the statement seems accurate. It is based on the assumption, however, that law school graduates have jobs in hand at law firms. And as the students that entered law school to avoid the recession graduate into a still dismal job market, many find themselves not only unequipped to practice law with little or no prospects of “on the job training,” but also unequipped to start their own practices.

That is changing, however, as law schools take a page from the tech startup culture and establish solo and small law firm incubators.

Perhaps foreseeing the future, in 2007 the City University of  New York (CUNY) School of Law established its incubator program as part of its Community Legal Resource Network. The program lasts 18 months, and is designed to train CLRN members in:

basic business issues such as billing, record-keeping, technology, bookkeeping and taxes while, at the same time, facilitating Incubator participants’ involvement in larger justice initiatives and in subject-based training in immigration law, labor and employment and other topics that will arise continually as these attorneys build their practices.

Billing. Technology. Bookkeeing. Taxes. All things the solo and small firm lawyer, now a business owner, must become intimately familiar, along with the actual practice of law. A solo or small law firm, after all, is a business as much as it is a law practice. Not understanding what business entity to setup, taxes and other parts of starting and running a business can cause headaches down the road. The CUNY School of Law incubator helps with the business side of a law practice while also giving the kind of “on the job training” previously seen as the responsibility of the hiring firm.

The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, and the University of Maryland School of Law have instituted similar solo and small firm incubator programs. Like CUNY, both aim to help graduates develop successful solo and small firm practices. Participants work on mostly public interest cases out of offices near campus. UMKC lists an office assistant, and experienced attorneys that may also include retired judges to act as mentors in its description.

In other words, the incubators are functioning much like tech startup incubators, nurturing and developing the skills necessary to bring an idea or product to market. In this case, the law school incubators are nurturing and developing legal and business skills so that, at the end, graduates will have the foundation for successful solo and small law firm careers.

In September, the National Law Journal highlighted similar programs in development at law schools across the country:

The Charlotte School of Law plans to have its Small Practice Center up and running next summer. Faculty and administrators at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Georgia State University College of Law and the University of Dayton School of Law are among those considering adding similar programs.

While the recession forced many law firms to take a hard look at how they deliver legal services, and many consumers to question hourly billing methods, so, too, has the recession forced a re-examination of law school education. And law schools are responding to the change, recognizing that many of their graduates may opt for a solo or small law firm career, and are thus developing programs to help get those solo and small law firms off the ground.

While it is too early to tell, law school incubators, having pulled a page from tech startup culture, may provide guidance for The Law School Firm, and “help bridge the gap between law schools and the practice of law.”

3 Comments »

October 13, 2011

#cliotraining Tip: Use the More Button to Find What Communication You’re Looking For

Quick: what song popped into your head first: Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” or U2′s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”?

Whatever the answer, the “More” button in Clio makes it easy to sort and find all kinds of information in Clio. A growing practice means more documents, bills and communications. All good things, of course, but it can also be hard to find that one Communication item you need by just scanning a long list of items.

Enter the “More”  button.

We’ve discussed the “More” button before as way to help find bills, and it can also help you find that one Communication item you need. Here’s how it works:

  1. Under the Communications tab, click the “More” button.

    2.  

  2. A search box appears, and to the left of it, a “Type” drop down menu.
  3. Type in what is you’re looking for, or to further narrow the field, select an option from the “Type” drop down menu.

And remember to use the “More” button throughout Clio to help you find information faster.

You can learn more about filtering and searching communications on our Support site.

Got a tip to share? Let us know. We’d love to hear them!

No Comments »

October 12, 2011

#GoneClio Kawel PLLC

Meet Andrew Kawel (pronounced Kav-el), founder of Kawel PLLC, an appellate boutique that handles cases in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and the Fourth Circuit. He also practices criminal defense and commercial litigation.

First, congratulations on the launch of your firm!

Thank you.

Andrew Kawel

What prompted you to start your own law firm?

I grew up with idea of having a family business. The dream just grew and grew to the point where I got disenchanted with the idea of working for someone else, and not being the captain of my own ship.

There is a lot more upside potential by having my own firm. Plus, I can practice law the way I think it should be practiced, take cases I want, refuse cases I don’t want, and basically call the shots. Now I’m master of my domain. I love it.

And the endeavor has been a great success so far! The whole key is staying positive. I no longer have time to entertain negative thoughts, and I don’t have room in my life for negative people. What they say is true: if you put good energy into something, good things come of it. I’m living proof: in just a few weeks, I’ve realized my dream and already have more clients than I can handle coming in. And my positivity has been the driving force.

Did you decide to incorporate?

Yes, as a PLLC for additional liability protection. It doesn’t provide professional liability protection (at least while I’m a solo), but it does cover business liability and it makes it easier to separate expenses for deductions and all of that.

What did you use before Clio?

I was working at a large AmLaw100 firm, and they had their own systems. They used DM5, also known as Hummingbird, for document management, and Provantage for billing (but I didn’t really get into that part). Since settling on Clio that’s all I’ve been using.

What made you decide on Clio? Did you try out any other solutions?

I like that it puts everything together: billing, timekeeping, client contact information, case numbers. It all relates to one another and I really appreciate that. I can keep track of time with timers, and link time. I like the communications tabs to jot down phone conversations, and the ability to import email into the system. I can see all the contact I’ve had with the client, and see how the case progressed.

That was really difficult at the big law firm. Some attorney notes were hand written, some were in Outlook. I can’t stand Outlook. It’s too hard to search, so I setup a Google Apps account for my firm. And with Clio, I can bcc a client file when sending and receiving emails, which helps cut down on search time and frustration. Makes my day go much more smoothly, and saves time and improves my bottom line.

The less time spent tracking down notes and finding emails, the more time I have to make money.

I did look into Rocket Matter, but I just remember the functionality wasn’t as robust, and data exporting and all that wasn’t quite as good. I don’t remember if Rocket Matter allows Quickbooks connection, or whether it has its own accounting, but Clio had it all connected, which makes my trust accounting that much easier. Everything is connected to the case so I can make sure balances in single trust accounts are correct.

What problems did Clio help your firm solve?

In starting out on my own, I was looking for an affordable way to set up shop. I didn’t want to go out and buy 5 different pieces of software and try to put it all together, Frankenstein-style. For the low monthly fee, Clio provides all the functionality at once and saves me from paying for additional IT support.

Also, as a solo and a younger attorney, I like the mobility. I can access Clio on my iPhone, my iPad, my MacBook Air, and my iMac. I operate a virtual office on Capitol Hill, so it’s helpful to have access to all my files when I go there. I use Dropbox, too, to keep files straight and synced across all computers—and I’m very excited about Clio’s new Dropbox integration! Client notes, trust accounting—it’s nice to have it all at my finger tips. And when I visit family in Michigan, I can log on via my parents’ computer and everything is right there.

The father of a friend of mine has a practice that focuses on medical malpractice, out on Long Island. He suggested I use Daylight and FileMaker Pro since he does that, and it works for him. He has to maintain the database himself, though, and backup all the files. I didn’t want to have to do that. With Clio, it’s like having an IT department without having to hire anyone.

What other technology do you use for your law practice?

Apart from the hardware I already mentioned, I use Dropbox, Google Voice, and Gmail (via Google Apps). It would be cool to integrate Google Voice into Clio, too. Then there would be a record of the call to associate with client file. I realize there’s a lot of difficultly setting that up, but it would be fantastic. I also use a ScanSnap S1500 to run (almost) paperlessly.

I’m a stickler for data backup, so I run several redundant backup systems with my files. I use Time Machine and have separate off-site backups. I have a bootable backup drive attached to my iMac. And Clio is like an additional redundant backup. I appreciate that. It’s kind of a safety net, just in case.

And whether you consider them to be “technology” or just creature comforts, I have a standing desk and a gel pad to stand on, a portable bookstand for reading, and several full-spectrum lights.

What did you find to be Clio’s most valuable feature?

The integration. It’s not particularly one feature over another, it’s the fact that all of them are there. I love the communications tab: it’s nice to jot down attorney notes from phone calls and client meetings. And, of course, the e-mail dropboxes are tremendously helpful. I can see everything that is going on in the case at once.

What benefits have you realized from Clio that you didn’t anticipate?

None come to mind. When I buy software I expect it to be excellent. I’m pleased that it’s operating as expected.

I do have a suggestion.

Sure. What’s your suggestion?

The Calendar tab is great, however, people who use Google Calendars share them often, so to protect client confidentiality I have a separate Google Calendar for firm-related things. I don’t want others to have access to that, to see that I’m meeting with a particular client. Although it’s nice that Clio can show me the law firm and personal firm calendar, there’s no way to import, as far as I can tell, someone’s personal calendar into Clio so you can see how the schedule all lays out. It’d be nice to be able to see work-related events and personal events on the same screen to detect overlaps.

Probably more on Google, but it’d be nice if I could somehow import my Clio calendar into my personal Google Calendar, too, just so that it would show my time is blocked.

The Clio Calendar and Tasks are the two things I don’t really use. And I don’t use Tasks because I use Omnifocus. If there were a way to connect Clio to Omnifocus, that would  be like the holy grail for me. Same thing with Evernote, you know, be able to link an Evernote Notebook to the file in Clio.

Good to know. Will pass those on. So, have Clio & “the Cloud” changed the way you practice law? If so, how?

Generally yes, personally probably not. Even at the big law firm, I would use tools and technology that were efficient, and worked with my style. It would’ve been more difficult to start my own firm without Clio, though.

How did you find the process of getting up and running with Clio?

Pretty painless. I kinda poked around when I first signed up, but you don’t really see how it works until you start putting client information in. Once I started getting clients, it all came together. But it’s kind of a no-brainer. Seems idiot proof to me.

Has Clio improved your firm and the service you offer your clients?

Yes, just because I have more time available. I have access to all or most of my files wherever I’m at, as long as I have an Internet connection. I can travel freely, and still work on cases when away from my desk.

Have you had any experiences with Clio’s support team?

Yes. I signed up for Clio, probably in August, and at that time I wasn’t sure what my last day at the old law firm was going to be. I didn’t have any clients coming in at the time and I wasn’t able to explore Clio to make sure it was what I wanted. I called up to see if I could get the trial period extended, and give it a test once I was up and running and you guys put that through without a hitch. I was really thankful for that.

Would you recommend Clio to your colleagues?

Yes, I definitely would. I have a buddy who is planning on leaving his job at a big firm and going out on his own in January or February. I may have already recommended it to him, but I will certainly recommend it to him again.

Mac or PC?

Mac. The summer I took the bar I bought an iPhone. I’ve had it for over 2 years now and it still works, flawlessly. So the iPhone started my love affair with Macs. I bought an iPad 2, and liked it just as well, and that led to an iMac desktop (great for word processing!), and finally a MacBook Air to access everything at my virtual office. I’m certainly a Mac convert.

2 Comments »

October 11, 2011

October Conferences: Where We’ll Be

Ah, October. That magical month of #postseason baseball, American football in full swing and the start of hockey season. It’s also another conference month, and our conference tour will take us to the following:

We always enjoy the opportunity to meet and talk with our users, and anyone interested in checking out Clio, so if you’re at any of those conferences, stop on by and say hello!

3 Comments »

October 7, 2011

#cliotraining Tip: Setting Up Beta Dropbox/Box.net Integration

Some exciting news was announced yesterday: integration with Dropbox and Box.net! We are currently beta testing these integrations, meaning that we dog-fooded until we burst so now we need some fresh perspectives on how the integrations work from you, our users.

So, if you want to help us test Dropbox and/or Box.net integration, here is what you do:

  1. Log into your Clio account.
  2. Go to “Settings,” now under a drop down menu under your name:

  3. In “Settings,” under “Accounting Information,” check the boxes to enable the integration.

Clio Support is staggering the integrations, so once you receive a confirmation, do the following:

  1. Go back to “Settings,” and in in the blue “System” box, you’ll see icons for Dropxbox and/or Box.net.
  2. Click “Dropbox Settings” or “Box.net Settings.”

You first need to authorize Clio to integrate with Dropbox, or Box.net. When the prompt appears, click “Authorize.”

 
Then you need to authorize Dropbox, or Box.net, to integrate with Clio.

You can read more about our Dropbox and Box.net beta integrations on our Support site. We appreciate your help in testing out these new integrations and look forward to your feedback!

Got a tip to share? Let us know. We’d love to hear them!

No Comments »

October 6, 2011

Fast-Growing Clio Rings in 3rd Anniversary with New Features and Referral Program

 

Vancouver, BC – October 6, 2011 – This week, Themis Solutions’ web-based practice management application Clio (www.goclio.com) celebrates its third anniversary. In the years since its launch, Clio has proudly helped to transform the legal practice management landscape by offering small and mid-sized firms unprecedented ease-of-use, affordability and practice mobility with its cloud-based system.

Clio’s valued customer base now numbers in the thousands, and the company has grown from three to nearly fifty employees since its launch. Users of Clio are now managing over 3.5 million contacts, 750,000 matters, 1.5 million documents and 600,000 e-mails using the system, and firms have efficiently billed over $275,000,000 using Clio’s time and billing features.

In the past year, Clio has launched the Clio Bar Affinity Program, which provides members of participating Bar Associations an ongoing discount on Clio. An increasing number of prestigious bar associations, including the New York State Bar Association, have signed onto the program, and member response has been exceptional. In addition, Clio’s Educational Use Program, which provides qualifying educational institutions with free access to Clio, continues to see rapid adoption and has recently been rolled out at several top law schools including Washington University in St. Louis, University of Iowa; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; American University School of Law; and University of Maryland School of Law.

Today, Clio is also announcing several new features and a customer referral program.

  • NetDocument Integration: Tight integration with NetDocuments, the leader in cloud-based content management for legal professionals.
  • Dropbox Integration: Clio now provides the deepest integration with Dropbox on the market. Seamlessly sync your Dropbox documents with Clio’s document management
  • Box.net Integration: Clio users can now easily access their Box.net documents via Clio’s document management system.
  • Improved User Interface: Clio’s interface has been upgraded to provide a better user experience.
  • Clio Referral Program: Clio’s growth has come largely from excellent word-of-mouth. Clio is happy to introduce a formal Client Referral Program that recognizes customer referrals by providing clients with one free user month per referral.

Jack Newton, Clio’s Founder and CEO, comments: “We’re truly thankful to our customers and partners for helping make Clio the success story it is today. We set out on a mission three years ago to revolutionize legal practice management, and it makes me happy to see the impact we’ve made in such a short timespan.”

About Clio and Themis Solutions

Clio, a comprehensive cloud-based practice management Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product, is specifically designed for solo practitioners and small-to-mid sized law firms using PCs and Macs. It can be accessed from any Internet-enabled computer or mobile device. Secure and easy-to-use, Clio provides case/matter management; time tracking; billing/reporting; client contact, e-mail and document management; task scheduling; trust accounting and performance metrics for independent lawyers to benchmark their business goals. In addition, Clio includes Clio Connect, a secure portal for document sharing and collaboration with clients, and Clio Express, an offline time capture app.

Clio’s parent company, Themis Solutions Inc., is based in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The company was founded by Jack Newton and Rian Gauvreau.  Visit www.goclio.com, email info@goclio.com, call 1-888-858-CLIO or follow on Twitter @goclio.

###

4 Comments »