August 26, 2011
We’re excited to welcome LawPay as a Clio Connect merchant account provider!
You can already send your clients electronic invoices with Clio Connect. And now, by linking Clio Connect to your LawPay merchant account, you can easily accept credit card payments from your clients.
You can dramatically reduce your outstanding AR balances by sending your clients electronic invoices and allowing them to pay by credit card.
Learn how to make this a reality with Clio Connect and LawPay.
August 16, 2011
We roll out updates just about every week, like bug fixes, speed enhancements and work flow improvements. And throughout the year, we roll out some big features.
Here’s a brief recap of some of our big feature releases this year:
Multiple (Batch) Document Uploading
Yes. That’s right! We’ve removed that tedious task of uploading documents one at a time. Now you can upload multiple documents or batches, in one of two ways:
Whether you keep your files neat and orderly in folders or strewn about your desktop, you can move them all into Clio at once. It is important to note, though, that “drag and drop” functionality is not supported by any version of Internet Explorer. Yet.
Firm Feed
Firm Feed offers an easy way to see the activity going on in your law firm. Firm Feed tells you who has done what in areas such as:
As your firm grows, either by employees, clients or both, Firm Feed might seem overwhelming. No need to worry, we’ve given you some controls to adjust where you see your Firm Feed:
Two-Factor Authentication
A big safety and security feature we released at the beginning of the year. There is a solid body of evidence that the password is often the weakest link. Two-factor authentication helps to strengthens that link by requiring a PIN number, in addition to the correct password, in order log into Clio. The PIN is sent to a mobile device, or other secondary authentication device you specify.
2011 is not ever yet, so there are other big feature releases to come. Stay tuned!
April 19, 2011
One of our #cliotraining Tuesday Tips earlier this year was about adding our mobile site to the Home screen of your mobile device. While many have found it useful, we’ve noticed requests for a Clio iPhone/Android/BlackBerry app. The question raises an interesting terminology conundrum since “app” seems to be an all-encompassing word.
If you use Google’s nifty “define” feature for “app,” you get a number of definitions, from the familiar computer definition (short for application) to a baseball reference to medical-related definitions having to do with a protein in the brain. There are two other definitions, though, that usually get missed: Native and Web.
A Native app is what we most often associate with Apple’s i-devices, like the iPhone and iPad. It is an application purchased through an online store, like iTunes, that downloads to your device. Examples include TrialPad and Angry Birds. Native applications can also come pre-installed, like a text messaging application or calendar application. In many ways, Native applications are akin to software you install on your desktop or laptop, like Microsoft Word, FireFox or TweetDeck.
A Web app, on the other hand, is accessible through a browser. Smart phones, be it an iPhone, Motorola Droid or a BlackBerry, have browsers. To access a Web app, you open the mobile browser and type in the URL just as you do from the browser on your laptop. The Web app URL usually converts itself to: http://m.uRLhere.com, with the “m” signifying “mobile” so the site renders properly on your small smart phone screen. You can also type it directly, like http://m.goclio.com.
So what, then, is the big deal about a Native app v. a Web app? In a word: platforms.
Native apps only run on specific platforms, like Apple’s iOS. To run on another platform, say Android, requires building a new app. That’s why you often find an app on just one platform, which may eventually makes it way to others if the app, and platform, are popular. UberSocial (formerly UberTwitter), is one example. It was a BlackBerry-only Twitter application that is now also available on the iPhone. And it is important to point out that there are advantages to having a Native app, such as being able to take advantage of built-in features like the camera and GPS capabilities. An example of a useful Native app is Yelp as it takes advantage of features like GPS.
Most Web apps, however, can run on any mobile browser that uses Webkit, which is an open source browser engine. It is used by Apple in its Safari browser, and for many smart phone browsers, including Palm Pre and more recent BlackBerry devices. While Web apps do not have the ability to access built-in features like GPS, they do eliminate the need to use a device for which there is a Native app. In other words, you can choose the device that feels most comfortable to you rather than the device that has the Native app.
Clio’s mobile interface is a Web app, accessible from any Internet-connected device with a browser. It doesn’t matter, then, if you use an Apple device, an Android device or a BlackBerry. In other words, you can choose your device without having to worry if you’ll still be able to access all your case files via Clio’s mobile interface.
If you haven’t yet, give Clio’s mobile Web app a try: http://m.goclio.com.
April 5, 2011
If you are in the Chicago area or attending ABA TECHSHOW, please join us for a Clio Meetup at Sushi Samba!
Drop by and enjoy complimentary sushi, drinks and fantastic conversations with the Clio crew and other Clio users and fans. Clio’s co-founders, Jack Newton and Rian Gauvreau, will be hosting the event. If you plan on attending please RSVP now, space is limited!
When
Monday, April 11, 8:00-11:00PM
Where
Sushi Samba rio
504 North Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60654
December 2, 2010
One of the more interesting aspects of our Apple in Law Firms survey was the reason respondents chose Macs over PCs.
Most people, ourselves included, figure people choose Apple products over Windows-based machines because Macs just look better, or more aesthetically appealing, than Windows-based devices. Prevailing wisdom is also that people choose Macs over PCs because Macs are easier to use right out of the box. The interface is clean and more intuitive than that of Windows. As our survey results demonstrate, however, usability and aesthetics take a back seat to reliability and security.
There are a couple ways to interpret that finding. Perhaps respondents found themselves spending more time cleaning and defending their Windows machines against viruses than they spent cultivating clients and handling current client matters. Switching to Mac may have decreased maintenance time and expense, allowing them to devote more time to generating revenue.
Another way to look at it is a combination of aesthetics and security. Lawyers appreciate ease of use just as much as non-lawyers, but always have security in the back of their minds. So another way to interpret the data is to say that the usability and aesthetics gets lawyers in the door, but it is Mac-using lawyers talking about the security and reliability benefits that causes other lawyers to purchase Macs over Windows-based machines.
What do you think?
December 1, 2010
Mac use among students isn’t new, at least not among undergraduates. Many college campuses have Mac stores as part of the college bookstore, but that doesn’t necessarily hold true in graduate schools, especially law schools. So it was surprising to learn that more than half of law student respondents use Macs instead of PCs. It is also surprising considering that law schools often partner with third party companies to administer exams, which often require Windows-based machines running Internet Explorer.
So what to make of the trend of law students favoring Macs over PCs?
One interpretation is brand recognition and loyalty. Law students fresh from undergrad may still use their Macs, and thus take them with to law school. Doing so may introduce non-Mac law students to Mac computers, and the ease of use they might already associate with iPhones, iPads and iPods.
A key thing to watch will be law school response. Will they continue to partner with third party companies that offer Windows-only exam applications, or will there be a shift in demand, especially as more tasks move online?
What do you think?
November 12, 2010
Tonight we’ll be hosting a Clio Meetup at the Laguna Bar at the Coronado Springs Resort.
We’d like to invite all MILOfest attendees as well as any nearby Clio users, fans, and partners to join us for a few drinks on our tab.
When
Friday, November 12th, 5:00PM
Where
Laguna Bar
Coronado Springs Resort
1000 West Buena Vista Dr.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
October 27, 2010
In a new white paper, internationally respected legal technology expert Brett Burney offers five reasons lawyers should be in “the cloud.” He also demonstrates how cloud computing, or Software-as-a-Service (Saas), offers benefits to lawyers without disregarding their ethical responsibilities.
Key points of being in “the cloud” include:
Burney lays out a strong case that cloud computing meets standards for client confidentiality, professional conduct and ethics found, as echoed by the Proposed North Carolina Ethics Opinion and the Arizona Ethics Opinion on offsite back services.
Still uneasy, or curious? Go ahead and read the full white paper (PDF), and let us know what you think.
October 26, 2010
Previous User Review Spotlights have come from practicing attorneys using Clio, like Aaron Hall, Jason Molder, Brian Powers, and Brian Pedigo. Today we’re pleased to showcase a user review from a paralegal.
Ana Pierro is a senior paralegal with over 15 years of experience in a number of areas, including: insurance defense, plaintiff’s personal injury and product liability, asbestos litigation, securities litigation, compliance, regulatory work and more recently government affairs. She also has a blog, The Paralegal, and she recently posted a review of Clio.
She writes that Clio
did not require me to download anything onto my computer, which can take up a lot of memory.
Being that Clio is a web-based application the only thing you need in order to access this practice management system is an Internet connection. As a paralegal that is always on the “go” this is an important aspect of any practice management I choose. I like to know that no matter where I am, as long as I have an Internet connection I am able to access my calendar, my billing, my to do lists and any documents I need on the go.
One of the more interesting uses she has found for Clio is as a “diary” for phone conversations she has with clients. She explains:
There is a communications tab that allows you to record phone call notes. The way I used it was more like a “diary.” If a client called wanting to know what was going on in his/her particular case, all I had to do was open up communication under a particular client I had a “history” of the case in front of me and was better able to discuss it with the client without having to dig up the actual folder on my computer or even have to look up the actual paper file (which I still keep. Trying to get out of that habit).
Not only can paralegals like Ana access information from anywhere using Clio, but they can keep records of phone conversations at the ready which can help enhance customer service.
You can read her complete review here: Clio: Practice Management at your Fingertips. And if you’re a Clio user and would like to write a review, we’d be happy to highlight your review on this blog – just let us know about your review by e-mail at info@goclio.com or via Twitter at @goclio.
October 22, 2010
Cloud computing continues to be a topic of discussion throughout the legal industry, so we’ve decided to introduce a new resource to our website: White Papers.
White papers, generally speaking, are another way to help educate and inform people about the practical issues, implications and uses of any number of areas. Finance. Medicine. Technology. Even marketing.
Our aim is to continue to educate and inform the legal community on practical issues related to cloud computing. You may be more comfortable in the cloud with your personal tasks, be it uploading photos to Walgreens to pick up with a gallon of milk on the way home, or responding to a reunion invitation or conference registration online.
By understanding the benefits, and risks, associated with cloud computing in the practice of law, you can experience that same level of comfort, and keep your focus on being a zealous advocate for your clients.