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LEAP Offers Small Law Firms an Integrated Front and Back Office

By Neil J. Squillante | Friday, January 29, 2016

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a practice management system that can also power your law firm's website (see article below), an iOS app for capturing and organizing your handwritten notes, and two apps for discovery document processing and review. Don't miss the next issue.

The fewer moving parts in a small law firm, the better. More complexity tends to increase administrative costs. In the technology realm, the more your practice management system can handle, the more you can dispense with single-function products.

LEAP … in One Sentence

LEAP is a legal accounting and practice management system that encompasses both front and back office tasks.

The Killer Feature

For your front office, LEAP offers document assembly and management of contacts, calendars, documents, and email. For your back office, LEAP offers billing and IOLTA-compliant trust accounting. It integrates with QuickBooks Online for your general ledger.

LEAP is a hybrid cloud solution — you access it from a Windows desktop app but the data is securely hosted on U.S.-based servers. The LEAP mobile app for iOS and Android take advantage of your smartphone's capabilities. For example, you can capture telephone calls with clients for time entries, and scan a document into LEAP using the camera.

"LEAP is for small law firms wishing to become more efficient, more flexible, and make more money," CEO of LEAP Chris Stock tells us. "LEAP's integrated system enables small law firms to do more work with the same number of people."

Other Notable Features

Because LEAP is a Windows app, it offers deep integration with Microsoft Outlook and Word. You can start new documents and email messages from LEAP, and automatically record the billable time you spend on them. LEAP can convert documents into PDF format when you email them. The Outlook integration also extends to your calendars.

LEAP can manage all of your firm's information. For example, it captures and automatically files inbound email, and integrates with scanners. You'll want to start new documents in LEAP because of its forms and templates. The company continually adds templates in many practice areas plus you can create your own.

Other document management features include audit trails, versioning, document viewer, document comparison, and combination of PDF files. Perhaps best of all, rather than email a document to colleagues, you can email them a link to the document so that the final version remains in LEAP.

LEAP's electronic timesheet with autocomplete enables timekeepers to enter their time. LEAP also handles cost recovery and expenses with the ability to group disbursements into a single line item. You can output bills in Word or PDF format, and email them from LEAP so that they get filed in the corresponding matter. Trust accounting enables you to manage retainers and apply payments.

What Else Should You Know?

LEAP includes LEAP Websites at no extra charge. This service includes mobile-friendly templates from which you can choose, a WordPress blog, email newsletters, and search engine optimization. Some LEAP customers that already have a website use LEAP Websites for a second website around a practice area. LEAP starts at $129 per user per month with a 12-month money-back guarantee. The company reinvests $6 million per year into new features for LEAP. Learn more about LEAP.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Accounting/Billing/Time Capture | Practice Management/Calendars | TL NewsWire

Solo on My Own Terms; Cloud Storage Concerns; Why Dragon Beats Typing and Transcriptionists; What Starts Digital Stays Digital

By Kathryn Hughes | Thursday, January 28, 2016

Today's issue of TL Serendipity contains these articles:

Mark Werner, Solo On My Own Terms And Not Far From The Cutting Edge

Jerry Gonzalez, Cloud Storage Concerns Overblown; Review Of AxCrypt, AESCrypt

Philip Franckel, Why Dragon NaturallySpeaking Beats Typing And Transcriptionists

Steven Finell, What Starts Digital Stays Digital

Don't miss this issue — or any future issues.

How to Receive TL Serendipity
Our most serendipitous offering (hence its name), TL Serendipity consists of contributions by TechnoLawyer members who have important information to share. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The TL Serendipity newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Accounting/Billing/Time Capture | Backup/Media/Storage | Business Productivity/Word Processing | Coming Attractions | Dictation/OCR/Speech Recognition | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Law Office Management | Online/Cloud | Practice Management/Calendars | Privacy/Security | TL Serendipity

Don't Be a Stranger to Your Clients Plus 44 More Must-Reads

By Kathryn Hughes | Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Coming today to SmallLaw: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 45 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our SmallLaw Pick of the Week.

The 2-Minute Test That'll Help You Prioritize

Stop Your Clients' Buyer's Remorse

46 Expert Tips on Creating Viral Content

Defining and Finding Your Target Audience

Congratulations to Sally J. Schmidt of Attorney at Work on winning our SmallLaw Pick of the Week award: Don't Be a Stranger to Your Clients

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small law firm, big dreams. Written by successful small-firm founders, managing partners, administrators, and legal technology and practice management experts, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in solo practices and small law firms. Additionally, SmallLaw features comprehensive reviews of legal products with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles, podcasts, and videos about solo practices and small law firms. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Coming Attractions | Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | Law Office Management | SmallLaw

How to Get Outlook Notifications for Important Email Only Plus 51 More Must-Reads

By Kathryn Hughes | Monday, January 25, 2016

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 52 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week.

Gmail Folders v. Gmail Labels Explained

Review: Stilo (iPad Stylus)

Welcome to Surfacegate

The Agency Strikes Back

Congratulations to Lori Kaufman of How-To Geek on winning our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week award: How to Get Outlook Notifications for Important Email Only

How to Receive BlawgWorld
Our newsletters provide the most comprehensive coverage of both legal technology and mainstream technology of interest to the legal profession (e.g., monitors, smartphones, scanners, the iPad, and more). But not the only coverage. BlawgWorld enables you to stay on top of all the noteworthy legal and mainstream technology articles (and podcasts and videos) published elsewhere without having to hire a research assistant. Even when you're busy, you won't want to miss each issue's Pick of the Week. Please subscribe now.

Topics: BlawgWorld Newsletter | Coming Attractions | Email/Messaging/Telephony | Gadgets/Shredders/Office Gear | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Technology Industry/Legal Profession

Tabs3 Version 18 Streamlines Billing, Trust Accounting, and Payments

By Neil J. Squillante | Thursday, January 21, 2016

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers billing software designed to make billing your time and managing trust accounts easier (see article below), an email app for Android and iOS that integrates with Skype, a Dropbox alternative created specifically for law firms, and a security certification program for law firms. Don't miss the next issue.

Law firms face several conundrums. For example, your firm must bill time to generate revenue, but the administrative work involved in billing time consumes time. Also, retainers make it easier to get paid, but state bar compliance requirements make trust accounting an ethics minefield. Your legal billing software should minimize administrative overhead and risk.

Tabs3 Version 18 … in One Sentence

Launching this week, Tabs3 Version 18 is legal billing software that focuses on streamlining billing, trust accounting, and payments.

The Killer Feature

Tabs3 now automates payment from trust accounts. You can set up this feature so that it complies with your state's ethics rules. For example, you can apply payments to current work and accounts receivable or just one.

While you can print checks, Tabs3 supports electronic funds transfer (EFT) for faster payment. You can combine multiple deposit, EFT, and check transactions into a single item for simplified reconciliation. However you combine them, Tabs3 tracks all transactions for reporting purposes. The bills you send clients show these automatic payments.

Other Notable Features

Tabs3 has also improved its reconciliation tools for bank accounts, trust accounts, and credit cards. The start screen enables you to enter interest and service fees for the month. You can then import transactions rather than enter them manually (most financial services companies offer transactions for download via your online account).

For trust accounts, Tabs3 offers a Three-Way Reconciliation report. Considered a best practice, this ensures that the bank balance, check register, and each client's trust account all match up. It's difficult to pull this off without software like Tabs3. Other new features include streamlined month-end procedures, greater flexibility in financial reporting, and improved fee and cost entry.

Tabs3 Connect, which offers secure access to Tabs3 from a smartphone and tablet, now supports macros. For example, if your firm sets up text macros in Tabs3, you can now use them in Tabs3 Connect. PracticeMaster, the company's practice management app, also sports new features. Chief among these, the new Fee Recap tool enables you to identify days with unbilled activities. PracticeMaster integrates with Tabs3.

What Else Should You Know?

Tabs3 offers a number of "strategic" integrations with third parties. With the new integration with ProPay, you can start accepting credit cards within minutes. ProPay offers low processing fees compared to other options for law firms, and a simpler payment process that obviates the need to ask your clients for credit card security codes (regulators frown on storing these). Other integrations include Chrometa, HotDocs, PenSoft, ScanSnap, Symphony OCR, and Worldox. Learn more about Tabs3 Version 18.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Accounting/Billing/Time Capture | TL NewsWire

Being Paperless in Trial Plus 49 More Must-Reads

By Kathryn Hughes | Thursday, January 21, 2016

Coming today to LitigationWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 50 articles from the past two weeks worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our LitigationWorld Pick of the Week.

Take a Pass on the Passive Voice

The End of Lawyers? Not So Fast

Chief Justice Roberts' 2015 Year-End Report

Ex-TV Newswoman Tells Plaintiffs' Tales

Congratulations to Ernie Svenson of Paperless Chase on winning our LitigationWorld Pick of the Week award: Being Paperless in Trial

How to Receive LitigationWorld
All practice areas evolve, but none faster than litigation. Written by successful litigators and other litigation experts, LitigationWorld provides you with practical tips related to electronic discovery, depositions, litigation strategy, litigation technology, and trial presentations. You'll also receive in-depth litigation product reviews as well as links to the most noteworthy articles in other online litigation publications so that you'll never miss anything. The LitigationWorld newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Coming Attractions | Litigation/Discovery/Trials | LitigationWorld

Big News; How to Convert Scans Into Word Documents; Reviews of FineReader, Surface Pro 4; Pixel Pitch

By Kathryn Hughes | Thursday, January 21, 2016

Today's issue of TL Serendipity contains these articles:

Neil Squillante, Big News: TL Serendipity Now Includes TL Answers

Roy Greenberg, How to Convert Scans Into a Word Documents; Review of ABBYY FineReader

Mark Olberding, Review: Surface Pro 4 in a Litigation Practice

Edward Zohn, Tip: Multiple Monitors and Pixel Pitch

Don't miss this issue — or any future issues.

How to Receive TL Serendipity
Our most serendipitous offering (hence its name), TL Serendipity consists of contributions by TechnoLawyer members who have important information to share. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The TL Serendipity newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Business Productivity/Word Processing | Coming Attractions | Dictation/OCR/Speech Recognition | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Monitors | TechnoLawyer | TL Serendipity

Tim Ferriss' Secret to Email Productivity Plus 50 More Must-Reads

By Kathryn Hughes | Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Coming today to SmallLaw: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 51 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our SmallLaw Pick of the Week.

Why I Gave Up My Home Office

Level Up Your Law Firm With Mastermind Groups

"Responsive Websites" What They Are and Why Your Business Needs One

Everybody's Talking About Content Marketing

Congratulations to Mike Renahan of HubSpot Blogs on winning our SmallLaw Pick of the Week award: Tim Ferriss' Secret to Email Productivity

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small law firm, big dreams. Written by successful small-firm founders, managing partners, administrators, and legal technology and practice management experts, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in solo practices and small law firms. Additionally, SmallLaw features comprehensive reviews of legal products with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles, podcasts, and videos about solo practices and small law firms. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Coming Attractions | Email/Messaging/Telephony | Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | Law Office Management | SmallLaw

Using Online Forms in Your Law Practice Plus 54 More Must-Reads

By Kathryn Hughes | Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 55 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week.

Review: Citrix ShareFile

154 Google Tips From Google Itself

Best Smartphones for Lawyers

Lawyer David Sparks Reviews Interact

Why I'm Warming Up to iPad Pro, Surface Pro

Congratulations to Greg McLawsen of NWSidebar on winning our BlawgWorld Pick of the Week award: Using Online Forms in Your Law Practice

How to Receive BlawgWorld
Our newsletters provide the most comprehensive coverage of both legal technology and mainstream technology of interest to the legal profession (e.g., monitors, smartphones, scanners, the iPad, and more). But not the only coverage. BlawgWorld enables you to stay on top of all the noteworthy legal and mainstream technology articles (and podcasts and videos) published elsewhere without having to hire a research assistant. Even when you're busy, you won't want to miss each issue's Pick of the Week. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Automation/Document Assembly/Macros | BlawgWorld Newsletter | Coming Attractions | Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets | Technology Industry/Legal Profession

Measure the Right Stuff Plus 50 More Must-Reads

By Kathryn Hughes | Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Coming today to SmallLaw: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 51 articles from the past week worthy of your attention. Below you'll find a sample article from each section of today's issue, including our SmallLaw Pick of the Week.

The State of the Legal Market (2016)

Ten Tips for Solo Practitioners

The Small Law Firm Success Story

Revisiting the Lawyer Business Card

Congratulations to Lee Rosen of Divorce Discourse on winning our SmallLaw Pick of the Week award: Measure the Right Stuff

How to Receive SmallLaw
Small law firm, big dreams. Written by successful small-firm founders, managing partners, administrators, and legal technology and practice management experts, SmallLaw provides practical advice on management, marketing, and technology issues in solo practices and small law firms. Additionally, SmallLaw features comprehensive reviews of legal products with accompanying TechnoScore ratings. SmallLaw also ensures that you won't miss anything published elsewhere by linking to helpful articles, podcasts, and videos about solo practices and small law firms. Please subscribe now.

Topics: Coming Attractions | Law Firm Marketing/Publications/Web Sites | Law Office Management | SmallLaw
 
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