You should know that the v1.0 release of aLawPractice.com (ALP) is focused on Solos. That is not to say that we have not already designed and implemented features for small and mid size law firms (multiple attorneys, not to mention legal staff). The ALP database and security design has many features to support multi-attorney firms such as matter sharing. However, as our software product management cycle progresses we are increasingly focused on the set of functionality that a Solo Practitioner needs to stand on their own.
We at Legal SaaS recognize that in this challenged economy the fledgling Solos are those in greatest need of assistance. We see many JDs recently graduated and having successfully completed their bar exam, but still without a job offer. We see seasoned attorneys launching new Solo Practices (and not all on their own volition) after many years at larger firms. We see attorneys electing to have their own independent practice but banding together with like minded attorneys in loose coalitions. There is a great need for Solos to be able to manage their matters with a minimum of overhead (e.g. IT support).
The design of aLawPractice.com incorporates components required for Solos, who often do not lease office space. The ability to access matters, contacts, etc. whenever, wherever the attorney needs to practice law is fundamental to ALP. Our solution allows the Solo to have a virtual law office without being tied down to the location of the server. Recognizing that many Solos prefer iPhones we have focused our initial smartphone development on this device. We think it is more important to deliver a core set of functionality on the iPhone than to develop a subset for multiple devices.
But you are not a Solo? ALP may still be the best choice for you. The minimum set of functionality to support a Solo Practice is also needed for attorneys in your firm. We are scheduling our next release in Q2 2010 to include selective matter sharing across attorneys, conflict detection, attorney based backup and recovery (hopefully we will also be able to tackle the Blackberry). Help us drive this development in our next release by subscribing now.