The Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons Selected Legal Files Software for Legal Case Management
Organizations that handle diverse types of cases need flexible case management software
Many law firms and non-profit organizations handle a variety of legal matters and case types. As a result, these entities have unique legal case management needs. They require software that not only provides efficiency and organization, but also flexibility and versatility.
The Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons selected Legal Files Software to replace its outdated system, because the software offers the ability to handle all types of cases from multiple locations.
The Society of Counsel provides legal representation in a wide variety of matters
The Society of Counsel was a private, non-profit public defense law firm with multiple offices in Washington State. Since 1976, the organization had been providing quality legal representation to indigent residents of King County, serving more than 13,000 clients each year.
The organization represented indigent minors accused of misdemeanor and felony offenses, as well as parents and minors in abuse and neglect cases. The Society of Counsel had also contracted with the county to provide criminal public defender services. In addition, the Society of Counsel provided mentoring and legal representation to minority youths who were at risk of detention.
In 2009, the Society of Counsel started looking for legal case management software designed for public defenders. It wanted to replace its existing system which offered limited functionality. Since it provided such a wide variety of services, the organization needed a legal case management system that would offer the flexibility and functionality required to manage numerous types of cases.
As the organization looked at software systems, Legal Files Software stood out for its ability to handle any type of case and provide users with remote access to data from any location. After evaluating several options, the organization selected Legal Files Software. According to Administrative Manager Melanie Oberlander, “Legal Files Software was the right choice for us because it’s extremely customizable and it meets our many and diverse needs.”
Legal Files Software provided the flexibility necessary to stand the test of time
The Society of Counsel implemented Legal Files Software to handle document assembly software, legal document managment, legal calendaring, and case history tracking. Since Legal Files Software integrates with Microsoft Office applications, the software fit easily into the organization’s existing technical environment. The Society of Counsel saw increased productivity and efficiency in lawyer case management and reporting.
“Legal Files provided us a way to work together on our cases, while minimizing duplicate documents and effort,” Oberlander said. “We had the ability to track statistics that we never could before, thereby helping provide even better service to our clients.”
The Society of Counsel also praised Legal Files Software for its flexibility. The legal case management software enabled users to build an unlimited number of templates that correspond to different matter types. Users also created custom windows and attached them to the files where unique information had to be tracked. These capabilities were invaluable to the busy organization.
The flexibility that Legal Files Software provides became even more important after the Society of Counsel merged with the King County Department of Defense. The Legal Files Software team ensured a seamless transition during the merger, and the software system is still in use today at the organization – now called the King County Department of Public Defense.