We’re most appreciative of the efforts put forth by the Legal Files team, and we’re excited about what our new Legal Files system can do for us.
When Matthew Jordan arrived in New Jersey’s Passaic County Counsel office, it was still a “pencil to paper” operation. “A spreadsheet was being used to track numerous pieces of information related to litigation,” Jordan recalled. “We have hundreds of contracts, and data was not easily or quickly accessible because anyone in the office might have the pertinent file. Everyone did store documents to a single folder on the network, but everyone had their own naming conventions—it didn’t make it easy to find what you were looking for.”
As chief legal advisor to the county government, Jordan is responsible for providing legal advice, representation and assistance to the Board of Chosen County Commissioners and all county departments. He and his team also oversee all litigation in which the county is a party and reviews all contracts and resolutions adopted by the county. Needless to say, a staggering number of files, documents, emails and other case information need to be managed efficiently.
The County Counsel Office, in conjunction with the County’s IT department, began efforts to identify and purchase a centralized, electronic system to eliminate what the department’s Micah Hassinger called an organizational “hodgepodge.” Legal Files, a case and best matter management system developed by Legal Files Software, Inc., quickly became a leading a candidate. Widely used by numerous agencies at all levels of government throughout both the U.S. and Canada, Legal Files was clearly “the best fit for us,” he said.
A team consisting of people from the County and Legal Software worked together to successfully install and implement the County Counsel’s new Legal Files system. In addition to the licensing of its software, Legal Files Software, Inc. provided implementation assistance, project management and training during the project. The company’s in-house support team is providing maintenance and support for the system.
With a proven technology built over the last 30 years, Legal Files provides the County Counsel Office with the ability to track all types of cases, including litigated and non-litigated matters. All relevant case data is now electronically stored in a centralized location, providing quick access and up-to-date information to those who need it. Since the system also provides robust functionality and flexibility, it has eliminated the need for disparate methods or systems to manage distinct types of cases, files or projects.
“We’re most appreciative of the efforts put forth by the Legal Files team,” Hassigner said, “and we’re excited about what our new Legal Files system can do for us.”