{"id":19541,"date":"2021-06-03T17:03:38","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T21:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/?p=764699"},"modified":"2021-06-03T17:03:38","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T21:03:38","slug":"the-legal-tech-to-english-dictionary-law-practice-management-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/legal-innovation-center\/2021\/06\/03\/the-legal-tech-to-english-dictionary-law-practice-management-software\/","title":{"rendered":"The Legal Tech-To-English Dictionary: Law Practice Management Software"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Ed. note<\/u>: This is the second installment of The Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary, part of our Non-Event for Tech-Perplexed Lawyers<\/a>. Jared Correia is the host of the Non-Eventcast.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a term for when attorneys use Latin and other arcane languages to describe legal processes to consumers: \u201clegalese.\u201d<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s no similar term for when vendors use technical and other arcane languages to describe their legal software operations to lawyers.<\/p>\n

True, this dynamic may seem unfair. But now we have The Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary to help us cope.<\/p>\n

Read on for the second installment, where we translate legal practice management software-related topics to plain English.<\/p>\n

And for more commentary on legal tech, check out the Non-Eventcast in the\u00a0Law Practice Management Software<\/a>,\u00a0Legal Document Management Software<\/a>, and\u00a0Legal Operations Contract Lifecycle Management<\/a>\u00a0rooms at the Above the Law Non-Event.<\/p>\n

Law Practice Management Software<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. A database for managing law firm clients that organizes primary case information under matter files.
\n<\/span>2. A platform for systematizing client data collected from integrated systems via software integrations.
\n<\/span>3. Client files organized by email subfolders … in 2002.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyer 1:<\/span> I just bought a new law practice management software, and I\u2019m spending so much less time looking for everything because it\u2019s all in one place now!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Lawyer 2:<\/span> Yeah, you should see this Excel file I put together. It\u2019s <\/span>badass<\/span>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Lawyer 2:<\/span> Just … stop.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Cf. <\/span>Organization porn<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Relational Database<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. A software that recognizes relationships between segments of data.
\n<\/span>2. A system based on the relational model of data, created by Edgar F. Codd<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyer 1:<\/span> My relational database needs more custom fields.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Cf. Law practice management software<\/span><\/p>\n

Cf. <\/span>The Oracle of (Kevin) Bacon<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Client Portal<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. A software system feature that allows law firms to share certain data with clients via an in-system, encrypted holding container, which clients can access using a unique password or PIN (personal identification number).
\n<\/span>2. The means by which unwieldy assignments can seamlessly enter your workflow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyer 1:<\/span> The good news is that my clients can send me stuff via our portal. That\u2019s also the bad news.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Lawyer 2:<\/span><\/i> Ba-dum-cha<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyer 1: <\/span>Thanks. <\/span>I\u2019m here \u2018til Thursday. Try the veal.<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Cf. Online document drives, most of which are <\/span>de facto<\/span><\/i> customer portals, also allow users to share information with others in a secure format. <\/span>Google Drive<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Microsoft OneDrive<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Dropbox<\/span><\/a>, et al. offer such features. These can also be connected to law practice management software via integrations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cf. Like how in action movies, <\/span>there\u2019s always a portal with all these aliens coming in to invade the planet<\/span><\/a>. Honestly, I don\u2019t know which portal is worse: that one, or the one that drops a 90-page contract in your lap for review.<\/span><\/p>\n

Integration<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Connecting two softwares via an API (application programming interface) that allows each software system to share data with the other.
\n<\/span>2. Connecting two softwares via an intermediary program (like <\/span>Zapier<\/span><\/a>) so that the two programs can share data without the need of an API.
\n<\/span>3. A primary reason modern practice management software can be life-changing, particularly for those currently using a combination of dictation machines, hard-copy markups, and <\/span>the Logo turtle.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cf. Linking a law practice management software to a productivity software (email, calendar) allows users to sync emails, events and tasks with client files within the law practice management software, cementing that program as a holistic solution for law firm data management. Linking an accounting program to a law practice management software allows users to push expense and invoice data into the accounting program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Business Intelligence<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. A method for collecting and aggregating data into a digestible format that allows software users to make data-driven business decisions.
\n<\/span>2. Reports generated from software systems focused on specific business metrics, including key performance indicators.
\n<\/span>3. You know, pretty much everything your law school neglected to tell you about. But, hey: You still know what the Rule Against Perpetuities is!<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyer 1:<\/span> How\u2019s your P&L statement looking for the last quarter?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Lawyer 2:<\/span> Uh. Um. <\/span><\/em>Res Ipsa Loquitur<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawyer 1:<\/span> Say what?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Cf. NOT the <\/span>Edsel<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the second installment of The Legal Tech-to-English Dictionary, part of our Non-Event for Tech-Perplexed Lawyers<\/a>. Read the first installment here<\/a>. <\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Jared Correia, a consultant and legal technology expert, is the host of the Non-Eventcast, the featured podcast of the Above the Law Non-Event for Tech-Perplexed Lawyers.\u00a0<\/i><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Read on for the second installment, where we translate legal practice management software-related topics to plain English.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136517,"featured_media":431235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[20,8456,351,3277,1292,9236,329,8849,9002,359,7],"class_list":["post-19541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-atl-non-event","tag-automation","tag-jared-correia","tag-legal-operations","tag-legal-tech-to-english-dictionary","tag-legal-technology","tag-non-event","tag-non-eventcast","tag-practice-management","tag-technology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Legal Tech-To-English Dictionary: Law Practice Management Software - Above The Law's Legal Tech Non-Event<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/abovethelaw.com\/legal-innovation-center\/2021\/06\/03\/the-legal-tech-to-english-dictionary-law-practice-management-software\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Legal Tech-To-English Dictionary: Law Practice Management Software - 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