A Unique Perspective on Legal IT Solutions

For the last decade and a half, I have been on the technology side of the legal world as an applications specialist with Advanced Legal Systems, Inc., a legal technology solutions and managed services provider.  However, when I started with Advanced Legal, I knew nothing about IT; more about that later.  I began my foray into the legal industry almost 30 years ago.  Having spent my late teens and 20s as a professional ballet dancer, injuries forced me to retire.  With no workplace skills and no insurance, I had to find a “real job”.

I began as a file clerk at a large multi-purpose defense firm.  I soon worked my way through docketing, new business, project assistant and finally to paralegal.  When the Labor & Employment department from that firm decided to create their own boutique firm, I went with them.  I later went in-house to the legal department of a large corporation.  Suffice it to say, I have had exposure to a variety of legal environments over the years.

During this time, legal technology developed from Windows folder structures to sophisticated document management systems; hand-written time sheets to time and billing software; reviewing hard copies of discovery to on-premise and hosted e-Discovery platforms.  In short, over the course of 15 years as an end user in law firm environments, I watched legal technology solutions mature significantly.

Eventually, I came to feel I had gone as far as I could as a paralegal and was looking for a change.  But I wanted to stay involved in the legal industry in some way.  Enter Advanced Legal.

While I had been exposed to a slew of legal software platforms and could quickly learn almost any application put in front of me, I had absolutely no knowledge of hardware, systems or networking.  Luckily for me that wasn’t what they were looking for.  The CEO, Scott Randall, (who had been a Systems Administrator in a large law firm before creating Advanced Legal) realized there was something missing under the umbrella of services they were providing to their clients.  They checked all the boxes on the technical front, but what was lacking was someone who had been in the end users’ shoes and understood how law firms operate from A to Z.  My experience on the one side of the coin brought with it, unbeknownst to me, a skill set that would prove to fill a gap in services on the other.

I became a software trainer and tester specific to how each department or position would use the tools.  I would provide insight into how one software may work better than another for a firm based on their individual workflow, practice areas and needs.  I could impart knowledge to the technicians on the day in the life of any given user, depending on their position in the firm, to help them better customize their approach and service.  I only mention all of this because I want you to understand how I got here and how it relates to Advanced Legal Systems being not just another IT managed services provider, but rather a legal professional team.

Focusing solely on IT solutions for law firms, Advanced Legal provides a distinct array of services for our clients.  In addition to comprehensive managed services packages that include network device monitoring, applications and systems support help desk, we specialize in tailor-made environments to best suit your individual business needs.  Whether it be custom financial reporting through SSRS, integrating your front office platform with your back office, or creating specific applications-based training courses for your users on our learning management system; Advanced Legal covers all of your technology demands.

As partners with a number of legal solutions software vendors such as iManage (document management systems), VMWare (virtual desktops), Mimecast (email security), DUO (dual-factor network authentication), Ring Central (IP phone, fax, conferencing, and instant messaging), and Microsoft, we have full-spectrum support capabilities for a wide range of legal workflow automation options.  Our support techs are certified in Datto, our help desk ticketing and monitoring system, and in SIRIS, our data backup solution.

Our LegalCloud™ IAAS/virtual desktops solution provides a private cloud platform that allows secure remote access to your data without the internal infrastructure overhead.  Advanced Legal hosts your data on our servers, located in a world-leading data center, with backups replicated across multiple locations for disaster recovery and business continuance purposes.

Since joining Advanced Legal Systems I’ve learned a lot about the technical side, out of fascination, and out of necessity to be able to better support my teammates.  I’ve seen advancements in legal workflow automation, communication systems, and remote environment options that have revolutionized the industry.  For me, it has been the best of both worlds.  I’m still helping people who need expert legal advice get it, just in a different way.  Better still, when I think back to the days of preparing garnishment forms in carbon triplicate on a manual typewriter or using colored mylar tabs to flag production documents by issue in a raft of 4 inch binders, I realize I made the right choice to make the switch to the technology side of the industry.  Being able to help someone be more productive and confident with the technology, and get through their day with less stress, is incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.

If you are a law firm that is thinking of upping your IT game in any way, or just need some technological “calm” in your environment, I hope you’ll contact us to see what we can do to achieve that goal for you.