In a separate post today, I wrote about major product announcements made today by the law practice management company Clio during its annual Clio Cloud Conference in Nashville. In addition to those announcements, Clio highlighted a number of updates and enhancements to its existing products, some of which had already been announced over the course of the year. Here is a round-up of those updates.
Updates to Clio Grow
Updates announced today to Clio Grow, Clio’s client intake and client relationship management software, were:
- Automated workflows. While Clio Grow already enabled users to automate document and email creation for prospects and clients, this new feature allows users the ability to automatically trigger steps in their intake process in a predetermined sequence, which Clio says will enable users to more quickly intake clients with less effort.
- Google’s Local Services Ads for Clio. First announced in August, Clio Grow now integrates with Google’s Local Services Ads to allow law firms to sign up for and manage their accounts from directly within Clio Grow. With the integration, a law firm can sign up for a Local Services Ads account, manage its account, set up and run ad campaigns, capture new leads, and measure campaign performance, all from within Clio Grow.
- Automated text messaging. Last year at ClioCon, Clio introduced text messaging, enabling users to exchange text messages with clients without having to use their personal phone numbers. Now, Clio is enabling automated text messages, meaning they can be sequenced to be delivered on a schedule. For example, you can send appointment details through a text, then send a reminder two days before, then another an hour before.
Updates to Clio Manage
Updates to Clio Manage, Clio’s core practice management platform, the legal industry’s most widely-used cloud-based legal practice management software.
- Matter stages. Matter Stages, first introduced in July, are Kanban-style visual boards that show legal work in progress, giving users high-level oversight of the open cases throughout the firm. Users can create stages by practice area, add matters to specific stages, and easily move matters between stages to track matter progress.
- Matter templates. Matter Templates are designed to make it easier to create a new matter by providing pre-built, step-by-step guides. In a few clicks, Clio says, new matters can be populated from a set of custom templates.
- Email capabilities. While Clio already integrated with Gmail and Outlook, it says that users can now use them to send emails directly from Clio Manage. Users will be able to send emails using the same email address they use with Gmail or Outlook, without leaving the Clio platform.
- Clio for Clients now available in Spanish. The Clio client app, Clio for Clients, is now available in Spanish for both desktop and mobile, enabling law firms to communicate and share resources through the portal with Spanish-speaking clients.
- Clio mobile app. Clio has updated its mobile app with new functionality in case management, document uploading, and billing. This includes the ability to create new matters and edit existing matters directly within the app and add or change matter details, custom fields, matter permissions, and billing details. The app also now includes a document scanner, a complete list of bills, and voice-command functionality via Apple’s Siri voice assistant.
- Apple Pay and Google Pay. Clio now allows law firms to accept payments from clients using Apple Pay and Google Pay. Clio says it is the only legal practice management provider in the United States that offers Apple Pay and Google Pay functionality.
- Tap-to-pay. Clio’s mobile app can now be used as a mobile, tap-to-pay point of sale solution, allowing lawyers to access bills within the app and then have clients hold their credit or debit card to the mobile device to complete the transaction.
Updates to Lawyaw
Updates to document automation software Lawyaw include:
- Questionnaires. Lawyaw Questionnaires allow users to create and share fillable forms or questionnaires with clients. Responses are then mapped to court forms or document templates. This simplifies the process of gathering client information and filling out forms, both for clients and firms, Clio says.
- Lawyaw New York State Bar Association Contact Packages. Clio said it now has an exclusive technology partnership with the New York State Bar Association to service Surrogate Court form products and will soon offer members access to NYSBA recommended forms and templates. This will become available to members of the New York State Bar Association in early 2024, Clio said.
