In a post here in April, I wrote about the imminent launch of Virtual Law Clinic, a product designed to make it easier for law firms and legal organizations to manage their pro bono matters, enabling them to assign matters to lawyers, monitor case statuses, document outcomes, and provide training materials and forms.
Now that it has launched, its developer, Theory and Principle, the legal technology design and development company, has just rolled out its first major upgrade based on feedback from early adopters.
This new release adds:
- Lawyer timekeeping.
- Integration with legal aid case management system Legal Server.
- SMS chat with clients.
- Bulk import of matters.
- Export of closed matters.
The new features, says Theory and Principle CEO Nicole Bradick, are focused on the two major goals of the platform:
- Reducing the administrative burden on pro bono coordinators at law firms and non-profits organizations.
- Making it easier for lawyers to provide pro bono legal services.
The Legal Server integration and bulk import features will make it easier for pro bono coordinators and administrators to move matters into Virtual Law Clinic from whatever case management system they use, Bradick said. The timekeeping and export features will simplify reporting.
For pro bono lawyers, the new text messaging feature will allow them to text from a number owned by the organization, rather than from their personal devices, and will maintain records of all text communications.
