Hard Facts and Easy Answers: The ABA Legal Technology Survey Report and How MerusCase Measures Up

Those of you in the legal profession may already be familiar with the results from last year's ABA Legal Technology Survey Report, and the noticeable jump in percentage of lawyers making the move to cloud-based software and services after flat lining for some years. In my last post I mentioned that the legal industry has been somewhat slow to catch up with other industries in embracing technology, but last year's survey shows a promising trend that lawyers are warming up to the cloud. In light of a recent and glowing review of MerusCase by JurisPage titled "MerusCase Review: You've Never Seen Law Firm Case Management Software Do This," I'd like to highlight some of the key trends and biggest concerns still preventing lawyers from making the move to the cloud, and how MerusCase measures up.

According to the results of the survey, the percentage of lawyers who made the move to cloud-based software increased from 21% to 31% from 2012 to 2013. Of those already using cloud-based software for practice management, 40% are solo practitioners, 36% are firms with 10 members or less, 30% are firms with 10-49 lawyers, and 19% are firms with 100 or more lawyers. In line with the 10% increase in adoption of cloud-based software, the survey showed an upswing in use of smartphones and tablets, with 91% of lawyers using smartphones and 48% using tablets for everything from e-mail, calendar, and contacts to expense tracking and document creation.

When asked what they considered the most beneficial features of cloud-based software to manage their practice, responses, predictably, followed the same trend as previous years: convenient accessibility from anywhere via a web browser (74%); 24/7 availability (63%); affordability, including low cost of adoption and predictable monthly expense (56%); ease of use and reduced learning curve (44%); and reducing or eliminating the need for IT staff (41%). Here's how MerusCase measures up:

 ✔  Cloud-based practice management software accessible from anywhere on any device with Internet
 ✔  Available 24/7 with service level history of 99.95% server uptime
 ✔  Affordable pricing with significant discounts for long-term agreements
 ✔  Best support team in the industry with unlimited phone, email and on-site training

Not surprisingly, confidentiality and security were the biggest concerns shared by all who participated in the survey, followed by losing control of their data and possibility of the vendor closing shop. Among lawyers who have never used the cloud, they cited unfamiliarity with the technology and costs as additional concerns in moving to the cloud. Here's how MerusCase has you covered:

 ✔  The only practice management software system that is fully HIPAA compliant
 ✔  SSL encryption
 ✔  Instant and automated system-wide backup of data and documents
 ✔  Detailed, step-by-step End of Life Mitigation Plan for retrieval of your data

When asked what core functionality is most important in a practice management system, time tracking and billing was cited as the most important. Case and matter management, document management, contact management and calendaring also topped the list. Here's how MerusCase measures up:

 ✔  MerusCase has all the above features, and because I, too, can't spend thousands of words listing every unique feature      that's custom tailored for Merus users, here are some of the quotes from the review...

"MerusCase absolutely has features you won't find with other law firm case management software. I realize I can't spend 2000 words just listing every feature MerusCase has..."

"For the dozen or so players in the space, no one seems to be doing this. Absolutely a great feature for any firm practicing within multiple practice areas."

"MerusCase is the only platform that does this—they're the only case management software company that gives you a custom layout and interface based on the type of case/client you're dealing with."