Office Closure: Memorial Day Holiday

Our office will be closed in observance of the Memorial Day holiday on Monday, May 30th, 2016. If you have any questions, feel free to contact pr@meruscase.com.

Have a great weekend!
The Merus Team

Version 4.05 (Saturn) Release Notes

To view which version of MerusCase you are on, navigate to your Tools & Settings and choose "About MerusCase" from the bottom of the list. If you firm is on MerusCase version 4.05, expect to see the following updates throughout the week. We have a staggered roll out schedule towards MerusCase version 4.0 put in place to ensure a smooth transition for all firms, so if your firm is not on this version yet, expect to see these updates within the next coming weeks! 

If you're interested in reading about our full set of updates for version 4.05, feel free to read the release notes below:

Activities

• Linked activities that have been deleted or unlinked will no longer appear in related cases
• Improved behavior for creating and viewing activities that are linked to related cases

Billing Contacts

• Better control over which rates and settings get overwritten when changing a Billing Contact's rates and settings, or changing a case's assigned Billing Contact

 Calendar & Events

• Event view is properly updated when saving a recurring event
• Show Past Events and Show Future Events Only widgets are now shown even when there are no events to show

 Case Files 

• Generate Caption from Party List widget creates a proper caption
• Form Receipt # link in Immigration cases is now a link to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website
• Party ordering is fixed 
• Applicant people type can now be assigned to multiple parties on single case
• Secondary Applicant is no longer used as part of the case file's name
• If you want your Secondary Applicant parties to be used as part of the case file's name, change the people type to Applicant

 Case Ledgers

• Better handling of entries with fractional pennies
• Improved behavior when editing existing entries
• Ability to view a case ledger in Firefox

 Contacts

• Avatar controls have been turned back on

 Documents

• Default priority for notification message when linking documents to a case is now Normal instead of Low

 Forms

• Improved behavior when merging forms
• QME Replacement Reason is now a dropdown selector

 Injuries

• No Statute Set widget no longer shown after a statute has been set

 Messages

• Improved performance when composing a message with inline images or that is part of long conversation/thread
• Conversation contents are available through the ellipsis widget
• Do not send notifications preference now available
• Case name is no longer retained after removing the case association from a forwarded message

 Party Groups

• Better behavior when changing group names and colors

 Reports

• A/R: Payments Received now shows total, and honors firm preference for case file number to display

 Tasks

• Related tasks are no longer modified when the Change all Related Tasks checkbox is unchecked
• No longer showing warning about related tasks when marking a task complete

 Workflows

• Workflows now have a Description
• Workflows list can now be searched and sorted

 Miscellaneous

• General improvements to system performance
• Color pickers no longer display as a swatch of a single color
• Better behavior of the Sweet Caroline theme
• Improved display of date picker widgets

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Feature Focus: Damages

The Merus team is always looking for new ways to enhance, improve, and perfect MerusCase to be as awesome as possible. We recently released MerusCase version 4.0, but that doesn’t mean our engineering team has stopped working... We've actually just finished developing the new Damages feature, and we think you're going to love it!

The Damages feature in MerusCase can be used by all case types and allows attorney's to keep track of both costs and damages associated with a case, such as police reports, medical reports, mileage, emotional distress, lost wages, and so much more. This tool is great to use when drafting a final demand letter or for use in valuing the case and negotiating settlements.

To locate the Damages tab:

1. Open up any existing case,
2. Click on the the $ tab, and
3. Select Damages in the dropdown menu.

From here, you'll be able to view any line items already created and, if you wish to create a new one, you can easily add it from this screen.

Have you had a chance to use this feature yet? Let us know in the comments below!

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This post was written by Alisha Chakravarty, member of the Merus team.

Wellness, Wealth, and Wisdom: an Unconference for Women Lawyers

Shape the Law is hosting it's first unconference for women lawyers on April 29th, 2016 in San Francisco, and MerusCase will be in attendance! This particular event will focus on wellness, wealth, and wisdom, and will feature incredible speakers, such as Jeena Cho, Alexandra Devendra, Laura Maechtlen, and Mary Redzic (all women that you don't want to miss out on meeting while you're there).

Wondering what exactly an "unconference" is? From the Shape the Law website:

"What is an unconference? It's a participant-driven meeting that emphasizes the informal exchange of information and ideas, rather than following a conventionally structured program of events. Instead of having predetermined speakers or session topics, the participants shape the agenda themselves at the beginning of the unconference and share information and ideas in a more decentralized fashion. It's a way to foster and boost the impact of 'hallway magic.'"

Interested in attending? Tickets are selling fast, so be sure to register today!

P.S. We'll be hosting an all-day photo booth at the event, so feel free to come have your professional headshot taken by our Marketing team, Marissa and Alisha. :-)

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This post was written by Marissa Vessels, member of the Merus team.

You're Invited: MerusCase April Office Hours

Event Description

MerusCase is excited to announce our first-ever Office Hours event!

In honor of Lawyer Appreciation Month, join us for an evening of drinks, networking, and the chance to talk one-on-one with the MerusCase team about everything from getting started to troubleshooting your specific use case at MerusCase HQ. At this event, you'll have the opportunity to share your best practices with other Merus users, speak directly with the team that builds MerusCase, and make feature requests for future releases.

Click here to register to attend!

Date: April 28th, 2016

Location: 1771 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612. Merus HQ is conveniently located near the 19th St. Oakland BART station at the corner of 19th and Broadway.

Agenda

• 6:30 - 7:00pm: Networking, food, and drinks.
• 7:00 - 7:30pm: ~Surprise Activity~
• 7:30 - 8:30pm: Networking, sharing your success with MerusCase, hands-on support and troubleshooting available with the MerusCase support team.

Questions? Email pr@meruscase.com or call us at 510-550-5700!

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This post was written by Marissa Vessels, member of the Merus team.

Join MerusCase at the All-Ohio Legal Forum!

MerusCase will be exhibiting at the OSBA Annual meeting (newly-renamed All-Ohio Legal Forum) from April 27th to April 29th at the Duke Convention Center in Cincinnati, OH. We’ve revamped our booth, our software, and we’re ready to share what we’ve got with Ohio! Stop by Booth #19 to say hello to Max, and don't forget to enter the raffle to win a Roku 4 from MerusCase!

In case you were wondering, the All Ohio Legal Forum is a place for members of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) to gather and earn up to 13.5 CLE credits, listen to the panel of symposium speakers, network with other legal professionals, and check out all of the new legal tech and law-related companies, including Merus. There will even been a special Battle of the Bands event where you can watch the past OSBA and OSBF presidents rock out with their bands!

Don’t miss out on all the fun and register today on the All-Ohio Legal Forum website. A special registration fee is available for young lawyers along with a special networking event.

We hope to see you there! Are you already attending? Let us know to keep an eye out for you in the comments below.

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This post was written by Alisha Chakravarty, a member of the Merus team.

Join Merus During Lawyer Appreciation Month And Get 20% off All Associated Fees*

We know you work hard, so here's the deal:

April 12th is Be Kind to Lawyers Day but, here at MerusCase, we believe that you deserve so much more than a single day, which is why we've dubbed the entire month of April "Lawyer Appreciation Month."

For all you deserving lawyers out there, we're honored to express our appreciation by offering a deep discount on MerusCase for new firms during the month of April: 20% off of everything; training, data migration, annual licensing for the first year, and more. Everything you need to get your firm up and running on MerusCase.

Don't miss out on this awesome deal, this promotion is only available for eligible firms through the month of April 2016! Click the button below to learn more.

*MerusCase Offer Terms and Conditions apply. Users who have previously or are currently subscribed to MerusCase or who have taken a trial or demo are ineligible for this offer.

Happy Pi Day!

Just a quick note to say Happy Pi Day—we hope that it's irrationally delightful!

P.S. Here are some fun facts about Pi that you probably didn't know.

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23rd Annual DWC Educational Conference in Oakland

Will you be at the 23rd Annual DWC Educational Conference in Oakland? The MerusCase team will be there (and we'd love to meet you)! On March 3rd through 4th, stop by Booth #63 at the Oakland Marriott City Center to hang out with Marissa and Alisha.

If you aren’t already registered but are interested in attending, you can find the ‘Conference Registration’ form on the DWC Educational Conference website. Psst -- you can also benefit from attending this conference by receiving continuing education credits!

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23rd Annual DWC Educational Conference Los Angeles, CA

MerusCase will be exhibiting at the 23rd Annual Division of Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference this year!

This is the largest DWC conference in California held to educate those in the field about the most current topics and issues. Prominent DWC presenters will be speaking and leading discussions on confronting claims administrator's, medical providers, attorneys, rehabilitation counselors, and all others involved in workers’ compensation. Several exhibitors in the field will be attending as well, including us! You won’t want to miss out.

What: DWC Educational Conference Los Angeles, CA. (Find the full conference program including agenda, presenters, discussions, and more, here.)

Where: LAX Marriott (5855 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA)

When: February 25-26, 2016

Already going? Awesome! Stop by our booth for a demo of MerusCase or just to say hello! You will find Brian Milanese at Booth #7 in the Imperial Ballroom.

If you are interested in attending, you can find the ‘Conference Registration’ form on the DWC Educational Conference website. Psst -- you can also benefit from attending this conference by receiving continuing education credits! 

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Get 3 Months Free When You Switch to MerusCase*

Tired of your current legal practice management system? Time for a break up?

Switch to MerusCase and get 3 months of free service!*

No nonsense and no hidden fees, just 100% practice management perfection. Ready to give us a shot? Click the button below to let us know you're as interested as we are! But don't wait to cash in on this awesome deal, this promotion is only available to eligible firms during the month of February 2016.

*MerusCase 90-Day Free Trial Offer Terms and Conditions apply. Users who have previously or are currently subscribed to MerusCase or who have taken a trial are ineligible for this offer.

CAAA 2016 Winter Convention [Booth #78]

Join us at the CAAA 2016 Winter Convention! This year the convention will be taking place January 21st - January 24th at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA. You can find us at Booth #78 in the Ambassador Ballroom. Hope to see you there!

The CAAA is celebrating 50 years of serving those who have been injured on the job! This event has been put together to provide the best in Workers Compensation education. It will include three days of panels, workshops, networking opportunities, and a special gala to honor their 50th anniversary! Come and join in on discussions about the Dahl or Stevens cases, the pitfalls of UR/IMR system, and AMA guides. If you're interested in attending this event, please visit CAAA 2016 Winter Convention Registration for more information. 

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Happy Holidays

No matter which tree, table, or fireplace you're gathering around this week, we wish you a warm and happy holidays from our family to yours!

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CWCDAA Summer 2015 Conference

Will you be at the 2015 California Worker's Compensation Defense Attorneys' Association Annual Summer Conference? We'll be there (and we'd love to meet you)!

On May 28th through 31st, stop by Booth #21 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to hang out with Brian and Max. As always, we'll be live-tweeting the event (@meruscase) and would love to connect.

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MerusCase + Google I/O 2015

At MerusCase, we're constantly striving to enhance and evolve the legal industry by building amazing software and providing quality service.

In March of this year, we were one of a small handful of companies selected to showcase innovative technology at Verizon's Innovation Event in New York City. Just a month later, in April, we made our first appearance at ABA Techshow, an event which connects lawyers with the best that technology has to offer for legal professionals. As the next step in our continued journey towards bringing innovative technology to law firms everywhere, we will be attending Google I/O at the Moscone Center in San Francisco later this week!

Google I/O is an event which brings together some of the greatest minds in technology to both learn from and inspire each other to build great things. During the event, our engineering team will be participating in innovative sessions as well as brainstorming with tech leaders to better address the challenges our customers face on their journey towards embracing legal technology. For Merus, this is not only an opportunity for us to work with some of the best in the industry, it's also a chance to share what we have learned with the greater tech community. As leaders in the tech space, we believe that sharing our experiences is an integral part of growing a better and healthier community, which can be accomplished by employing shared knowledge and open communication in solving today's most pressing challenges.

That said, we have big plans for MerusCase in 2015 and beyond. One small example of what we have in store is that, earlier this year, we introduced enhanced functionality for immigration law. With these enhancements came new features, such as the ability to store multiple addresses, employment history, and increased support for international data. We've also introduced Case Packet functionality in order to organize the document needed for filing particular types of immigration cases, which streamlines the workflow of cases from start to finish. As we march forward towards MerusCase 4.0, a major milestone for our company, we look forward to continuing to improve the way you practice law by providing you with the tools you need to be a superior lawyer. 

Thank you all for your continued feedback and support - we can't wait to show you what we plan to roll out in the near future!

P.S. If you'll be attending Google I/O, be sure to connect with me on Twitter! Not able to attend? You can always join the live stream at google.com/io!

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This post was written by Dion Ridley, Chief Technology Officer at MerusCase.