2011 Practice Management Annual Conference

2011 Practice Management Annual Conference

10 Features You Didn’t Know Existed in PCLaw

Presentation by:Barbara Brown & Carie Anne Kowalewski

September 24, 2011

22011 Practice Management Annual CIC Conference

Introduction

Barbara Brown• Worked with PCLaw for over 23

years

• Started with Alumni Computer Group; PCLaw CIC

• Located in Canada; Clients throughout North America

• Implementations; Templates;Ebilling Solutions; Training firms to use PCLaw effectively

• [email protected]

Carie Anne Kowalewski• CIC for 12 years

• Time Matters, Billing Matters & PCLaw CIC

• Located in New Jersey, New York & Atlanta; Clients nationwide

• Consulting, Customization, Training, & on-going Support

• [email protected]


Agenda

Introduction

1.Customizing PCLaw for your Users

2.Easily Editing Fonts & Font Sizes in Templates

3.Creating Pre-Bills using Matter Billing Format

4.Enabling Advanced Security (V11)

5.Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)

6.Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)

7.Importing Holidays (V11)

8.Saving Outlook Emails

9.SQL Version: Populating billing data into other applications (e.g Time Matters, HotDocs, Web Services, etc.)

10.SQL Version: Advanced Reporting

Questions


Toolbar

Customizing PCLaw for a PCLaw User

QuickStep

Hot Keys


Customizing PCLaw for your Users

Add/Remove Pre-Set Icons on the Toolbar

• Select: Toolbar Options

• Select: Add or Remove Buttons

• Select: PCLaw Toolbar



• Select: Category & Command

• Click & Drag Command to Toolbar

In the Commands tab:

• Select: Customize the toolbar



• Use Hot Keys – CTRL+ S, CTRL+P etc –to quickly access PCLaw functions with your hands on the keyboard

• Default Hot Keys – PCLaw Menu

Add your own Hot Keys



Add your own Hot Keys:

• Select: Toolbar Options

• Select: Add or Remove Buttons

• Select: Customize the toolbar



In the Keyboard tab:

• Select the Category

• Select the Command

• Enter the new shortcut key

• And select Assign

The Hot Key is now assigned to the function.



Customizing QuickStep

• Right click in Quickstep and select Add a Button

• Select Menu Options in subsequent menus until you select a function

• Add PCLaw functions to QuickStep



Add Applications to QuickStep using the Application Launcher



• Add a Program

• Add an Icon

• And other relevant information



• Add buttons for other standard programs


Using a Text Editor to change fonts and font sizes

Easily Editing Fonts & Font Sizes in Templates



Change Fonts & Font Sizes in a Text Editor

• StatData

• Open the template file in Notepad



Font Name• Use the Replace function

Font Size


System Settings

Creating Pre-Bills using Matter Billing Format



Default pre-bill format – all matters

Options > System Settings > Billing



Options > System Settings > Billing

Remove Pre-Bill Template

Matter billing template will be used for Pre-Bills


What?Enabling Advanced Security (V11)

When?How?


Enabling Advanced Security (V11)

• Implement strong passwords

What is Advanced Security?

Advanced Security gives you the ability to

• Apply expiration intervals to passwords

• Allow users to change their own passwords

• Allow the PCLaw Administrator to force users to change their passwords



• With PCLaw Mobility

When would you use Advanced Security?

• To take advantage of strong passwords and other features of Advanced Security without using PCLaw Mobility



• Login as PCLaw User “ADMIN”

How to enable?

• Navigate to Options > Administrators > Security Preferences

• Select ‘Enable Advanced Security’



How to enable? Options > Administrators >Security

•Set Strong Password

• For Mobility

At least 8 characters

Both UPPER and lower caseA number or symbol or both

No discernible part of PCLaw USER name

Password must be changed within a defined period of up to 90 days

Password cannot be repeated within a period of 5 password changes

After 5 unsuccessful attempts to logon, PCLaw User is LOCKED out – can be unlocked by ADMIN

Password can be set to expire

If ADMIN user has forced password change, then USER must access PCLaw and change password before accessing Mobility


Implementation Tips

Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)



Implementation Tips

Follow Instructions

Windows Administrator

- In order!

1. Configure Link as Service2. Install Mobility Access Manager3. Enable Advanced Security Preferences in PCLaw4. Enable Mobility in Connection Settings5. Enable Mobility for Users and Assign Strong

Passwords



Configure Link as Service

• Start > All Programs

• LexisNexis > PCLaw > Utilities

> Configure Link to Run as Windows



Configure Link as Service

The PCLaw Links as Windows Services opens.

• Log on as (Domain\User)• Workgroup: .\username• Other: Domain (computer)\

username• Windows’ Administrator

Username and Password

Remember to change password in Install PCLaw Link as Windows Services if Windows Administrator’s password changes.



Install Mobility Access Manager

• Machine/computer with Mobility MUST have internet access AND it must be turned on!• Install on the same computer that contains the PCLaw database

• EXCEPTION: if computer/server is a DOMAIN CONTROLLER

- Install on the next fastest computer

• Networks must use UNC path or a local hard drive - not a mapped path - change the path to UNC in PCLAW.CFG

• Can download from www.pclaw.com/techpage



Advanced Security must be enabled for firm to use Mobility

Options > Administrators > Security Preferences

•Select: Enable Advanced Security



Connection Settings

• Remember to change password here if PCLaw ADMIN password changes.

• ….remember to select “Use Mobility Feature” !

Options > Connection Settings



Enable Mobility for Users and Assign Strong Passwords

• Enable to access to mobility

• Select a Default lawyer

• Unique e-mail address

• Doesn’t have to be a real address!

Options > Administrator > Security

• ADMIN user cannot access Mobility



Other TipsConfirm Window’s Services Start > Run – in the OPEN box, type Services.msc

• Confirm that both of the following PCLaw files are started:• PCLaw Link Service• PCLaw Log Service

• Confirm that both of the following LexisNexis Practice Management files are started:• LexisNexis Practice Management Common API (aka CAPI)• LexisNexis Practice Management Mobility Data Service



Other Tips• If necessary, Stop or Start Services in the following

order:

• Reset Password: Stop/Start Services to give faster access to Mobility

• Tech Support Tip: Stop/Start Services after an Automatic Backup to enable access to PCLaw Mobility – until V11 patch released!

1. PCLaw Link Service2. PCLaw Log Service3. LexisNexis Practice Management Common API4. LexisNexis Practice Management Mobility Data

Service



Other Tips

• Mobility uses the Contact List to access matters/clients

• In recent PCLaw versions, all clients are automatically Contacts

• Clients created in earlier versions may not be in the Contact list as ‘Clients’

• Use the Merge Addresses function to correct this

• Add the PCLaw Mobility Icon to the homepage!!

• Merge Addresses

• Make PCLaw Mobility Easily Accessible on the Mobile Device


Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)



Scan and save important documents to PCLaw in a few easy steps

Requirements•Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner•Download http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/computing/peripherals/scanners/scansnap/pclaw.html



• In the ScanSnap Manager Settings, change the Profile to PCLaw

Download and run the executable file from the site. You will see a command prompt briefly flash on the screen.



• Scan the document• The “Add PCLaw Document” dialog box will open• Complete the fields to profile the scanned document in the PCLaw

Document Management System

To Use:


Importing Holidays (V11)



In V11, you can now import multiple country and religious holiday files

• Options − Lists

− Holidays

− Import Holidays

− Select the file to import



Tip: Edit the .Hol file in Notepad to include other Special Dates (e.g Bar Related Events, Motion Days)in Notepad


Saving Outlook Emails



Enable the option to save Outlook emails From the pull-down menu, choose•Options > Connection Settings > Outlook•Check the option to Enable Connection for E-mail Tracking and Timer

The three options are:

− Record Sent Items by default

− Ask to Record Sent Items

− Never Record Sent Items by Default



Which option to choose?This is an easy and obvious decision• If the client does not want to save emails from Outlook, choose ‘Never record sent

items by default’

• If the client wants to be prompted so they can choose whether or not they want to save the email, choose ‘Ask to Record Sent Items’

• If the client always wants to save emails, choose ‘Record Sent Items by default’



If the option is enabled to save the email, the following screen will appear after an email is sent from Outlook:


Saving Emails to Outlook

Do not get confused that it says “Add PCLaw Document”•PCLaw treats emails as documents and will store the actual “.msg” file in the document path location


Using Data in Other Applications

SQL Edition:


SQL Edition: Using Data in Other Applications

When would you need to use billing data in another program?



Issue: Electronic Billing Format Not Supported in PCLawSolution:•Write a program that extracts the information needed from the Case Management System and PCLaw•Format it so it can be uploaded to the vendor website to be processed•Using the SQL edition of PCLaw, you can query the data needed for the import file and match it with supporting documents from Document Management System, then upload it to invoice processing website



Issue: Need a way to keep track of Approved Hours vs. non-billable or billed hours worked in Case Management System

Solution:•Using the SQL Edition of PCLaw, you can write a Windows service that queries the PCLaw data and pulls the total of unbilled + billed hours and writes back to the Case Management System in real time



Hours & Fees Approved entered by staffTime Matters:

Hours & Fees Billed in PCLawPCLAW:

TM is updated in real-time with the Total Billed Hours and Fees


Advanced Reporting

SQL Edition:


SQL Edition: Advanced Reporting

Using SQL Edition of PCLaw and SQL Server, you can create custom reports using Microsoft SQL Reporting Services

Benefits:•No need to purchase a third party report writer (e.g. Crystal Reports) •Reporting Services are available for FREE in SQL Server 2008 R2 - even the Express version!•Reports can be automatically emailed to specific people on scheduled intervals•Export as PDF, Excel, HTML, etc.•Available in a web browser!


Questions?

Barbara Brown

BBLaw [email protected]

Carie Anne Kowalewski

Document & Data Solutions, [email protected]

Thank You!

2011 Practice Management Annual Conference

Documents

Transcript of 2011 Practice Management Annual Conference