5 TOOLS FOR IMPROVING COLLABORATION, PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY IN YOUR LAW FIRM

True multidisciplinary collaboration requires people to combine their perspectives and expertise and tailor them to the clients’ needs such that the outcome is more than the sum of the participating individuals’ knowledge.

Collaboration occurs when knowledge workers integrate their individual expertise in order to deliver high-quality outcomes on complex issues. These relationships typically extend over time and across discrete projects as the participants identify new approaches and initiate further engagements.

In addition to offering up their expertise, these professionals also help, advise, stimulate and counterbalance one another. By truly collaborating, a team of lawyers is able to address issues that none could tackle individually.

In the digital world, collaboration is more important than ever as law firms attempt to crack the productivity puzzle and learn how to work on the go, with colleagues, from various devices, in a secure manner. The good news is there are lots of readily available tools you can use to grow your practice.

Using online collaborations tools has a number of benefits, including more efficient attorneys and happier clients. And, with legal firms spending more money than ever on technology, these tools are becoming necessities rather than optional extras.

People can’t collaborate if they don’t communicate. From instant messaging to video conferencing tools (the best alternative to face-to-face meetings), there are many options for team collaboration tools such as:

1. Zoom:- For a pure video communications platform, with an easy to use interface and reliable cloud performance, Zoom ticks all the boxes. It enables lawyers to do communicate via video and audio with each other from any location, have live chat within the call and quickly share dial-in details to all relevant parties.
2. WhatsApp: – Whatsapp, the world’s most popular chat app allows messages, photos, videos, voice messages, documents, group chats and text on a phone or PC [through the phone]. Attorneys who communicate client confidential information via messages and call, can easily use WhatsApp.
3. Trello:- Trello is an amazing and simple project management and collaboration tool that uses cards to organize your ideas. Its biggest virtue is the visually appealing and unadorned user interface which feels intuitive, making it easy to track your project. Trello supports iPhone, Android, and PC. Its website has been designed to be accessible in most mobile web browsers. Trello gives perspective over all your projects, at work, and at home. It offers a better and easy way to communicate with the senior attorneys, team members; assistants and juniors. It is infinitely flexible and incredibly easy to use.
4. Google Docs:- Collaborative working has taken leaps and bounds forward in recent years, and Google is at the forefront. As one of the biggest and best (plus secure, which is essential for lawyers who handle vast amounts of sensitive data) collaborative tools, Google Docs can completely revolutionize the way lawyers work together.

For starters, Google Docs allows users to create a variety of documents (docs, sheets, and slides) and work on them in real-time with colleagues. You’ll never have to worry if the version you are working on is the most up to date, and all edits from all editors are easily seen within the Google Docs platform.

5. Slack:- Communication is king. And one of the best platforms for collaborative communications is Slack. Slack, which originally aimed to kill the traditional email, is a comms tool that can be used in the legal world to keep conversations within a firm safe and secure, but also to keep communications with tech-savvy clients. Via the Slack platform you can search conversations, share files and instant message.

Finally, there is a lot of technology that can help grow your practice, but collaboration tools are a good place to start. When used correctly, they can help your firm’s operations be more efficient, effective and profitable.

There are of course more tools like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex etc.

 

P.S.

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REFERENCES

https://legodesk.com/legopedia/10-best-free-online-productivity-tools-for-lawyers/

https://workstorm.com/law-firms

https://www.lawtechnologytoday.org/2020/04/smart-tools-to-increase-your-law-firms-productivity/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI_dwfpPWvI

Bersin by Deloitte. ‘Predictions for 2016: A Bold New World of Talent, Learning, Leadership, and HR Technology Ahead’.