Review

Case&Point Enterprise Edition 6.5

By Kim Plonsky

January/February 2006 Table of Contents

One of today’s most pressing business issues is knowledge management. The advent of the Internet and the prevalence of network servers in most law offices have unleashed seemingly unlimited resources for capturing and distributing information. But now that we have that technology, how can we corral, share and use it to enhance our daily work? If you work for a corp­orate legal department or work in a corp­orate environment that manages outside counsel, look no further. Case&Point has knowledge management all wrapped up, with a bright, shiny red bow.

This powerful program allows users to manage their workloads, including deadlines, dockets and contacts. It also tracks work in progress, manages the use of outside vendors (such as expert witnesses, court reporters, law firms and lawyers), and tracks and reports expenses.

An example of the breadth of the program is the way that matters are categorized in its database. Users can create matter classes based on eight templates, including contract, lease, litigation and patent categories. This is an example of one of Case& Point’s best features: flexibility in the amount of control the end user has. Additionally, companies can set up varying degrees of data access by individual matter type, providing security and confidentiality.

The amount of information that can be managed is amazing. Other case management software programs pale in comparison. Although matter management is just the tip of the iceberg with this program, a look at the data that is within a few mouse clicks illustrates the depth of this software.

In the Litigation Matter class, besides the basic information, Case&Point tracks the location of each file folder in the case (including file drawer), the file and document retention or archive plan, the parties and contacts specific to the file, the staff members assigned to the project, the case status and much more. Every aspect of Case&Point is well-developed and surpasses expectations. All of the data is searchable and report­able, with broad and narrow search abilities. The abundant lookup tables alleviate the necessity of re-entering data (such as firm names or contacts). It also permits global changes.

The program integrates with Microsoft Word and Outlook, allowing users to create their own templates for documents and e-mails. Also, Case& Point uses Crystal Report’s 10 runtime files supplied with the program for reporting. While some case management software programs use a browser-based interface, which has proved to be sluggish, Case&Point is a Microsoft Windows application that uses Smart Caching Client — proprietary technology to store data locally and provide lightning-fast data access for remote and local users. An optional module is available for Outlook and IBM Lotus Notes integration, and an e-billing module is in the works. Case&Point is easy to install and is user-friendly. Its software engineers provide customer support and four free training sessions to new users via WebEx online conferencing.

While the cost of this software is hefty (and rightly so), it’s easy to see how the corporate client quickly will recoup its investment — and then some — through increased efficiency, productivity and superiority of work product. Although Case&Point isn’t designed for, and doesn’t market to, the private law firm, a look at this product underscores the need for a software product this effective for the private sector.

I wholeheartedly recommend this product and have every confidence that, should your company purchase Case& Point, you will not be disappointed.