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Review Amicus Attorney 2008 March/April 2008 Table of Contents Gavel & Gown Software’s Amicus Attorney has come a long way since its initial release in 1994. The company continues to improve its practice management software, always ensuring that, like its initial release, it retains the design that sets it apart from more generic practice management software programs. Available in two versions — Premium Edition and Small Firm Edition — Amicus Attorney contains all of the tools necessary for law firms to get organized and stay that way. Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition contains several new features, including the addition of a “Tasks” module. Instead of jotting down reminders on a piece of paper, just click on the tab at the top to categorize tasks by time frame. Then, simply add a task title, choose the file associated with the task and add the category under which the task should be filed, such as client work, court, closing, meeting or lunch. This latest version also contains numerous Microsoft Outlook and general e-mail enhancements, such as the ability to include an e-mail signature on any e-mail sent directly from Amicus Attorney. A redesigned interface makes navigating Amicus Attorney easier than ever. Data entry screens are easily manipulated, and the software makes good use of tabs throughout. The addition of a navigation pane to the left of the main interface screen provides easy access to all system modules and makes it easier to open multiple modules and navigate between tasks. A floating toolbar contains icons that provide access to the system modules as well. Other new features include the ability to create a list of text shortcuts based on words you define. Just choose the words you frequently use throughout the day, add them to the list, and the words will appear simply by typing the first few letters. The “Contact Merge” feature is designed to combine multiple entries of the same contact record into one contact. The Outlook synchronization feature means that any information entered into Amicus Attorney will be available in Outlook, and vice versa, creating better organizational capabilities and eliminating duplicate data entry. Amicus Attorney is extremely flexible, and built on the premise that today’s law office no longer is a single, stationary location. Amicus Attorney offers the “Secondary Office” feature, which allows you to work from a remote location, such as a home office or laptop. Simply send your files via e-mail or disk backup to the secondary computer using the “pack/unpack briefcase” function. When finished working, send the files back to your primary computer the same way. Because of the amount of detail involved in running an efficient law practice, Amicus Attorney provides some organizational assistance with the practice reminders window, which automatically is displayed when you sign into the system. This display gives you an instant heads-up on any pertinent activities, appointments and deadlines scheduled for a particular day. If you don’t need a daily reminder, choose from one of the other Amicus Attorney modules to display when signing in, including Office, Files, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Time Sheets, Notes or the ComCenter, which helps users manage and organize all of their communications. Another great feature of Amicus Attorney is the file system, which contains a list of files for each case or transaction entered into the database. Files are accessed from an on-screen display that mimics a filing cabinet, with files arranged by category. Each file contains an amazing amount of information, including a listing of all people associated with a file, any summaries, notes, telephone calls, e-mails and research completed for that particular file. Documents easily are attached to any file, and user-defined fields allow you to track the information that you determine is vital to your practice. The time sheet feature provides an in-depth look at billable and nonbillable hours for the current week, month, year, and last year’s totals for the date chosen, providing an excellent way to check totals. It also allows you to set billable hour goals and advises you on how close you are to meeting those goals. This recap is easy to read and provides you with the necessary statistics to help you increase billable hours. Whether you find yourself overwhelmed with tracking billable hours, want a better way to keep track of contacts, or just want to make life a little easier, you owe it to yourself to take a look at Amicus Attorney 2008 Small Firm Edition.
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