Online Legal Practice Management Predictions for 2010

Over the past few years, the reliability and acceptability of Web-based practice management applications has grown. Could 2010 (and the years to come) see a significant move from software-based applications to online “cloud computing” practice management?


No longer a cutting-edge topic, the conversation surrounding legal Software as a Service (SaaS) has evolved from feasibility to capability, and 2010 will mark the beginning of the third year that Web-based legal practice management has existed.



Over the past two years, legal SaaS products have emerged as significant contenders in the practice management field. In 2008, an initial “getting-to-know-you” conversation began, exploring security, data safety and other online concerns. In 2009, the term “cloud computing” rather than SaaS became a more commonplace term, and consequently we have seen more acceptance of Web-based applications and substantial growth in customers using these applications rather than investing in software.


As time progresses, it appears inevitable that software in general, and law firm software specifically, will be cloud-based. In the legal vertical, we are starting to see age-related issues with the older generation of desktop software. Bugs, stability issues, slowness and upgrade problems are significant challenges facing customers of some of these products. In addition, desktop software cannot compete with inherent Web-based advantages, such as cross-platform availability, ubiquitous access, and zero-installation and upgrade. If and when traditional legal software providers choose to modernize, they will be forced to entertain the notion of Web technologies.

So how will 2010 be different for online legal practice management? Here are five predictions.