Beyond E-Service: A Diverse Platform for Online Case Management
By Wayne Nitti
Earlier this month, during a status conference hearing for a complex state court litigation matter, the judge ordered the parties to utilize Case Anywhere’s online case management software, explaining his rationale this way: Beyond the basics of electronic service, the jurist said, Case Anywhere was a proven, user-friendly online platform for hosting and organizing case-related communications, court filings, and discovery. The Court’s comments, which I found both humbling and gratifying, underscore that Case Anywhere offers much more than e-service.
Over the past thirteen years, Case Anywhere has developed and refined a suite of products that achieve tremendous efficiencies in overarching case management—whether the underlying matter be a litigation, arbitration, administrative matter, or other type of proceeding. For every case, we create a secure, dedicated hub that incorporates a well-organized and searchable online case file of documents, a private message board, a calendar feature, and an email notification system. For sites used by both plaintiff/claimant counsel and defendant/respondent counsel, these hubs also incorporate e-filing and e-service. Frequently, we create customized file structures to accommodate attorneys’ particular needs, and we offer document upload portals capable of handling large productions. We developed these products in response to lawyers’ real-world needs, and presently offer five distinct types of hubs:
From two-party disputes to multidistrict litigations, our online litigation hubs are well-suited for civil proceedings of all shapes and sizes. Through court order or agreement of the parties, we set up secure, discrete litigation hubs accessible to counsel, staff members, parties, consultants, experts, and the court, as requested.
Renowned arbitration associations, retired judges, and nationally recognized law firms rely on Case Anywhere's alternative dispute resolution hubs to manage the ADR process. Our online arbitration platform connects neutrals, claimant and respondent attorneys, parties, and support staff. As detailed in a previous blog, these hubs make it easy for clients to communicate over a message board, file and serve documents, access uploaded records and transcripts, and post upcoming events.
Typically created for counsel on one side of a dispute, these collaboration sites simplify the process of disseminating case-related information among multiple law firms, and support lawyers in lead and liaison roles in coordinating their case plans. As I described in an earlier blog, these hubs can connect law firms and lawyers from offices all across the country, and can also link together primary and local counsel, as well as firms and their clients. Dedicated sites can be set up before or after filing a formal action.
The quasi-judicial nature of administrative proceedings make these actions ideal candidates for Case Anywhere’s software. Through these hubs, users can communicate, calendar case events, file and serve documents, receive e-notifications of filings and discovery, and access uploaded records and transcripts. Aggregation of these core functions in an easy-to-use platform streamlines the administrative process and allows users to stay abreast of any proceeding whether they’re in the office or on the road.
Our Private Label Opportunities offer all the features of our other platforms, except that they are branded under a particular organization’s name and logo. The Private Label offering is a compelling option for law firms and ADR organizations charged with managing a multitude of cases. All Private Label users also have access to Case Anywhere’s experienced team of legal case management and technical support professionals.
I understand that many lawyers are reluctant to transition one or all of their cases to an online platform. Indeed, according to Altman Weil’s 2018 Law Firms in Transition report, among 801 law firms surveyed, partners at a stunning 69 percent “resist most change efforts.” And yet, by clinging to traditional practices, the report found, lawyers and their firms risk losing market share to others who have achieved improved differentiation and efficiencies through new methodologies and technologies.
If you’re unsure about how an online legal case management platform could enhance your practice, contact us to learn more, or request an online demonstration. Utilizing our software is simple, and it requires nothing beyond a three-month commitment for one case. See for yourself why judges like the one referenced above count on Case Anywhere to provide much more than basic e-service.