2011 Practice Management Annual Conference
10 Features You Didn’t Know Existed in PCLaw
Presentation by:
Barbara Brown & Carie Anne Kowalewski
September 24, 2011
Introduction
Barbara Brown
Carie Anne Kowalewski
•Worked with PCLaw for over 23 years
•CIC for 12 years
•Started with Alumni Computer Group;
PCLaw CIC
•Time Matters, Billing Matters &
PCLaw CIC
•Located in Canada; Clients throughout
North America
•Located in New Jersey, New York &
Atlanta; Clients nationwide
•Implementations; Templates;
Ebilling Solutions; Training firms to use
PCLaw effectively
•Consulting, Customization, Training, &
on-going Support
•ckowalewski@docsol.com
•barbara@bblawinc.ca
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Agenda
Introduction
1.
Customizing PCLaw for your Users
2.
Easily Editing Fonts & Font Sizes in Templates
3.
Creating Pre-Bills using Matter Billing Format
4.
Enabling Advanced Security (V11)
5.
Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
6.
Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)
7.
Importing Holidays (V11)
8.
Saving Outlook Emails
9.
SQL Version: Populating billing data into other applications
(e.g Time Matters, HotDocs, Web Services, etc.)
10. SQL Version: Advanced Reporting
Questions
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Customizing PCLaw for a PCLaw User
Toolbar
Hot Keys
QuickStep
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
Add/Remove Pre-Set Icons on the Toolbar
• Select: Toolbar Options
• Select: Add or Remove
Buttons
• Select: PCLaw Toolbar
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
• Select: Customize the
toolbar
In the Commands tab:
• Select: Category &
Command
• Click & Drag Command
to Toolbar
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
Add your own Hot Keys
• Use Hot Keys – CTRL+ S, CTRL+P etc –to quickly access PCLaw functions
with your hands on the keyboard
• Default Hot Keys –
PCLaw Menu
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
Add your own Hot Keys:
• Select: Toolbar Options
• Select: Add or Remove Buttons
• Select: Customize the toolbar
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
In the Keyboard tab:
•
Select the Category
•
Select the Command
•
Enter the new shortcut
key
•
And select Assign
The Hot Key is now assigned to the function.
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
Customizing QuickStep
•
Add PCLaw functions to QuickStep
•
Right click in Quickstep and select Add a Button
•
Select Menu Options in subsequent menus until you select a function
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
Add Applications to QuickStep using the Application Launcher
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
• Add a Program
• Add an Icon
• And other relevant information
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Customizing PCLaw for your Users
• Add buttons for other standard programs
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Easily Editing Fonts & Font Sizes
in Templates
Using a Text Editor to change fonts and
font sizes
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Easily Editing Fonts & Font Sizes in Templates
Change Fonts & Font Sizes in a Text Editor
• StatData
• Open the template file
in Notepad
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Easily Editing Fonts & Font Sizes in Templates
• Use the Replace function
Font Name
Font Size
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Creating Pre-Bills using Matter
Billing Format
System Settings
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Creating Pre-Bills using Matter Billing Format
Options > System Settings > Billing
Default pre-bill format – all matters
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Creating Pre-Bills using Matter Billing Format
Options > System Settings > Billing
Remove Pre-Bill Template
Matter billing template will be used
for Pre-Bills
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Enabling Advanced Security (V11)
What?
When?
How?
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Enabling Advanced Security (V11)
What is Advanced Security?
Advanced Security gives you the ability to
•
Implement strong passwords
•
Apply expiration intervals to passwords
•
Allow users to change their own passwords
•
Allow the PCLaw Administrator to force users to change their passwords
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Enabling Advanced Security (V11)
When would you use Advanced Security?
• With PCLaw Mobility
• To take advantage of strong passwords and other features of
Advanced Security without using PCLaw Mobility
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Enabling Advanced Security (V11)
How to enable?
• Login as PCLaw User “ADMIN”
• Navigate to Options > Administrators > Security
Preferences
• Select ‘Enable Advanced Security’
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Enabling Advanced Security (V11)
How to enable?
Options > Administrators >Security
• Set Strong Password
 At least 8 characters
 Both UPPER and lower case
 A number or symbol or both
 No discernible part of PCLaw USER name
 Password can be set to expire
• For Mobility
 Password must be changed within a defined
period of up to 90 days
 Password cannot be repeated within a period of
5 password changes
 After 5 unsuccessful attempts to logon, PCLaw
User is LOCKED out – can be unlocked by ADMIN
 If ADMIN user has forced password change, then
USER must access PCLaw and change password
before accessing Mobility
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Implementation Tips
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Implementation Tips
Windows Administrator
Follow Instructions
- In order!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Configure Link as Service
Install Mobility Access Manager
Enable Advanced Security Preferences in PCLaw
Enable Mobility in Connection Settings
Enable Mobility for Users and Assign Strong
Passwords
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Configure Link as Service
•
Start > All Programs
•
LexisNexis > PCLaw > Utilities
> Configure Link to Run as Windows
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Configure Link as Service
The PCLaw Links as Windows
Services opens.
•
Log on as (Domain\User)
•
•
Workgroup: .\username
Other: Domain
(computer)\username
Windows’ Administrator
Username and Password
•
Remember to change password in Install PCLaw Link as Windows Services if Windows
Administrator’s password changes.
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Install Mobility Access Manager
• Can download from www.pclaw.com/techpage
• Machine/computer with Mobility MUST have internet access
AND it must be turned on!
• Install on the same computer that contains the PCLaw database
• EXCEPTION: if computer/server is a DOMAIN CONTROLLER
- Install on the next fastest computer
• Networks must use UNC path or a local hard drive
- not a mapped path
- change the path to UNC in PCLAW.CFG
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Advanced Security must be enabled for firm to use Mobility
Options > Administrators > Security
Preferences
• Select: Enable Advanced Security
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Connection Settings
Options > Connection Settings
• Remember to change password
here if PCLaw ADMIN password
changes.
• ….remember to select “Use
Mobility Feature” !
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Enable Mobility for Users and Assign Strong Passwords
Options > Administrator > Security
•
Unique e-mail address
•
Doesn’t have to be a real
address!
•
Enable to access to mobility
•
Select a Default lawyer
•
ADMIN user cannot access
Mobility
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Other Tips
Confirm Window’s Services
Start > Run – in the OPEN box, type Services.msc
•
Confirm that both of the following PCLaw files are started:
• PCLaw Link Service
• PCLaw Log Service
•
Confirm that both of the following LexisNexis Practice Management files are started:
• LexisNexis Practice Management Common API (aka CAPI)
• LexisNexis Practice Management Mobility Data Service
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Other Tips
•
If necessary, Stop or Start Services in the following
order:
1.
2.
3.
4.
PCLaw Link Service
PCLaw Log Service
LexisNexis Practice Management Common API
LexisNexis Practice Management Mobility Data Service
• Reset Password: Stop/Start Services to give faster access to Mobility
• Tech Support Tip: Stop/Start Services after an Automatic Backup to enable access to PCLaw
Mobility – until V11 patch released!
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Enabling PCLaw Mobility (V11)
Other Tips
•
Merge Addresses
•
•
•
•
•
Mobility uses the Contact List to access
matters/clients
In recent PCLaw versions, all clients are
automatically Contacts
Clients created in earlier versions may not be in the
Contact list as ‘Clients’
Use the Merge Addresses function to correct this
Make PCLaw Mobility Easily Accessible on the
Mobile Device
• Add the PCLaw Mobility Icon to the homepage!!
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Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)
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Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)
Scan and save important documents to PCLaw in a few easy
steps
Requirements
• Fujitsu ScanSnap Scanner
• Download
http://www.fujitsu.com/us/services/computing/peripherals/scanners/scans
nap/pclaw.html
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Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)
Download and run the executable file from the site. You will see a command
prompt briefly flash on the screen.
• In the ScanSnap Manager Settings, change the Profile to PCLaw
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Fujitsu ScanSnap Integration (V11)
To Use:
• Scan the document
• The “Add PCLaw Document” dialog box will open
• Complete the fields to profile the scanned document in the PCLaw
Document Management System
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Importing Holidays (V11)
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Importing Holidays (V11)
In V11, you can now import multiple country and religious holiday files
• Options
− Lists
− Holidays
− Import Holidays
− Select the file to import
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Importing Holidays (V11)
Tip: Edit the .Hol file in Notepad to include other Special Dates
(e.g Bar Related Events, Motion Days)in Notepad
• The (.hol) files are located
under C:\Program Files
(x86)\
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Saving Outlook Emails
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Saving Outlook Emails
Enable the option to save Outlook emails
From the pull-down menu, choose
• Options > Connection Settings > Outlook
• Check the option to Enable Connection for E-mail Tracking and Timer
The three options are:
− Record Sent Items by default
− Ask to Record Sent Items
− Never Record Sent Items by Default
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Saving Outlook Emails
Which option to choose?
This is an easy and obvious decision
• If the client does not want to save emails from Outlook, choose ‘Never record sent
items by default’
• If the client wants to be prompted so they can choose whether or not they want to
save the email, choose ‘Ask to Record Sent Items’
• If the client always wants to save emails, choose ‘Record Sent Items by default’
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Saving Outlook Emails
If the option is enabled to save the email, the following screen
will appear after an email is sent from Outlook:
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Saving Emails to Outlook
Do not get confused that it says “Add PCLaw Document”
• PCLaw treats emails as documents and will store the actual “.msg” file in the
document path location
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SQL Edition:
Using Data in Other Applications
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SQL Edition: Using Data in Other Applications
When would you need to use billing data in another
program?
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SQL Edition: Using Data in Other Applications
Issue: Electronic Billing Format Not Supported in PCLaw
Solution:
• Write a program that extracts the information needed from the Case
Management System and PCLaw
• Format it so it can be uploaded to the vendor website to be processed
• Using the SQL edition of PCLaw, you can query the data needed for the
import file and match it with supporting documents from Document
Management System, then upload it to invoice processing website
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SQL Edition: Using Data in Other Applications
Issue: Need a way to keep track of Approved Hours vs. nonbillable or billed hours worked in Case Management System
Solution:
• Using the SQL Edition of PCLaw, you can write a Windows
service that queries the PCLaw data and pulls the total of
unbilled + billed hours and writes back to the Case
Management System in real time
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SQL Edition: Using Data in Other Applications
Hours & Fees Approved entered by staff
Time Matters:
Hours & Fees Billed in PCLaw
PCLAW:
TM is updated in real-time with the Total Billed Hours and Fees
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SQL Edition:
Advanced Reporting
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SQL Edition: Advanced Reporting
Using SQL Edition of PCLaw and SQL Server, you can
create custom reports using Microsoft SQL Reporting
Services
Benefits:
• No need to purchase a third party report writer (e.g. Crystal
Reports)
• Reporting Services are available for FREE in SQL Server 2008 R2 even the Express version!
• Reports can be automatically emailed to specific people on
scheduled intervals
• Export as PDF, Excel, HTML, etc.
• Available in a web browser!
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Questions?
Barbara Brown
Carie Anne Kowalewski
BBLaw Inc.
barbara@bblawinc.ca
Document & Data Solutions, LLC
ckowalewski@docsol.com
Thank You!
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