1. Collaboration Tools for Lawyers
Collaborative Document Writing, Staffing (workflow) and Repository
DePaul University
PM440 COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY LEADING PROJECTS
Joint Effort Team (JET)

2. Presentation Objectives
Introduction
Business Background
Product Description:
BaseCamp
CaseMap
Acrobat
Conclusion

3. Team Composition Joint Effort Team (J.E.T.): Advisor:
Alan Christensen, Doug Dunmore, Himansu Mayani
Advisor:
Daniel Mittleman

4. Product Material Links
JET – Wiki Page:
Collaborative Document Writing, Staffing and Repository
Adobe Acrobat Family Products:
Acrobat Products
Acrobat Professional 8 Demo
Acrobat Professional Download or Online Demo
CaseMap
CaseMap Download
Basecamp
BaseCamp Demo

5. Business Background Collaboration has never been an option for lawyers
In the legal profession collaboration takes many forms:
Attorneys and paralegals within the firm
Opposing counsel and their staff
Court personnel, judges, and regulatory agencies
Experts and specialists (medical, accounting, forensics, et al.)

6. Current Process Flow Model

7. Business Problems Legal documents need to be accurate
Requires a large collaborative effort
Documents are inconsistent in content and style
Turn-around time can take several days
Requires large number of resource hours

8. Proposed Process Flow Model

9. Business Value Improve accuracy of the legal briefs
Collaborative effort can move to a Parallel process from a Sequential process
Legal briefs are consistent in appearance and accuracy
Reduce Corporate work hours preparing legal briefs
Reduce turn around time

10. Selected Tools for Platform
Acrobat Professional 8
Collaborative Document Writing and Editing
CaseMap
Repository and Legal Website Access
BaseCamp
Intranet access and Project Management

11. Acrobat Professional 8 Pros: Established company & well known product
Almost universal acceptance of PDF file format
Acrobat Reader on most computers or can download for free
Easy sell to corporate management because of the above
User friendly interface
Convert most file types into PDF format
Merge into one document or package (separate files)
Set different security to each file in package
Edit files, add comments
Apply electronic signature including encrypted
Strong for Sequential and Parallel writing

12. Acrobat Professional 8 Cons:
Single license is $449 (volume purchase programs available)
Each user would need a license copy to collaborate
Web conference functionality requires purchase of Adobe Acrobat Connect
Not suited for Reciprocal Writing
Lack true Depository functionality (see CaseMap)
Has trouble handling watermark in a Word document
Restrictions based on functionality instead of roles
Spell checks comments only not original text

13. CaseMap
Pros:
Able to import and store data of many different types of documents and identify the relationships to specific people (e.g. witness, expert, person of interest, plaintiff, defendant etc.)
Lets you send all or partial information in a document directly to the tool due to ability to integrate well with 15 other software packages including Adobe Acrobat
A number of features that allows user to conduct data analysis not present in other data repository tools:
Allows tagging, sorting and filtering of information for easy retrieval and organization
Can create visual representations of timelines and show relationships between individual pieces of information
Can export professional looking documents such as PDF reports, word processing and HTML (post to websites) for presentation to clients, sharing with colleagues, file with the courts or to publish
Integrated with a suite of other tools developed by the same company such as TimeMap (a timeline visualization tool), NoteMap (an outline creation tool superior to typical word processors) and Total Litigator.
The company makes formalized training for all of its tools available to purchasers of the product although the tool is user friendly with a familiar navigation similar to Microsoft’s
Larger law firms either have their own IT staff or outsource will know how to install, support, upgrade and integrate a tool like this within their current environement.

14. CaseMap
Cons:
Software is designed to work specifically in the legal industry (appropriate because of our overall scenario) despite having a number of features that would work well with project work of all kinds including IT.
When you scroll down through facts or documents the highlighted row moves with you so it’s not frozen like MS Excel letting you keep track of what row you were on as you page down
Have to purchase other tools like at least TimeMap to get functionality that goes beyond text and images.

15. Collaborative Document Writing Using Online Project Management tool:
Basecamp
Collaborative Document Writing
Using Online Project Management tool:
Basecamp
Everest Basecamp (Goddess of the Sky)

16. Basecamp Background: The basics of Project Management
What is project management?
A project is a temporary or short-term endeavor that requires a team of individuals to achieve a particular result.
Basic activities of a project manager:
Establishing project objectives.
Identifying the steps needed to achieve those objectives.
Putting together a team that will work on the project.
Developing a project plan.
Setting deadlines for completion of the plan.
Reporting plan progress to team members.
Reviewing project results.

17. Basecamp Problem: Resistance to Project Management by Lawyers
Terminology is important – In this instance we are looking at the practice of law, so substitute “client matter” for “project” or “plan.”
Lawyers see “management” work as something separate from or outside the scope of the “practice” of law.
The best lawyers have exceptional project management skills, even if they do not consciously recognize or value those specific skills.
Project management is a valuable legal practice skill not taught in law school.
Legal project management tools don’t get a lot of recognition.
Many project management tools are high-end, expensive enterprise applications built on complex database software or programs like Microsoft Project (not part of the standard Microsoft Office suite).

18. Basecamp Solution: a web-based project management tool - Basecamp
Basecamp ( web-based service from 37 Signals.
Interface common to other project management tools, so becoming familiar with Basecamp makes it easy to migrate to other tools.
Basecamp is relatively inexpensive to use and can have a good Return on Investment (ROI).
Basecamp free for one project and is available in different packages that cost up to $149/month. Basecamp offers the following features:
Storage for file sharing – from 250MB to 50GB
Unlimited number of people or clients can access project pages
Real-time chat
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security – data encryption
Time tracking
Unlimited number of writeboards (online whiteboards )
Campfire – real-time group chat tool for businesses

19. Basecamp DASHBOARD: Gives access to all your open projects

20. Basecamp Navigation: Easy to do on Project Pages

21. Basecamp Navigation: Explanation of Tabs from Project Pages
Overview – A mini-Dashboard, showing all recent activity for that individual project.
Messages – A discussion board where team members can discuss issues and post files. The messages are threaded so conversations are kept together.
To Do – A place to create to-do items. You can filter the list to see only the tasks assigned to you.
Milestones – Major objectives of the project are posted here, with specific tasks for each milestone posted in the To Do area.
Writeboards – A Place where team members can create group documents. *This is a handy feature but I recommend using a more full-featured word processor like Goggle Docs for sustained online document collaboration. Writeboards can be great for brainstorming, making initial outlines, and collecting ideas.
Continued on next slide

22. Basecamp Navigation: Explanation of Tabs from Project Pages
Chat – Team members who are online at the same time can chat about issues in this area.
*Time – Available to premium account members only, this feature helps to keep track of time that is being spent on an individual task, or the complete project.
Files – Any file can be uploaded to this area, so that all files for one project are in the same place, accessible to all team members. If you attach a file to a message in the Messages area, a link to that file will appear here.

23. Basecamp Basecamp: A Great Feature – A Pro
The best feature about Basecamp is its ability to notify any team member of new information whenever it is posted to the project page.
Basecamp provides several methods of notification for team members of new information:
notification – when you post a message or upload a file to the project page, you have the option to notify some or all of your other team members.
Everyone who receives an cannot reply to the – they must login to make a comment. This seems like a drawback but actually it forces all parts of the conversation to be kept together.
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds for every project page created, dependent on subscription.

24. Basecamp Basecamp: A Feature Lacking – A Con
Basecamp provides a a calendar to keep you on a schedule and see when milestones are due.
However, Basecamp lacks a calendar that integrates with your computer’s calendar – something available in other collaboration tools.
If you use a program that supports the iCalendar standard – Outlook 2007, Apple iCal, Backpack Calendar ( or Mozilla Calendar ( – you can subscribe to the milestones on any particular project page, and they will be imported directly into your regular calendar – this can be a pain in the neck!
There is also a Global iCalendar at the bottom of the Dashboard page, if you want to get milestones from all project pages at once.

25. Basecamp Using Basecamp in a Law Firm
How would lawyers use Basecamp or a similar online project management tool?
Litigators could set up a project page for an upcoming trial, so that all issues, tasks, court deadlines, communications, and case files regarding the case could reside in one place.
Transactional lawyers working on an acquisition could post different versions of transaction documents; draft documents or share meeting minutes, ideas, action items and the like in the Writeboard area; or chat about issues from their desktop.
Sites like Basecamp allow groups of lawyers to work together on matters without ever having to leave their home office. In such situations, project management sites are superior to traditional forms of collaboration such as , because they provide a centralized repository of information.
Basecamp can serve as an “extranet” (secure website) for communicating and sharing information among clients, co-counsel, experts and other individuals.
Access is 24/7 and can be regulated which can provide a competitive advantage.

26. Basecamp Alternatives to Basecamp
ActiveCollab ( – an Open Source project management tool, with more flexible pricing options.
Central Desktop ( – more features than Basecamp, including the abilities to collaborate on documents in real time and to hold web meetings and audio conferences.
GoPlan (
Huddle ( – a U.K. service that offers similar to Basecamp.
Project360 ( – plans and pricing similar to Basecamp, but features are more robust.
Project2Manage (
Solodox (
Sosius ( – less a project management site, and more a site for storing information and sharing it with others.
Zoho Project ( – a free offering from Zoho – JET TEAM used this one for the class project.

27. Complete Legal Brief
Complete the Deal

28. Questions and Your Insights