Amicus Attorney X - Oct/Nov '04

Amicus Attorney X

When Gavel & Gown Software Inc. announced it was upgrading Amicus Attorney X, I expected it to be truly different from Amicus Attorney Version V. I used and liked Amicus Attorney Version V, but the program employed a proprietary database engine and gobbled up system resources like mad.

Amicus Attorney X runs as if in a browser window, as a souped-up Web page. When you are in the office and using the local area network, you don’t need Internet access. Remote users, however, can access their information via the Internet if the firm connects the server. This also means you don’t have to install the program onto each workstation, so it’s much more flexible. The result is phenomenal.

From the drop-down menus to data entry forms, the appearance and operation are virtually indistinguishable from a typical program running outside of a browser. It truly breaks new ground among its practice management rivals. The program interface on my desk is the same as the one I have on the road. Assuming you put it on a server connected to the outside world, users can access their “office” from anywhere they have an Internet connection.

At this early stage, some third-party links are missing. Accounting links are limited to PCLaw, Best Software Inc.’s Timeslips and Intuit’s QuickBooks. Document assembly is available only through the built-in document assembly engine, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect and LexisNexis’ HotDocs, which can be used to create more sophisticated documents. That means Amicus Assembly, Software Technology Inc.’s Tabs3 and Juris users have to wait until the company puts out a link.

Even with the missing links, the program provides all of the features found in the previous version with substantial improvements. My favorite is the switch to an open-standard database. Firms with fewer than 15 users can run the program from the Microsoft Desktop SQL Engine, while larger firms will need the full SQL Server. With a SQL-based platform comes a major increase in speed and stability.

Even for smaller firms, the Premium Edition is the way to go, as it allows for the ability to create an unlimited number of custom records and fields. These custom data entry screens can be attached to files, contacts or both. Firms with fewer customization needs will be fine with the Standard Edition.

Also new is a more intuitive note taking platform. Amicus Attorney X allows you to take notes in free form, capturing your thoughts on paper before you categorize the note or attach it to a file or contact. Other enhancements include unlimited phone numbers and addresses for each contact.

The program isn’t entirely without negatives. For example, when Amicus passes a variable to a document assembly program such as HotDocs, the variable passes only as a text string, even if the variable itself is a number or a date.

More than the handful of features Gavel & Gown added, Amicus Attorney X is important because it marks a sea of change in the practice management arena. Although some packages include Web access and a few providers host Web-based practice management applications, there is nothing like Amicus X in terms of flexibility, power and usability.

There are sure to be growing pains as Gavel & Gown refines the user interface and adds third-party connections. At present, it feels more like version I than version X. However, as with any new offering, the real questions are whether it works now and whether it’s going to grow in the right direction. On both points, Amicus Attorney X gets a positive score. Also note Gavel & Gown has released Version V+ of its original, non-browser-based Amicus Attorney offering.

Gavel & Gown Software Inc.
(800) 472-2289

www.amicusattorney.com

Price: Standard Edition: $399 for the first user; Premium Edition: $599 for the first user.

Servers: Standard Edition: Windows 2000 Pro/2000; Premium Edition: Microsoft SQL/Windows 2000/2000 Advanced/XP Pro/2003 Enterprise Edition/2003 Standard.
Workstations: Windows 98/ME/NT 4.0/2000/XP Home/XP Pro/Server 2003. See Web site for details.

Reviewed by David Hiersekorn, a legal researcher and brief writer based in Orange County, Calif. He can be reached at
hiersekorn@sbcglobal.net.

Oct/Nov '04 Issue

PROS
Access your office anywhere with Web access. A new way of practicing law.

CONS
Some third-party links not available yet. Web interface has some inherent limits.

VERDICT
Amicus Attorney X is a revolutionary product. For the individual user, the program is largely an issue of taste. Some might like the Web interface, others might not.