1.
1 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Signposts of Antiquity: When to
Move Your Practice to the Cloud
#2018cloudpractice

2.
3

3.
4

4.
5 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
HeidiAlexander, Esq.
 Deputy Director, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyer
 Specialist in law practice management, technology, and
productivity
 Author, Evernote as a Law Practice Tool (ABA LP
Publication)
 Former practicing attorney and small business owner

5.
6 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

6.
7 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

7.
8 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

8.
9 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

9.
10 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

10.
11 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
2016 ABA Legal Tech Survey

11.
12 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

12.
13 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Naysayers Top 10 List
• Confidentiality / security concerns
• Less control of data
• Unfamiliar with technology
• Concerns re access to or ownership of data
• Cost of switching to cloud
• Cost of services
• Preference for owning v subscription
• Belief that non-cloud software is sufficient
• Lack of ethical guidance
• Uncertainty over longevity of vendor

13.
14 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

14.
15 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
To the naysayers . . .

15.
16 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Cost
• Lower upfront costs decrease barrier to entry
• Predictable monthly expense
• Avoids IT and software management costs
• More versatile
• Shared servers reduce costs

16.
17 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Data Access, Control, Availability
• 24 x 7 access and availability of data
• Backup and geographic redundancy
• Reliance on terms of service
• Separation of data from other providers
• Improved collaboration

17.
18 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Confidentiality & Security
• Do you keep all your money in a bank vault or in
your dresser drawer?
• Highly sophisticated and talented security
specialists
• Thorough and frequent auditing
• “None of the most catastrophic hacks have been
on the big public clouds [Amazon, Google,
Microsoft]” – NYTimes

18.
19 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Professional Responsibility
• ABA Model Rule 1.1 Comment 8
• Nearly half of all state bars have authorized use
of the cloud
• Must take reasonable precautions
• If it is safer, improves client service, and boosts
productivity, what does that say about your
professional responsibility?

19.
20 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Moving to the Cloud
Successfully!

20.
21 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Systems Inventory
• File Storage
• Matter Management
• Financial Management
• Administration

21.
22 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Research and Due Diligence
• What needs are met?
• Does this this product integrate with others?
• Is it a legal-specific product?
• What is the company’s reputation and history?
• Does it encrypt “at-rest” and “in-transit”?
• Does it explicitly give unfettered access to and ownership
of your data?
• Where are its servers located?
• Does it conduct regular and redundant backups?

22.
23 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Plan

23.
24 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Project Management 101
• Establish working group with project lead
• Distil complex tasks into discrete actions
• Prioritize and clarify tasks
• Assign due dates
• Delegate tasks and communicate expectations
• Follow through on commitments
• Measure progress

24.
25 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Security

25.
26 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

26.
27 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

27.
28 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.

28.
29 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Thankyou!
Heidi Alexander
Heidi@masslomap.org
@heidialexander

29.
30 2017 © AppFolio, Inc. Confidential.
Questions?
Contact Us!
mycase.com
support@mycase.com
800.571.8062