Once Again, A New Version of Amicus Attorney

By Gerry Morris

I have written several articles about the case management software offered by Amicus Attorney. I’m very familiar with the company and some of its products because I’ve used one version or another in my office for over 5 years. I started with Amicus Attorney version V, upgraded to version V+, and currently run the Small Firm Addition for the three lawyers and two full time staff members in my firm.

Along the way, I’ve resisted the temptation to upgrade to the first iteration of a new version of the product. I chose not to upgrade to Amicus Attorney X, the first web based version, and Amicus Attorney 7, the first version based on the Microsoft SQL data base technology, mostly because the postings on Amicus’ user forum were strongly negative about the products. Amicus Attorney X turned out to be a disaster for the company and severely damaged its reputation among its customer base. It followed up with Version 7 which was apparently released too early, judging from the number of bugs that inhabited the application in its first release. An upgrade a few months later addressed many of the problems, but more damage had been done.
Finally, Amicus Attorney employed a time honored troubleshooting procedure. When things wouldn’t work after changes were made, it went back to what worked before the changes. Amicus Attorney Version V+ was a good program. The problem with it is that it is based on the aging FoxPro database technology. This presented programmers with limitations for future improvements. The new SQL technology is all the rage, but, Amicus Attorney just couldn’t get right the new versions based on this more versatile engine. In order to keep its current customer based happy (me, for instance), Amicus Attorney released a new version of its product that amounted to Version V+ with several new features. I upgraded to Small Firm Addition and have found it to work flawlessly. The chief reason I upgraded was the addition of a much improved task module that allows be to see the tasks assigned to other members of my firm. That allows me to monitor the tasks I’ve assigned. Frankly, it’s still not as good as the task features in Outlook, but it will do.

In March of this year, Amicus Attorney released Amicus Attorney Premium Edition. This version is another SQL based application that allows unlimited users, (as opposed to the 10 user limit of FoxPro based Small Firm Edition). The feature list of the product (www.amicusattorney.com/products/prod_edition_comparison.html) shows traditional Amicus Attorney modules plus structural features designed for larger applications. Amicus represents that the Premium Edition can be configured for access over the Internet, a feature that Amicus has tried to implement in Amicus X and Version 7 with limited success. The new version also incorporates Citrix/ Terminal Services Support.

Scanning the user forum postings, it appears that this product has been fairly well received. The negative postings complain of rather minor installations issues that appear to be more operating system related than attributable to Amicus. One poster complained that this release seems to just be Version 7 with all the bugs fixed. If so, it would seem to be worth the upgrade, given the spotty record of Version 7.

I’ve written several times about why I like the general setup of Amicus Attorney. The program uses a graphical interface that is extremely intuitive. Each case file is viewed on the screen as an image of a manila folder with clasps holding pages containing contacts, events, accounting information, document links, etc. The training time for new staff is minimal, and someone of just about any level of technological savvy can work with it. The calendaring works flawlessly across all users. The new version of Professional Edition contains several features that provide more convenience than my Small Firm Edition. For instance, there is a “Favorites Module” that allows a user to make shortcuts to frequently visited locations in the program. There is the ability to log on from any workstation in the firm, because the program uses a ”thin client” workstation application that has minimal data stored locally. There is the ability to relate documents to contacts as well as files. There is also better integration with Microsoft Office including dynamic linking to documents.

The Professional Edition is intended for larger installations and its price reflects that market. For new installations the first license costs $699 and each additional license $599. An upgrade from Version 7 runs $249 for the first license and $199 for each additional license. Upgrades from Small Firm Edition or Version V+ go for $349 for the first license and $299 for each additional license.

Before buying Amicus Attorney 2008 – Premium Edition, I would contact a consultant that works with case management software to learn what users of the product have experienced.

Given Amicus Attorney’s struggles in recent years to produce a thin client, SQL based product, I would be cautious. However, initial signs are good for this version.

E. G. “Gerry” Morris is a small firm practitioner and has practiced law for over 29 years in Austin, Texas. He is certified as a Criminal Law Specialist by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. His firm web site is at www.egmlaw.com. Email your comments and questions to Gerry at tech@egmlaw.com.