Why Every Law Firm Should Use Microsoft Teams

The legal world is becoming more distributed than ever before. As firm leaders wonder how they can offer better client experiences with modern technology, they must also wrestle with managing lawyers in a disjointed environment.

This quest to improve has led to an increasing number of tech tools being piled on, some of which are abandoned relatively quickly. The more tools firms add, though, the more complicated it gets. When it comes to communication, collaborations, and efficiency, Dataprise recommends Microsoft Teams as a solution, particularly when you need your platform to do several things at once.

Why should Law Firms Use Microsoft Teams?

With all of the other solutions around, including ever-present Google options and popular Zoom options, Microsoft Teams has proven to be reliable and, more importantly, cultivated specifically as a law firm software. Accessible in-browser, through desktop apps, and mobile devices, colleagues and clients alike have an easy way to stay in touch.

Instant messaging, quick conversations, long meetings: Microsoft Teams gives law firms an easy way to invite guests, share screens, schedule last-minute briefings, and participate in live chats. Of course, any law firm collaboration software should ideally be more than just messaging. When implemented correctly, it can actually be the central nervous system of the firm.

Collaboration Challenges Solved By Microsoft Teams

Lawyers are used to working on their own, and this isn’t a new phenomenon by any stretch. Collaboration can sometimes mean a sacrifice in profits, which has led legal professionals to solve issues on their own. However, in the modern system, it requires more than one person to get things done.

Microsoft Teams encourages people to work together, which can inspire more trust and teamwork on a larger scale. It streamlines everything down into one channel (instead of having to keep track of multiple requests from multiple sources), which can also cut through confusion for everyone.

Features of Microsoft Teams

As a law firm collaboration platform, Teams for legal firms features the following capabilities:

• Webinars, video conferencing, and online meetings are accessible through one-touch join.
• Voice and video calling are available across all devices (even a desk phone). Use either voice-over-internet services or traditional phone services to conference, manage, route, or integrate calls. Some law firms could replace their current phone system entirely with this small law firm legal software.
• Use messages to chat with individuals or groups. Work on documents and files with Microsoft 365 as you’re working with colleagues.
• Share files and collaborate on projects in real time. Sync with version tracking, so you can see the changes to any given document. Set permissions on important files, so you keep your data protected.
• Channels: Create channels for teams, departments, or specialties. This attorney software helps reduce distraction and keep everyone on the same page.
• Calendar: Track your meetings and calls with the Teams’ calendar. Sync your calendars with colleagues to avoid unnecessary cancellations.
• Tasks: The Tasks Bot allows you to create new tasks from chat messages. It makes it easier to track, so you don’t miss anything.

Teams makes it possible to bring people in, so if you have an outside organization that should participate in one of your channels, it would be simple for them to jump in and get working. It’s also simple to integrate teams into your other apps and software. The versatility and functionality of this law firm software is really designed to keep a firm running without the hiccups.

Use Teams’ Governance Policies to Protect Data

After repeated requests, Microsoft introduced Microsoft 365 Solution for Legal to ensure they had covered all their bases — particularly when it came to blind subpoenas. They installed additional controls to ensure that law firms were complying with the many laws that apply to their industry.

Microsoft offers Double Key Encryption, which renders all of your information unreadable in the cloud. The key to unlock this information is stored in your data center (with Microsoft Azure holding the other key). This satisfies even the strictest data governance policies (even if it can limit other services and processes within Microsoft). The team over at Microsoft Teams has admitted that their controls weren’t designed for those in the legal profession. However, after repeated requests, they have reworked their tools to ensure that their law firm collaboration software doesn’t break protocol.

Attorney Software That Works

It’s easy to be skeptical of adding a new platform that everyone has to get used to. At least with what you have now, people are comfortable with its limitations. However, whether you have a remote work law firm or not, it’s not helping anyone to settle for a system that isn’t working. Microsoft Teams may take some time to implement, but once you do, the benefits are noticeable and immediate. It translates to more productivity and profits when people can actively work together.

Learn more about Dataprise’s IT Services for Law Firms and download our brochure below.