Smith Law Group

The challenge

Smith Law Group is a Tucson firm that combines trial and appellate experience with technology and personal service, serving clients across Arizona and into Nevada. STAT first worked with the firm in 2001, helping its lead attorney bring his personal Mac into the office.

Over time the firm grew frustrated with its Windows computers and wanted to move entirely to Mac. The catch: it still had to work smoothly with PC-based firms, attorneys, clients and court systems.

What we did

We surveyed the firm's equipment and interviewed attorneys and staff to understand their workflow. Drawing on our experience with other Mac-based law practices, we built and carried out a staged plan to move servers, workstations, office equipment and data to Mac.

• Better time tracking. The firm's Windows time-tracking program was slow and awkward. We recommended Brief Legal Software, built specifically for the Mac.
• A fully electronic workflow. High-speed in-house scanners turned paper into searchable PDFs that attorneys can open and annotate across the network, even in court.
• Files that travel. Client folders sync between attorney laptops and the office servers, and large files go securely to clients and expert witnesses.
• Training and equipment. We trained staff on their Macs and new software, and helped choose office equipment that drops scanned PDFs straight onto the server.

The result

Smith Law Group is known as a highly tech-savvy firm. Because its lawyers can reach every document from anywhere, the practice has grown well beyond Arizona. The firm is known for being thoroughly prepared in court, with annotated depositions, graphics and exhibits ready on screen from any location.

STAT Computer Services always lives up to its name. On the rare occasions where there is an issue with our system, Boyd Burkhardt and his staff respond quickly and keep us running. Beyond maintenance, Boyd and his staff know my law firm's business well enough to recommend and implement solutions that make our paperless office more efficient and streamline our work flow. In fact, Boyd is the reason I switched years ago from a Windows-based office computer system to an office that is 100% Apple.