Law Firm Intranet: Creating a Connected Legal Workplace with SharePoint

With an ever-changing digital landscape, there is an enormous opportunity for law firms to stay up-to-date and relevant. Law firms deal with a large volume of documents, such as case laws, precedents, legislation and law review articles, case-related documents, client forms, etc. Furthermore, distributed teams with inefficient communication channels and a siloed organizational structure impede the firm’s collaboration and efficiency.

Certainly, modern law firms also need to live up to their client’s expectations —be tech-savvy, organize and manage case matters effectively, and access case information anytime, anywhere, on any device. Having a digital solution to centralize the law firm intranet can redefine the workplace experience. From robust workflows to role-based document access, the law firm intranet can be tailored to manage the volume of paper records, automate administrative processes, and streamline business operations to boost overall productivity and efficiency.

This blog delves into how law firms can harness the power of a SharePoint-based intranet to not just adapt to the demands of modern legal practice, but to also elevate client service and surpass competitors, thereby securing a competitive edge in the industry.

How to Leverage SharePoint-Based Intranet for Law Firms?

1. Effective case management

A law firm intranet offers dedicated client portals to store, track, and manage case-related tasks and resources efficiently on a unified portal. Each portal can be set up with multiple document libraries, essential links, calendars, task lists, and more. All the documents, discussions, and communications related to a case can be maintained in this secure area, and the team members can collaborate on cases and related documents and assign and manage tasks. Furthermore, it ensures that the clients can easily access and review the legal documents and case updates and can proactively participate and collaborate with the legal professionals.

2. Robust document management workflow

Leveraging SharePoint for law firm intranet allows access to centralized document repositories where your employees can store and access files on the cloud. All your information related to cases, client data, legal documents, court orders, company forms, etc., can be uploaded, stored, and shared through a one-stop law firm solution. Information can also be accessed while on the go, from outside of the office (courtroom or client’s office). Certainly, automating the document routing process (e.g., document approval) is easy in the SharePoint environment. Using different templates for form submission and the ability to auto-populate the details or metadata based on the predefined criteria reduces manual errors and saves time.

3. Self-service tool

SharePoint-based intranet comes with self-service tools like automated forms for processing requests and reporting problems, FAQ and knowledge base to address common questions and provide solutions, and training videos to help skill enhancement programs. You can also host a training site where you can upload training videos, surveys, and documents to help enhance and improve the knowledge of your staff.

4. Advanced legal research

Using the SharePoint environment to build a law firm intranet allows users to conduct comprehensive legal research, enhancing legal decision-making. Users can add metadata and tag documents with specific keywords, making it quick and convenient for legal practitioners to find information such as case laws, precedents, law review articles, case-related documents, client forms, and more. This saves your employees from the hassle of hunting down the files relevant to the cases.

5. Manage compliance and security

The law firm employees benefit from having centralized resources directly in their hands on a 24/7/365 basis, and knowing that security and confidentiality will be maintained is a big advantage. Certainly, law firm intranet with dynamic features like two-factor authentication and role-based access neutralizes potential threats such as unauthorized access. Additionally, features like versioning and permission-based access to documents ensure sensitive case details and client information are secure and only accessible to authorized personnel.

6. Employee directory

Help find the right people at the right time, which is critical for law firms. The specialized solution for the legal industry offers a full-fledged employee directory with complete details of all staff and consultants. It also offers the capability to refine the list to quickly locate people, skills, and expertise while initiating communication instantly.

Implementing BizPortals 365, a SharePoint-based intranet for law firms, can be a strategic move, leading to enhanced workplace collaboration and productivity. From improving employee engagement to offering uninterrupted internal communication, it helps users manage their documents, projects, and tasks effectively in a secure environment. Built on Microsoft 365, it offers seamless integration with a range of productivity applications like OneDrive, Teams, Delve, Power BI, and more, making it an indispensable tool for modern law firms.