Practice management software holds almost everything a firm knows about its clients: contact details, matter notes, billing records, calendars and often documents and communications. Selecting a platform is therefore a security decision as well as a workflow one. Features and price will get most of the attention, so this post focuses on what to verify before you commit.
The names you will compare may include Clio and other well-known platforms. Rather than ranking products, this checklist helps you evaluate any of them.
Authentication and Access
- Multi-factor authentication available and enforceable for all users, not just optional
- Single sign-on support with your identity provider, so access can be managed and revoked in one place
- Role-based permissions that let you restrict who can see which matters, billing information and settings
- Ethical walls or matter-level restrictions for conflicts situations
- Session controls such as timeouts and the ability to see and end active sessions
- Admin visibility, including audit logs showing logins, exports and permission changes
Data Protection
- Encryption in transit and at rest
- Data location: where data is stored, and whether you can choose a region
- Tenant isolation: how the vendor keeps customers' data separate
- Backups and recovery: how the vendor backs up data, how fast it can restore, and what you can restore yourself
- Retention and deletion: what happens when a matter is deleted or an account is closed
Vendor Assurance
Ask for evidence rather than assurances.
- Does the vendor have an independent security report, such as a SOC 2 report, and will they share it under NDA?
- Do they conduct regular penetration testing?
- What is their incident response and customer notification process?
- Do they use subcontractors that process your data, and who are they?
- What are the uptime commitments, and what history do they publish?
Treat a refusal to answer as information.
Integrations and Apps
Modern platforms connect to email, calendars, document management, accounting, e-signature, payment processing and AI features. Every integration is another place data flows.
- Who can authorize an integration, and can administrators restrict it?
- What data does each app receive?
- Does the platform offer an approved marketplace or a review process?
- How are API keys and tokens protected?
Trust Accounting and Payments
If the platform handles client funds or trust accounting, verify controls that support your jurisdiction's rules, such as separation of operating and trust funds, audit trails and reconciliation features. Ask about permissions for who can disburse funds. Confirm with your bar's guidance rather than relying on marketing claims.
AI Features
Many vendors have added generative AI features. Ask what data is sent to AI models, whether it is used for training, whether features can be disabled firm-wide, and how outputs are controlled. ABA Formal Opinion 512 discusses confidentiality, competence and supervision when lawyers use generative AI, so make sure you can govern these features.
Exit Strategy
Think about leaving before you join.
- Can you export all data in a usable format, including notes, documents and billing history?
- Are there fees for export?
- How long does the vendor retain your data after cancellation, and how is deletion verified?
Implementation Matters Too
A secure platform can still be configured poorly. Plan for permission design, MFA enforcement, migration cleanup, training, and testing before cutover. Keep sensitive matters restricted from day one. Clean data before importing so that old problems do not follow you.
Making the Decision
Score each finalist against the checklist, involve both a lawyer and your IT provider in the review, and run a pilot with a small group. Document your findings. They support your due diligence for vendor oversight under Rule 5.3 and can help answer client questionnaires later.
Support From Counsel Cyber
Counsel Cyber helps firms evaluate practice management and document management platforms, configure them securely and migrate data. If you are choosing a platform, we can help review your shortlist.