ProLaw has put together a free white paper that looks at different metrics for measuring law firm performance.  It breaks out seven different management categories that are either in common use or have been proposed by various observers in the legal market.

The newly launched ProLaw XII, which is built on .NET technology with new SQL reporting tools, provides key financial and operational metrics for monitoring firm performance – many of which can be self‐defined by the firm.

John Hanson of Elite discussing these capabilities and other features found in the new ProLaw XII in a Legal Current podcast interview.

You can listen on the player below, or download the podcast here.

The Hildebrandt Baker Robbins Peer Monitor Index rose again in the first quarter, a result of improving demand for legal services and law firm profitability.  The PMI rose 5 points to a reading of 60, its second consecutive quarterly increase.

While law firms are slowly ramping up their hiring in response to improving demand, weak rate growth and rising expenses pose continuing challenges.

A copy of the report is available for download here.

Mark Medice of Hildebrandt Baker Robbins discusses the Q1 PMI in a Legal Current podcast.

You can listen on the player below, or download the podcast here.

You can watch a quick demo on how WestlawNext’s enhanced folder sharing helps law firms and inside counsel work together more efficiently.

A comprehensive suite of solutions that address the GRC challenges of audit, compliance, legal, and risk management professionals, Thomson Reuters Accelus offers numerous solution areas and a diverse array of products.

Watch a video with David Craig, president, Governance, Risk and Compliance, on our corporate blog, The Knowledge Effect.

As an example, Westlaw CaseLogistix 5.3 & West Case Notebook 2.5 were recently launched, combining e-discovery document review with case analysis.  New integration between the two tools allows litigators to easily send e-discovery documents into West Case Notebook where they can be viewed alongside other key case documents, such as transcripts, briefs, pleadings and legal research, speeding up case preparation.

Allison Guidette, vice president and general manager, Litigation, discusses how Westlaw Litigator helps litigators perform their work efficiently.

For more information on Westlaw Litigator, go here.

Revista dos Tribunais Online combines the technology that powers Westlaw, the leading legal research product in the United States, with the high-quality content and intimate market knowledge available in the volumes of Revista dos Tribunais.

“There are some 600,000 lawyers in Brazil,” said Jim Smith, chief executive officer, Thomson Reuters Professional Division, “and we are well positioned to serve this important market with next-generation tools that meet the needs of business and legal professionals in the region.”

Thomson Reuters acquired Editora Revista dos Tribunais, Brazil’s leading legal publisher, in May 2010.

Gonzalo Lissarrague, president of Latin America for the Professional Division of Thomson Reuters, highlighted the fact that legal systems around the world are becoming increasingly complex. “There is exponential growth in the number of laws, judgments and opinions, and only with the most advanced technology can one access a panoramic view of the applicable legal frameworks,” he said.

Read the news release to learn more.

The FindLaw survey found that 60 percent of Americans say homeowners should never be allowed to simply walk away from their mortgages.  One-third say walking away from a mortgage is ok if the homeowner is no longer able to make the monthly payments.

West Store is easy to use and a bit easier to look at, too. The simplified home page allows for easier navigation, and users will be able to search for products and services with precision and speed.

New features include:

 - Comprehensive practice-area lists and jurisdictional product pages
 - The Westlaw Plan Finder
 - The Product Recommender
 - Service links on every page

More information including a video tutorial is available at www.west.thomson.com.

Check out the news release here.

“Highly regulated firms face significant pressure and costs to better manage risk,” said David Craig, President of Thomson Reuters GRC. “Participating in this event is a tremendous opportunity for everyone facing similar challenges to discuss the most pressing issues and strategies to address them.”

The event will be March 15-16 in New York City. More information can be found here.

You can listen to this interview edition of Legal Current podcast by clicking on the player below.

Susan Lambreth will be leading a two-day workshop on Legal Project Management in New York, March 29-30. More information is available here.  

We’re also on iTunes (just enter Legal Current in the search box).

If you have suggestions for podcast topics for us to focus on, or people to interview within the practice and business of law, send us an email to contact@legalcurrent.com.