It
was
a
year
ago
last
month
that
I
wrote
here
about
the
launch
of
Clarra,
a
cloud-based
case
management
platform
designed
to
be
optimized
for
docket-driven
litigation
practices.
Now,
Clarra
is
out
with
a
a
major
update
that
provides
a
suite
of
new
features,
including
generative
AI
and
analytics
capabilities,
enhanced
client-communications
capabilities,
no-code
customization,
and
more.
“This
has
been
an
exciting
year
marked
by
an
unflagging
interest
in
what
we
offer:
a
customizable
docket-driven
case
management
solution
that
allows
law
firms
and
in-house
counsel
teams
to
manage
the
complexity
of
litigation,”
said Clarra CEO
Keao
Caindec,
who
cofounded
the
company
with
San
Francisco
litigator
Todd
M.
Schneider.
“With
these
new
features
and
our
commitment
to
simplicity, Clarra is
even
more
responsive
to
the
needs
of
our
customers,
allowing
them
to
leverage
the
latest
technology
and
no-code
flexibility
to
manage
cases
of
any
size
or
complexity.”
Last
week,
Caindec
gave
me
a
briefing
and
demonstration
of
the
new
features
and
capabilities.
Modern
Tech
Stack
Before
even
getting
to
the
new
features,
Caindec
addressed
what
he
sees
as
one
of
Clarra’s
key
advantages
over
its
competitors
–
its
modern
tech
stack.
Many
legal
tech
vendors
are
throttled
in
their
development
by
outdated
infrastructures
and
the
need
to
unify
disparate
tech
stacks
due
to
acquisitions
of
legacy
software,
Caindec
maintains.
“Legal
tech
providers
have
a
lot
of
technical
debt
from
decades-old
technologies
that
must
be
updated,
integrated
with
other
platforms,
or
rebuilt
from
the
ground
up,”
he
told
me.
“Most
of
them
are
so
old
that
they
must
rebuild.
It’s
just
not
worth
building
on
old,
old
technology
to
develop
a
modern
cloud
application.”
By
contrast,
Clarra
has
built
its
platform
on
a
modern,
cloud-hosted
tech
stack,
specifically
leveraging
Microsoft
Azure,
he
said.
This
approach
not
only
provides
a
more
agile
and
adaptable
base
but
also
enables
faster
deployment.
For
law
firms,
one
benefit
of
that
is
that
Clarra
can
be
more
rapidly
deployed
than
other
platforms,
which
often
take
months
to
implement.
Clarra
promises
a
setup
time
of
one
to
two
months
for
firms
with
thousands
of
matters.
This
tech-forward
approach
makes
Clarra
particularly
attractive
for
law
firms
looking
to
migrate
away
from
older
systems
or
avoid
the
pitfalls
of
merging
incompatible
tech
stacks,
Caindec
said.
Additionally,
Clarra’s
compatibility
with
Azure
enhances
scalability,
allowing
it
to
support
firms
of
varying
sizes
and
practice
areas
more
effectively.
No-Code
Customization
Another
distinguishing
feature
of
Clarra
is
its
no-code
customization
capability,
Caindec
said,
allowing
users
to
personalize
their
workflows
and
terminologies
to
match
the
specific
needs
of
different
types
of
legal
practices.
For
instance,
while
some
firms
may
use
the
terms
“case”
and
“client,”
others
may
prefer
“matter”
and
“plaintiff.”
Clarra’s
platform
allows
for
quick,
user-driven
changes
in
terminology
and
data
fields,
without
the
need
for
technical
intervention.
This
flexibility
extends
to
practice
areas,
where
each
area
can
have
tailored
configurations.
The
no-code
interface
is
user-friendly,
enabling
non-IT
professionals
within
law
firms
—
such
as
supervising
paralegals
or
business
managers
—
to
manage
and
modify
the
system
independently,
Caindec
said.
He
said
that
this
capability
has
been
beneficial
for
firms
with
diverse
needs,
from
small
personal
injury
firms
to
large
defense
litigation
practices.
The
platform’s
flexibility
helps
prevent
the
bottlenecks
often
associated
with
customizing
legacy
systems,
giving
law
firms
greater
control
over
their
workflows.
Generative
AI
Integration
Among
its
new
features,
Clarra
now
integrates
generative
AI
to
streamline
various
processes,
particularly
around
document
management
and
timekeeping.
With
these
AI
features,
users
can
perform
tasks
such
as
auto-generating
timeslips,
summarizing
documents,
and
extracting
dates
from
documents
to
simplify
calendaring.
With
the
gen
AI
integration,
users
can
enter
a
natural
language
prompt
to
create
a
timeslip.
Clarra
has
partnered
with
Microsoft
Azure
AI
to
provide
these
capabilities,
enabling
users
to
input
details
using
natural
language,
from
which
the
AI
can
automatically
classify
tasks
and
associate
them
with
the
correct
matter
or
case.
The
AI
functionality
extends
to
document
handling,
where
it
can
extract
critical
dates
and
docketing
information
from
files
as
you
upload
them,
reducing
the
manual
work
of
entering
deadlines
and
tracking
case-related
events.
The
AI
will
create
a
timeslip
and
add
the
appropriate
task
and
activity
codes.
By
automatically
processing
essential
information,
Caindec
said,
Clarra’s
AI
integration
ensures
that
critical
dates
are
not
missed
and
that
workflows
remain
uninterrupted.
Integration
with
Domo
for
Custom
Analytics
Although
Clarra
already
provided
standard
reports,
it
has
now
added
integration
with
the
data
analytics
and
business
intelligence
platform
Domo,
enabling
its
customers
to
access
and
customize
a
range
of
reports
and
visualizations
through
dashboards.
Integration
with
Domo
allows
any
number
of
tailored
analytics
dashboards
within
Clarra.
The
integration,
which
requires
a
separate
Domo
subscription,
is
designed
to
offer
real-time
insights,
enabling
firms
to
track
important
metrics
such
as
time
spent
on
a
matter,
budget
usage,
and
overall
case
progress.
A
timekeeping
dashboard
using
the
Domo
integration.
By
enabling
firms
to
create
tailored
reports,
Caindec
said,
Clarra’s
Domo
integration
addresses
a
common
frustration
in
the
industry:
the
lack
of
actionable
insights
from
standard
reports.
Now,
Clarra’s
customers
can
generate
comprehensive
reports
on
demand,
providing
them
with
deeper
insights
into
operations
and
better
decision-making.
Enhanced
Document
Management
Recognizing
law
firms’
need
for
seamless
document
and
docketing
management,
Clarra
integrates
with
popular
document
management
solutions
such
SharePoint,
iManage,
and
NetDocuments.
But
the
platform’s
CarraDocs
feature
also
allows
users
to
assign
actionable
attributes
to
documents,
such
as
indicating
whether
they
require
docketing
and
tracking
any
subsequent
actions.
When
a
document
is
uploaded,
the
AI
creates
a
summary
and
extracts
key
information.
This
functionality
not
only
saves
time
but
also
ensures
that
documents
are
managed
in
compliance
with
legal
standards
and
firm
requirements,
Caindec
said.
This
feature
has
practical
applications
for
tracking
responses
and
orders
related
to
cases,
as
it
enables
users
to
confirm
that
docketing
actions
have
been
completed
and
generate
reports
on
them.
That
can
be
particularly
useful
for
paralegals
and
other
support
staff,
who
can
now
ensure
a
comprehensive
audit
trail
for
case-related
documents
without
needing
to
rely
on
separate
systems.
Communications
Tracking
Clarra
has
added
several
enhancements
that
allow
firms
to
improve
the
client
experience
and
track
email,
text
and
phone
communications.
In
addition,
Clarra
has
integrated
with
Microsoft
Outlook,
Gmail,
and
Twilio
to
streamline
communications
tracking.
Users
can
now
log
all
communications
directly
within
the
Clarra
platform
and
connect
them
to
specific
matters.
Users
can
also
send
and
receive
Outlook,
Gmail
and
Twilio
messages
without
leaving
the
platform.
Track
client
emails
and
texts
within
the
platform.
For
firms
that
prefer
to
track
communications
as
part
of
their
document
management,
Clarra
also
provides
a
feature
to
save
emails
as
PDFs
with
attached
metadata,
facilitating
retrieval
and
compliance
with
data
retention
policies.
Communications
tracking
ensures
that
law
firms
maintain
complete
records
of
all
client
interactions,
which
is
essential
for
legal
compliance
and
effective
case
management,
Caindec
said.
Plaintiff
Management
Caindec
said
that
one
of
Clarra’s
strengths
is
its
ability
to
serve
both
plaintiff
and
defense
practices,
as
well
as
various
industries
beyond
traditional
law
firms.
To
that
end,
Clarra
has
added
new
plaintiff
management
capabilities
that
allow
users
to
keep
track
of
the
complex
relationships
and
information
related
to
legal
matters,
sub-matters
and
plaintiffs.
For
plaintiffs’
firms,
Clarra’s
customizable
structure
allows
cases
and
plaintiffs
to
be
organized
and
tracked
according
to
the
firms’
preferred
intake
models,
while
defense
firms
have
access
to
features
that
support
multi-district
litigation
and
complex
hierarchies.
The
platform’s
versatility
has
also
attracted
clients
from
legally-adjacent
fields,
including
claimant
management
companies,
private
investigators,
forensics
companies,
and
public
adjusters,
Caindec
said.
“With
these
additional
features,
Clarra
will
continue
to
disrupt
the
marketplace
and
capture
the
interest
of
not
only
litigation
firms
but
also
businesses
that
handle
cases
and
claims
in
general,
such
as
insurance
adjusters
and
legal
support
services,
as
well
as
entertainment
companies
and
enterprises
managing
licensing,
rights
and
intellectual
property,”
cofounder
Schneider
said
in
a
statement
provided
by
the
company.
“There
are
even
more
exciting
developments
ahead
as
we
aim
to
bring
simplicity
and
modernization
to
case
management.”
Kathryn
Olga