How to Use Juris in the Cloud in 2024

This guide on making Juris Software Cloud-Based is for law firms who currently use Juris, or is considering it, and wants to take advantage of the multitude of benefits that moving to the cloud offers.

This includes:

Our Ultimate Guide to Having Juris Software Cloud-Based will provide you the opportunity to learn more about why Juris is only more powerful when utilized in the cloud.

This section is for those who are either totally new to Juris or would like to learn more about the company offering these billing and accounting solutions.

If you feel knowledgeable about Juris and would like to get right into its application in the cloud, please feel free to skip ahead!

LexisNexis created Juris to provide time, billing, and accounting software to law firms a long while back. Juris is typically used for a firms with at least 5-10 time-keepers. While it can be used by solo lawyers and larger companies, it is optimized at this company size.

It is server-based software. This means that it’s meant to typically run on-premise – specifically on servers that your firm would likely keep in the closet or copy room. Then, as a localized platform, it would be downloaded on each computer at your firm to utilize it.

There is another option, known as a Private Cloud, which gives you more flexibility on where you can use the software, but it is a newer workaround and something we’ll dig into a bit further in this article.

Juris Software comes in three primary modules:

Juris as a whole offers robust software to ensure that you are handling your accounting, billing, and financial management with software to track and execute necessary functions for your law firm.

Juris is often a good fit for law firms of 5 or more attorneys (especially law firms of 10+ attorneys).

Juris is especially useful for law firms that need sophisticated legal accounting and find the accounting capabilities of general-purpose law practice management (or generic accounting software) lacking.

Juris is an especially good fit for firms that use Time Matters for case/document management and need to complement Time Matters with a robust billing and accounting solution.

Juris is generally not well-suited for solo and very small law practices.

Soon, we’ll discuss the various ways that the cloud benefits many small and midsize law firms. Because of this, numerous law firms, looking for the reliability, security, and mobility of the cloud assume that the only way to achieve these benefits is to abandon their software and move to a web-based application.

However, Juris and other server-based software often have more robust features than their cloud-based counterparts. By abandoning your server-based platforms for cloud-based ones, you are giving up power and functionality.

When we talk to law firms about their journey with this, the common occurrence is for them to switch to the cloud, realize it’s not close to meeting their expectations, and eventually switch back.

This can be avoided.

Now, you can keep using the software that you prefer while enjoying the benefits of the cloud. This is done through one of the Juris software cloud-hosting solutions.

Juris provides great billing and accounting software to law firms.

Their software is only enhanced when utilized through the cloud.

In most cases, law firms’ favorite software is experienced better in the cloud. I understand that you know Juris as server-based software, but let’s talk about why and how you can run Juris in the cloud.

But before we talk precisely about how it works, let’s talk about why.

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Juris is premise-based software.

This means that it was created to run on a server. From its conception until present day, Juris required law firms to own, operate, and maintain their own servers to host this software.

Whereas cloud-based software operates through the internet, so you’re able to access it through a browser – without the need to retain servers.

One way to get around the way Juris was set up is to run it as a cloud app. Let’s talk about how.

Foremost, the simplest way is to “cloudify” Juris by running Juris through a simple cloud platform such as Practice Go.

Through a system like Practice Go, you can run Juris in the cloud by operating it as web application. This is one way to rid yourself of the burden of server ownership.

While this is a good solution, it’s not always the best. Here’s why…

If your law firm only requires Juris, or another singular software, then it would be no problem. However, if your firm needs to run something else, say Time Matters for your document management, then you’ll need to have another strategy for each other system/software.

Instead, perhaps you’re looking for a more holistic approach. If so, consider using a Private Cloud or Virtual Desktop as a better solution for your firm.

Continue reading for more information on these two options!

Having discussed the advantages of Juris in the cloud, let’s delve into the inner workings of Juris in the cloud. In order to do that, let’s briefly differentiate between cloud-based (web-based) software and desktop/server-based software.

Through Google and Amazon, cloud computing was first truly put into practice in 2006. Since then, the popularity of cloud computing has increased each year and became mainstream closer to 2012.

Up until this time span, most of the software being used (like Juris or other practice management software) needed to be installed on each firm’s in-house servers. The software could then be run from each individual computer in the office. The core makeup of the software (database included) was housed on the server.

Essentially what this means is that using software, like Juris, meant that you had no choice but to have a server too.

In the past, owning and maintaining a server was considered a fundamental requirement to utilize software. It was necessary to possess and manage servers and in-house IT, which was often seen as a necessary but burdensome aspect of using law firm management software.

And there was no say in the matter.

But not today.

Today, we can utilize a technology called the Private Cloud. A private cloud is a hosted, managed IT platform that provides the same (or better) function that a server would. Namely, it hosts a law firm’s legal applications, documents, email, other data while providing greater mobility, reliability and security.

With server-based software such as Juris, a server in some fashion is still required for it to run (with no change in sight).

In the case of a private cloud, the private cloud is the server.

To provide further clarity, a typical private cloud setup for Juris in a law firm often encompasses the following:

Private Clouds are so-called because every law firm (called a “tenant,” in cloud computing parlance), has their own segregated, dedicated working environment.

In most cases, that means:

If you’re not familiar with these technologies, here’s the rundown. We separate your firm’s software, documents, and data from other law firms, thus giving you extra security and privacy protection.

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That’s the “back-end” of running Juris in the cloud. You and your team will interact with the Private Cloud through what’s known as a Virtual Desktop.

Having explored the advantages of operating Juris in the cloud and the role of a Private Cloud in achieving that, let’s now delve into the practical aspects of working in a Private Cloud.

How does each member of your firm utilize it? What does it look like?

The answer is: a Virtual Desktop.

A Virtual Desktop is similar to the familiar Windows or Apple desktop that you use at home and work, but it is hosted in the cloud. It enables you to access your desktop from any location and at any time.

Typically, your Virtual Desktop will have your daily software, like Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, along with your law practice management software, accounting software, even your document management software.

The Virtual Desktop enables you to access your law firm’s software from any location – allowing you to transcend the limitations of being tied to a specific workstation or office setup.

Virtual Desktop solutions are sometimes also referred to as “Desktop-as-a-Service,” or DaaS (analogous to “Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS).

Traditionally speaking, your computing environment at work operates by having the software you need installed on your literal, local computer – whatever you use in the office.

Everything is local and installed individually.

A Virtual Desktop is different. In a Virtual Desktop environment, very few, if any, applications are actually installed on your local computer. Often, the only icon on your local desktop is a shortcut to log into your Virtual Desktop.

Once you or any member of your team logs into the Virtual Desktop, you will have full access to all of your law firm’s software, documents, and data.

The Virtual Desktop serves as a centralized platform where you can seamlessly work with all the essential tools and resources required for your firm’s operations.

This includes:

This gives your entire firm access to Juris (and all your applications, documents, and data) from anywhere, on any device.

Another bonus!

Virtual Desktops also mean that you no longer have to manually install, update, and maintain each of your applications on each computer within your firm. Instead, your Cloud Service Provider will simply keep all software updated for you.

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Virtual Desktops offer numerous benefits to law firms, particularly in the following scenarios where they are often the optimal technology solution:

We’ll cover selecting the right Virtual Desktop provider, and doing your due diligence, shortly.

For an example of working in a Virtual Desktop, watch our demonstration of Uptime Practice.

Now that we understand how Juris in the Cloud works, the benefits, and the functions, we’ll walk through how to move Juris to the Cloud.

This process is typically administered by your chosen Cloud Service Provider but could be done via a combination of IT consultants, software consultants, and cloud hosting providers.

Your Juris cloud migration is best begun the same way any well-managed project is – through a single point of contact.

Your project manager (at Uptime Legal, we call this person the Onboarding Manger) should begin by clear communicating the expectations and steps in the process, so you’re not left with uncertainty of the road ahead.

This Onboarding Manager should define specific timelines, expectations, and what is needed from you.

Although a reputable cloud service provider will have a clearly defined and documented onboarding process, it is important to note that this process is never one-size-fits-all, as every law firm is unique.

An effective Juris cloud migration process should begin with a thorough discovery and assessment of the firm’s existing environment for a tailored strategy.

This includes:

Next, your Juris hosting provider will begin building the private cloud environment you’ll work in. A good provider will have a well-developed process and can build your private cloud quickly. The Onboarding Manager and engineering team will install your software, provision your email accounts, and generally build the “shell” of your complete IT platform.

This process includes:

Next, your Juris software cloud provider will collect your data from your current environment to transfer over. Every element of your firm’s technology will be migrated over – piece by piece.

This cutover process includes:

The physical transfer of data should be conducted seamlessly and securely to ensure a smooth transition to the new cloud platform.

The Onboarding Manager and their team should perform thorough testing of each application, specifically after the data has been imported, as well as conducting tests on computers and peripherals to ensure their proper functionality within the new cloud environment.

Something to keep in mind – in order to minimize or eliminate downtime for your law firm, ensure that your Juris software cloud provider is flexible enough to schedule the cutover during an unimportant time.

Evenings and weekends tend to be great for ensuring that the migration doesn’t inhibit operations nor last longer than a day.

When it comes to a new system, first impressions are meaningful.

If you want employees to adopt the new environment easier and happily, give them one that’s easy to use. On top of this, confirm that your cloud provider has developed an inclusive plan to train the entire staff (and hold hands as needed).

The onboarding manager ought to help throughout this entire process.

Beyond the functionality,  security, reliability, and mobility that Juris cloud hosting provides, there’s also the economic case for moving Juris to the cloud.

Running Juris in-house, with on-premise servers is a deceptively expensive proposition.

You have to buy servers. You have to buy ancillary IT infrastructure, like backup systems, battery backups, and more. You have to hire a capable IT consultant to not only set up the server, but proactively manage and maintain it.

And these costs are always higher in a given year than you think they will be.

To understand the economics of moving Juris to the cloud, we need to compare a Private Cloud solution to the costs of in-house, on-premise servers and IT.

Watch the Video:

To start, analyze all costs incurred each new server cycle (which is typically only 3 to 5 years).

This entails the costs of buying and implementing server infrastructure, and usually includes:

In order to properly understand these costs, I recommend that you get pricing for each of these aspects, record it in a spreadsheet, and add them up.

With this, you’ll have a sense of the total up-front cost of on-premise IT.

It is worth noting that the costs associated with server setup and maintenance are heavily influenced by the software used by the law firm.

How many servers are required and how powerful should they be?

Is it necessary to have multiple dedicated servers?

Would VMWare virtualization be necessary?

Ultimately, these questions are determined by the software utilized, particularly the Practice Management and Document Management software, and their respective server requirements.

Use our Cloud Cost Calculator to tally up all relevant up-front costs for your firm.

Unfortunately, the financial cost of servers needs to account for another aspect. Now that we’ve covered the upfront costs, we can analyze costs you would incur on an ongoing basis.

To achieve this, identify monthly recurring costs, as well as annual costs (renewals, maintenance), and determine your average monthly or annual recurring costs.

Common components of these costs for many law firms typically include:

Add up what you currently, or will, spend on an ongoing basis.

This should include fixed monthly costs (such as a Managed IT Provider contract) as well as sporadic, less predictable costs (such as hourly IT support). For the latter, if you’re unsure of a reasonable budget for this amount, I recommend finding the average over the past two to three years.

The total of all of these determines your average monthly IT spend.

Finally, we need to identify and budget for the inevitable hiccups that you may face with server ownership. You are bound to encounter some level of unplanned IT expenses.

While proactive IT measures significantly decrease the likelihood and impact of unforeseen IT problems, it is important to acknowledge that over a sufficient period of time, such issues are still likely to occur, albeit less frequently.

Still, these unplanned costs may take the form of:

As you can see, while some costs are fixed and predictable, others are wildly unpredictable (but should be budgeted or accounted for in some way nevertheless).

With all things considered, total your up-front costs, monthly ongoing costs, and your budget for unplanned/unforeseen costs:

This is your Total Cost of Ownership for on-premise IT.

Now, compare this Total Cost of Server Ownership to that of a Private Cloud.

We’ve already demonstrated that a Private Cloud is objectively better than in-house IT — in terms of reliability, security and mobility. But simply comparing the costs of in-house vs. cloud-based IT shows that Private Cloud is also more economical than in-house IT.

Private Cloud costs typically include:

It is worth mentioning that, with the appropriate Private Cloud provider, these cost comparisons encompass all the technology that would otherwise need to be purchased and maintained. In contrast, on-premise IT, as demonstrated earlier, often involves hidden and unpredictable costs.

Who wants this kind of surprise?

A fully managed Private Cloud provides costs that are simple, clear, and predictable.

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Now that you understand how Juris in the cloud functions, and what migrating Juris to the cloud can do for your law firm, let’s move onto the important task of doing your due diligence.

With the variety of ways that your law firm can execute the migration of Juris to the cloud, ensure that despite whichever direction you go, you take time to do your homework.

An increasingly common problem for law firms is that more companies, ranging from solo, local IT businesses to bigger, generalist (not legal-focused) businesses, are making claims to be the best choice for your cloud service provider.

Keep in mind that a company just saying they can host Juris in the cloud is not enough for them to actually be able to do it. If you buy into these claims, you are at risk. Here’s why…

Running and maintaining Juris in the cloud isn’t for amateurs.

In particular, hosting Juris requires special configuration and deep software expertise.

“How to properly engage in due diligence when selecting a Private Cloud provider for your law firm” is a subject unto itself, but here are a few key areas to review when evaluating potential hosting companies:

Related:

Once you’ve developed a short list of potential Juris hosting providers, do your homework on each company.

We recommend:

To see the Google reviews for a Private Cloud provider (or any business), if the company is reputable you can simply perform a Google search for that company, and the reviews will show up in the search results sidebar.

For example:

Learn more about doing your due diligence:

At Uptime Legal, we host Juris and other legal software for hundreds of law firms across North America.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about Juris in the cloud for your law firm.

Learn more about running Juris in the Cloud.