Table of Contents
ProLaw Workspace gives your firm a simpler, browser-based way to use ProLaw, without giving up what the desktop application already does well.
That matters because most firms running ProLaw have some users who need the full desktop experience and others who’d be just as productive with something lighter. Workspace is built for exactly that split.
This guide covers what Workspace actually does, whether it’s cloud-based (the answer surprises some firms), and a practical walkthrough for logging in and getting started. If your firm is still deciding on law practice management software in general, that decision comes first; this guide assumes you’re already running ProLaw.
By the end, you’ll know how Workspace fits into your firm’s setup and how to start using it.
What Is ProLaw Workspace?
ProLaw is a software suite that provides practice management, document management, and accounting for law firms, one of the few all-in-one legal software suites that serve all three functions.
Historically, ProLaw was installed on each of your firm’s computers, with the database hosted on your firm’s in-house servers or within a Private Cloud. If you haven’t already decided ProLaw is the right fit, our full ProLaw review covers features, pricing, and honest user feedback.
Many firms want the simplicity of software that runs in a web browser, without sacrificing functionality or switching legal software entirely.
ProLaw Workspace is an optional add-on that gives some or all users in your firm a simpler, web-based interface to your ProLaw system. It’s an alternative interface to the same back-end database your regular desktop ProLaw connects to, so your firm can mix desktop and Workspace users without splitting your data.
Desktop Advantages (Classic ProLaw Interface)
The desktop interface is the classic ProLaw experience: full features and capabilities, at some expense of simplicity. It’s best suited for power users who need deep case management, document management, or accounting functionality.
Workspace Advantages (Web Interface)
The web interface trades some of that depth for a simpler, cleaner presentation. If your firm is familiar with software like MyCase, Clio, or Practice Panther, Workspace will feel familiar too. It’s best suited for casual users who need basic ProLaw functionality without every feature in the full desktop application.
ProLaw Workspace Highlights
Workspace delivers on that simplicity in three areas: the dashboard, the matter overview page, and time entry.
New Dashboard
The default home screen in Workspace is a dashboard with a quick, at-a-glance view of what matters:
New Matter Overview Page
Workspace streamlines the Matter Overview screen. Each matter has tabs for Contacts, Documents, Events, and Details, and the general matter information and contacts for each matter are simplified compared to the desktop view.
Time Tracking
Entering and managing time is streamlined too. You can enter time by clicking the “Add Time” button right from the dashboard, or go into the Time Entry page to view previous entries or create new ones.
Getting Started with ProLaw Workspace
Getting started with ProLaw Workspace takes just a few steps, whether you’re logging in for the first time or finding your way around after switching over from the desktop app.
- 1
Log in through your browser. Your firm’s IT team or ProLaw administrator provides the Workspace URL and your login credentials. There’s no software to install; navigate to the URL and sign in the same way you would with any other web application.
- 2
Get oriented on the dashboard. Once you’re logged in, the dashboard is your home base. Look for your recent matters and contacts first, then check the My Time Summary to see billable hours you’ve already logged this week.
- 3
Open a matter. Search or browse to the matter you need, then use the tabs across the top, Contacts, Documents, Events, and Details, to move between what you need without leaving the matter.
- 4
Enter your time. Click “Add Time” from the dashboard for a quick entry, or go to the Time Entry page if you want to review previous entries or add several at once.
- 5
Know where to go when something doesn’t work. For issues Workspace itself can’t answer, your firm’s ProLaw support pathway covers the options available to you, from ProLaw’s own help desk to a Private Cloud provider’s support team.
Most users are comfortable in Workspace within their first few sessions. If your firm just switched some users over from the desktop app, the biggest adjustment is usually remembering which tasks live on the dashboard versus inside a specific matter.
Should Your Firm Use ProLaw Workspace?
Should your firm adopt ProLaw Workspace? Probably.
If your firm already uses ProLaw, or is 10 people or larger and looking for a comprehensive practice management, document management, and accounting solution, Workspace is a solid addition. We recommend implementing it for your more casual, light-need users, and keeping the full-featured desktop interface for your power users.
Is ProLaw Workspace Actually Cloud-Based?
Not by default. Workspace is a new, web-based interface to the same ProLaw system and database your firm already has. It resides on your firm’s server and still requires a server to run and operate.
Web-based doesn’t automatically mean cloud: software is cloud-based when it’s both used in a browser and hosted by the software maker or a third party. Workspace meets the first requirement, not the second.
That means your firm still needs a managed, on-premise server or a Private Cloud. Either way, make sure you have support, both initially and ongoing.
ProLaw Support:
So, you want to get ProLaw. Read this article to ensure you have the best support possible.
Running ProLaw Workspace in the Cloud
You can run ProLaw Workspace in the cloud. Doing so requires a Private Cloud, a hosted platform that provides your legal software, documents, and email without requiring an on-premise server. Premise-based software like ProLaw, including Workspace, requires a server; in a Private Cloud, the private cloud is the server.
Broadly, a Private Cloud provides:
Our guide to ProLaw in the cloud covers the full migration decision: how it works, what it costs, and what to expect.
The Virtual Desktop
Your firm’s members access the Private Cloud through a Virtual Desktop: a cloud-hosted desktop reachable from any device, anywhere. Each person logs in through an icon on their local computer, and once inside, has access to their practice management software, documents, Microsoft Office, and email, all in one place.
What Does It Cost to Run ProLaw Workspace in the Cloud?
For most firms of 10 or more people, a Private Cloud paired with Workspace tends to cost less than owning and maintaining on-premise servers, and often compares well against cloud-based enterprise practice management software. Our breakdown of the financial case for cloud walks through a side-by-side analysis of the three computing models if you want the full numbers.
Case Study: One Law Firm’s Story
Burdett Morgan Williamson & Boykin (BMWB) is a law firm with offices in Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas. What began in 1985 as a boutique practice with three attorneys focused on real estate, estate planning, and oil and gas has grown into a 24-attorney, full-service firm serving business clients including lending institutions, churches, and non-profits.
In 2012, BMWB’s setup was typical for a small firm of that era: an on-premises server running Microsoft Small Business Server with Exchange and Office for email and documents, plus a popular legal billing application, connecting two offices over a VPN tunnel.
Then the server’s hard drive crashed. Data assumed to be backed up wasn’t, and the firm’s IT provider admitted BMWB had outgrown what it could support. The firm was down for about a week, and some data had to be recreated.
How One Firm Came Back from a Hard Drive Crash
Cloud hosting empowered Burdett Morgan Williamson & Boykin to recover quickly, safeguard data, and eliminate the risks of outdated servers technology.
ProLaw Workspace Solves the Interface Problem, Not the Server Problem
ProLaw Workspace does what it sets out to do: give casual users a simpler, browser-based way into ProLaw, while power users keep the full desktop experience.
What it doesn’t do on its own is make ProLaw cloud-based. Workspace still needs a server or a Private Cloud behind it, the same as the desktop application.
For most firms of 10 or more people, pairing Workspace with a Private Cloud is worth the setup: your team gets the lighter interface where it helps, and the mobility and security of the cloud everywhere else.
WHAT’S NEXT
Frequently Asked Questions
Uptime Legal’s Technology Solutions
Cloud, software, IT, and document management built for today’s law firms.
