Running a law firm means you’re constantly juggling client needs, case files, and the day-to-day tasks of managing a business. The right tools can help you save time, stay organized, and give your clients a better experience.
This comprehensive guide, inspired by our discussions with legal professionals, highlights the best software for law firms in 2025. We've grouped the tools by what they help you do, so you can find exactly what you need to make your practice run more smoothly.
As always, we’ve tried to be as unbiased as possible! We’ve got plenty of options and we think each tool deserves it’s own spot on the list.
Practice & case management
These tools are the central hub for your firm, and arguably the most important to get right. They help you manage cases, track time, handle billing, and organize client information all in one place.
- Clio: A popular and comprehensive tool that helps you manage your cases from start to finish. It keeps your client information, documents, and billing in one place, so you can find what you need quickly.
- MyCase: Helps you keep all your case details and documents organized. It also includes a secure client portal, making it easy to communicate and share updates with your clients.
- Filevine: A tool that helps you customize your workflow. It's designed to keep all your case information, from documents to client communication, in a single, easy-to-search place.
- Actionstep: A flexible platform that lets you build workflows that fit your firm's specific needs. It helps you automate tasks and keep your cases moving forward.
- LEAP: Gives you access to your client and matter information from one place. It’s designed to help you manage your practice more efficiently, whether you're in the office or working remotely.
- Smokeball: This tool automatically tracks your time and activity, helping you capture more billable hours without the extra effort. It also helps you stay on top of your firm's finances.
- OneLaw: A New Zealand based practice management system, OneLaw offers an easy to use array of tools and products that help simplify your firm's operations.
- LawToolBox: Focuses on deadline and rule-based calendaring. It integrates with your case management system to automatically calculate court deadlines, reducing the risk of malpractice.
- Eudia: A modern practice management platform that aims to unify client communication, billing, and case management in an intuitive interface.
- Lawcus: A visual practice management tool that helps law firms manage their cases, tasks, and client communications in a streamlined manner.
Need a hand figuring out which PMS to use? Check out our review of the top Practice Management System’s to use.
AI tools
These tools use artificial intelligence to help you with research, drafting, and reviewing documents, so you can get through tedious work faster.
- Harvey AI: A generative AI platform built for law firms, designed to handle complex legal work across research, drafting, and analysis.
- CoCounsel: An AI legal assistant from Casetext and Thomson Reuters that helps with tasks like document review, deposition preparation, and legal research memos.
- Spellbook: An AI tool that helps you draft and review contracts right in Microsoft Word. It can help you spot key clauses and potential issues, saving you time on document review.
- Everlaw: Uses AI to help you sort through large volumes of documents in eDiscovery. It makes it easier to find the important information you need for your case.
- Diligen: An AI-powered contract analysis tool that helps firms review and understand contracts faster by identifying key provisions and risks.
- Darrow.ai: A justice intelligence platform that uses AI to scan the public domain to detect and build high-value litigation cases.
- ChatGPT: A powerful general-purpose AI chatbot that can assist with drafting emails, summarizing text, and brainstorming ideas, but should be used with caution for confidential or substantive legal work.
- Parley: An online legal service helping immigration lawyers automate forms, support letters and filings.
- Archie AI: Built into Smokeball, Archie helps you draft documents and complete daily tasks faster by surfacing relevant information from your matter files.
- Clio Duo: Clio’s AI legal assistant that helps you draft, summarize, and organize client communications and case documents right inside your practice management software.
Wondering how AI assistants and call transcripts save law firms hours? We explore that in our article with tips, tricks and recommendations for your firm.
Communication tools
- VXT: A smart phone system that makes communicating with clients simple. VXT records and transcribes your calls, so you have a clear record of your conversations. It connects with legal practice management software like Clio, MyCase, LEAP, Smokeball, Filevine, and Actionstep to automatically save notes and track your time.
- Slack: A messaging app that helps your team collaborate in real time. You can create separate channels for different cases to keep conversations and files organized.
- Zoom: A reliable tool for video meetings and calls. It’s a straightforward way to meet with clients and colleagues when you can't be in the same room.
Client intake
- Lawmatics: Helps you automate your client intake process. You can create custom forms to gather new client information, which saves time and makes getting started easier.
- Clio Grow: Clio’s client intake tool that helps you track potential new clients from the first contact, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks.
- Smith.ai: Provides virtual receptionist and intake services, using a combination of AI and human agents to answer calls and qualify potential clients.
- LeadDocket: A lead tracking and intake tool from Filevine that helps you manage new inquiries, follow up automatically, and convert more leads into clients.
Time tracking & billing
- Clockify: A popular and straightforward time tracking tool that allows you and your team to log hours spent on different cases and tasks.
- Timesolv: A dedicated legal time and billing software that helps firms manage time tracking, invoicing, and payments efficiently.
Note taking
- Microsoft OneNote: A digital notebook that lets you organize your notes into sections and pages. You can type, draw, and add images, making it a flexible tool.
- Evernote: Helps you capture and organize your notes, to-do lists, and ideas. You can access your notes on any device, so your information is always with you.
- Noteshelf: A fluid and intuitive digital note-taking app, popular for its handwriting experience on tablets.
Password protection
- 1Password: Remembers all your passwords for you and keeps them safe. It helps you create strong, unique passwords for all your accounts.
- Dashlane: A password manager that securely stores your passwords and can automatically fill them in for you.
- Bitwarden: Another strong password manager that helps you keep passwords secure. Providing lots of useful tools for managing large organisations.
- Keeper: Provides a secure and encrypted place to store your passwords and other sensitive information.
Business automation
- Zapier: Connects the different apps you use, so they can work together automatically without any code.
- Make: A visual automation platform that lets you build complex workflows to connect apps and automate tasks.
- n8n: A source-available workflow automation tool that provides great flexibility, allowing you to run it on your own servers for enhanced data privacy.
E-signatures
- DocuSign: A widely used tool that lets you send and sign documents electronically.
- Adobe Acrobat Sign: Lets you send, track, and collect e-signatures from any device.
- Dropbox Sign: A straightforward tool for getting your documents signed online (formerly HelloSign).
Legal research
- Westlaw: A comprehensive legal research service that helps you find relevant cases, statutes, and secondary sources quickly.
- LexisNexis: A powerful research platform that gives you access to a vast library of legal and news information.
- Fastcase: An affordable legal research tool that provides access to a large library of state and federal case law.
- Lawrify: An AI-powered platform designed to simplify legal research and document analysis for practitioners.
Online storage
- NetDocuments: A cloud-based system that keeps all your documents in one secure place.
- iManage: Helps you and your team work on documents together, keeping everything organized and up-to-date.
- Google Drive: A simple way to store and share your files, included with a Google Workspace account.
- Dropbox: A popular and reliable file hosting service that offers cloud storage, file synchronization, and client software.
- OneDrive: Microsoft's cloud storage service, which is deeply integrated into the Windows and Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Drafting & reviewing documents
- Lawyaw: Helps you draft legal documents faster by turning your existing Microsoft Word documents into reusable templates.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro: A must-have for working with PDFs, allowing you to create, edit, sign, and protect your documents.
- Donna.legal: An AI-powered add-in for Microsoft Word that helps proofread and review documents for drafting errors and definition consistency.
- Lumin PDF: An excellent tool to use for working with and managing PDF’s. Making it easy to collaborate, edit and sign off in one place. (Bonus: they are based in Christchurch, New Zealand alongside VXT)
Scheduling & project management
- Calendly: An automated scheduling tool that simplifies booking appointments by letting others see your availability and pick a time.
- Asana: A project management tool that helps teams organize, track, and manage their work, from simple to-do lists to complex projects.
Office suites & productivity
- Microsoft 365: The industry-standard suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Google Workspace: A cloud-based suite that includes Docs, Sheets, and Slides, built for real-time collaboration.
- OpenOffice: A free and open-source office suite that provides a solid alternative to paid software.
- LibreOffice: Another popular, free, and open-source office suite with a full range of features.
Accounting software
- Xero: A leading accounting platform, known for its user-friendly interface and strong features for small and medium-sized businesses.
- QuickBooks: A globally popular accounting software that helps with invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting.
Finding the right tools for your firm
Choosing the right software is about finding what best supports your firm's goals and the way you work. The tools on this list are designed to help you automate tasks, improve communication, and free up your time to focus on what matters most—your clients.
The world of legal technology is always growing. If you use a tool you love that isn’t on this list, we want to hear about it. Send us a message on LinkedIn, and we may feature your recommendation in a future update.
Got a tool that's not on this list? Contact us on LinkedIn to get it included in this list!
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