Texas Criminal Defense Group

About Texas Criminal Defense Group

Texas Criminal Defense Group is a criminal defense firm working across Texas, led by partners Stephen Hamilton and Shane Byrd.

‍

The firm's tagline says it all: "We defend you like family." That family-first philosophy translates into a high-volume, fast-moving practice.

‍

The team handles around 1,700 inbound calls a week between current clients, judges, and potential new clients, making the firm's phone system one of the most important tools in their day-to-day operations.

‍

‍

Problem

Texas Criminal Defense Group had tried plenty of phone systems, but none were a fit for how the firm actually worked.

‍

"We've probably used the vast majority of the popular [phone] systems” Stephen says.

‍

“We've used RingCentral, we've used Dialpad, we've used Nextiva, and they just didn't work for us.”

‍

The key challenges included:

‍

• Time-consuming note-taking: Attorneys were taking call notes by pen and paper, then handing them to a legal assistant to scan and file. The workflow was slow, expensive, and prone to delays.
  ‍
• Manual time tracking: Billable time from calls had to be logged by hand, adding another admin step on top of the manual note-taking workflow.
  ‍
• No reliable way to resolve disputes: When a question came up about what was said on a call, the firm was stuck in "he said, she said" territory, with no recording or transcript to refer back to.
  ‍

"So much of our time was spent on manual tasks, trying to log details from call notes, trying to jot them down — and everyone is trying to do this while actively working on a case," says Nichole Leiser, Director of Operations at Texas Criminal Defense Group.

‍

"I was just scrambling, trying to find a better solution."

‍

‍

Solution

When Texas Criminal Defense Group switched to VXT, they found a phone system that integrated with their case management system (8am MyCase) and finally fit how a high-volume criminal defense firm actually operates.

‍

With VXT, the team saw:

‍

• Call notes and transcripts saved straight to MyCase: VXT transcribes calls and saves notes taken during the call straight into the client's file in MyCase, meaning no more pen-and-paper notes, no more manual scanning, and no more delays.
  ‍
• Five minutes saved on every call: VXT removed the manual note-taking step entirely. Across ~1,700 calls a week that adds up to over 140 hours saved (or the equivalent of almost four full-time staff). At entry-level legal assistant salaries in Texas (around USD $45,000 a year), that's about $180,000 a year in productivity that VXT puts back into the practice.
  ‍
• A more productive support team: With manual documentation off their plate and VXT’s automatic time tracking, the firm's legal support staff have effectively doubled their productivity.
  ‍
• Call recordings end "he said, she said" disputes: Every call is recorded with disclosure, giving the firm a reliable record to refer back to whenever a question comes up about what was said.

‍

By automating call notes, recording and transcribing every conversation, and integrating directly with MyCase, VXT has become a core part of how the firm runs its practice.

‍

"VXT saves us a minimum of five minutes on every call,” Stephen says.

‍

“We don't have to take notes — it's automatic.”

‍

The result is a faster, more accurate and more accountable operation — one where 1,700 calls a week get handled without the manual admin that used to weigh the team down.

‍

"Our legal support staff have [doubled] productivity, because we spend way less time on manual work,” Nichole says.

‍

“And there’s nothing missed in our time entries that we would have had to document manually,"

‍

"I haven't ever been let down by VXT. And that's not true with the vast majority of software out there," Stephen says.

‍

"I couldn't imagine changing from VXT."

‍

"I tell other law firms to use VXT because I see what it does for our [firm]," Nichole adds.

‍

"It's unfortunate for the other providers — when they tell me no one can do it, I tell them, VXT can."