The Role of Case Managers in Law Firms: An In-Depth Look

What Does A Case Manager Do?

So what does a case manager do? For starters, a case manager is neither an attorney nor a paralegal. This is someone whose role is to manage the entire caseload of a lawyer or law firm. Case managers have experience handling specific types of cases (immigration, bankruptcy, PTAB, worker’s compensation, just to name a few). They are not billing attorneys or paralegals, although many of them do hold advanced degrees (MBA, JD, PhD). But they are not practicing law. A case manager will manage some or all of the logistics of an overall case . While an attorney handles the legal portion (researching the law and preparing the legal documents), a case manager will make sure all the deadlines are being handled and/or will simply monitor the process, from start to finish, with an eye on the calendar. Case managers are generally organized, thorough, analytical, detail-oriented, versatile and enthusiastic. The role of the case manager is crucial to ensure that deadlines are met and no details are missed. Attorneys may think that handling this work themselves just adds one more thing to their busy plates, but having a well-trained and seasoned case manager brings more value than if the attorney is trying to do everything themselves.

How to Benefit from a Case Manager

The key benefits are improved efficiency and enhanced client experience. Case managers impact important law firm matters such as operating budgets, business development and employee engagement. While GCs and CLOs value case managers for their knowledge base and process expertise, case managers should be viewed as the ultimate steward of your organization’s reputation. Both for what they say and what they don’t say.
Operational Efficiency. A case manager ensures that everyone understands their job, including keeping the team focused on effective case management. When all of the pieces are in place, a case manager is able to run the operation smoothly.
Client Satisfaction. One of the main complaints general counsels have about outside counsel is lack of responsiveness. Your clients see case management as an important means of improving the response time they receive from your law firm, whether it is a client portal with automated invoices, regular status updates, or having a case manager respond when needed. Almost more importantly, is what they don’t say, their complaints about their outside counsel should be virtually non-existent. This is not only good for the relationship, but clients tend to use the word ‘trust’ in describing their relationships with their law firm when they have a dedicated case manager.
Business Development. Clients are as concerned about the bottom line as ever. When case managers are able to manage the costs of a case to meet the set budget, clients gain additional confidence in the firm and the lawyers who are working on their matter. They know that your firm values its assessment of their budget and is able to translate it into action. Your firm will not only be seen as experts in the subject matter area but also efficient in the management of a case.
Employee Engagement. Implementation and execution of processes can improve teamwork, employee engagement, and consistency. Leveraging process and systems will create a bridge between departments and help them to be collaborative. For example, a knowledge management plan that includes document review and organization can help new analysts and associates navigate what can often be a crowded document repository. In addition, a case manager is the point person for internal resources, such as the library, research, e-discovery and litigation support. They will save everyone time by knowing how to wheel and deal knowing who to go to, for what services.

The Difference Between a Case Manager & Paralegal

The case manager’s role is that of an overseer or administrator of a certain case or jurisdiction. Their primary goal is to ensure that the case flows smoothly, that there are no bottlenecks or hiccups in the case procedures, and to make sure that the client is happy with the progress of their case. One could say that a case manager is almost like a liaison between the law firm and the client.
A paralegal, on the other hand, is a legal assistant who performs all of the tasks and functions as determined by the supervising attorney, all while banned from practicing law. This includes investigations, client interviews, document drafting, meetings, hearings, closings, and trial proceedings.
They communicate directly with the clients, assisting with legal documents, evidence cataloging, and file management. Since these tasks are time-consuming and sometimes very tedious, a paralegal’s role is invaluable in helping the staff attorneys complete the client’s work in a timely manner. Some describe working with a paralegal as having an extra set of hands.
A paralegal can also manage the cases assigned to them by the attorney (or attorneys) that they report to, and many of them do have to oversee that some of their cases move along smoothly — though at a level that is higher than a case manager, but lower than a supervising attorney.
Just because a paralegal oversees the files, doesn’t mean that they do so administratively. Their responsibilities may also include preparing for hearings, creating exhibits, gathering evidence, drafting correspondence, and maintaining contact with the clients.
If a paralegal is overseeing the files, and a case manager is managing them, then we can easily compare the two terms to be a "manager" and "administrator." But yet, they are both considered legal assistants, and therefore, hired into the same category. Some firms may hire both a case manager and a paralegal for their most advanced and high-maintenance cases. Others may not see the need for both a case manager and paralegal, and just have one or the other.
The role that either one of them plays depends on how larger or smaller your firm is, or if you even outsource the legal duties altogether. The point is that each term has similar, and different meanings, in which it can even be used interchangeably to fill the void. To put it simply, if the majority of your time is spent in the office, reviewing file after file, then you are a paralegal. However, if you are out intermingling more, going to hearings, speaking with clients, and assisting the staff attorneys, then you are a case manager.
It’s important that your law firm has both positions fulfilled as they are equally important to the progress of your clients’ cases.

Necessary Skills & Qualifications

Due to the wide range of responsibilities, the desired skills and qualifications of a law firm case manager can vary dramatically from one opportunity to the next. However, for any employment in this field, a high level of personal skill is necessary. The ideal candidate will be able to manage many tasks simultaneously and quickly adapt to a variety of challenges. The transferable skills honed in previous positions as a paralegal or legal assistant are a great asset as well. Prior experience with the company, or practice area, is also a large plus. As far as education is concerned, higher-level positions often require at least a bachelor’s degree in areas like business management or administration. Recognizing that many qualified candidates may not have this level of schooling, some employers are instead opting for industry certifications. For general case managers, the National Association of Legal Assistants offers the Certified Paralegal credential that demonstrates leadership and management expertise. Administrative specialists may benefit from certification as a Professional in Human Resources, granted by the Human Resource Certification Institute. Still others find value in becoming a professional manager, with the Manager Certification package offered through the Professional Managers’ Association. As with many opportunities in the legal and corporate fields, experience with office, secretarial, and administrative software programs is not only a plus, but also a requirement. Indeed, it may even be a solid differentiator when selecting the right candidate.

How to Best Implement a Case Manager

For a law firm to use their case managers effectively, the attorneys must clearly communicate what they expect the case manager to do. That means the case manager must know what role he or she is playing in the office. I’ll give you a hint. It’s a vital one. The case manager is there to help you move the case forward as quickly as possible, provide a little breathing room for you, and help you maintain sanity. If you, as the attorney do not set firm guidelines for case managers and cases, the wheels can come off faster than the Ford Pinto’s of yore. The case manager should be the attorney’s right hand and the person who will take on the mundane tasks and smaller, day to day issues that can take up so much time. A very important part of the job is keeping the client informed. Even when things are moving along at a good pace, it can take time. Attorneys have asked me for updates, only to be reminded by me that none of the deadlines have changed, nothing new has happened in the case other than what was previously known and that I have already updated the client. Savings cascade from having a case manager deal with the client. They are able to spend their time on work that makes revenue as opposed to administrative and client care tasks that other members of the firm could perform. By doing so, the attorney is able to focus more energy on billable time. How the law firm trains the case manager is of utmost importance . The attorney will need to sit down with the case manager and go over the nitty gritty details of the case management (I’m convinced that attorneys and clients love to tell every detail of the case, from how they got my name, to their childhood pets) and how the information is pertinent to the firm. Sometimes, leniency can be given regarding the client’s "wants," but not always. How does the firm define "want"? Did the client start the drinking problem as a result of the breakup? Is there an addiction, or a pattern of alcoholism and a series of bad relationships? That may make a certain treatment center appropriate for that person. Or, perhaps, the client wants to go to the "wedding chapel" in Las Vegas if/when the divorce is over. I hate to break it to you folks, but that is not an attorney-defined "want" and not something a good case manager would encourage. The case manager must keep the client happy and the attorney thinking about the client at all times. This client cannot get a little bit high-maintenance or distracted. The case manager will be in control of the client’s case, and will need to speak with the client many times a day. The case manager will need to be very organized and up-to-date on the status at all times. There are no "unlesses" or "except for…" in the contract terms. Case managers so routinely put attorney’s own words in their mouth.

Case Management Software for Law Firms

Technology has made a huge impact on the manner in which case managers are able to keep track of client cases. Utilizing simple case management software, case managers are able to transfer paper records to digital records, and even use software to track and analyze client data. Case management software streamlines the case management process by using computer software to organize all information on a client in one, easily accessible and logically organized place.
Most law offices now use case management software to avoid overhead costs involved in maintaining physical files in multiple locations as well as avoid the increased risk of loss or damage to those files. Luckily, smaller law firms benefit from many case management software packages that are just as effective as many of the more costly, complex case management software. This blog post will address some of the most popular case management software used in smaller law firms, the benefits associated with each platform, and some drawbacks.
The use of Clio case management software is among the fastest growing among law firms. Approximately 4% of all legal professionals use Clio, and 12% of legal professionals use Clio among all case management software platforms.
Pros: Clio offers two different platforms, and both offer an abundance of automation features. The most notable being billing, calendaring, and communication. Clio has the ability to automatically send reminders to clients for upcoming appointments. Clio’s billing automation features permits bulk billing at the end of each month and invoicing can even be automated. Clio bills itself as an easy to use software for managing all aspects of a lawsuit. Clio permits users to import client data from various other platforms, and also offers a site-wide search bar which allows the user to search across all Clio records, such as client contacts, notes, and changes made to client files.
Cons: Clio’s ease of use is also a drawback. Because of all of the available features, the learning curve for Clio may be steep for some. Clio also has a fairly high monthly subscription fee for the features offered. Optional features are not included in the standard monthly subscription fee.
CosmoLex is a law practice management software designed for small and medium sized law firms. CosmoLex is a desktop based program and works like QuickBooks; it requires installation and does not offer cloud based storage.
Pros: CosmoLex offers a complete practice management solution which tracks all aspects regarding the firm’s finances. The legal accounting component sets CosmoLex apart from Clio. CosmoLex is a completely integrated system, meaning users do not have to try to sync data among two different platforms as they would with Clio and QuickBooks. Also, CosmoLex offers a plan that allows users to pay by the day if the user is not frequently using the software, or does not use the software for long periods of time. The program is easy to navigate. CosmoLex is also a fairly affordable practice management software in comparison to Clio, at $39 per month for single users and $49 per month for multiple users.
Cons: CosmoLex lacks many features of popular case management programs such as Clio. Unlike Clio, there is no calendar function, which means that reminders must be placed on a Microsoft Outlook Calendar or another calendar. CosmoLex is also a desktop based program, and cannot be accessed remotely.

What To Expect for the Future of Legal Case Management

As the field of legal case management continues to evolve, several trends are expected to impact the way case managers operate within law firms. These trends include the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to assist in legal research, improved methods for tracking billable hours, and a greater emphasis on transparency and communication with clients.
With the rapid development of machine learning systems, artificial intelligence is playing a significant role in both legal research and case management. The availability of these systems has advanced technological capabilities in the sourcing of documents and legal research efforts. As case managers, lawyers are increasingly relying on the use of legal search engines and have less need for traditional library resources. This shift allows for law firms to be more efficient and cost effective in their use of research resources. At the same time, meaningful document review still requires the human eye and trained judgment, which falls back on the case manager to lead research efforts with the necessary depth and a complex understanding of issues in the case.
In the past, tracking billables often fell on the case manager as a by-product of managing a complex case. However , the ability of case management software to automatically track tasks and generate invoices is a growing trend that aims to benefit both the client and the law firm. This system allows for faster invoice generation and provides a clearer understanding of how a client’s money is being spent, while giving the law firm better access to data on the efficiency and productivity of its case managers.
The modern client is increasingly concerned with transparency. Clients want to have a clear understanding of a case’s matter so that they know exactly how their funds are being spent. This is an area in which case management can shine. The detailed case notes and organization of information that case managers are tasked with is what allows for an orderly representation of events that may happen slowly or gradually as the case progresses. The documentation of a matter creates a legacy of the case between case managers so that even many years after the fact, there can be a clear understanding of the events that transpired. With the greater expectation for explanation and transparency from clients, the case manager is positioned as a key facilitator of clarity and understanding between the client and the firm.