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23 I L T A N E T . O R G L aw firms are evolving at a rapid pace as the future of work continues to be redefined amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the rise in remote work, we are seeing a greater need for attorneys to be flexible and mobile while maintaining seamless communication with clients. The last thing a lawyer wants is to be unreachable when a client needs them or for a call to drop during an important discussion. Good communication can make the difference between winning or losing a case. While law firms have always needed different methods of interacting with clients, recent changes, including the rise of virtual trials during the pandemic, have made it more apparent that lawyers need access to flexible, reliable, and scalable communications technology. In this day in age, law firms need more than just a standard phone line. Any communications provider allows users to make calls and send text messages. A great solution is one that not only does all of that but ensures all conversations are kept confidential with high-grade encryption, automatically takes notes, makes conversations searchable, helps keep accurate time records, and seamlessly integrates with the other tools practices use. Embracing Flexibility In this day in age, clients are typically more inclined to text over call, according to Dialpad customer Wade Coye, President of Coye Law Firm, "I've got clients coming in who don't even use email because it's not relevant—but they text all the time. So texting is critical, along with voice, because that's how people communicate." However, some lawyers still use a legacy phone system to this day which means they're reliance on physical devices in the office without texting. Plus, if they're in court while another client calls their office, they would need to go back to their office to check their voicemail, take notes, manually send follow-up actions to support staff, and then remember to record the billable hour. While most lawyers have adapted and now have no problem sending emails or placing calls while remote, they still face challenges recording client interactions, transcribing calls, or logging conversations outside the office. The solution to these woes lies in the cloud. Phone systems that live in the cloud can automate all of this work, so the focus can shift to helping clients. Over the past decade, we've seen a tremendous shift to cloud- based communication platforms because it gives users the ability to stay productive from anywhere in the world. But, with the rise in hybrid-remote work, more and more types of organizations are beginning to see the full potential of the cloud. Dialpad is designed to work with all existing devices, including laptops, cell phones, and desk phones, so no matter where you're never out of reach (or range) of your next call. Even if you're on the go between meetings, there's a feature that allows you to switch between devices in one tap—from office to car to the courtroom to everywhere in between. Though, now that so much client interaction happens digitally, it's up to you to ensure you're leveraging the most secure communication tools and practices. Keeping it Confidential All lawyers understand that privacy and confidentiality are of the utmost importance when dealing with client information. Whether the call is a one-on-one meeting with a client or a group conference with your legal team, case data, transcriptions, and recordings mustn't ever be seen by anyone not authorized. The best law office phone systems protect client data through enterprise-grade security and encryption. If you need to share call recordings and automated transcriptions with your legal team members, that's also

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