Law firm software, in plain words
The terms you meet when you choose software for a firm, each defined in a sentence or two, with where Compass by Rulng fits when it does.
How to read this glossary
Each entry starts with a one-sentence definition you can quote. Where Compass does the thing defined, the entry says so and links to the page that shows how.
Running the practice
- Legal practice management software
- Software that keeps a law firm's clients, matters, dates, documents, billing and client communication in one system, so the firm works from one record instead of several. Compass is practice management software that also includes the firm's website and its lead management. See the product.
- Matter
- One legal engagement for one client, such as a single criminal case, a divorce or an estate plan. A client can have several matters, and each has its own dates, documents and bills.
- Case management software
- Software that tracks matters: their phases, dates, notes and files. It is often used to mean the same as practice management software. Case management in Compass.
- Phase
- The stage a matter is in, such as intake, open, pretrial or closed. Phases let a firm see at a glance where every matter stands.
- Custom field
- A field the firm adds to its own records, such as a charge, a date of offense or a referral source, so the system holds what the practice actually tracks.
- Docket
- The court's list of a case's filings, hearings and events. To docket a date is to put it on the firm's calendar.
- Court notice
- A notice from the court about a case: a hearing set, a date moved, an order entered. A missed notice can mean a missed deadline. Court integration in Compass.
- Conflict check
- A search of the firm's past and present clients and parties before taking a new matter, to make sure the firm can ethically represent the new client.
- Discovery
- The evidence and information each side must share before trial. In a criminal case it can include police reports, recordings and lab results.
Getting clients
- Lead
- A person who has contacted the firm about a legal problem and has not yet hired it.
- Intake
- The steps from first contact to a signed client: taking the details, checking for conflicts, booking the consultation and following up. Lead management in Compass.
- Legal CRM
- Software that tracks leads and the firm's relationships, from first contact to hire. In Compass, the leads inbox is the CRM.
- Speed to lead
- How long a new lead waits for a first reply. Shorter is better, because people often hire the first firm that calls them back.
- Lead source
- Where a lead came from: a Google search, a map listing, an AI answer, a referral or an ad. Knowing the source tells a firm which work brings clients.
- Google Business Profile
- The free listing that shows a business on Google Maps and in the map results, with its hours, reviews and photos. Google profile tracking in Compass.
- Local pack
- The three map results Google shows above the ordinary links for a local search such as "criminal defense lawyer near me".
Money
- Retainer
- Money a client pays in advance, held for future work and drawn down as the firm earns it.
- Trust account
- A bank account for client money the firm has not yet earned. The rules on trust accounts are strict, and they come from the state that licenses the lawyer.
- IOLTA
- Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts: a pooled trust account whose interest goes to a program that funds legal aid, as each state's rules require.
- Flat fee
- One price for a defined piece of work, common in criminal defense and estate planning.
- Payment link
- A link the firm sends so a client can pay an invoice online. Billing in Compass.
Clients and their information
- Client portal
- A secure page where a client can see their own matter, and in many products share documents and messages with the firm, instead of trading email.
- Passkey
- A way to sign in that uses the phone's or computer's own lock, such as a fingerprint or face, instead of a password. It cannot be phished the way a password can.
- Deny by default
- A security rule: nobody can see or change anything until they are given a role that allows it. Security in Compass.
- Ethical wall
- A screen inside a firm that keeps a lawyer or staff member with a conflict of interest away from one client's matter and the firm's information about it. In Compass, a client's file can be limited to chosen groups of the firm's people. Security in Compass.
- Encrypted backup
- A copy of the firm's data that is unreadable without the key, kept so the firm can recover from a mistake, an outage or an attack.
Research
- Statute
- A law passed by a legislature, cited by its section number.
- Jury instructions
- The instructions a judge reads to the jury on the law that applies, often published as standard or pattern instructions that list the elements of each offense.
- Case law
- The decisions of appellate courts, which interpret statutes and bind lower courts.
- Citation
- The reference that lets a reader find the exact source of a statement of law. An AI answer is only as good as its citations. The law library in Compass.
Search and AI
- SEO
- Search engine optimization: making pages that search engines can read, trust and rank.
- GEO
- Generative engine optimization: making pages that AI answer engines, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity and Google's AI answers, can read, quote and cite.
- AI Overview
- The AI-written answer Google shows above the ordinary search results.
- Schema markup
- Structured data in a page's code that tells search engines and AI tools exactly what the page is about: the firm, its address, its attorneys, its questions and answers.
- llms.txt
- A plain-text file at the root of a website that tells AI tools what the site is and where its important pages are.