Smokeball legal blog
Industry-leading Insights, trends, and expertise for the people practicing people-law.
Powering People-Law: a new look for who we’ve always been
Discover what "powering people-law" means, and why it hasn't changed who we are.
Same Smokeball, new look: A letter from Hunter Steele
A personal letter from Smokeball CEO Hunter Steele on our new look.
25 AI Starter Prompts for Lawyers
Learn how to use AI in your law firm with 25 beginner-friendly AI prompts for lawyers. Draft emails, summarize documents, brainstorm ideas, and more.
Celebrating Smokeball’s 2026 Beacon Award Winners: Lawyers Making a Difference
Meet the 2026 Smokeball Beacon Award winners and discover how these inspiring lawyers are expanding access to justice through pro bono work, mentorship, and community leadership
World-Renowned Leadership Keynote Sterling Hawkins to Headline Smokeball Spark 2026
Global leadership keynote Sterling Hawkins headlines inaugural event as legal professionals gather in Chicago for a day of innovation, CLE, and firm growth
5 Ways Law Firms Are Using AI to Stay Productive During Summer Vacations
Discover how law firms use AI to maintain billable hours, prevent matter delays, improve client responsiveness, and keep work moving during summer vacation season.
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Archie AI for Word: AI-Powered Legal Drafting, Embedded Directly in Microsoft Word
Discover Archie AI for Word, Smokeball's AI legal drafting assistant embedded directly in Microsoft Word. Draft legal documents faster with matter-aware AI, tracked edits, and secure access to GPT, Claude, and Gemini.
A Better Way to Hire and Retain Staff in Personal Injury Firms
Hiring and retention challenges in personal injury law firms? Discover how to hire better, reduce burnout, and build a stronger PI team that stays.
Smokeball Expands Free Legal Technology Access to Over 900,000 U.S. Lawyers Through Partnering With 28 State Bars
Smokeball’s recent partnerships with The Florida Bar and North Carolina State Bar bring free trust accounting technology to more than 900,000 lawyers.
25 AI Starter Prompts for Lawyers
Learn how to use AI in your law firm with 25 beginner-friendly AI prompts for lawyers. Draft emails, summarize documents, brainstorm ideas, and more.
5 Ways Law Firms Are Using AI to Stay Productive During Summer Vacations
Discover how law firms use AI to maintain billable hours, prevent matter delays, improve client responsiveness, and keep work moving during summer vacation season.
CalBar's New AI Proposal Reflects What (Most) Lawyers Already Know
California’s proposed AI verification rule may sound daunting, but it reflects what lawyers are already trained to do. Here’s what lawyers need to know, and why verifying AI outputs is simpler than it seems.
How California Personal Injury Lawyers are Approaching AI with Nuance
How California PI lawyers approach AI with nuance, favoring legal-specific tools that reduce stress, protect data, and streamline high-volume work.
Behind the Firm: A Lawyer’s Duty in the Age of AI
Inside the framework that keeps one law firm ethical, agile, and ahead of the AI curve.
9 AI Apps Every Texas Lawyer Should Know
9 AI tools Texas lawyers can use — including Smokeball — to speed up research, drafting, client intake, and streamline their workflow.
Ignore AI and Get Left in the Dust: Why Texas Lawyers Can’t Afford to Wait
Attract more clients to your Houston law firm with proven local SEO strategies. Boost visibility, connect with local communities, and grow your practice.
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Overworked and Overstressed: Why Lawyers Need AI in Their Practices
Learn how AI can be used as a tool to reduce lawyer stress.
AI vs. Traditional Legal Drafting: The Smokeball Advantage
Say goodbye to tedious drafting. Smokeball’s AI-driven legal drafting helps you work faster, smarter, and more accurately—freeing you to focus on what matters.
The Small Wins in Family Law That Shape Better Outcomes
Learn how family law firms can manage pro se clients, streamline intake, and use workflows and technology to handle cases already in motion.
Tax Season, Decoded: 6 Things Law Firms Should Be Doing All Year Long
Tips to help law firms prepare for tax season all year round
Disaster Planning for Texas Law Firms
Texas attorney Jordan Turk provides a disaster planning checklist and tips to help Texas law firms prepare for the unexpected.
8 Case Management Features Every Law Firm Needs
Discover the eight must-have case management software features every law firm needs to save time, stay secure, and boost productivity.
Improve Your Law Firm’s Organization or Pay the Price Later: Why Legal Case Management Software is Essential
Lost hours, missed deadlines, and data risks are warning signs. Discover how the right case management software helps your firm stay ahead.
Microsoft Office Hacks for Legal Professionals
Boost productivity with essential Microsoft Office tips for legal professionals.
How Smokeball’s Case Management Software Transforms Legal Practices Across Multiple Areas
Streamline legal workflows with Smokeball: AI-powered case management that simplifies tasks, tracks deadlines, and helps you serve clients better.
Track Personal Injury Claims and Deadlines Effectively with Smokeball
Is your legal firm interested in tracking personal injury claims and deadlines more effectively. Learn how Smokeball can help.
Boosting Legal Firm Productivity with Smokeball Integrations
Boost law firm efficiency with Smokeball’s seamless integrations—automate tasks, simplify workflows, and elevate client service without disruption.
Why Timekeeping Software is Valuable for Fixed-Fee Law Firms
Using timekeeping software to automatically track your time can provide your fixed-fee firm with incredible benefits.
Contingency Fees: a Practical Guide for Law Firms
For contingency lawyers, the risk of taking on a case with a contingency fee basis can reap huge rewards. Learn the pros and cons of contingency fees, as well as how to set a reasonable fee.
Contingency Budget Planning for Personal Injury Firms
Learn how Smokeball can help your contingency-based firm build best practices and successfully balance your budget.
Using Time Management Software for Law Firms to Ethically Ensure Productivity
How can supervisors legally and ethically use time management software for law firms to monitor and evaluate remote productivity?
The Value of Data-Driven Lawyer Timekeeping Software
Data Analytics for Small Law Firms - Part 1: Law Firm KPIs. The first in a series of posts focusing on KPIs and timekeeping software for law firms.
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The Complete Guide to Law Firm Billable Hours: Tracking, Calculation, and Profitability
Learn how US law firms track and calculate billable hours with legal billing software, and how Smokeball legal case management software automates time capture.
LEDES Billing Guide for Law Firms
Learn how law firms can streamline invoices, improve collections, and avoid rejected bills with LEDES billing.
Law Firm Guide to Attorney Referral Fees
Wondering what lawyer referral fees are? Read this quick guide on attorney referral fees and understand referral fee agreements between attorneys.
Do all lawyers need to track their billable hours?
Tracking billable hours is a common practice in the legal industry, but is it necessary for all lawyers? Smokeball explores the pros and cons of billable hour tracking.
A Better Way to Hire and Retain Staff in Personal Injury Firms
Hiring and retention challenges in personal injury law firms? Discover how to hire better, reduce burnout, and build a stronger PI team that stays.
A Family Lawyer’s Guide to Taking Over Pro Se Cases
Learn how family law firms can manage pro se clients, streamline intake, and use workflows and technology to handle cases already in motion.
Why Law Firms Must Prioritize Collaboration with Firm Growth
As law firms grow, collaboration often breaks down. Learn how smarter systems, AI, training, and visibility help teams stay aligned and succeed in the long term.
11th Hour Clients Are Stress-Testing Your Intake System
Last minute filings expose the cracks in law firm intake systems. Learn how family law firms streamline intake, drafting, and workflows for urgent cases.
Inclusion as Strength: Lessons for the Next Generation of Law Firms
A San Antonio law school proves representation strengthens law firms. Here’s what mid-size firms can learn about diversity, pipelines, and client trust.
Houston, We Have a Client: SEO Tips to Launch Your Law Firm Into Orbit
Attract more clients to your Houston law firm with proven local SEO strategies. Boost visibility, connect with local communities, and grow your practice.
Legal SEO Secrets: How Dallas/Fort Worth Law Firms Can Win on Local Searches
Discover local SEO tips for Dallas/Fort Worth law firms to attract Texas clients and grow your practice. Boost visibility and get clients today!
The Ultimate Guide to Law Firm Marketing
Attract more clients, increase referrals, and market smarter with Smokeball’s G.R.O.W.T.H. Framework—built for modern, client-focused law firms.
Google My Business for Law Firms: Make Your Profile a Client Magnet
Boost your law firm’s visibility with a fully-optimized Google My Business profile that attracts local clients and improves SEO.
Effective and Scalable Law Firm Communication Strategies
Being a legal professional at a growing law firm requires you to hone your communication skills in several ways, each of which is vital to the success of your business.
5 Ways Legal Software Boosts Your Client Relationships
In an industry notoriously slow to embrace change, legal software has not been an easy sell — even when it helps client relationships.
Setting Communication Boundaries for Healthy Client Relationships
Setting communication boundaries is essential for healthy client relationships. Smokeball Legal Software provides tips and strategies to help you set effective communication boundaries and improve client satisfaction.
Nancy Shafer: Chicago Family Law Champion
Read our interview with a Chicago Family Law staple, Nancy Shafer. Learn about her successes in the field and what has helped along the way.
Attorney Spotlight: Barry Kaufman
As a solo practice attorney, Barry Kaufman needed a practice management tool to help keep up with the odds and ends. Here's how Smokeball helped.
Smokeball Onboarding: Let's Be Friends
We are in your corner as you prepare to implement Smokeball at your small law firm. Our trainers and Client Success Managers are always here to help.
Three Tips for Communicating Bad News to Clients
Being the bearer of bad news is never an easy feat. Here are three tips from Smokeball on how you can handle it correctly.
Archie AI for Word: AI-Powered Legal Drafting, Embedded Directly in Microsoft Word
Discover Archie AI for Word, Smokeball's AI legal drafting assistant embedded directly in Microsoft Word. Draft legal documents faster with matter-aware AI, tracked edits, and secure access to GPT, Claude, and Gemini.
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Smokeball and Thomson Reuters Partner to Create the Premier Legal Technology Ecosystem
The partnership will create the premier legal technology ecosystem for small to mid-size law firms to manage, run, research, and bill their work in one place.
Choosing the Right Legal Software: Why Smokeball Stands Out
Compare Smokeball to other legal software. See how built-in time capture, automation, Outlook sync, reporting, portals, and AI outpace piecemeal tools.
5 Benefits of Using 2FA: Protect Your Law Firm & Clients
Keep your law firm secure with two-factor authentication (2FA). Learn how 2FA protects sensitive client data, prevents breaches and ensures compliance.
Beyond passwords. How 2FA protects sensitive legal data
Discover how 2FA keeps your law firm’s data safe. Learn why passwords alone aren’t enough and how two-factor authentication boosts your cybersecurity.
Why Cloud-Based Technology Is Necessary to Run a Cyber-Secure Firm
Cybersecurity for law firms is a necessary baseline for any practice. Here's what you need to know about cybersecurity in the legal industry.
Legal billing that lets you include all debtors on one invoice
When an attorney is representing multiple parties in a case, it’s essential to list all parties who own the debt on each invoice.
Legal software that calculates your deadlines
Calculating deadlines can be a time-consuming and error-prone process. Smokeball provides software that automatically calculates deadlines for you, saving you time and reducing errors.
Keep track of your employees' productivity with Activity Intelligence
Law firms need to maintain control over overall productivity regardless if one employee is working remotely on the road (in […]
Powering People-Law: a new look for who we’ve always been
Discover what "powering people-law" means, and why it hasn't changed who we are.
Same Smokeball, new look: A letter from Hunter Steele
A personal letter from Smokeball CEO Hunter Steele on our new look.
Celebrating Smokeball’s 2026 Beacon Award Winners: Lawyers Making a Difference
Meet the 2026 Smokeball Beacon Award winners and discover how these inspiring lawyers are expanding access to justice through pro bono work, mentorship, and community leadership
World-Renowned Leadership Keynote Sterling Hawkins to Headline Smokeball Spark 2026
Global leadership keynote Sterling Hawkins headlines inaugural event as legal professionals gather in Chicago for a day of innovation, CLE, and firm growth
Smokeball Expands Free Legal Technology Access to Over 900,000 U.S. Lawyers Through Partnering With 28 State Bars
Smokeball’s recent partnerships with The Florida Bar and North Carolina State Bar bring free trust accounting technology to more than 900,000 lawyers.
The Florida Bar and Smokeball Expand Free Trust Accounting and Billing Software Offered to All Members
Smokeball builds a new relationship with The Florida Bar by offering attorneys in the state more choice and access to modern tools.
Smokeball and North Carolina State Bar Announce Member Access to Trust Accounting and Billing Software
Smokeball provides access to trust accounting technology at no cost, in partnership with North Carolina State Bar.
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Smokeball and Thomson Reuters Partner to Create the Premier Legal Technology Ecosystem
The partnership connects the business and practice of law for small to mid-size law firms, by bringing together Smokeball’s practice management platform and Thomson Reuters CoCounsel Legal.
The 7 Best Legal Conferences for Mid-Size Law Firms in 2026
Discover the top legal conferences in 2026 for mid-size law firms. Dates, locations, ROI insights, CLE info, and can’t-miss events.
Lawyer Stress and Burnout: Practical Insights from a Legal Coach
Struggling with stress or burnout as a lawyer? A legal life and business coach shares practical mindset shifts and strategies to manage workload and create a more sustainable career.
6 Hiring and Retention Tips for Law Firms
Struggling with hiring and retention? Discover 6 practical tips law firms can use to build stronger teams, improve culture, and retain top legal talent.
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For California Family Lawyers, Availability Is the New Stress Point
California family lawyers are feeling burnout driven by growing client expectations. Read how tech, boundaries, and better systems help.
Client Demands Are Spiking. California Lawyers Are Feeling It First.
California lawyers are feeling burnout driven by rising client expectations. Learn how tech, boundaries, and smarter systems can help.
Smokeball’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers
Billable hours can wait—unwrap Smokeball’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide for lawyers who deserve more joy, less stress, and maybe fewer mugs.
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Document Automation: Your Practice's Next Strategic Advantage
Discover how document automation transforms legal work, saving time, reducing errors, and elevating the quality of service for every client.
The Diverging Values of Law Firms: Tech Advancement vs. Back to Office
As legal technology evolves to support work flexibility, why are so many law firms digging in their (arguably antiquated) heels?
Talk the Talk: Smokeball Helps New Lawyers Stay Connected with Clients
Stay connected, build trust, and never miss a follow-up with secure, automated client communication tools built into Smokeball.
New to Law? Here’s How Smokeball Helps You Escape the Admin Overload
New to law? Escape admin overload with Smokeball’s time tracking, task management, and document automation built for new attorneys.
The Do's and Don'ts of Law Firm Referral Hiring
Bear these do’s and don’ts in mind throughout the process If your law firm is considering a referral hire.
The Pros and Cons of Hiring From Large Law Firms
Smokeball’s Law + The Great Resignation survey found 30% of firms have increased hiring from large law firms since 2020.
The Best Law Firm Benefits for Hiring + Retention
Here’s what firms looking to hire or retain great employees need to know about law firm benefits that go beyond pay.
Where to Find Great Law Firm Job Candidates Right Now
Your firm’s long-term success depends on hiring stellar law firm job candidates for your associate and staff roles.
Build COVID-era Office Policies that Work for Everyone
Your law firm needs COVID-19 policies that reflect every team member's needs. Law office management software can help.
How to Reduce Lawyer Burnout at Your Firm
When partners and attorneys talk about lawyer burnout, it helps others at the firms feel safer taking alleviation measures.
Five Christmas Gift Ideas For Lawyers
Here's five chirstimas gift ideas for lawyers. We’ve got just the perfect gift ideas for attorneys - check out our list of the top 5.
Best Law Books for Aspiring and Experienced Lawyers
Check out Smokeball's list of the best legal TV shows to watch. From classics to modern favorites, we've got you covered.
Best Legal TV Shows of All Time
We’re still smack-dab in the middle of Awards Season, and our last post about the Best Legal Movies of All Time got us thinking about another ranking: the very best, most dramatic, funniest, and most salacious legal TV shows of all time!
3 Considerations When Starting a Personal Injury Firm
Read 3 considerations when starting your own personal injury firm.
Top 10 features to look for in the Best Personal Injury Law Software
Looking for personal injury law software? Explore top features the best personal injury case management software should have before you buy!
Lay the Groundwork Now for a Successful Real Estate Season
Real estate attorneys faced a record-breaking real estate season in 2021. Set the groundwork now for success in 2022.
Document request reporting for personal injury and workers' compensation law firms
With Smokeball’s Global Document Request Report, personal injury and workers’ compensation attorneys can effectively track document requests.
Real estate software and Chicago Title Castle Connect gets you closing faster
Get your real estate deals closed faster with Smokeball Legal Software. Our software provides the tools you need to manage your real estate transactions more efficiently and effectively.
5 Resources For Real Estate Attorneys In Illinois
If you're an Illinois attorney specializing in real estate transactions, read on for five of our favorite online resources for real estate attorneys.
Different types of lawyers for the most common legal problems
There are thousands of lawyers in the United States - here's how to select the type of lawyer you need for the most common legal issues.
Top 5 Ways to Be an Effective Family Law Attorney
Are you a family law attorney looking for way to grow and streamline your business? ✓ Read our aritcle on the "Top 5 Ways To Be An Effective Family Law Attorney" by Russell Knight, Esq., Law Office of Russell D. Knight.
Understanding Real Estate Law and Real Property Laws
Looking for info on real estate law? This guide by Smokeball dives deep into the rules that govern land and the structures on it. ✓ Click here to read more!
How To Stay Secure When Using Public Wi-Fi
Ensuring your client's information is secure should be at the top of your mind, especially when outside of the office and Wi-Fi is needed.
Keeping Client Privacy Under Lock and Key
Client's confidential information should be handled with care to ensure it is kept private at all times. Here are three steps to protect their privacy.
Data Safety & "The Cloud": Smokeball's Product Manager On Cloud Security
Learn more about "The Cloud" and how to keep your small law firm secure in a changing technology enviroment. Learn how cloud storage is safest!
Building Your Law Firm Cybersecurity System from the Ground Up
Building your law firm cybersecurity system from the ground up? Get law firm cybersecurity tips — read them now!
Explore other resources for your firm
Case studies
See how real firms use Smokeball to spend less time on admin and more time on the clients who need them.
eBooks & guides
Practical guides for running a sharper firm - written by people who know the law, not just the software.
Live and on-demand webinars
Join us to earn free CLE credits and meet the Smokeball team!
Ready to re-love the law?
Learn how Smokeball powers people-law firms around the world.