The good news about law practice management software is that recent years have brought a variety of systems to the market. The bad news is that choosing one can be daunting. Their features and pricing rarely line up in a way that enables apples-to-apples comparisons. I frequently receive emails from frustrated readers saying, in effect, “Just tell me which one to buy!”

One resource to help lawyers sort through all this has been the practice management system comparison chart compiled by the Legal Technology Resource Center of the American Bar Association. The chart actually contains two comparison charts: a chart of some 25 practice/case management products for solos and small firms and another of time and billing software for solo and small firms.

Now there is a new resource available to help with comparison shopping. Yesterday, Lawyerist launched the Law Practice Management Software Directory.

It is a side-by-side comparison chart of 12 practice management applications. For each product, the chart links to a brief overview describing the application’s important features and offering a recommendation of the type of firm it would fit with. If Lawyerist has published other posts about the product, the overview includes links to those.

Later this year, Lawyerist says, it will add user reviews and ratings, a comparison tool, new feature highlights, videos, more product listings, and other features.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.