A Law Firm’s Story of Evidence-Based Innovation
Feb. 12, 2020 – Tom Spraggs, and his firm Spraggs Law, constantly gather data to figure out which clients at his firm are satisfied and which are not, and then adopts new processes and technologies to increase the firm’s efficiency and quality of service. Tom is a lawyer and a tinkerer. In the early years of Spraggs Law, he managed its IT systems, and for years he has thought of and prototyped multiple ways to improve the legal industry through technology.
For example, Tom and his wife Jessica wanted to do better than relying only on email to communicate with clients. Together, they developed a secure portal where a client can upload any documents and messages related to their matter. Then, Spraggs law continued to solicit client feedback and iterate on the portal. They added an ability to generate a court form-based list of documents automatically. The portal paid for itself in 9 months. It has reduced communication errors and missed messages. Not only are clients more satisfied, but they are also avoiding the cost of a lawyer spending time fixing errors.
Spraggs Law also has a “digital kitchen.” The “kitchen” is a state-of-the-art, soundproof green screen studio where they record parties and witnesses telling their stories. Tom built it because he wanted a video record of a client’s story on camera, but he also built it to improve the clients’ experience. They can tell their story in a safe, authentic, and controlled manner, rather than only within the four walls of an unfamiliar courtroom.
The videos can be reviewed by associates and other employees at any time, which allows them to get a sense of the client. Then, the videos become part of a negotiation brief for an opposing party to understand the quality of evidence and narrative they can expect in a claim. The videos have the potential to convince both parties to meet and settle sooner. With an expedited negotiated settlement, a client can avoid both the emotional toll of court and the financial burden of litigation.
Tom chooses to work on client-focused innovation. He says he could have grown his business through many means, but he wants to “walk the talk” and do the work to give others evidence that initiatives that benefit a firm’s bottom line, can benefit clients as well. By undertaking a little risk, Spraggs Law is increasing its own profits and making a difference as part of the access to justice movement