In a recent move aimed at facilitating legal practice management for lawyers, the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) has announced a partnership with the legal practice management firm Smokeball. This collaboration grants the 18,000 members of the MSBA free access to Smokeball Bill, a trust accounting and billing software tailored specifically for law firms.
Following a similar trajectory as its previous agreement with the State Bar of Texas, Smokeball has now extended its free product partnerships to several other bar associations across the United States. These include the Alabama State Bar, the California Lawyers Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar Association, and the Virginia State Bar.
Last year, the Florida Bar made headlines by becoming the first state bar association to offer free trust accounting software to its members via an agreement with Nota. The legal profession, particularly solo and small firm practitioners, often encounters challenges with trust accounting, as manual systems such as spreadsheets are still in use, leading to disciplinary complaints and malpractice claims.
Anna Sholl, executive director of the MSBA, highlighted the benefits of this initiative, stating that the availability of Smokeball Bill at no cost to members is expected to bolster compliance, support legal practices, and enhance client service experiences. This initiative underscores the continued effort by legal associations to alleviate administrative burdens and improve operational efficiency for practitioners.
More details on this partnership can be found in the full article.