A mobile app connecting lawyer professionals and law firms
Client:
Lawyer Exchange
Type of work:
Custom Software Development
Industry:
Services
Technology and Platforms:
React JS, AWS, RESTful API, Microservices
Today, the legal services industry faces a double-sided staffing problem. Lawyers need help finding work; small firms need better ways to hire vetted legal talent quickly.
Lawyer Exchange, is a revolutionary tool that could connect lawyers and law firms more efficiently using technology. With the vision defined, the process of product delivery had three options: assemble a local development team, hire a software delivery partner, or create a mix of both. Thus Bob Meltzer, the CEO and founder of Lawyer Exchange contacted Forte Group.
Background
- Lawyer Exchange was a completely new idea in legal services, so work had to start from scratch.
- Meltzer and his team conducted extensive research with potential users—job-seeking lawyers and small- to mid-sized law firm practices—and drew up mockups for the application.
- Next, the Forte cross-functional team created a product roadmap. Armed with user research, the Forte team outlined the path to a scalable minimum viable product (MVP), which was built quickly so that the product could be tested and improved with user feedback.
- It was deployed on AWS using container services such as ECS for containerized services, CloudWatch for monitoring, API Gateway for API REST for exposed services, RDS for database, just for mention the main services.
Results achieved
- Using an agile user stories approach, the Forte team created over 100 use cases, highlighting the core features required to build the MVP quickly.
- The MVP had limited functionality, but a working product allowed for early user feedback collection that would inform the prioritization of the backlog and features.
- Lawyer Exchange was built using a microservices architecture, which allows the product to scale up and down seamlessly.
- Lawyer Exchange transformed from a business idea into a working product in six months. The platform now helps law firms and job-seekers collaborate on a project basis.
- Lawyer Exchange connects job seekers and their skills with firms who need those skills, building a community of legal support throughout the United States.
- Forte built the application using the microservices architecture, which allows the product to scale up and down seamlessly.
Business Challenges
- Adopt a traditionally offline business model in an online highly-paced environment
- Create a platform and community where lawyers can go for help and opportunities
- Build an easily scalable product with accelerated delivery
- Deliver and launch an application under tight deadlines and constantly shifting priorities
Featured-based Challenges
- Receive user feedback to give designers and engineers the essential data that validates build assumptions and guides additional features
- Implement payment and invoicing features, easy to use and highly secure for all parties
- Introduce a review and rating system to create a fair jobseeking experience
- Provide 24/7 application maintenance and support
“Forte feels like a partner. Often, when you have a contractor in any field, you feel like you’re dealing with an enemy. You always struggle with them over what you thought would happen versus what’s happening. The Forte team connects those threads. Not only did we get what we expected, but they also brought things to our attention that we hadn’t even thought of. That has helped make the entire application even better than we initially imagined. I’ve been through a lot of builds in my life and no build has ever hit the time estimate as Forte did.”
Bob Meltzer, CEO, and Founder of Lawyer Exchange
Solution features
Reviews, and ratings:
hiring law firms and job-seekers can review and rate each other after each project. This allows hiring and job-seeking lawyers to make more informed decisions about projects and candidates
Payments integration:
the application integrates with Braintree (a PayPal service) to feature secure, easy payment options for all parties. Users can easily view invoices, invoice tasks, and fees within the feature.
Seamless UX/UI:
an interface wizard makes the profile and project creation process quick and easy to understand.
Proposals history:
all parties can quickly review the proposal history and shared messages.
Verified referrals:
Project lawyers can also request referrals directly using the platform.
Outcomes
6 months from the idea to launch
A scalable platform on microservices architecture
Seamless UI for in-app payments and reporting
