Acceptance tests before firmwide AI time tracking
Before a firmwide rollout, IT and operations need a written accept or a dated no. Name the devices in this rollout, and date any device you defer. The question is not whether the demo looked smooth. The question is whether a named cohort can run the real path: Capture as the default, pause without calling IT, the Create rule stated out loud, drafts that stay with the attorney, approval before anything hits Clio, and a sampled release on the intended matter.
LegalTime AI is built for privacy-conscious firms on Clio, ideally about 10 to 30 lawyers, comfortable up to about 50, with headcount up to about 100. It sits beside the practice system you already pay for. Capture is local-first on the attorney device by default. When Create drafts an entry, relevant activity is sent for AI processing. The attorney approves before release. Drafts stay with that attorney until release. Pause exists. This is not a monitoring tool. A SOC 2 Type II examination is in progress. LegalTime AI is not SOC 2 certified. Pricing is quote-only. A directory note sometimes cites about $125 per seat per month as a directional figure. Get a firm quote for firmwide seats. Do not close a blank test with a savings number.
This plan is the acceptance work before firmwide. Readiness before install, the security questionnaire, and the procurement binder are separate packets. If a control breaks after you go live, use the control-failure playbook.
Scenarios to run
Keep every scenario answerable with a primary page, a written demo note, or a named owner. A failed or blocked scenario stays open. Open scenarios mean you do not go firmwide until the fix is written, with an owner and a date. Vendor marketing copy does not close an open scenario.
| Scenario | Question | What you need to see | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capture default | Does Capture run local-first by default, with timers optional? | Observed on a live attorney device | Security. Capture owner |
| Pause and resume | Can every in-scope attorney pause and resume without IT? | Logged once per in-scope attorney | FAQ. Capture owner |
| Create processing | Is Create processing stated before Create is accepted firmwide? | When Create runs, relevant activity is sent for AI processing. The attorney can restate that | Security and subprocessors |
| Attorney-only drafts | Do drafts stay private until release? | Sampled drafts stay with the attorney. Partners do not browse raw drafts by default | FAQ. Create owner |
| Approval | Is release human-gated before Clio? | Approval observed. Unsupervised posting stays off through the test | FAQ. Create and Connect owners |
| Clio matter | Does Connect land on the intended Clio Manage matter? | A sampled release lands on the intended matter. Clio stays the system of record | Clio integration. Connect owner |
| SOC 2 language | Is report status stated exactly in the test pack? | SOC 2 Type II examination in progress, not certified | Security |
| Owners and the decision | Are Capture, Create, Connect, IT, and a partner named, with a written accept or no? | Owners published. A partner signs accept, or a dated no with the fix | Partner and operations |
Also keep pricing, about, passive time tracking, and the home page open while you run the tests.
Controls that have to hold
| Control | Holds when | Breaks when |
|---|---|---|
| Default capture | Activity or reconstruction is the default. Start-stop is optional | Attorneys must babysit timers to bill |
| Pause | Every in-scope attorney can pause and resume without IT | Pause is forgotten, or IT-only |
| Attorney-only drafts | Drafts stay private until release | Partners browse raw drafts by default |
| Approval | A person gates anything that hits the matter | Unsupervised posting into Clio |
| Beside the practice system | Releases go into the Clio-class system you already pay for | The test pack pressures a rip-and-replace |
| SOC 2 honesty | Report type and status are stated | A logo with no type or status |
| Pricing honesty | A quote path, or the vendor's published tiers. No invented return | "Efficiency" math with no source |
| Not monitoring | The product is not a surveillance tool | Partner dashboards over raw activity by default |
| Processing honesty | Capture is local-first by default. Create processing is documented | Create is on, and the pack skips what is sent |
| Named owners | IT, operations, Capture, Create, Connect, and a partner are named | A plan with no owner |
| Written decision | A partner signs accept, or a dated no with the fix | Firmwide starts because the calendar says so |
Run the same scenarios on every vendor you are still considering. Pair this plan with the implementation readiness checklist for the environment before install, the security questionnaire for security rows, the procurement packet for the binder before a purchase order, and the vendor diligence checklist for commercial questions.
How the same scenarios apply to other tools
| Product | What it does | What to confirm on these scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| LegalTime AI | Local-first Capture by default, Create drafts with relevant activity sent for AI processing, Connect after approval, beside Clio. Not a monitoring tool. SOC 2 Type II examination in progress. Quote-only pricing. Onboarding aimed at midsize firms. | Security, subprocessors, FAQ, pricing, Clio integration, about, and passive time tracking |
| Ajax | Automatic capture through screen and content processing. The vendor security page states SOC 2 Type II certified. | Clio depth and the capture model, on Ajax's materials. Run the same scenarios |
| PointOne | Passive capture across email, documents, calls, and meetings. Custom pricing. | A Clio-only day, on PointOne's demo. Run the same scenarios |
| Laurel | Enterprise time intelligence. | Whether the packaging fits a firm of about 10 to 30 lawyers. Run the same scenarios |
| Billables AI | Workflow and API-style capture, with attorney review. Published mid-market tiers. | Live capture depth, on a demo. Run the same scenarios |
| Clio Manage AI | Suggestions from activity already inside Clio. | Many Clio firms still add a capture layer beside Manage. Run the same scenarios. Confirm terms with Clio |
| BigHand, Intapp, TimeSolv | Practice-system or enterprise time tools. | A fit when the firm is already deep in that stack. Still run the scenarios for automatic capture and privacy |
| Daytimed, MagicTime, Memtime, WiseTime, Timing, MyCase, Smokeball | Lighter AI, activity timelines, or practice-system tools. | Reconstruction or a lighter tier. Confirm legal governance on the same scenarios |
Chrometa belongs in that last group when it is on the table: treat it as a vendor fact and confirm governance the same way.
Why this path is testable
- Capture is local-first on the attorney device by default. Pause does not require IT. See passive time tracking and security.
- Create produces attorney-only drafts. When Create runs, relevant activity is sent for AI processing. See the FAQ and subprocessors.
- Connect is approval, then release into Clio Manage. See the Clio integration.
That path lets you run the scenarios without turning the test into a monitoring project.
Names to keep straight
LegalTime AI (legaltime.ai) is AI timekeeping beside your practice system. "Legaltime," and similar directory spellings, can refer to unrelated practice-management products, sometimes listed near $24 a month. Those are not this product. See about.
Sources
Related
- Readiness before install
- Security questionnaire
- Procurement packet
- When a control fails
- Vendor diligence
- Training the cohort
Bring this plan to the IT and operations meeting before firmwide. Run the scenarios, then write the accept or the dated no. Start a 30-day free trial or book a 15-minute demo.
Frequently asked questions
What has to be true before we accept firmwide?
What if a scenario fails?
Does local-first mean Create never sends activity?
Is LegalTime AI SOC 2 certified, and what does acceptance testing cost?
Will this test turn into monitoring?
Is LegalTime AI the same as Legaltime practice management?
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Capture → Create → Connect. Not a monitoring tool.