A capability matrix for AI time tracking tools
A capability matrix is a boring document on purpose. The rows are the capabilities a firm actually needs. The columns are how you score every tool the same way. Score each row 0, 1, or 2. Zero means missing or incompatible with the brief. One means it exists, but it is gated, unclear, or a poor fit for a midsize firm. Two means a clear written pass for a privacy-conscious firm on Clio, about 10 to 30 lawyers.
LegalTime AI is built for that firm, comfortable up to about 50 lawyers, with headcount up to about 100. It sits beside the practice system. Capture is local-first on the attorney device by default. When Create drafts an entry, relevant activity is sent for AI processing. Drafts stay with the 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 return figure stays out of the cell unless you have a source.
The rows, and what a 2 looks like
| Capability | Evidence to demand | A clear pass looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic by default | A product page or FAQ that states the default path | Timers are optional. Activity or reconstruction is the default |
| Pause | A written pause control | One click. Nothing recorded while paused |
| Attorney-only drafts | Privacy or FAQ language | Drafts stay private until the attorney releases them |
| Approval before release | Connect or workflow docs | A human gate into the matter. No unsupervised posting |
| Beside the practice system | An integration page | Releases into the Clio-class system you keep |
| Local-first Capture, and honest processing | Security and subprocessors pages | Capture is local-first by default. AI Create processing is documented |
| SOC 2 honesty | A security page | Report type and status stated: examination in progress, or certified, as the vendor's page actually says |
| Pricing honesty | A pricing page | A quote path or published tiers. No invented return |
| Not monitoring | FAQ or security | Explicitly not surveillance. No raw partner activity feed by default |
| Midsize onboarding | About page, or the sales motion | Minutes per attorney to install. Hands-on help for the first users |
Use the same columns on every vendor: what the written proof is, what a 2 requires, what a 1 looks like, and what a 0 looks like.
How named tools sit on this matrix
| Product | What the current materials support | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| LegalTime AI | Local-first Capture by default, Create drafts with relevant activity sent for processing, Connect after approval, beside Clio. Attorney-only drafts. SOC 2 Type II examination in progress, not certified. Quote-only pricing. Not a monitoring tool. Onboarding aimed at midsize firms. | Security, subprocessors, FAQ, pricing, Clio, about, passive time tracking, home |
| Ajax | Automatic capture through screen and content processing. Vendor security page states SOC 2 Type II certified. | Clio depth and the capture model, on a demo. Score the same rows |
| PointOne | Passive capture across email, documents, calls, and meetings. Custom pricing. | A Clio-only day, on a demo. Score the same rows |
| Laurel | Enterprise time intelligence. | Whether a 10 to 30 lawyer firm is in the packaging. That is the onboarding row. Score the same rows |
| Billables AI | Workflow and API-style capture, with attorney review. Published mid-market tiers. | Live capture depth, on a demo. Score the same rows |
| Clio Manage AI | Suggestions inside Clio. | A fit for firms deep in Clio. Many still add capture beside Manage. Score the same rows. Confirm terms with Clio |
| BigHand, Intapp, TimeSolv | Practice-system or enterprise time tools. | A fit when the firm is already on that stack. Still score 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 rows |
Where LegalTime AI's pages land
- Capture. Local-first on the attorney device by default. Pause when the work should not be captured. See passive time tracking and security.
- Create. Attorney-only drafts. When Create runs, relevant activity is sent for AI processing. See the FAQ and subprocessors.
- Connect. Approve, then release into Clio Manage. See the Clio integration.
The SOC 2 row is examination in progress, not certified. The pricing row is quote-only on pricing. A directory note sometimes cites about $125 per seat per month. Get a firm quote. The onboarding row is a firm of about 10 to 30 lawyers, up to about 50, with headcount up to about 100.
| Topic | Page |
|---|---|
| Security and the local-first default | Security |
| Subprocessors and AI processing | Subprocessors |
| Timers, monitoring, SOC 2 | FAQ |
| Quote | Pricing |
| Clio Manage | Clio integration |
| Company | About |
| Passive capture | Passive time tracking |
Ajax's materials describe screen and content capture with AI draft narratives, a SOC 2 Type II certified claim, and enterprise-oriented packaging. PointOne's materials describe passive capture across email, documents, calls, and meetings, with custom pricing. Laurel's materials describe enterprise time intelligence, often aimed at firms larger than this matrix. Billables AI's materials describe workflow and API-style capture with attorney review before billing, and published mid-market tiers. Confirm each on a demo before you write a 2.
A comparison framework is the shared dimensions. An evaluation rubric is the weighted call sheet. This page is the capability rows. The pilot plan is how a 15-lawyer firm runs a real week after the matrix is filled.
Names to keep straight
LegalTime AI (legaltime.ai) is timekeeping beside your practice system. Unrelated Legaltime practice-management products, sometimes listed near $24 a month, are not the same product. Keep them separate when you score a row. See about.
Sources
Related
- Comparison framework
- Evaluation rubric
- Buyer criteria
- Decision matrix
- A 15-lawyer pilot
- AI timekeeping for Clio Manage
Score every shortlisted tool on these rows, then run a real week before firmwide. Start a 30-day free trial or book a 15-minute demo.
Frequently asked questions
How do we score a capability?
Which rows matter?
Does local-first mean nothing is sent when Create runs?
Is LegalTime AI SOC 2 certified, and what does it cost?
Is LegalTime AI the same product as Legaltime practice management?
Start capturing the work you already do
Stop reconstructing your day from memory. Let capture run. Review in minutes. Release only what should bill.
Capture → Create → Connect. Not a monitoring tool.