The new year brings enhanced features across the board. Amongst those features are the option for more privacy and more opportunities for public discussion. We've also focused on increased data transparency and options that allow members to control how their personal information is displayed.

Find a full list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes below. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Privacy and visibility states were added to the Metwork onboarding process. Members can toggle settings to decide whether they want certain information displayed or hidden. New content was added to each onboarding step to inform members how the data will be used. 
• Improvements were made to Referrals:
  • Instructions on the final referral step updated to clarify the process.
  • Referral interface design was updated.
  • Buttons on referral emails and notifications now navigate to the correct step.
• Attorneys can build and preview custom onboarding forms when creating an Association.
• Paralegal capabilities were improved on the site, removing irrelevant tasks such as referrals.
• Genius suggestions, that show potential connections in Referrals and Network, have been enhanced.

Bug Fixes:

• New messages are no longer covered by image, recording, emoji, and gif options.
• Fixed a bug that prevented members from finishing onboarding.
• Members are now able to view feedback from other colleagues. 
• Fixed a bug that prevented members from using the notification buttons. 
• Updating team details no longer triggers another team invite email. 
• Members can now expand messages from the small chat window within an Association Metlist.

Our dev and design teams brought exciting improvements to our Referral Ecosystem with the latest update to the software. 

December’s update focused on improving the referral process, nicknamed “Referral Handshake.” Improvements allow attorneys to discuss and negotiate the terms of referrals with more freedom and less pressure.

Find a full list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes below. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Improvements were made to the referral process:
  • The time limit has been removed from the terms discussion stage of the referral process. Attorneys can now take their time agreeing on referral terms without worrying about the discussion expiring.
  • Attorneys can now add and remove PDF, .doc, .docx, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and .heic files to referral terms. 
  • Attorneys can send images, files, gifs, emojis, and audio recordings in a referral discussion. 
• Multiple payment options are now available in billing settings, allowing users to choose different payment methods for each subscription.

Bug Fixes:

• Email timestamps now show the member’s timezone instead of GMT.
• Referral notifications take members directly to complete the appropriate task. 

We're back with more updates to the software. Collaborating has never been easier than with Metwork’s November release. Focused on improving existing features, November's updates place a heavy emphasis on processes that help users accomplish goals together.

Find a full list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes below. 

New Features:

• Version 1 of Project Teams was launched, improving details and the dashboard for teams built to focus on projects and goals instead of legal cases. 

Enhancements and Improvements:

• Made improvements to the referral process:
  • Referral details automatically appear once a recipient chooses to discuss the case. 
  • Attorneys can now create one or more case teams after a referral is transferred to them, with auto-populated details about the case.
• The UI in the team building flow was updated, displaying more information and different views. 
• Communication during the paralegal sign-up process was improved with information on how data will be used.
• Files, gifs, images, and voice note button were added to all message types.

Bug Fixes:

• Paralegals are now able to enter a new law firm when they sign up for Metwork, instead of selecting from the existing list of law firms.
• Fixed bugs that were part of the referral process:
  • Term notes are only posted once and are no longer being duplicated.
  • Referral status now update after the sender withdraws or when a referral is complete.
  • Referrals in the table are no longer being duplicated.
  • Copy tells users the case location when a new referral is sent.
  • Users can set referral fees without receiving an error message. 
  • The set terms button now works whether the referral details are open or closed.
  • Fixed UI formatting across referrals.
  • Terms added to a referral negotiation are saved and no longer overwrite previous terms.
  • Error and success messages are triggered at the correct time.
• When a user changes the status of their team, the change is now reflected on the dashboard. 
• Team leaders can delete empty sections in the links section of their team dashboard.

“Didn’t they teach you that in law school?”

“No. That’s not what they teach you. They teach you contracts, precedents, interpretations. Then the firm that hires you teaches procedures. Or you could go to court and watch.”

So goes the exchange between Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei) and Vinny Gambino (Joe Pesci) after Lisa bails him out for contempt of court in the 1992 classic My Cousin Vinny.

Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Dale Launer, My Cousin Vinny tells the story of two Brooklynites heading to college (Bill, played by the Karate Kid, Ralph Macchio, and Stan, played by Mitchell Whitfield), who are charged with murdering a store clerk in Alabama. With no money to hire a lawyer, they turn to a family recommendation: Bill’s lawyer cousin, Vinny. 

The true nature of the narrative comes into focus when Vinny’s experience (or lack thereof) is revealed–he only passed the bar six weeks prior, after six years of trying and six attempts (it’s like he’s cursed). From that point on, we watch Vinny go through trial by fire in an Alabama courthouse, learning firsthand the importance of mentorship.

“I wanted to win my first case without any help from anybody.”

On first viewing, it would appear that Vinny’s main adversaries are the judge (Herman Munster–I mean–Fred Gwynne) and the prosecutor (Lane Smith). If you dig deeper, you realize that the antagonist is also the protagonist, Vinny. 

Yes, he’s his own worst enemy. At best, he turns down advice, and at worst, he outright disregards it, putting himself and his clients at risk. (The stakes for losing the case is the execution of Bill and Stan). That’s where we get one of the most significant lessons on mentorship in the film: it’s okay to accept help.

Vinny’s view on winning the case without help is neither noble nor wise. His repeated repudiation of advice leads to mistake after mistake (and quite a few contempt of court charges). It isn’t until he takes the advice, albeit reluctantly, that he begins to act “lawyerly” and make headway in the trial. When he fully admits that he needs help from others, he wins the case, but more on that later.

We're back again with the latest releases to Metwork. Version 1.2.1 and Version 1.3.0 are the first updates since moving the software from Beta to Live.

The updates bring a series of features and improvements facilitating communication, enhancing the sign-up process, and making collaboration even easier.

Check out a complete list of what's included in these releases. 

New Features:

• Users are now able to build a special team to focus on projects, events, and goals
  • Case-specific fields, such as client information, case status, and field of law, were removed from special teams. 
• Association managers can now build custom forms for members to fill out as part of the registration process.
• A financial report feature was made available for association stores.
• Users can now cancel their Metwork membership by clicking a button in billing.

Enhancements and Improvements:

• References to the beta version of Metwork were removed.
• Improvements were made to the attorney and paralegal credential approval process.
  • Emails and notifications were implemented to notify attorneys and paralegals about the status of credential approvals after signing up.
  • iPad Pro functionality was improved to match that of desktop screens.
• New notifications and emails were added to the referral process.
• Improvements were made to payment and billing.
  • The option to use a saved card or a new type of payment was added to check-out.
  • Payment confirmation was added to check-out, letting a user know whether their payment was successful.

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed a bug that required users to click “continue” twice before payment.
• Emails that are part of the paralegal verification process now display the correct profile picture.
• The expand chat icon in Metlist was fixed to open a thread instead of triggering an error.
• Billing in the sign-up process now has a scroll bar.
• The Metlist digest email now takes users to the correct conversation and is no longer sending duplicates.

The latest updates are currently live and available to all users. Join now to discover the power of positive relationships in the legal field.