The law practice technology company Clio this week announced the five finalists that will compete for the title of “Best New Integration” and a $100,000 grand prize in the 2020 Launch//Code developer contest.

This is the third year of the contest, which recognizes innovative third-party apps that integrate with the Clio Manage practice management platform and that address a difficulty legal professionals face daily when managing their business or growing their firm.

The winner is selected by a panel of judges and will be announced during the Clio Cloud Conference Oct. 13-16. Last year’s winner was legal research service Casetext (pictured above) and the prior year’s was the voice-enable time tracker Tali, which has since shut down.

[Disclosure: I was a judge the first year.]

The 2020 Launch//Code finalists are:

• DiscoveryGenie, document production software that syncs with Clio to help litigators manage document collection, conversion, review and analysis, indexing, and production. By automatically storing evidence in Clio, the burden and expense of manual document production is eliminated.
• Documate, legal document automation software that turns template documents and forms into simplified workflows, reducing the time it takes to generate document sets. In simplifying these workflows, lawyers are able to offer limited scope online services, deliver lower cost legal products, and collaborate virtually with clients.
• FirmScribe, legal iMessage and text archiving software that auto-syncs selected workthreads from Apple’s Messages or an SMS app to Clio Manage. With no app to install, attorneys can assign a thread to the right matter in Clio from within their texting app to save time and ensure records are logged.
• Kenect, a business text messaging platform offering bi-directional sync of contacts and text message history from Kenect to Clio. Within Clio, the messages are visible in the communications, contacts, and matters views.
• Novara Search, a social media search engine that allows lawyers to manage all client and case social media data from seven major social media platforms in one central custodian screen. Clio users can transfer selected social media content directly to a Clio matter and folder as Clio Documents.

The five finalists will pitch their ideas to the panel of judges during the Clio Cloud Conference. Each will present a four-minute pitch on their app’s innovation, impact, and business potential. The winning company will receive the $100,000 prize.