About Us - Our History

Legal Software Systems, Inc. (“LSS”) was founded in 1984 by Randy Wardan and John Plummer.  Both were software developers who, at a prior company, had created several custom accounting applications for mid-sized law firms.  Their vision for LSS was to create a fully-integrated turn-key legal management system that could be used by any law firm, regardless of size or practice type, and without the need for substantial custom programming.

The very first LSS system was designed for IBM System/36 and AS/400 mini-mainframe computers, and included fully-integrated components for Time Accounting, General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Conflict of Interest, File Control and Docketing.  It was one of the earliest integrated turn-key systems available for the legal industry and quickly made its way in to dozens of mid-sized law firms.

A few short years later, there was growing interest in systems that could function on smaller and less expensive personal computers.  In 1989, as personal computers had become more powerful, LSS invested in technology that allowed its software to run on PCs and early PC networks.  While mid-sized firms at that time still required the power of the more expensive mini-mainframe computer, smaller firms could use the same LSS software on much less expensive personal computers.

As PCs continued to increase in power and capacity, the need for proprietary mainframe equipment quickly faded.  In 1991, LSS created its second generation system, designed exclusively for PCs and the DOS operating system.  This new system was successfully implemented on many types of PC networks including IBM LAN, Novell Netware, Banyan Vines and Windows NT.  This second generation software was also suitable for use by a wider range of firm sizes than previous PC-based versions.

In the late 1990’s, LSS began developing its third generation system for the Windows operating system.  Both Windows 95 and Windows NT had gained acceptance in law firm environments and had proven to be powerful and reliable enough to support more robust applications.  The new LSS system was completely rewritten from scratch and took several years to finish.  Many new components and features were added to the original design, including Document Management, Workflow Management, Case Notes, Contact Management and others.  That system, now known as “legacy LSS”, was used by hundreds of law firms over the years, but is now obsolete.

In 2008, LSS introduced a platform through which the LSS software could be used on remote desktops hosted by LSS servers.  Law firm staff could access the LSS software over the internet and without the need for their own servers.  Although LSS hosted services were originally intended for smaller law firms, it quickly gained popularity among firms with 25 users and more.  Hosted versions of LSS (now LSSe64) continue to attract new clients today at an ever increasing rate.

In 2010, LSS embarked on a new journey – to create an even more powerful system designed around the latest technologies.  Two years later, LSSe64 was born.  LSSe64 was another completely redesigned application, and the finished product represented our most significant software improvement ever.  Developed for use with the latest Microsoft operating systems, Office applications and SQL database platforms, LSSe64 has been paving a new path to even greater law firm efficiencies.

In 2020, LSS began development on a mobile app that extends LSSe64 functionality to iOS and Android mobile devices.  The first version was released in 2021 and allows attorneys to view, add and modify time entries directly from their mobile device.  Ongoing developement continues to extend additional LSSe64 functionality to mobile devices and the cloud.

Today, LSS enjoys the partnerships created with hundreds of law firms across the country, who entrust their daily workflow to our software and support.  We expect to make many more technological advances in the years to come, and look forward to the continued relationships that have been formed with our clients over the last three decades.