Do we need to replace our existing IT provider?

Not necessarily. ALT often works alongside internal IT staff or existing vendors. The focus is on clarifying structure, ownership, and long-term direction, not replacing teams that are already in place.

We already use Microsoft 365. Can this still help us?

Yes. Many firms already use Microsoft 365 but lack clear structure or ownership. Consulting focuses on making existing decisions explicit and ensuring the environment continues to hold as the firm changes.

What should we expect during the process?

Changes are approached deliberately, with a focus on reducing friction rather than introducing it. Work is planned to avoid unnecessary disruption to day-to-day legal operations.

Does this include ongoing support?

Yes. Ongoing oversight and change management are provided through ALT Care Plus, ensuring decisions remain consistent over time rather than drifting as the firm evolves.

Is this only for large firms?

No. Firm size is less important than complexity. Any firm relying on Microsoft 365 benefits from a predictable, well-maintained environment as people, matters, and workflows change.

Do you help with SharePoint and OneDrive document organization?

Yes. SharePoint and OneDrive are structured around matters and internal workflows so document locations are predictable and access remains consistent.

How does Microsoft 365 integrate with Clio?

Microsoft 365 is structured to support Clio-centered workflows. Documents, collaboration, and access align with how matters are managed in Clio, reducing duplication and conflicting sources of truth.

Microsoft 365 for
Law Firms

Microsoft 365 is the foundation most law firms rely on for email, documents, and daily collaboration. Over time, many firms find that their environment grows unevenly as decisions accumulate and structure drifts. When responsibility is unclear, confidence in the system starts to erode.

ALT helps law firms establish and maintain a Microsoft 365 environment that is intentionally structured around legal work. The objective is consistency, reliability, and continuity as the firm grows.

Microsoft 365 environment structured for a law firm

What a Properly Structured Microsoft 365 Environment Looks Like in a Law Firm

In a well-run law firm, Microsoft 365 is clearly organized and consistently maintained. Access rules are defined, document locations are predictable, and collaboration follows firm standards.

Leadership does not need to revisit foundational technology decisions every time the firm hires, expands, or changes how it works. The environment supports legal work quietly in the background and does not require constant attention.

This is the difference between having Microsoft 365 in place and having it properly structured.

Why Microsoft 365 Often Becomes Difficult to Manage as Firms Grow

Most Microsoft 365 environments start small and evolve informally. As firms add staff, matters, and tools, permissions are granted without a plan, Teams and folders multiply, and security settings begin to drift.

No single change causes failure. Instead, leadership gradually loses confidence in how the system is organized and protected. Questions about access, retention, and reliability surface more frequently, often after something has already gone wrong.

Without a defined structure, the platform becomes harder to trust.

Structured Microsoft 365 environments becoming complex as firms grow

How Microsoft 365 Is Structured Around Legal Workflows

ALT structures Microsoft 365 based on how legal work actually happens. Users, groups, and collaboration tools across Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive are organized around firm roles and matter workflows so expectations remain clear across the firm.

Document locations are defined so attorneys and staff know where work belongs. The structure is designed deliberately and maintained over time. When the firm changes, the environment remains consistent, which prevents sprawl and reduces day-to-day friction.

Abstract visual showing multiple workstreams aligning within one structure

Core Microsoft 365 System Areas

These are the areas that determine whether Microsoft 365 remains predictable as the firm grows. They are not one-time decisions. They require ownership that holds as roles, matters, and expectations change.

Account Structure, Access, and Identity Management

Access decisions tend to accumulate quietly. People change roles, outside parties are added, and short-term exceptions stop feeling temporary. Over time, it becomes harder to tell what access is intentional and what simply exists because it was never revisited.

When identity and access are clearly owned and consistently maintained, responsibility stays visible. Leadership does not need to second-guess who should see what or why, even as the firm changes.

Document Organization and Matter-Based Collaboration

Microsoft 365 starts to feel disorganized when documents can live anywhere. Teams, shared folders, personal drives, and ad hoc workspaces multiply. People rely on habit instead of clarity, and duplication becomes normal.

A matter-based structure keeps expectations consistent. Attorneys and staff know where work belongs, collaboration follows a predictable pattern, and workarounds are less necessary as volume increases.

Security, Retention, and Confidentiality Requirements

Security and retention issues rarely announce themselves. They surface later as uncertainty about what should be preserved, who still has access, or whether the firm can confidently control its own information.

When boundaries are defined and maintained over time, confidentiality stops being a recurring concern. The firm can change people, matters, and tools without having to revisit fundamental questions about risk and responsibility.

Planning and Executing a Microsoft 365 Migration

A Microsoft 365 migration requires deliberate planning and a clear understanding of how data, permissions, and workflows are connected. When those relationships are not accounted for upfront, disruption tends to surface later.

ALT approaches migrations methodically. The focus is continuity. Firms have clear visibility into what is changing, what is staying the same, and how responsibility is handled once the migration is complete.

Controlled Microsoft 365 migration process for law firms

How Microsoft 365 Fits Into a Clio-Centered Technology Stack

Microsoft 365 supports the systems law firms rely on every day. It is not the system of record.

ALT structures Microsoft 365 with Clio as the operational center. Matter structure, access, and collaboration follow Clio’s organization so the firm is not forced to reconcile competing sources of truth.

This keeps responsibility clear. As tools evolve and usage changes, the firm does not need to renegotiate how work is organized or where decisions live.

Abstract visual representing a Clio-centered technology stack supported by Microsoft 365

Ongoing Oversight as the Firm Changes

Microsoft 365 environments continue to evolve as firms change. Staff turnover occurs, workflows shift, and new tools are introduced over time.

ALT Care Plus provides ongoing oversight so the Microsoft 365 environment remains consistent as those changes happen. Access, organization, and security are handled intentionally, allowing the firm to adapt without revisiting earlier decisions.

Why Law Firms Work with ALT

Law firms work with ALT because they want their technology to feel settled and predictable. They want confidence that the systems they rely on are structured properly and will continue to hold as the firm grows and changes.

ALT evaluates decisions in context by looking at how the firm actually operates today and who is expected to own the outcome over time. The result is technology that supports the firm consistently, without creating new questions as it evolves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need to replace our existing IT provider?

Not necessarily. ALT often works alongside internal IT staff or existing vendors. The focus is on clarifying structure, ownership, and long-term direction, not replacing teams that are already in place.
We already use Microsoft 365. Can this still help us?

Yes. Many firms already use Microsoft 365 but lack clear structure or ownership. Consulting focuses on making existing decisions explicit and ensuring the environment continues to hold as the firm changes.
What should we expect during the process?

Changes are approached deliberately, with a focus on reducing friction rather than introducing it. Work is planned to avoid unnecessary disruption to day-to-day legal operations.
Does this include ongoing support?

Yes. Ongoing oversight and change management are provided through ALT Care Plus, ensuring decisions remain consistent over time rather than drifting as the firm evolves.
Is this only for large firms?

No. Firm size is less important than complexity. Any firm relying on Microsoft 365 benefits from a predictable, well-maintained environment as people, matters, and workflows change.
Do you help with SharePoint and OneDrive document organization?

Yes. SharePoint and OneDrive are structured around matters and internal workflows so document locations are predictable and access remains consistent.
How does Microsoft 365 integrate with Clio?

Microsoft 365 is structured to support Clio-centered workflows. Documents, collaboration, and access align with how matters are managed in Clio, reducing duplication and conflicting sources of truth.

Microsoft 365 for Law Firms