ShipKit

The Problem

Solo attorneys and small law firms are drowning in administrative overhead. Existing case management tools are either enterprise-grade (expensive, complex) or outdated (built in the 2000s, poor UX). There's a gap in the market for a modern, affordable, beautifully designed tool.

The Approach

I approached CaseTime as both an engineer and a product designer:

1. User research — interviewed X+ solo practitioners and small firm attorneys
2. Competitive analysis — evaluated X+ existing tools, identifying UX gaps
3. MVP scoping — identified the smallest feature set that delivers real value
4. Iterative development — two-week sprint cycles with user feedback loops

Implementation

CaseTime is built on a modern stack optimized for rapid iteration:

• Next.js with App Router for the web application
• Prisma with PostgreSQL for the data layer
• Stripe for subscription billing and invoicing
• Resend for transactional email
• Tailwind CSS with custom design tokens for consistent UI
• ShipKit (my SaaS boilerplate) as the foundation

Key features:

• Case dashboard — unified view of all active cases with status, deadlines, and recent activity
• Time tracking — one-click timer with automatic rounding and billing code assignment
• Invoice generation — professional invoices generated from tracked time
• Document management — organized file storage linked to cases
• Calendar integration — syncs deadlines and court dates with external calendars

Results

• X+ active law firms using the platform
• X+ hours tracked monthly
• X% reduction in time spent on billing tasks (user-reported)
• X% month-over-month growth in the first six months

What I'd Do Next

• AI-powered document summarization and research assistance
• Client portal for secure document sharing and communication
• Integration with court filing systems
• Mobile app for time tracking on the go