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Apple periodically likes to pay lip service to the idea that some law firms use Macs instead of Windows-based systems. Their recent highlight of an Atlanta firm underscores why more attorneys have resisted switching:

…the firm administrator at Gaslowitz Frankel (and Adam and Michael’s sister) collects attorneys’ billable hours and, without leaving her iMac G5, enters their time into a PC-based program called Time Slips running on a Dell server.

Thanks to the cross-platform file and print services built into Mac OS X Server, Cheryl can complete her work seamlessly. Using her iMac G5, Gaslowitz simply mouses over the dock at the bottom of her screen, clicks on the Remote Desktop icon, enters a password, and instantly connects to the Windows server. I open Time Slips, she says, and enter attorney time. That’s as easy as it gets.

That’s right - Apple is trumpeting the fact that this firm can easily log into a Dell server to use billing software. The stock in trade of almost every attorney is the billable hour, and the importance of collecting, tracking, and reporting those billed hours cannot be underestimated. That is why these lawyers require a Dell server to manage one functions most critical to their firm - because no one makes software that does the job the way these lawyers need it to be done. the makers of legal billing software don’t support Apple because it’s too small a market share and they don’t want to invest even the minimal effort it would require to port their software to Mac. The major companies that used to support both - such as Sage Software, makers of TimeSlips - have abandoned the platform altogether.

Even the Windows-based software isn’t great. I’ve used most of the major programs, and the usability ranges from mediocre to abominable. This is where the opportunity comes in. Apple should take some of the money it’s been making from iPod sales and buy a large interest in one of the market-leading publishers of legal billing software - Sage probably wouldn’t be a bad choice. First, they need to ensure that at least one popular legal billing software package supports the Apple platform. Second, they need to rebuild it from the ground up, with an emphasis on giving the whole thing Apple’s trademark usability - especially for Windows users.

Once that is done, it’s time to re-deploy the strategy Apple used with iTunes. By creating a high-quality user experience for Windows and Apple users alike, Apple won some converts and increased the likelihood that Windows users would at least consider Apple for their next major computer purchase. Imagine what would happen if Apple developed a clear leader for the one piece of software that every lawyer needs.

First, by making sure that Apple-using lawyers can track and bill their time with quality software, they will remove one of the biggest obstacles many lawyers face when switching. Second, by making that software available for Windows, they help reassure those users that Apple products are suitable for professional use. Third, it would ease the prospective transition for those firms that do decide to make the switch, porting their billing data from the Windows version of the software to the Mac version would be virtually seamless.

Right now, lawyers who want to use Macs can find industry-standard word processors, e-mail clients, spreadsheets, web browsers, calendar and contact management, and just about anything else they need. But industry-standard billing software is a great gaping void. If Apple ever wants to make a serious play for the legal community, instead of just a PR play, they’d make it easier for lawyers to make money.