Quick answer: MyCase and Smokeball are legal practice management platforms worth comparing if your firm needs help organizing matters, documents, and workflows. Before choosing, check the specific AI features, integrations, data terms, and complete price available to your firm. An AI feature does not replace a lawyer’s professional review.
A law firm choosing software may care about more than how quickly an assistant produces a summary. It also needs to know which documents the tool can access, whether the answer identifies its sources, and how client information is handled.
This guide offers questions to ask both providers and a fictional task for comparing their workflows. It is not a hands-on test or an independent ranking. We have not verified the current plans, prices, or security commitments of either product for this guide. Features and availability may differ by plan and location.
What Are MyCase and Smokeball?
MyCase and Smokeball provide software for legal practice management. Depending on the product and plan, a firm may use such software to organize matters, documents, communications, or billing-related work.
When comparing their AI options, you may encounter the names 8am IQ or MyCase IQ for MyCase, and Archie for Smokeball. Product names, features, and plan availability can change. Confirm the current details with each provider rather than assuming every feature is included.
A matter-management assistant is not necessarily a legal research service. Ask each provider what sources its assistant can access and whether a separate research product is needed.
MyCase vs Smokeball: Questions to Ask Each Provider
The table below is a comparison checklist, not a claim that either platform currently offers every feature listed. Ask both providers to demonstrate the functions included in your proposed plan.
| Area | Ask MyCase | Ask Smokeball |
|---|---|---|
| AI availability | Which current AI features are included in the quoted plan? | Is Archie available to our firm, and is it included or an add-on? |
| Matter documents | Which files, notes, or messages can its assistant use in an answer? | Which matter materials can Archie use, and can it identify supporting passages? |
| Word and Outlook | Which integrations are available for our devices and plan? | Which Archie features work in Word or Outlook, and what setup is required? |
| Legal research | Does the quoted setup include legal research, or is a separate service needed? | Is a CoCounsel integration available to us, and does it cost extra? |
| Client data | How are uploaded documents, prompts, and AI outputs stored and processed? | Which providers process matter data, and what retention or deletion terms apply? |
| Full cost | Request a written quote for all users, AI features, setup, and migration. | Request the same breakdown, including any add-ons or minimum commitments. |
A provider’s presentation may describe a planned feature or a higher-tier option. Confirm that the exact function you need is available in your location, on your devices, and in the written quote you receive.
Test the Same Fictional Matter in Both Platforms
A useful demonstration should reflect the work your firm actually does. Start with fictional documents, not real client files. The following example is invented for this guide and is not a claim that either platform produced a particular result.
Fictional note A: The client requested a meeting on
September 18 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting has not been confirmed.
Fictional note B: No project fee or deadline has
been agreed.
Ask each provider to demonstrate an equivalent task, if its current product supports it:
Using only the fictional notes provided: 1. Summarize the meeting request. 2. State whether the meeting is confirmed. 3. Identify what is known about the fee and deadline. 4. Point to the passage supporting each answer. 5. Mark missing information as "not stated." Do not send a message, create a task, or change any files.
A careful answer should distinguish a requested meeting from a confirmed one and should not invent a fee or deadline. Check whether the tool can show where its answer came from.
The written instruction is not a security control. Before the test, confirm the tool’s actual permissions and approval settings so it cannot send messages or change real matters unexpectedly.
Record what happened
- Accuracy: Did the summary preserve the facts and qualifications?
- Source checking: Could you find the passage supporting each answer?
- Missing information: Did the tool acknowledge what it did not know?
- Review effort: How much time did a person need to check and correct the result?
- Workflow: Was it clear what the tool could read or change?
One demonstration does not establish a product’s overall accuracy. Repeat the exercise with other fictional tasks that matter to your firm, such as finding a date in a document or preparing a draft message for review.
Compare Privacy and Confidentiality Terms
Legal matters can contain confidential or privileged information. Before uploading real documents, your firm should review its obligations, obtain any necessary permissions, and examine the provider’s agreement and data-handling terms.
Questions to ask include:
- Which company or third-party provider processes the documents and prompts?
- Where are data and backups stored, and how long are they retained?
- Can submitted information be used to train or improve a model, and what settings apply?
- Who can access a matter, an AI conversation, or a generated report?
- What happens to the data when the firm deletes a file or ends the contract?
- How are security incidents reported, and what support is available?
Even if a provider says client data is not used to train a model, that answer alone does not explain every question about storage, access, subprocessors, or deletion. Review the complete terms and the settings that apply to your account.
Rules about confidentiality and professional responsibility vary by jurisdiction. Consult the appropriate legal and technical professionals for your firm’s circumstances.
Can the AI Perform Legal Research?
A tool that summarizes documents already stored in a matter may not search current law or court decisions. An integration with a separate research service may have different sources, pricing, and access requirements.
Ask each provider to explain which sources are available and whether the assistant can identify them. A generated citation can be inaccurate, incomplete, or unrelated to the claim. A qualified professional should check legal authorities and important conclusions against appropriate original sources.
A general-purpose chatbot is also different from practice management software. If you want to compare assistants for general tasks using non-confidential examples, see our ChatGPT vs Claude comparison. Do not assume either assistant is approved for your firm’s client files.
Compare the Complete First-Year Cost
Ask each provider for a quote covering the same number of users and the same required features. Check whether AI is included, charged per user, or offered as a separate add-on.
The following is a fictional example. These numbers are not MyCase or Smokeball prices.
| Example | Assumed charges | First-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Quote A | Three users at $60 each per month, plus $15 per user for AI, and a $300 setup fee. | 3 × $75 × 12 + $300 = $3,000 |
| Quote B | Three users at $80 each per month, with AI included in this example, and a $150 setup fee. | 3 × $80 × 12 + $150 = $3,030 |
These examples exclude taxes, migration, training, research subscriptions, additional storage, and other possible costs. A lower quote is not automatically the better choice if it does not include a feature or data protection your firm requires.
Which Platform Should Your Firm Choose?
The answer depends on your actual workflow. Use the same checklist and fictional test for both platforms, then compare their written terms.
- If Word and Outlook are central to your work: Ask each provider to demonstrate the specific integration your team needs on the relevant plan.
- If matter summaries are the priority: Check which sources the assistant can access and how a reviewer can verify its answer.
- If legal research is essential: Confirm whether the research service, sources, and any integration are included or billed separately.
- If confidentiality terms are unclear: Resolve those questions before entering real client information into either platform.
You may decide that neither option meets your requirements. A demonstration and a written agreement are more useful for this decision than an unsupported claim that one product is always better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has this article independently tested both platforms?
No. This is a guide to questions and tests a firm can use when evaluating the products. It does not report a hands-on comparison.
Is MyCase always cheaper than Smokeball?
Do not assume so. Compare current written quotes for the same number of users, required features, billing period, and add-ons.
Can an AI summary replace attorney review?
No. An AI summary can omit details or state something incorrectly. A qualified professional remains responsible for reviewing the work and checking important sources.
Is it safe to upload client documents during a trial?
Do not assume it is. Begin with fictional material. Before using real client information, review the firm’s obligations, permissions, and the provider’s data-handling terms.
Final Thoughts
MyCase and Smokeball should be evaluated against the same real requirements: the work your firm needs to do, the data it must protect, the people who will review AI output, and the full cost. Product names or feature lists alone do not establish which platform is right for your practice.
Bottom line: Test with fictional data, verify the current terms, and keep professional review in place before relying on an AI-generated answer.
Further Reading
- MyCase official website — check current product information and request plan details.
- Smokeball official website — check current product information and request plan details.
- American Bar Association: Professional Responsibility — a starting point for U.S. professional-responsibility resources. Check the rules applicable in your jurisdiction.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Product features, pricing, and professional obligations vary by location and can change.
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