IT for California law firms

Client confidentiality is your duty. Keeping it secure is ours.

Secure, dependable IT for North Bay law firms — protecting privileged communications, client files, and trust-account workflows with the safeguards California attorneys are expected to take.

Solo attorneys
Small & mid-size firms
Estate planning
Family & litigation practices

Get my free IT assessment (415) 497-4137

Law office conference room with a laptop beside organized case files

Safeguard check

Monitored

Duty of confidentialityB&P 6068(e)Addressed
Technological competenceRule 1.1Addressed
Confidential informationRule 1.6Addressed
California privacy & breach lawCCPA / 1798.82Addressed

Problems we solve

Sound familiar? Here's how we fix it.

Wire fraud & business email compromise
The problem: Criminals impersonate attorneys and clients to redirect settlement funds and retainer payments. One spoofed email can cost a fortune — and a client relationship.
How we fix it: We lock down Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with multi-factor authentication, impersonation protection, external-sender warnings, and alerts for suspicious mailbox rules.
Privileged files in too many places
The problem: Client documents end up in personal Dropbox accounts, email attachments, and laptops that never get encrypted.
How we fix it: We consolidate files into a secure, permissioned document system, encrypt every device, and set up client portals for sharing sensitive documents instead of email.
Remote work from court, home, and the road
The problem: Attorneys work from courthouses, coffee shops, and home offices — often on public Wi-Fi.
How we fix it: Managed devices, secure remote access, and the ability to remotely lock or wipe a lost laptop or phone.
Staff turnover and lingering access
The problem: When a paralegal or associate leaves, their access to email, case files, and practice software often stays active.
How we fix it: Documented onboarding and offboarding checklists so access is granted on day one and revoked the same day someone leaves.

Free AI site scan for law firms

Does your firm website protect client confidentiality?

Contact and case-evaluation forms collect privileged details. Enter your firm website to see which trackers load on those forms, whether your security headers meet State Bar expectations, and where ADA issues could expose the firm.

Trackers on case-evaluation forms
Security headers and encryption
ADA/WCAG accessibility gaps
California privacy disclosures

We only read publicly available pages, the same way a browser does. The scan sends public page data to an AI model to write your report. Results are not stored. See our Privacy Policy.

Security & compliance

The rules you're held to — built into your IT.

Federal requirements and California law shape what "reasonable security" means for law firms. We design safeguards around them and document what we do.

B&P 6068(e)Duty of confidentiality: California Business & Professions Code § 6068(e) requires attorneys to maintain inviolate the confidence, and preserve the secrets, of their clients. Strong IT security is part of how that duty is met today.
Rule 1.1Technological competence: California Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1 and its comment expect lawyers to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of relevant technology. We help you understand — and manage — those risks.
Rule 1.6Confidential information: Rule 1.6 prohibits revealing confidential client information. The State Bar has issued ethics opinions on cloud storage, public Wi-Fi, and data breaches; we configure your systems with that guidance in mind.
CCPA / 1798.82California privacy & breach law: Depending on firm size, the CCPA/CPRA may apply, and California breach-notification law applies broadly. Encryption and access controls reduce the risk and the reporting burden.

M&R Systems provides IT and security services, not legal advice. Consult your attorney or compliance advisor for guidance on your specific obligations.

Find the gaps before an auditor, attacker, or demand letter does.

Run a free scan of your website now, or talk to a local technician about your whole environment.

Scan my site (415) 497-4137

Attorney approving a multi-factor authentication prompt on a smartphone

Why M&R Systems

Security that respects the billable hour

Attorneys do not have time to fight with technology. You need your documents, calendar, and email available the moment a client calls — at the office, at home, or outside a courtroom. Our job is to make that happen quietly and securely.

California attorneys carry a special responsibility. The duty of confidentiality, the expectation of technological competence, and State Bar ethics guidance on cloud services and data breaches all mean that "good enough" IT is not good enough for a law firm.

We translate those expectations into concrete, documented safeguards — so if a client, an insurer, or opposing counsel ever asks how you protect information, you have a clear answer. We are an IT firm, not a law firm, and we work alongside your own ethics counsel when questions go beyond technology.

What's included

Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace security
MFA, impersonation protection, retention, and mailbox monitoring.
Practice management support
Support for the servers, workstations, and integrations behind Clio, PracticePanther, and similar tools.
Secure document management
Permissioned file storage, client portals, and encrypted sharing.
Device encryption & management
Encrypted laptops and phones with remote lock and wipe.
Backup & e-discovery readiness
Retention and recoverable backups so you can find and preserve what matters.
Security awareness training
Short, practical training on phishing and wire-fraud red flags.

FAQ

Law Firms IT questions, answered

Do California ethics rules really apply to our IT setup?

Yes, indirectly. Attorneys are responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect client confidential information, and California's Rule 1.1 comment expects lawyers to understand the risks of the technology they use. We help you put reasonable, documented safeguards in place. For specific ethics questions, consult your ethics counsel or the State Bar.

Is it safe to store client files in the cloud?

Cloud storage can be used responsibly when the provider is reputable, data is encrypted, access is restricted, and the firm understands the terms of service. We configure cloud platforms so those conditions are met and documented.

How do you help prevent wire-transfer fraud?

We enforce multi-factor authentication, block lookalike domains and impersonation, flag external senders, alert on suspicious inbox rules, and train staff to verify any payment change by phone using a known number.

Do you support Clio and other practice management tools?

We support the environment those tools run in — devices, sign-in security, integrations with Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, scanners, and document storage — and coordinate with the software vendor when needed.

What should we do if a laptop with client files is lost?

Call us immediately. If the device is managed and encrypted, we can lock or wipe it remotely, and encryption greatly reduces the chance that the loss becomes a reportable breach under California law.

Can you help us respond to a cyber insurance questionnaire?

Yes. Insurers increasingly ask about MFA, backups, endpoint protection, and training. We help you answer accurately — and close gaps before renewal.

What about generative AI tools in our practice?

We help firms choose and configure AI tools so client information is not used to train public models and access is controlled — consistent with State Bar guidance urging lawyers to protect confidentiality when using generative AI.