April 29, 2025 • 11 mins
I spoke with Ruchie Chadha, the President of Smokeball US, an AI-powered legal practice management software platform that helps small law firms stay organized, productive, and profitable. We discussed the importance of trust accounting, empowering lawyers by partnering with state bar associations, and leveraging technology to reshape the competitive landscape for solo practitioners and small firms.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to Reinventing Professionals, a podcast hosted by industry analyst Ari Kaplan,
(00:07):
which shares ideas, guidance and perspectives from market leaders shaping the next generation
of legal and professional services.
This is Ari Kaplan, and I'm speaking today with Ruchi Chata, the president of Smokeball
US, an AI-powered legal practice management software platform that helps small firms
(00:31):
stay organized, productive and profitable.
Hi, Ruchi, how are you?
Hi, Ari.
Thanks for having me.
I'm looking forward to our conversation.
Tell us about your background and your role at Smokeball.
I am the president of the Smokeball US office.
We have offices in Australia, the US and the UK.
(00:53):
I oversee day-to-day operations in the US, and we serve all 5K states.
I am a licensed attorney in Illinois.
I practice for about a decade, predominantly in family law, before I joined Smokeball.
And I still rely on some of the background experience and skills that I picked up as
(01:14):
an attorney.
In this role, my focus is taking my personal experience and helping our product and our
teams address the pain points that attorneys are facing day-to-day, and help run the business.
How does Smokeball support smaller law firms?
Smokeball is a legal practice management software designed for smaller law firms.
(01:37):
We help small law firms, administrative tasks, manage their cases, automatically time track,
generate documents, and handle billing and trust accounting in a seamless and efficient way.
We focus on productivity and profitability.
Our ultimate goal is to make it easier for attorneys to get back to what they want to do,
(02:02):
which is serving their clients in the legal community.
Ultimately law firms are businesses, but they didn't go to law school to run a business.
We try to make running their business a lot easier so they can continue to practice law,
which is really where they want to be spending time.
How are you seeing the impact of generative AI on legal practice management?
(02:24):
It's still new and exciting, and it's changing every single day.
I am seeing more and more interest of attorneys across the board, no matter what practice area
or size of firm, leaning into it and wanting to learn more.
There is some hesitation and apprehension, but as the days, weeks and months are rolling
(02:47):
by, I see that lifting and people leaning into it more and more.
We at Smokeball definitely believe that AI is going to be an integral part of practicing
law.
So we are trying to design all of our AI technology and capabilities around how attorneys
already practice and what they're already doing trying to meet them where they are.
(03:10):
Hey, I shouldn't be scary.
It should make their jobs easier and working smarter, not harder.
AI isn't going to replace the attorney.
We are still very important in the practice of law, but it's going to help make us more
efficient and able to serve our clients in a better way.
What pain points have you seen in legal that inspired Smokeball to make trust accounting
(03:35):
freely accessible to lawyers?
We have longstanding relationships with state bar associations, and we've seen firsthand
that one of their biggest concerns with solo and small law firms is a misuse of client
trust funds.
It'd be clear it's not bad intent.
It's just often compliance is complicated and the right tools aren't all as accessible.
(03:58):
So while most bars require attorneys to follow strict trust accounting regulations, many
small law firms don't really know what tools are available or they simply can't afford
the technology that makes compliance easier.
Our offering helps tackle a few of those top pain points.
(04:20):
Number one is simply making it easier.
Trust accounting is incredibly detailed and requires meticulous bookkeeping and record
keeping.
And small firm attorneys, they're stretched then and managing trust compliance, often
times what they're doing is manual.
It takes a lot of time away from the practice of law.
(04:43):
And as much as we want to practice, there really is a business that needs to run and
lawyers really aren't all the best at it.
So we're trying to give them access to a compliant billing and trust accounting software that helps
them.
They want to do the work, but they also need to get bills out and get paid.
We're making that simple and accessible for them.
(05:04):
Some of the other pain points that we see is unintentional noncompliance.
If attorneys don't have access to user friendly tools, human error, just inevitably is high.
So we want to provide them with a tool that helps mitigate that risk.
Another pain point would be is a lot of attorneys running their businesses on spreadsheets.
(05:27):
There is a lack of standardization or outdated methods that are being used that aren't really
designed for legal compliance.
We're trying to help them get more consistent and right results, which you don't always
get in these manual ways.
So really having a platform to help standardize and maintain those audit friendly records
is very important.
(05:48):
Not only for compliance, but to tie it up is the final pain point that often gets overlooked,
which is helping firms maintain their reputations.
Billing is a very important part of running the business, but as a client receiving a bill
and feeling that the bill is accurate, that you're receiving bills on time that you know
where and how to pay your bill and understand your bill.
(06:10):
If you get it wrong, it can really damage your reputation.
So providing access to a tool that helps address all of those pain points on the business
side is going to help on that client relationship side.
Where did smoke balls initiative of partnering with State Bar Association's originate?
(06:34):
We've always known that test accounting has been a major challenge for law firms.
Complex, consuming, easy to get wrong.
And building has always been a core part of our practice management software, but we
realized that sometimes attorneys don't actually need the whole practice management software.
They just need a simple, reliable way to manage their trust accounts, send in voices, and get
(06:59):
paid.
So we actually launched smoke ball bill as a standalone product a few years ago to help
bridge that gap and give small firms access to tools that they needed.
And as we launched that and worked closer with attorneys and firms who are just utilizing
the billing tool as a business, we started to see that we were holding on to something
(07:20):
that we really didn't think should be gated in our opinion as a business access to a billing
platform that helps attorneys stay compliant with trust accounting.
It shouldn't be a luxury, it should be a given.
So we turned the bar associations to help us figure out how we can get more access to these
(07:41):
attorneys.
And bar associations are a natural decision because they have always been the pillar of support
and education in the legal community.
I don't know many attorneys who aren't members of their State Bar Association.
They are the central resource.
So it really was a no-brainer that they would be the people we wanted to go on this journey
(08:03):
with.
We saw it as an opportunity to provide bar associations with a tangible solution that helped
attorney state compliant and bar associations that were really receptive to have those tools
in place to help their members.
And the members were also very excited to have it too.
What lessons from your first partnership with the State Bar of Texas helped shape your
(08:25):
approach to collaborating with bar associations in general?
The State Bar Texas Partnership validated our hypothesis that bar associations were
looking for ways to provide that practical and tangible value to their members and that
members are equally happy to receive access to those tools.
Incredibly grateful to the State Bar of Texas.
(08:46):
They were, have been and continue to be incredible partners.
Being our first launch was really great to work with them.
And as soon as we launched in Texas, the response was overwhelming from other all bar associations.
We've currently launched with 10 State Bar associations and we've been able to reach
over half a million members who have access to the tool.
(09:08):
So there was a need to be filled and we've been instrumental in helping fill that need.
Our tools like smokeball, reshaping the competitive landscape for solo practitioners and small
law firms.
Initiatives like ours are reshaping the legal landscape.
Traditionally, access to technology, especially this kind of technology that we're providing
(09:34):
has been reserved for larger firms or firms with bigger budgets.
And we're changing that by making these tools accessible and affordable, slash free, two
smaller firms so that they can focus on practicing law and serving their clients.
We know time is everything when you're running a small business.
(09:54):
We can help reduce the administrative burden and let lawyers get back to taking on more
cases or providing better client service or just getting back more time in their days,
spend time with their family is really valuable and we've been able to empower them to run
their practices more efficiently and knock it down in that back office work.
(10:19):
It will change their opportunity and their futures.
How do you see your partnerships with state bars evolving?
I see it growing.
Our goal is to reach as many attorneys as possible.
Not just for small thought though, if that is great for the business, but really to help those
practitioners who need it.
(10:39):
The partnership approach we've taken has really created a sustainable value for future
years to come for both the bars and for their members, which is very exciting and we want
to keep going.
And as our reach grows, we'll be able to continue to invest in these relationships and give
back to the legal community who just do so much.
(11:01):
We focus a lot of our energy resources at smokeball and to education as well, which really
lines up with the bar association, continuing to put on strong CLE content and have a strong
webinar presence.
We'll continue to be a part of our future with the bar associations as well.
This is Ari Kaplan speaking with Ruchi Chata, the president of Smokeball, US, an AI-powered
(11:25):
legal practice management software platform that helps small law firms stay organized, productive
and profitable.
Ruchi, it's really been a privilege.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you for listening to the Reinventing Professionals Podcast.
Visit ReinventingProfessionals.com or Ari Kaplan Advisors.com to learn more.
Welcome to Reinventing Professionals, a podcast hosted by industry analyst Ari Kaplan,
(00:07):
which shares ideas, guidance and perspectives from market leaders shaping the next generation
of legal and professional services.
This is Ari Kaplan, and I'm speaking today with Ruchi Chata, the president of Smokeball
US, an AI-powered legal practice management software platform that helps small firms
(00:31):
stay organized, productive and profitable.
Hi, Ruchi, how are you?
Hi, Ari.
Thanks for having me.
I'm looking forward to our conversation.
Tell us about your background and your role at Smokeball.
I am the president of the Smokeball US office.
We have offices in Australia, the US and the UK.
(00:53):
I oversee day-to-day operations in the US, and we serve all 5K states.
I am a licensed attorney in Illinois.
I practice for about a decade, predominantly in family law, before I joined Smokeball.
And I still rely on some of the background experience and skills that I picked up as
(01:14):
an attorney.
In this role, my focus is taking my personal experience and helping our product and our
teams address the pain points that attorneys are facing day-to-day, and help run the business.
How does Smokeball support smaller law firms?
Smokeball is a legal practice management software designed for smaller law firms.
(01:37):
We help small law firms, administrative tasks, manage their cases, automatically time track,
generate documents, and handle billing and trust accounting in a seamless and efficient way.
We focus on productivity and profitability.
Our ultimate goal is to make it easier for attorneys to get back to what they want to do,
(02:02):
which is serving their clients in the legal community.
Ultimately law firms are businesses, but they didn't go to law school to run a business.
We try to make running their business a lot easier so they can continue to practice law,
which is really where they want to be spending time.
How are you seeing the impact of generative AI on legal practice management?
(02:24):
It's still new and exciting, and it's changing every single day.
I am seeing more and more interest of attorneys across the board, no matter what practice area
or size of firm, leaning into it and wanting to learn more.
There is some hesitation and apprehension, but as the days, weeks and months are rolling
(02:47):
by, I see that lifting and people leaning into it more and more.
We at Smokeball definitely believe that AI is going to be an integral part of practicing
law.
So we are trying to design all of our AI technology and capabilities around how attorneys
already practice and what they're already doing trying to meet them where they are.
(03:10):
Hey, I shouldn't be scary.
It should make their jobs easier and working smarter, not harder.
AI isn't going to replace the attorney.
We are still very important in the practice of law, but it's going to help make us more
efficient and able to serve our clients in a better way.
What pain points have you seen in legal that inspired Smokeball to make trust accounting
(03:35):
freely accessible to lawyers?
We have longstanding relationships with state bar associations, and we've seen firsthand
that one of their biggest concerns with solo and small law firms is a misuse of client
trust funds.
It'd be clear it's not bad intent.
It's just often compliance is complicated and the right tools aren't all as accessible.
(03:58):
So while most bars require attorneys to follow strict trust accounting regulations, many
small law firms don't really know what tools are available or they simply can't afford
the technology that makes compliance easier.
Our offering helps tackle a few of those top pain points.
(04:20):
Number one is simply making it easier.
Trust accounting is incredibly detailed and requires meticulous bookkeeping and record
keeping.
And small firm attorneys, they're stretched then and managing trust compliance, often
times what they're doing is manual.
It takes a lot of time away from the practice of law.
(04:43):
And as much as we want to practice, there really is a business that needs to run and
lawyers really aren't all the best at it.
So we're trying to give them access to a compliant billing and trust accounting software that helps
them.
They want to do the work, but they also need to get bills out and get paid.
We're making that simple and accessible for them.
(05:04):
Some of the other pain points that we see is unintentional noncompliance.
If attorneys don't have access to user friendly tools, human error, just inevitably is high.
So we want to provide them with a tool that helps mitigate that risk.
Another pain point would be is a lot of attorneys running their businesses on spreadsheets.
(05:27):
There is a lack of standardization or outdated methods that are being used that aren't really
designed for legal compliance.
We're trying to help them get more consistent and right results, which you don't always
get in these manual ways.
So really having a platform to help standardize and maintain those audit friendly records
is very important.
(05:48):
Not only for compliance, but to tie it up is the final pain point that often gets overlooked,
which is helping firms maintain their reputations.
Billing is a very important part of running the business, but as a client receiving a bill
and feeling that the bill is accurate, that you're receiving bills on time that you know
where and how to pay your bill and understand your bill.
(06:10):
If you get it wrong, it can really damage your reputation.
So providing access to a tool that helps address all of those pain points on the business
side is going to help on that client relationship side.
Where did smoke balls initiative of partnering with State Bar Association's originate?
(06:34):
We've always known that test accounting has been a major challenge for law firms.
Complex, consuming, easy to get wrong.
And building has always been a core part of our practice management software, but we
realized that sometimes attorneys don't actually need the whole practice management software.
They just need a simple, reliable way to manage their trust accounts, send in voices, and get
(06:59):
paid.
So we actually launched smoke ball bill as a standalone product a few years ago to help
bridge that gap and give small firms access to tools that they needed.
And as we launched that and worked closer with attorneys and firms who are just utilizing
the billing tool as a business, we started to see that we were holding on to something
(07:20):
that we really didn't think should be gated in our opinion as a business access to a billing
platform that helps attorneys stay compliant with trust accounting.
It shouldn't be a luxury, it should be a given.
So we turned the bar associations to help us figure out how we can get more access to these
(07:41):
attorneys.
And bar associations are a natural decision because they have always been the pillar of support
and education in the legal community.
I don't know many attorneys who aren't members of their State Bar Association.
They are the central resource.
So it really was a no-brainer that they would be the people we wanted to go on this journey
(08:03):
with.
We saw it as an opportunity to provide bar associations with a tangible solution that helped
attorney state compliant and bar associations that were really receptive to have those tools
in place to help their members.
And the members were also very excited to have it too.
What lessons from your first partnership with the State Bar of Texas helped shape your
(08:25):
approach to collaborating with bar associations in general?
The State Bar Texas Partnership validated our hypothesis that bar associations were
looking for ways to provide that practical and tangible value to their members and that
members are equally happy to receive access to those tools.
Incredibly grateful to the State Bar of Texas.
(08:46):
They were, have been and continue to be incredible partners.
Being our first launch was really great to work with them.
And as soon as we launched in Texas, the response was overwhelming from other all bar associations.
We've currently launched with 10 State Bar associations and we've been able to reach
over half a million members who have access to the tool.
(09:08):
So there was a need to be filled and we've been instrumental in helping fill that need.
Our tools like smokeball, reshaping the competitive landscape for solo practitioners and small
law firms.
Initiatives like ours are reshaping the legal landscape.
Traditionally, access to technology, especially this kind of technology that we're providing
(09:34):
has been reserved for larger firms or firms with bigger budgets.
And we're changing that by making these tools accessible and affordable, slash free, two
smaller firms so that they can focus on practicing law and serving their clients.
We know time is everything when you're running a small business.
(09:54):
We can help reduce the administrative burden and let lawyers get back to taking on more
cases or providing better client service or just getting back more time in their days,
spend time with their family is really valuable and we've been able to empower them to run
their practices more efficiently and knock it down in that back office work.
(10:19):
It will change their opportunity and their futures.
How do you see your partnerships with state bars evolving?
I see it growing.
Our goal is to reach as many attorneys as possible.
Not just for small thought though, if that is great for the business, but really to help those
practitioners who need it.
(10:39):
The partnership approach we've taken has really created a sustainable value for future
years to come for both the bars and for their members, which is very exciting and we want
to keep going.
And as our reach grows, we'll be able to continue to invest in these relationships and give
back to the legal community who just do so much.
(11:01):
We focus a lot of our energy resources at smokeball and to education as well, which really
lines up with the bar association, continuing to put on strong CLE content and have a strong
webinar presence.
We'll continue to be a part of our future with the bar associations as well.
This is Ari Kaplan speaking with Ruchi Chata, the president of Smokeball, US, an AI-powered
(11:25):
legal practice management software platform that helps small law firms stay organized, productive
and profitable.
Ruchi, it's really been a privilege.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for having me.
Thank you for listening to the Reinventing Professionals Podcast.
Visit ReinventingProfessionals.com or Ari Kaplan Advisors.com to learn more.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com