Launching software from inside a law firm is a dream for many attorneys, but few ever make it a reality. In a recent episode of Financially Legal, host Emery Wager spoke with James Betzel, founder of Prima.law, about how he turned the daily frustrations of running an immigration practice into a modern cloud-based case management platform.
Betzel began his career in 2009, a tough year for new lawyers. Jobs at large firms were scarce, so he started his own practice. Like many early small firms, his team handled a mix of family and immigration matters. Over time, he noticed that some aspects of immigration work were particularly repetitive and form-heavy. The tools available to automate those tasks were unreliable and outdated, so he decided to build his own system. What began as an internal tool for form filling and document assembly became Prima.law, a full-featured case management solution used across multiple practice areas today.
The earliest version focused on automating immigration forms, which often require the same information repeated across dozens of pages. Betzel’s software pulled client data into all relevant fields automatically, saving hours of clerical work and eliminating errors. From there, he and his small team built “package assembly,” a tool that automatically generated tables of contents, page numbers, and indexes. What once took paralegals several hours could now be done in minutes.
As Prima matured, the firm added a visual case management board reminiscent of tools like Asana or Jira. This dashboard helped firms with hundreds of open matters track progress, identify bottlenecks, and quickly respond to changes in immigration law or policy. Instead of combing through paper files to identify affected clients, users could filter a database, generate contact lists, and reach out in minutes.
Security became another defining feature. Betzel noted that too many firms still rely on local servers vulnerable to ransomware and phishing attacks. Prima’s cloud infrastructure, hosted on Amazon Web Services, provides the encryption, multi-factor authentication, and audit controls smaller firms can’t easily replicate on their own. “If you’re using cloud software, you’re buying into a level of security that’s hard to build yourself,” he said.
Payments have also evolved. Through Confido Legal, Prima users can accept digital payments and even set up automated payment plans. For immigration clients who prefer installments, this flexibility is critical. Betzel shared stories of firms losing money or facing trust account audits due to cash mismanagement, problems that cloud-based billing and trust accounting virtually eliminate.
Perhaps the most forward-looking development at Prima is its use of artificial intelligence. Rather than simply summarizing documents, Prima’s AI performs case-level reviews. It checks for inconsistencies across forms, ensures that filing fees and versions are current, and flags eligibility or admissibility issues before an attorney reviews the file. Betzel says models like Gemini 2.5 Pro make this possible because they can process entire case packages at once, not just single documents. “We’re saving multiple hours per case,” he said. “It’s the kind of automation that’s practical today, not theoretical.”
Looking ahead, Prima plans to use AI for even more of the law firm workflow: from intake and task assignment to client reminders and multilingual communication. The goal is not to replace paralegals but to help them focus on higher-value work.
Prima.law’s pricing starts at $50 per month for core features, with optional libraries for immigration and state court forms. The company offers unlimited training and onboarding, a decision Betzel says stems from his experience as a practicing attorney. “We built it for ourselves first,” he said. “We know the learning curve, and we want firms to see real efficiency fast.”
For immigration and high-volume practitioners, Prima’s story is proof that innovation doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley. It can come from a small law firm that refused to accept inefficiency as inevitable.
That same philosophy drives Confido Legal with helping firms modernize their financial operations so they can focus on the work that matters most. Together, Prima and Confido represent what’s possible when technology meets the real challenges of law firm management: faster workflows, safer payments, and smarter systems built by lawyers, for lawyers.
To learn more or start a 15-day free trial, visit prima.law.
If you’re interested in learning more about the business of law, visit confidolegal.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.
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