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Case Study

Legal Aid of North Carolina Unifies Statewide Case Management with Onit

Challenge

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide nonprofit committed to ensuring equal access to justice across all 100 counties. With over 300 staff across 13 offices, LANC provides legal support in critical areas such as housing, domestic violence, healthcare access, and consumer protection.

Prior to implementing Legal Files, the organization was managing 17 separate databases—each with its own structure and functionality. “There was no consistency, no document management, no way to standardize forms or consolidate reporting,” the team explained. These limitations made it difficult to track case activity, meet compliance requirements, and generate reliable reports for funders.

Solution

LANC selected Legal Files, part of the Onit ecosystem, to unify its operations across offices and programs. Legal Files provided a flexible, enterprise-grade system that could support LANC’s diverse legal practice areas, while streamlining intake, eligibility, document management, and reporting.

With Legal Files, LANC was able to:

  • Consolidate all case data into a single, statewide platform.
  • Standardize intake and eligibility processes using automated financial calculations.
  • Customize windows, templates, and checklists for different case types and regulatory needs.
  • Automate reminders and tasks based on file status changes.
  • Enable enterprise-wide reporting while maintaining secure, program-specific data views.

Results and ROI

Onit’s Legal Files has transformed how LANC delivers services and manages operations:

Statewide consistency

Statewide consistency across 13 offices and 300+ users, eliminating data silos.

Streamlined compliance

Streamlined compliance with custom checklists and automated workflows for reporting and regulatory tasks.

Robust intake and eligibility management

Robust intake and eligibility management, improving applicant screening and resource allocation.

Powerful document automation

Powerful document automation, saving time on pleadings, forms, and file setup.

Flexible security controls

Flexible security controls, ensuring data access is role-based and compliant with privacy requirements.

Real-time staff oversight

Real-time staff oversight, enabling managers to review, comment on, and track case progress directly within the platform.

“Legal Files lets us share work, manage tasks, and standardize procedures while maintaining flexibility by case type and office,” said the LANC team. “We’ve moved from 17 disconnected tools to a unified case management system that supports our mission.”

Beyond Legal Casework

Legal Files is also used by LANC’s administrative office for everything from HR to internal task tracking—excluding only payroll and accounting. Its “Office Files” functionality allows teams to manage operations with the same tools used in legal matters, bringing consistency across the organization.

About Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is a nonprofit law firm dedicated to providing free civil legal services to low-income individuals and families across the state. With specialized project units and geographic offices, LANC helps thousands of residents each year secure housing, safety, healthcare, and financial stability. Onit’s Legal Files supports LANC’s mission by unifying case management, streamlining intake, and enhancing staff collaboration at scale.