In regulated legal environments, collaboration must be enabled without compromising confidentiality, privilege, or accountability.
This case study examines how the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyer Project (MVLP) partnered with BeCloud to design a secure, role-based web platform that allows volunteer attorneys to collaborate effectively while maintaining strict access controls, auditability, and separation of duties.
Executive summary
The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyer Project relies on a network of volunteer attorneys to deliver legal assistance across the state. As collaboration needs increased, MVLP required a secure web-based platform that could support case coordination while protecting sensitive client information and maintaining professional and ethical obligations.
Rather than adopting generic collaboration tools and layering controls after the fact, MVLP chose to design a purpose-built platform with security and governance embedded from the outset. The result was a scalable, secure system that enables attorney collaboration while preserving trust, accountability, and confidentiality.
The challenge: Collaboration under confidentiality constraints
MVLP supports volunteer attorneys who collaborate across cases, organizations, and locations. As caseloads and coordination demands grew, existing approaches proved insufficient.
Email-based coordination lacked structure and auditability. File sharing introduced version-control and access concerns. Informal access models increased the risk of unauthorized disclosure. At the same time, MVLP needed to ensure that sensitive client information remained protected in accordance with legal ethics and confidentiality expectations.
Key requirements emerged:
Secure collaboration between internal staff and volunteer attorneys
Strong authentication and access controls
Clear separation of duties based on defined roles
Encrypted transmission of client data
Audit visibility into access and activity
MVLP needed a platform that enabled collaboration without requiring attorneys to manage security mechanics as part of their daily work.
The decision: Security and governance as design principles
Rather than retrofitting controls onto existing tools, MVLP elected to design a custom web platform where security, access control, and auditability were foundational design elements.
BeCloud worked with MVLP leadership to define role-based access models aligned with legal responsibilities—recognizing that volunteer attorneys, case managers, and administrators require different permissions and oversight.
The objective was clear:
Enable collaboration while preserving privilege, accountability, and trust.
The approach: Secure, role-based platform architecture
The platform was designed with security embedded directly into the operating environment.
All client data is transmitted over encrypted connections, ensuring confidentiality in transit. Centralized login management provides consistent identity control and simplifies access administration.
Role-based access controls enforce separation of duties. Volunteer attorneys access only the cases to which they are assigned. Administrative users manage workflows without unnecessary exposure to sensitive client information.
Audit controls record access and activity, creating a defensible record of system use. This auditability supports internal oversight and ethical accountability without introducing friction into daily workflows.
Importantly, these controls operate transparently. Volunteer attorneys focus on casework and collaboration, not security complexity.
Outcomes: Collaboration enabled, risk reduced
Operational collaboration improved.
Volunteer attorneys can coordinate effectively within a shared platform designed specifically for legal workflows. Case information is centralized, current, and accessible to authorized users.
Confidentiality preserved.
Encrypted transmission, role-based access, and audit controls protect sensitive client information consistently and enforceably.
Governance strengthened.
Clear access boundaries and activity logging provide accountability and oversight, supporting internal controls and external confidence.
Volunteer engagement supported.
By removing uncertainty and friction, the platform makes it easier for attorneys to contribute their time and expertise in support of MVLP’s mission.
Key lessons
Several principles guided the success of this engagement:
Security must be embedded, not layered. Controls are most effective when built into system design.
Role clarity reduces risk. Separation of duties is both a technical and organizational control.
Auditability builds trust. Transparent access records strengthen accountability without slowing work.
Purpose-built systems outperform generic tools in regulated environments. Designing for real workflows matters.
Looking forward
For organizations like the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyer Project, collaboration is essential—but it must be governed carefully to preserve confidentiality and trust.
This engagement demonstrates that secure, auditable collaboration platforms can support volunteer-driven legal models without introducing unnecessary risk. When security and governance are designed into the system itself, technology becomes an enabler of service delivery rather than a constraint.
About BeCloud
BeCloud provides strategic cloud advisory, secure application design, governance, and managed services for compliance-intensive organizations across legal services, healthcare, professional services, and nonprofit sectors.
Our approach embeds security, access control, and auditability directly into systems—so organizations can operate confidently under regulatory and ethical obligations.