Sidebar is an independent review publication covering cybersecurity, encryption, and compliance tooling for solo practitioners and small law firms. We are not a law firm, a bar association, or a reseller of anything we review.
Terms of service, subprocessor list, security whitepaper, and breach-notification terms — before a single feature is tested.
We check the tool against the specific factors Comment 18 to Model Rule 1.6 asks a lawyer to weigh, not against a generic security checklist.
One paragraph, in plain language, that a managing partner could read in the time it takes to walk to the next deposition.
Sidebar is written and maintained by the Sidebar editorial team. We are a small, independent operation — not a marketing arm of any vendor named on this site, and not affiliated with any state bar.
Verdicts are re-opened whenever a vendor changes its security posture, its pricing, or its ownership. A "Retain" is a snapshot, not a permanent endorsement — check the docket entry's filing date before relying on it for a renewal decision.