Checklist for Implementing a Rule-Based Docketing System
LawToolBox.com
Successful implementation requires getting all firm members on board. Full adoption of a firm-wide docketing solution and 100% compliance with docketing procedures creates a system that is updated with meaningful deadlines upon which attorneys rely.
Below is a implementation checklist that is designed to guide your implementation, and should be customized to your firms needs.
1.Confirm Quality & Integrity of Rule-Based Deadlines. Full adoption requires that attorneys believe that the rule-based calendaring program is meeting their needs. LawToolBox calculators are built by attorneys, reviewed by experts, and feedback from clients is incorporated back into the product. Because deadlines reside and are managed in a centralized location (the internet) deadline calculators are updated real-time to coincide with rule changes and amendments. To solidify your firm’s comfort level with the product we deliver, in each venue where you litigate we suggest that you:
a. Compare (line for line) deadlines calculated by your previous system with the deadlines calculated by LawToolBox.
b.Review the list of holidays that are accounted for in each venue to confirm that all federal and local holidays are factored into the court days calculations.
c. Establish a schedule for periodically auditing the deadlines that LawToolBox calculates, and for verifying that when there are rule changes in a venue that LawToolBox is handling the amendments in a manner consistent with the Firm’s interpretation of the rules.
3. Designate People Responsible for Calendaring & Distributing Reports. A law firm should identify and designate the key people responsible for various calendaring responsibilities such as generating and distributing reports, and calendaring deadlines for each case. The firm should also establish schedules for distributing reports, and adopt a protocol for making sure case dockets are timely updated:
a.Deadline Summary Reports: Who will generate the “Friday Deadline Summary Report” for every attorney and/or practice group?
b.Milestone Reports: Milestone Reports for each attorney should be generated and a HARD COPY should be distributed on Fridays with Deadline Summary Reports (this report will help identify matters where important deadlines have NOT been entered).
c. Who Dockets for Which Cases: The firm should establish a process for identifying the SUPPORT PERSON responsible for docketing deadlines for each matter.
d. When to Update & Auditing Case Dockets. Each Firm should establish its own procedure for making sure that new trigger dates are entered into LawToolBox in a timely manner, and for auditing case deadline charts to make sure that all trigger dates have been entered that can be entered, and to make sure that the deadline chart has been conformed to court orders and other requirements of the case.
4. Firm-wide Deadline Management Policies, Procedures & Protocol.
a.Setting Up a New Case - Case Nick Names: Establish a protocol for naming matters that are entered on LawToolBox (e.g., “First Named Plaintiff (capitalize if client) v First Named Defendant (capitalize if client)” and firm’s client’s name will be in ALL CAPS (example: SMITH v jones).
b.Setting Up a New Case - Notify Users When a Case Has Been Shared:
When a CASE IS SET UP, firm can establish protocol to SEND AN EMAIL to all users the case has been shared to (including lead attorney) with the deadline chart attached.
When a case is SHARED TO A NEW USER MIDSTREAM THROUGH THE CASE (or transferred to a new lead attorney) firm can establish protocol to SEND AN EMAIL to all users the case has been shared to (including lead attorney) with the deadline chart attachedy.
c. Managing Deadlines - Deadlines that Fall on Saturday or Sunday: Firm should actively decide whether LawToolBox generated deadlines that fall on a weekend or court holiday will be manually moved by firm either (i) forward to the following business day, or (ii) backwards to the previous business day.
d.Managing Deadlines - Hiding Deadlines for a Specific Case: establish protocol re: HIDING DEADLINES” (from deadline chart click “edit”) for (i) rule-based DEADLINES THAT DO NOT APPLY to a particular case, and (ii) rule-based deadlines that have been modified by a STIPULATED CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER.
e. Managing Appointments: Establish protocol to CHECK FOR AVAILABILITY BEFORE scheduling an Appointment on LawToolBox so that you do not “double book” a user.
f. Managing Deadlines – File Pleadings Days Before Deadline Expires as a Business Practice. Recognizing that unanticipated problems or issues may cause problems with filing pleadings at the last minute on the day a deadline expires, the Firm should consider adopting a policy that all pleadings should be filed several days before deadline expires (e.g., file all pleadings at least THREE (3) days before the actual deadline expires as a business practice).
g. Familiarize Yourself with Training Resources:
a. Introductory Phone Demo / Training
b. Online support manual & Venue-level support
c. Video Library
c. Email .
h. Firm Wide Policy – Data Back-up. The firms disaster recovery plan should include backing up and recovering data from calendaring software.
5. Customize Firm-Wide Settings.
- Firm Wide Default Setting - Omitting Specific Deadlines from Every Case. The Firm can customize the deadline calculators by choosing to omit certain types of deadlines from every case set up on the system (for example, setting a firm-wide preference to always hide deadlines specific to healthcare or construction cases if the firm never handles those types of cases).
- Firm Wide Default Setting – Whether to Default Deadlines that fall within court-day range to COURT days when ADDING days to calculate a deadline? The Firm elects to have deadlines that “fall within the court day range” and are calculated by ADDING days to a trigger date calculated in COURT DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) or in CALENDAR DAYS (including all weekends and holidays in the calculation).
- Firm Wide Default Setting – When to Send Email Reminders. While individual attorneys can select a case specific default, the Firm should affirm the default for the number of days in advance of a deadline that an email reminder from should be sent (the default isSEVEN (7) DAYS).
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©2010 LawToolBox.com, Inc. US Patent No. 6,694,315. All rights reserved. This document is for informational purposes only. LAWTOOLBOX MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. LawToolBox.com is a registered trademark of LawToolBox.com, Inc. The names of companies and products mentioned may be the trademarks of their respective owners.