Checklist for Implementing a Rule-Based Docketing System
LawToolBox.com ®
Successful implementation requires getting all firm members on board. Full adoption of a firmwide 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.
©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.
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 [email protected].
h. Firm Wide Policy – Data Back-up. The firms disaster recovery plan should include
backing up and recovering data from calendaring software.
©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.
5. Customize Firm-Wide Settings.
a. 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).
b. Firm Wide Default Setting – Whether to Default Deadlines that fall within courtday 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).
c. 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
[email protected] should be sent (the default is SEVEN (7) DAYS).
Thank you for your business!
©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.