Ad Litem Consulting, Inc.
Technical Standards
Includes: - Load Files - Cost Codes - Quotes - For Vendors - For Firms  |
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Read about litigation tech strategies and best practices for the case and firm.
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Litigation Support Department Includes:
- Budget Spreadsheet - Needs Assesment - Case Technology Plan - Task and Check Lists - Member's Area Access  |
Table of Content - Complete Book
Clients
Preface
About Mark Lieb
To Litigation Support Professionals
To Attorneys and Paralegals
I Heirarchy II Services
III Needs Assessment
IV Tools
V Litigation Case Lifecycle
VI Supporting Files
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The goal of the following pages is to provide the reader with a complete assessment of Litigation Support technology and operations at their own firm. The purpose of this assessment is to help the firm identify areas which need may require attention. The book outlines many strategies and approaches toward resources and rights. The needs assessment section provides the reader with the ability to compare current practice to the template outlined in the book. The Litigation Support Department COO should perform the assessment.
Assessment Areas
- Financials
- User Tools
- Storage Assessment
- Firm Technical Standards
- Litigation Support Software
- Department Hardware Capabilities
- Video
- Media Inventory
- Project Management
- Network Configuration
- Backup Routines
- Disaster Recovery Plan
- Training
- Departmental Operations
- Political Abilities
- Ability to Bill
- Vendors
The book outlines a template for a Litigation Support Department. The department identifies areas that require consideration. As the reader assesses their own department and firm, they should use the book as a reference. The book will explain why considerations in a given area are important and identify interdependence with other areas, such as folder organization, backups and security.
The question of which area to concentrate upon first is difficult. From a Litigation Support Department VP of Operations standpoint, the first recommended area is the adoption of the technical standard. The results will eliminate a lot of unnecessary technical work and thereby allow the technician time to work on other areas, such as storage and backup. A VP of Finance would recommend addressing cost codes and billable time, as the financial reports provide the basis for all business arguments. Further, these changes are administrative and require the least work resulting in a large benefit for the department and firm.
Although this book also outlines an implementation strategy, the unique culture and tradition found at each firm may dictate a different route. Regardless of the firm, the department can still execute most of the strategies, including the use of the budget spreadsheet, case lifecycle task list and departmental organization of files, folders and data. Use of cost codes may be the most important victory for the department as the resulting reports provide the best arguments for firmwide institutionalization of technical standards, prequalified vendors and documented Litigation Support best practices. The final result of this phase is the collection of revenues for internal goods and services. The department invests this revenue in hardware, software and personnel.