Ad Litem Consulting, Inc.

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.
Litigation Support Department
Includes:
   - Budget Spreadsheet
   - Needs Assesment
   - Case Technology Plan
   - Task and Check Lists
   - Member's Area Access

    

Homepage

Intro
Acknowledgements
License
Preface
1.00 Introduction
1.01 For Vendors
1.02 For Firms
1.03 How to Use This Document
2.00 Business Standards
2.01 Outgoing Media Kit
2.02 Cost Codes for Litigation Support
2.03 Request for Quotes ("RFQs")
2.04 Quotes
2.05 Weekly Updates
2.06 Color Blindness
2.07 Quality Control
2.08 Required Test Load
3.00 Technical Standards
3.01 Media Labels
3.02 File, Folder and Volume Naming
3.03 CD Content and Organization
3.04 Organization of Sub-Folders
3.05 Bates Schemes
3.06 Data Files
3.07 Database Conventions
3.08 Native Files
3.09 Project Specifications Document
3.10 Bibliographical Coding Manual
3.11 Image Format
3.12 OCR
3.13 Slip-Sheets or Unitization Rules
3.14 Video
3.15 Synchronization
3.16 Transcripts
3.17 Delivery Media
4.00 Software Specific Requirements
4.01 Casesoft Suite
4.02 IPRO
4.03 Dataflight's Concordance and Opticon
4.04 Image Capture Engineering
4.05 Summation
4.06 iCONECT
4.07 inData TrialDirector
4.nn Additional Titles to Follow
5.00 Examples of What Not To Do
5.01 Media Labels
5.02 File / Folder / Volume Name Conventions
5.03 Database
5.04 Media Content
5.05 Load Files
5.06 OCR
5.07 Opticon Load Files
5.08 Image Format
5.09 Transcripts
5.10 General Errors / Issues
5.11 Real Experiences

2.05 Weekly Updates - Technical Standards


Overview
The legal and support teams need weekly status and invoice updates. The update does not need to be too formal. The attorneys should always have a solid idea about the project progress and total costs. It never hurts to communicate too much. This information helps everyone to plan and schedule their own efforts. If a project is going to be complete by a new date or the budget is heading away from the quoted target, these reports and forecasts will help all parties involved. These updates are all about zero surprises.

Please keep the firm informed about the following information.

Project Name
Please include this name in your quotes, reports and on your invoices.

Client-Matter Number
This number is required on all communications. This is how the firm tracks all projects and all payments and work relate to this number.

Project Complete %
On a weekly basis, the vendor should provide a report of all open projects and their status. Are there any issues which will cause the project to end more quickly than expected?

Current Bill
Projects, especially electronic discovery projects, can grow to unexpected sizes. This can happen due to various factors. The main concern here is that the attorney understands their current costs and is not surprised by the bill.

Original Bid
What was the original project estimate?

Paid To Date
What has the Firm paid to date for services on a project?

Work-In-Progress (W-I-P)
What the vendor has yet to bill.

Estimated Final Bill
Vendor gives an estimated grand total. This number is critical. It falls under the “told you so” part of the law that helps attorneys sign off on final invoices.

Estimated Completion Date

Please provide an updated completion date in your reports. In this manner, the team can plan their time and efforts accordingly. It is OK for this date to change. It is required to give as much notice as possible. It is better for the attorneys to schedule their time accordingly.

©2006 Ad Litem Consulting, Inc. - Litigation Support Services