CHAP1 WRAP UP

Question 1

The Panels That Makeup a Client File

Panel 1

Answer 1

Panel 1. Correspondence

Letters, copies of faxes, and copies of emails should be collected as a group under correspondence. Attempt to organize it by date, with the older correspondence on the bottom so new material can simply be added on top. Most firms do not use indexes for correspondence, but it is a good idea to do so, since an index allows for instant access to materials and acts as a document inventory.

Question 2

The Panels That Makeup a Client File

Panel 2

Answer 2

Panel 2. Instruments

This panel is for contracts, wills, leases, titles, and other such material. Never punch holes or staple original documents. Consider using a •hanging pocket to hold the documents. Create a hanging pocket with a 9 x 12 inch envelope. Leaving the top flap open, create a two-hole punch, then insert the envelope in the Instruments panel of the file.

Question 3

The Panels That Makeup a Client File

Panel 3

Answer 3

Panel 3. Work Product

This panel is for material created as part of the litigation process, such as handwritten and typed notes, messages, internal office memoranda, etc.

Question 4

The Panels That Makeup a Client File

Panel 4

Answer 4

Panel 4. Exhibits

Exhibits are materials that will be presented to the court. Never punch holes in exhibits. Use a hanging pocket, as described in the discussion of the Instruments panel above. Exhibits that are too large to be kept in the client file should be maintained in a separate expandable folder or other appropriate location, with a reference to that location in the client file.

Question 5

The Panels That Makeup a Client File

Panel 5

Answer 5

Panel 5. Pleadings

Collect all pleadings, motions, orders, proposed orders, and anything else filed with’the court in this panel of the file. Keep a comprehensive pleading index.

Question 6

The Panels That Makeup a Client File

Panel 6

Answer 6

Panel 6. Discovery

Collect” a discovery requests and responses in this section. An index is critical’. You may also want to include sign-in and sign-out sheets for document7taken from the file. This^can be helpful for both the pleadings and”discovery sections when several attorneys and paralegals are working on a file.

Question 7

Time Sheet

• The time sheet in your manual represents the standard information that would be required in any time-management system.

Answer 7

• The first column of the time sheet is where the current date is recorded.
• The second column is the client name.
• The third column is the client file number. This is not the number assigned by the court. It is an internal law firm-generated number for maintaining a file system.
• The fourth column is the description of the work performed. Be brief, but descriptive. A good rule of thumb is, after you have finished the entry, ask yourself this simple question: If you were the client, would you mind paying for that work?
• The fifth and last column logs the amount of time spent on the task. The time, for most firms, is recorded in tenths of an hour. Thus, 1.0 is one hour. 1.1 is one hour and six minutes. 1.2 is one hour and 12 minutes, and so forth. Every tenth of an hour is six minutes.