Learn how to create a scalable document workflow to consistently produce error-free documents
Make it easy to create, manage, collaborate on, and store case files and court forms.
Though managing forms and documents is a critical part of any law practice, the task itself can be tedious and time-consuming—more so if your firm’s document workflow is not user-friendly.
Cloud-based legal document automation helps law firms easily produce, securely store, and efficiently manage documents…saving your staff the time spent manually reviewing and organizing every single file.
Join this free CLE-eligible webinar to find out how to leverage document and court form cloud solutions to bring more efficiency to your practice.
In this CLE-eligible webinar, you’ll learn:
How cloud-based document tools improve production, storage, accessibility and submission of legal documents and court forms
Best practices for creating flexible document workflows and templates (including tips for formatting and styling MS Word documents)
How to use document automation solutions to keep information secure, reduce errors and malpractice risk.
https://www.clio.com/events/webinar-manage-docs-and-forms/
CAFC Chronicles: Costly Tales of Claim Construction Fails
A Busy Lawyer’s Guide to Managing Documents and Court Forms
1. A Busy Lawyer’s Guide to
Managing Documents
and Court Forms
Learn how to create a scalable document workflow to
consistently produce error-free documents
April 12, 2022
Joshua Lenon - Lawyer in Residence
2. Lawyer in Residence
6
Joshua Lenon
TODAY’S SPEAKER
● Attorney admitted into New York
● Certified Privacy Professional
● @JoshuaLenon
3. Legal Document Technician
7
Joe Kaczrowski
TODAY’S SPEAKER
● Attorney admitted into Minnesota
● Certifications in Data Engineering for AI
● Former Senior Director of Minnesota State Bar
Association
4. 8
Agenda
● The Shift to Production, Storage, Accessibility, and
Submission Of Legal Documents and Court Forms with
Cloud Computing
● Best Practices for Creating Flexible Document Workflows
and Templates Resources
● Use Document Automation Solutions to Keep Information
Secure, Reduce Errors and Malpractice Risk
● Improve Efficiency, Accuracy, and Ultimately Profitability
● Further Resources
● Questions
11. 15
62%
supported electronic documents
and e-signatures
– Melissa, Senior Paralegal
“As much as we appreciate more
electronic communication features and
video chat, the clients do too. They
don’t have to take off a half day of work
to drive over here to sign paperwork.”
29. 33
● Know court rules and requirements
● Mandatory form use vs suggested content
PDF vs DOCX
30. Use of Court Forms
● PDFs
○ ‘Smart Forms’ vs Flat PDFs
● Fill-in-the-blank forms
○ Issues
■ Data reuse
■ Human error
○ Document Automation
● Word Templates
34
31. 35
● Copy/Paste
○ Issues
■ Errors of Omission and Errors of
Inclusion
■ Human Error
■ Time-Consuming
■ Data Reuse
■ Metadata
■ Client Confidentiality -
Overlooked Past Client Info
■ Grammar mismatches
Working with Word
Documents
48. 52
● Fit with firm’s processes and
workflows
● Rule 1.1 comment 8 (Maintaining
Competence)
○ [8] To maintain the requisite knowledge and
skill, a lawyer should keep abreast of
changes in the law and its practice, including
the benefits and risks associated with
relevant technology, engage in continuing
study and education and comply with all
continuing legal education requirements to
which the lawyer is subject.
Understand the strengths
and weaknesses of
automation tools
53. Most Common Alleged Errors
15.90%
9.09%
8.22% 7.40% 7.35%
Failure to Know / Properly Apply Law Failure to Follow Client Instructions
Inadequate Discovery / Investigations Failure to Calendar Properly
Planning Error- Procedure Choice
54. Duty of Competence
ABA Model Rule 1.1
[Comment 8]
“To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer should
keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the
benefits and risks associated with relevant technology, engage in
continuing study and education and comply with all continuing
legal education requirements to which the lawyer is subject.”
56. 60
Submission Requirements
Avoid having filings rejected for
preventable reasons by using
templates that assign:
● Margins
● Font choice
● Spacing
Keep Templates/Rules Up to
Date
Use templates that update
automatically to the most recent
forms.
Never be caught off guard from a
rules change.
Legal Technology Adapts to Different Legal Needs
Apply information across
submission bundles
Advanced drafting technology can
draft bundles of documents.
Most matters require packets of
documents, not just one at time.
Use matter intake to collect and
populate data across all the
necessary documents to avoid
drafting errors.
57. Nonlawyer Supervision
ABA Model Rule 5.3
(b) A lawyer having direct supervisory authority over the
nonlawyer shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the
person’s conduct is compatible with the professional obligations of
the lawyer…
58. Continuous Ethical Duties
NY Ethics Opinion 842
Lawyer should stay abreast of
technological advances to ensure that
the storage system remains
sufficiently advanced to protect the
client’s information, and the lawyer
should monitor the changing law of
privilege to ensure that storing
information in the “cloud” will not
waive or jeopardize any privilege
protecting the information.
CA Formal Ethics NO. 2010-179
Because of the evolving nature
of technology and differences in
security features that are
available, the attorney must
ensure the steps are sufficient
for each form of technology
being used and must continue to
monitor the efficacy of such
steps.
60. 64
Court Forms
● Save time and avoid errors
● Access up-to-date libraries of
thousands of official forms
● Re-use client and matter
information
○ Enter information once
○ Save regularly used form sets
○ Combine with Word Templates
Cloud-based Court Forms
Now offering CA, IL, TX, GA, NY,
FL, OH, MI, MA, MD, WA, & WI
61. 65
Court Forms
● 11 jurisdictions currently available to
subscribe (USCIS, CA, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD,
MI, NY, OH, & TX)
● New states being added every month
○ WA, WI mid-April 2022
○ CO, NC, NJ, PA coming soon
● Libraries include state level forms and
forms from top 3 most populous counties
● Forms are updated when new court
forms are released by the court; also
actively monitoring legislation and court
rule changes
Cloud-based Court Forms
Now offering CA, IL, TX, GA, NY,
FL, OH, MI, MA, MD, WA, & WI
62. 66
● Calculate dates automatically
○ Including local rules & differing
definitions of days
● Identify opposing parties’
deadlines
● See the rules behind the
calculations for piece of mind
● Automatic updating of rules
● Request new rule sets
Rules-based
Calendaring
63. 67
● Share documents with teammates without
worrying about uploads and downloads
● Client portals let clients upload and review
documents
● Built in e-signature software makes document
completion and authentication easy
Cloud-Based
Collaboration
65. Clio Manage
Legal practice management software
Our most popular product—the industry’s leading solution
to help manage clients, organize cases, and automate
tedious tasks and month-end billing.
Clio Grow
Client intake and legal CRM software
Standardize the client intake process with online intake
forms, email automation, and e-signatures to build strong
relationships, and get powerful data insights to grow your firm.
The Clio Suite
Legal practice management, client intake and CRMsoftware. Get
unmatched performance with Clio Suite, the industry’s
only end-to-end software solution for your firm.
Lawyaw
New software for solo, small- and mid-sized legal practices that can
help streamline information gathering and document assembly, along
with built-in e-sign and other features.
Visit clio.com/pricing to learn more.
Clio’s Offerings
66. 70
Polls for Non-Clio and Clio Customers
Poll 1: For Non-Clio Customers
Would you like to learn more about Clio?
a.Yes, I would like to learn more
about Clio’s products
b.Attending the Clio Cloud Conference
c.No, I’m not interested
d.No, I’m already a Clio Customer
Poll 2: For Clio Customers
Would you like to learn more about:
a.Adding Clio Grow to
streamline client intake
b.Adding Clio Payments
c.Lawyaw for document automation
d.Attending the Clio Cloud Conference
e.No, I’m not interested
(or I already use these features)
67. Upcoming Webinars
71
● Innovate Legal Online: Building a Successful Law Firm
● [CLE-Eligible Webinar] 5 Things Your Intake Strategy Needs to Take on
More Clients With Ease, May 10
● 2022 Clio Cloud Conference: October 10-11 | Hybrid / Nashville, TN
ClioCloudConference.com
● All Upcoming Webinars & Content:
Clio.com/Resources Page
72. CLE Information
To qualify for credit, you must:
1. Be logged in on your own device under the email/name you registered with (cannot
share logins).
2. Attend the entire live webinar.
3. Participate in the polls during the live session.
*If you have met the participation requirements, you will receive a personalized CLE/CPD
affidavit from mcle-clio@americanbar.org for the webinar you attended to completion. Please
check your spam or junk folders as these emails often end up there. Please note you have to fill
out an affidavit for each individual webinar. Once you complete the affidavit, you will be able to
download your certificate(s) of attendance and they will be emailed to you as well from mcle-
clio@americanbar.org.