Create New Assignments Matter - Best Practices

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Need more details? check out the Standard Guide.

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There are 5 steps to complete this task:

1. Open the Assignments Module.

2. Press New

3. In the New File Window, Press Auto.

4. In the New Assignments Entry Window, Fill Out All Mandatory Fields.

5. Press Save.

Step 1. Open the Assignments module.

There are 2 ways to open this module.

1-Step Option:

Press the Assignments icon on the Global Toolbar.

2-Step Option:

1. On the Menu Bar, press File.
2. Press Assignments.

 

Step 2. Press New.

The New button is located in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Step 3. Press Continue in the New File window.

A New File window appears after you complete Step 2. Press the Continue button to automatically generate a File Number for the new matter in accordance with the naming convention of your office.

Step 4. Fill out the mandatory fields in the New Assignment Entry window.

A New Assignment Entry window appears after you complete Step 3. Fill out the mandatory fields for the matter.

 

Looking for field descriptions? 

Check out the New Assignment Entry Field Description Guide.

Mandatory fields are marked with a red asterisk (*). The new assignment cannot be saved until values for these fields are provided. The word "Required" will appear in red if you try to save a new assignment without values in these fields.

You can navigate from field to field using Tab and can cycle through drop-down lists with the up and down arrow keys. Using the Shift + Tab allows you to move backwards through the fields.

Step 5. Press Save.

The Save button is located at the bottom-left corner of the New Assignment Entry window.

After saving, the Basic Tab of your new Assignment matter will appear.

1. Title 
2. Received (Date) 
3. Target (Date) 
4. Primary Attorney 
5. Secondary Attorney 
6. Outside Counsel (OS Counsel) 
7. Primary Staff 
8. Investigators  
9. Team 
10. Category 
11. Type 
12. Action 
13. Track 
14. Priority 
15. Status 
16. Department 
17. Client 
18. Description 

1. Title

The name of the new Assignment matter.

This is a mandatory field.

2. Received (Date)

The date the assignment was received. The value will default to the current date.

This is a mandatory field.

3. Target (Date)

The estimated date the assignment will be completed. Entering a Target Date will automatically place it on the calendar.

4. Primary Attorney

The attorney to whom the assignment was given. If you are an attorney, this field will auto-populate with your username.

5. Secondary Attorney 

An additional attorney, if applicable. (accommodates up to four attorneys)

6. Outside Counsel (OS Counsel)

Outside Counsel used on the assignment.

7. Primary Staff

The staff to whom the assignment was given, or the staff responsible for managing the entry of this assignment.

8. Investigators 

The investigator/s used on the assignment.

9. Team

The Team responsible for the assignment. The label of this field is customizable.

10. Category

Category codes separate assignments into classifications relevant to your office. Some examples of Categories are Contracts, Ordinances, Opinions, and Resolutions.

Best Practices recommend that this be a mandatory field, but it is a site-specific decision.

11. Type

Each Category code has a subset of Type codes. Some examples of Type codes are Procurement, Licensing, Civil Rights, Personnel, and Zoning.

12. Action

Action codes describe the service to be performed by the Attorneys or Staff member on the assignment matter (e.g. Review, Prepare, Attend, Advice).

13. Track

This is a customizable label.

14. Priority

The priority assigned to this matter.

15. Status

The current state of the matter (e.g. Open, Closed, Pending).

This is a mandatory field.

17. Department 

The Department field represents the entity to whom the services of the Assignment are being rendered.

This is a mandatory field.

16. Client

This is a customizable label, usually used to associate with your Finance Department's accounting structure.

19. Description

This is a description of the nature of the assignment for the purpose of understanding its scope and aiding in future searches for this or similar assignments.

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