Law Office Document Management

Document management rests on consistent procedures for organization, storage, retention, and disposition. Your firm should have policies that outline your procedures. To prevent the loss of files and to reduce costs, consider scanning and saving documents electronically (at the very least, when a matter is closed).

MANAGEMENT and ORGANIZATION

Essential Tools, see Paperless Section (Startup Kit – Technology)

ABA Records Management/Document Retention Resources (ABA LTRC)

Tech from the Trenches: Document Management Brims with Productivity Potential Far Beyond Simple File Storage (ABA Law Practice Magazine, January 2021)

RETENTION and DISPOSITION

New Rule 1.15A: What Client Files Are & How Long Lawyers Must Preserve Them

New Rule on Client Files will Provide Clear Guidance for Lawyers (BBO)

Talking Trash Recycled (Again): Guidelines for Retention and Destruction of Client Files (BBO)

FURTHER READING FROM OUR LENDING LIBRARY

Records Management in the Legal Environment: A Handbook of Practice and Procedure (ARMA International)

The Lawyer’s Guide to Records Management and Retention (George C. Cunningham, American Bar Association)