The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/271291
28 PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA WALKING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD The successful and smooth transition of a new partner's client(s) into an organization takes pre-planning, interdepartmental collaboration and communication, and a set of tried-and-true protocols, policies, FAQs and checklists that have been made available to all interested stakeholders. Engage in Pre-Planning. "Plans are nothing; planning is everything." — Dwight D. Eisenhower Lateral movement can, and often does, happen quickly. While not always possible, pre-planning activities greatly improve the timeliness and accuracy with which we can get incoming attorneys and teams up and running. We took things a step further and pre-planned our pre-planning by: Spending time understanding what roles the various departments play within our firm and the processes currently in place Key to Success: Conducting a current state assessment gave us visibility into how the onboarding process was handled and provided an opportunity to educate others on the importance and value of developing an integrated plan and standard processes. It might not be necessary to create an entirely new process; tweaks to an already existing process will often do the trick. Making the development and execution of an onboarding process a true, collaborative effort Key to Success: Respecting the collective wisdom and experience of other individuals and departments goes a long way toward the implementation and maintenance of any process. Our firm has just spent a lot of money and many hours wooing this new partner; the last thing we information governance professionals want to do is tarnish this blossoming relationship by appearing disorganized and unprepared. We also recognize that while we are focused on quick access and efficiency, we must consider the significant risk that surrounds the intake of new client information. CASE STUDIES Common questions must be answered: Have the new clients/matters cleared conflicts? What type of information are we receiving, and where should it be imported? How can we ensure we are compliant with the firm's policies? At Orrick, we have successfully implemented some processes to increase efficiency, minimize costs and mitigate risk during onboarding. About the Author Leigh Isaacs, Director of Records & Information Management at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, has over 25 years of combined legal and information management experience. Her expertise includes deployment of enterprise programs, development of information management programs, onsite and offsite storage considerations (including outsourcing, process improvements, evaluation and implementation of technology solutions), and the disposition of information for dissolved entities. Contact her at lisaacs@orrick.com. The Laterals Are Coming! Making Onboarding Easier Imagine this scenario that is played out in so many law firms (large and small) across the country on any given day: 1 The records manager receives an urgent call from the mailroom because a large delivery of boxes has arrived on the loading dock. They appear to be files, but records doesn't know what to do with them. The records team accepts the boxes and starts the process of figuring out to whom they belong and what needs to be done with them. Around the same time, the IT manager receives an urgent call from a new partner who arrived last week. He wants to know where his email messages, contacts and electronic client files are, all of which were supposed to be sent from his former firm. He also has a disk of files that must be loaded onto his desktop. Intermixed among these electronic files are some that appear to be client data for a fast-approaching trial…at least it seems so. No one is sure. All the while, neither department reaches out to the other and each simply handles the task at hand — get the attorneys what they need as quickly as possible, so they can practice law. 2