Mapping out the steps involved in completing a matter is often a challenge, especially if you’re working in a new area of law or collaborating with colleagues, business partners, or clients. Having a clear plan of attack will help make the work go more smoothly, reducing the time you spend on the matter, making the workload more predictable, and cutting the need for rework, but mapping out all the phases and tasks involved in a matter is time consuming and usually requires subject matter expertise.
There is a way to reduce the effort significantly: The Interactive Matter Maps feature in Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set with CoCounsel. It enables you to create your own project management map for a matter to ensure your team is aligned and your communication to clients and stakeholders will be faster and more transparent. You can draw from the proven expertise of more than 650 attorney editors while customizing the map to be sure that the approach reflects your preferred way of doing things. Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set with CoCounsel includes Quick Compare, as well as Knowledge Map, Interactive Matter Maps, Dynamic Search, and Search & Summarize Practical Law.
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| Overview of Interactive Matter Maps |
| Interactive Matter Maps enable the whole team |
| Enable better communication and planning |
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Overview of Interactive Matter Maps
Interactive Matter Maps simplify managing complex legal projects by providing a clear overview of each project’s phases and tasks. These maps enhance planning and communication, helping attorneys stay on track, and clearly explain the core phases of a matter to help educate both legal colleagues and business stakeholders.
Interactive Matter Maps are easy to access within Practical Law. Click the Apps button at the top of the page, select Interactive Matter Maps, and explore categories by Practice Area. Use them as-is, customize them, or create new ones. Each column in the map represents a project phase, and beneath each heading are tasks needed for completion. Clicking on a task reveals supporting Practical Law resources for guidance.
Customization is key. Modify phases and tasks to fit proprietary needs, rename tasks, or add specific instructions. To customize, click the “Create a map” button and edit content by selecting the pencil icon. You can also move tasks between phases using simple menus, add or remove resources, and link to your firm’s documents. The flexibility allows attorneys to tailor maps to their practice while keeping the project organized.
Interactive Matter Maps automatically save under the “Custom Maps” tab. You can also download them for sharing. With these interactive tools, attorneys can delegate work efficiently and communicate the big picture to stakeholders, keeping everyone aligned without losing them in the details.
Figure 1 Matter Maps provide an overview of the core phases and tasks in a legal matter with links to key resources at each phase. You can modify the steps to match your particular approach or the requirements of a specific matter.
Interactive Matter Maps enable the whole team
Experienced attorneys benefit from the time savings and improved collaboration they experience with Interactive Matter Maps. They can quickly and easily visualize their process to help colleagues and clients understand how they are approaching a matter.
Attorneys taking on new types of matters will also benefit tremendously from knowing exactly where to start and how to proceed with new matters. Early on, they may follow the maps exactly. Over time, they’ll identify their own customizations as their own approach develops. They will also benefit from easy access to Practical Law resources like Practice Notes and Checklists they can use to understand each task.
Colleagues who work on legal operations, knowledge management, or project management will be able to establish a set of standard operating procedures for the team and use these maps to keep everyone on the same page throughout a project. Big projects have different phases, and each phase has multiple tasks. Interactive Matter Maps help the team manage the project and make sure nothing is missed.
Enable better communication and planning
Standardizing processes and approaches to matters is one way the legal profession can add some predictability to workforce planning and billing. Having a common starting point for each type of matter allows the team to plan the workload and communicate more effectively. And while there are common approaches to how you go about handling a certain type of matter, there are nuances between firms and attorneys.
Having a customizable Interactive Matter Map enables your organization to provide a starting point to the team while giving them the ability to tweak the approach to suit their style or the specific matter. No one is left to just figure it out on their own. Instead, they have a strong foundation from the attorney editors at Practical Law that they can customize to suit their needs.
Ready to enable better collaboration and a cleaner approach to project mapping? Find out more about Interactive Matter Maps and other included features when you visit Practical Law Dynamic Tool Set with CoCounsel by visiting Discover the Dynamic Tool Set with CoCounsel in Practical Law. You can explore the features, watch additional demonstrations, and consider how these tools can benefit your practice.
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