Case & Point 4.0 - Dec/Jan '98

Case & Point 4.0

Case & Point manages a great deal of information. Its opening menu lists the ways you can access and track case management information: add a matter, add a case, search for a matter or case, search for an attorney, consultant or law firm, and add or search for invoice information.

Click on either Add a Matter or Add a Case, or perform a search for a matter, and you'll begin to plumb the depths of the kinds of information Case & Point manages. While we like that Case & Point distinguishes between cases and matters, the template that arises after selecting one or the other appears to be the same, except for the difference in title.

Distinguishing between cases and matters reflects the issues often faced by corporate legal. Most legal matter management applications refer to everything as a matter, because the activities performed by corporate legal don't actually involve litigation: e.g., contract disputes, employment agreements, securities matters and similar activities.

Of course, many activities managed by corporate legal do involve litigation. Discriminating between the two in the beginning is nice, because it can potentially decrease the amount of time it takes to locate relevant case or matter information.

Case & Point does a good job of providing you with instant access to a variety of case information. For example, if you choose to add a new matter, the system automatically assigns your case or matter a serial number and brings you to a new screen.

Almost every field contains either a magnifying glass symbol or a downward lookup table symbol. The magnifying glass lets you enter much more information in that field about a particular case or matter, while the lookup table feature lets you point and click to add information to a record.

For example, if you wanted to assign a matter type to your matter, you could click on the downward arrow to the right of the field and pull up a list of available matter types. Click on your selection and the type you selected is automatically assigned to the matter.

If you do not see your information listed in a lookup table you will have to exit, or close the case and return to the main pull-down menus. Go to Admin/Lookup Tables and make your selection. Here you can add your item to the lookup table, and then return to your matter to add the new matter type to your record.

Case & Point has a full spectrum of button bars. All of these let you access other aspects of matter or case information. Click on Invoices to see a list of invoices paid on a matter or case. Click on Docket, Tasks, Pleadings, Notes, Budget, Reports and so forth to pull up screens that let you perform that function, or add that type of information to the matter. When these other items are entered the display screens, or fill-in forms, give you plenty of fill-in assistance. When appropriate, magnifying glass symbols and downward arrow lookup tables are provided to facilitate data entry.

Searching for information is easy. Select any of the search items from the main menu and you'll be taken to a search template. The search template lets you filter your search using a variety of criteria. If you wanted to search for all cases or matters, you could see a single-line alphabetic listing of all cases. You could open the information on a particular case or matter by double-clicking on the entry.

You can refine your search by entering one or more letters in a name field, searching by case/matter number, staff person, keyword, group, type, firm or status. Search by any of these fields or a combination of them.

The application comes with approximately 40 pre-programmed reports. Some of these can be accessed via the Reports button on the matter summary screen. The evaluation version we reviewed contained four reports that could be accessed using this button: Calendar/Docket, Matter Detail, Matter Notes and Tasks.

You do have options to add reports, but when we made this selection it prompted us to contact the vendor for more information. Case & Point's Web site explains that the vendor can assist users with creating any kind of customized report you might desire.

A listing of all of the reports available with the application can be accessed via the Reports pull-down list at the top of the main menu. Under this listing you will find reports for all nine categories. Generally, these are all global reports, designed to give you excellent reports on all of the information in Case & Point for the particular category you choose. Custom reports can be created with the assistance of the vendor.

One of this application's most interesting features is the way it manages and links to word processing documents. Through a Forms Index screen, available under the Support pull-down listing on the main menu, Case & Point provides a built-in document management application. Brief descriptions of documents (e.g., a pleading form), tell you what's available. A word processing icon at the bottom of the index screen lets you launch the application and pull up the document.

Corporate Legal Solutions
800-597-3461

By Cary Griffith

From the Shopper's Guide to Corporate Case Management Software - Dec/Jan '98