Completing the Work.

London the Lawyer, Parker the Paralegal, and Bailey the Legal Assistant are now moving from setup to consistency. They are beginning to recognize which senders, subject lines, and types of emails regularly require which responsive action. Week Five helps them turn those patterns into a more reliable external email workflow.

London, Parker, and Bailey are now moving from organizing external emails to strengthening the system that supports the legal work. The team is learning that automation is useful only when it is paired with review, accountability, and follow-through.

The 60-Day System

In Week Four, participants built external email workflows for court filings, opposing counsel, vendors, and client communications. This week continues that work by helping the legal team test the system and begin creating rules or filters that support the process.

The goal this week is not to automate everything. The goal is to automate carefully, review consistently, and make sure deadlines and tasks do not get lost.

Two Key Objectives for Success

Everything in this challenge flows from two foundational commitments.

Organize your email system by

• Using folders

• Conversation views

• Rules

• Filters, and

• Automation.

This structural change ensures that your inbox is easier to identify and process, so the right messages reach you at the right time.

Set the Inbox Up for Success

Commit to spending no more than one hour a day reviewing email. You can break that time up into four 15 minutes in the morning, noon, afternoon, and evening. During each review, every email receives a 15-second decision: Delete it, Delegate (Forward) it, or Do it. Email review becomes a scheduled activity rather than a constant interruption during your day.

Build a New Email Habit

02

01

Week Five focuses on observing the patterns in external emails received by the law firm. Those observations help the team identify which emails consistently require the same next action and may be appropriate for rules or filters. They also help the team recognize external emails that are too unique, sensitive, or judgment-based to automate safely.

Review, Move, Automate, and Calendar the Work.

Week Five: Strengthen the External Email Folder System

This Week, Focus On

1. Patterns in senders, keywords, and required actions

2. Safe rules or filters to automate

3. Completing the work of the email.

For more assistance, Download and Print the 'Rules Move Emails. People Complete Work.' guide.

Day 30

Review Court Filing and Opposing Counsel Workflows

Now that your external email folder system is in place, confirm that it helps you move most external emails out of the inbox an into the appropriate folder during your email review sessions. If you need additional folder, create them. If last week's placements no longer fits the email's purpose, update the workflow and move the e-mail to the correct action folder. Over the next few days, you will assess each folder system created last week.

Today, you will focus on the two external workflows that often generate the most litigation activity: court filing emails and opposing counsel emails.

During each email review session, you will manually move external emails that apply to your action folders. You will pay close attention to the senders and the subject lines of court-related emails and opposing counsel communications. The goal is to confirm that each email is sorted by the correct next action and to identify patterns that will be ideal for rules or filters.

When reviewing court filing emails, ask yourself:

• Which court filing system send emails?

• Which courts indicate document type in the subject line or body?

• Which courts identify whether the filing was submitted by your firm, opposing counsel, or co-counsel?

• Which document types typically belong in each of the action folder for your role? For example, the role of legal assistant may move notice, order, and hearing emails to a To Schedule folder in the Do It core folder; whereas an attorney and paralegal may move notice and order emails to a Legal Analysis Needed folder in the Do It core folder.

• Which court sends filing confirmation emails in addition to a filing email?

When reviewing opposing counsel emails, ask yourself:

• · Which opposing counsel contacts send emails most often?

• · What recurring topic keywords appear in the subject line or body of opposing counsel (or staff) emails?

• · Which opposing counsel keywords usually require a response, review, assignment, or scheduling step for your role?

When emailing opposing counsel or co-counsel for a response and copying yourself, identify your topic keywords in the subject line that would be ideal for rules or filters to direct the email to your Awaiting External Response folder in the Delegated It core folder.

For opposing counsel communications, the workflow does not end when the folder action items are complete. The team must also follow the firm’s preservation policy for opposing counsel emails.

Do not create rules before understanding the pattern. First observe what the email usually means and what action it usually requires.

Action Step:

During your email review sessions, conduct your 15-Second Email Decision Rule on all new emails.

DAY 31

Review Vendor and Client Communication Workflows

Now that your external email folder system is in place, confirm that it helps you move most external emails out of the inbox and into the appropriate action folder during your review sessions. If you need additional folders, create them. If last week’s placement no longer fits the email’s purpose, update the workflow and move the email to the correct folder. Over the next few days, you will assess each folder system created last week.

Today, you will focus on vendor emails and client emails.

Vendor emails may come from process servers, mediators, arbitrators, experts, court reporters, trial document printers, e-discovery vendors, accountants, IT providers, or other outside service providers. Client emails may include questions, instructions, approvals, documents, status requests, or settlement authority.

During each email review session, manually move vendor and client emails into the action folders that apply to your role. Pay attention to senders, subject lines, and recurring topic keywords in the body of the message. The goal is to keep moving emails by next action while identifying messages predictable enough to support future rules or filters. Because these communications come from vendors and clients, you may also ask them to include consistent keywords in subject lines when appropriate.

When reviewing vendor emails, ask:

• Which vendors email most often?

• What subject lines are typical for each vendor type?

• What recurring topic keywords appear in the body of each vendor email type?

• What actions typically result from each type of vendor email?

When reviewing client emails, ask:

• · At each stage of a case or matter, which client emails typically require a response?

• · What recurring topic keywords appear in unsolicited client communications? For example, clients may email to request a status update on their matter.

Do not automatically route all client emails away from the inbox unless a clear review process is in place. Client communications often require judgment, response, or preservation.

Action Step:

During your email review sessions, apply the 15-Second Email Decision Rule to all new emails.

DAY 32

Create Rules or Filters for Court Filing and Opposing Counsel Workflows

Once your external email folder system is solid and you have identified predictable emails that can safely move to the appropriate action folders, you are ready to create rules or filters.

Today, you will begin creating carefully selected rules or filters for court filing and opposing counsel emails.

Automation should support the legal team, not hide important work. Start with rules that identify predictable emails and route them to action folders reviewed daily. If a rule or filter seems too broad or may send emails to the wrong folder, do not create it yet. Keep those emails in the manual review process until the pattern is clearer.

Create rules or filters for emails from court electronic filing systems or court portals. The following examples may work for court filing emails:

• Emails from a court system* with “Case Management Order” or “Scheduling Order” go to the To Review folder for attorneys and paralegals and to the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants.

• Emails from a court system with “Notice of Hearing,” “Notice of Deposition,” or “Notice of Mediation” go to the Awaiting Filing/Calendaring folder for attorneys and the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants.

• ·mails from a court system with “Final Judgment,” “Summary Judgment,” “Motion,” or “Trial Stipulation” go to the Legal Analysis Needed folder for attorneys and the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants.

• Emails from a court system with “Interrogatories,” “Request for Production,” “Subpoena,” or “Request for Admission” filed by opposing counsel, when that information is available, go to the Awaiting Internal Draft for attorneys and the Assigned Work for paralegals.

Create rules or filters for recurring opposing counsel communications when it is safe to do so. The following examples may work for opposing counsel communications:

• Emails from known opposing counsel domains* with “proposed order,” “stipulation,” “joint motion,” or “confer” go to the To Review folder.

• Emails from known opposing counsel domains with “settlement,” “demand,” “offer,” or “mediation” go to the Settlement Analysis Needed folder.

• Emails from known opposing counsel domains with “report,” “exhibit,” or “jury instructions” go to the Legal Analysis Needed folder.

• Emails with “availability,” “to schedule,” or “meet” go to the To Assign folder for attorneys and the To Schedule folder for legal assistants.

*If a rule or filter uses a specific sender domain, add a step to the case intake/assignment process to include court-related or new opposing counsel domains to the rules or filters.

Do not create a rule that automatically removes court or opposing counsel emails from view unless someone is responsible for checking that folder every day.

Action Step:

Create rules or filters for court filing and opposing counsel workflows

Action Step:

For vendor and client emails, identify recurring sender names, domains, subject lines, and keywords that may support future rules or filters.

Action Step:

After creating each rule, test it to confirm that emails move to the correct action folder and that the folder is reviewed daily.

DAY 33

Create Rules or Filters for Vendor and Client Workflows

Once your external email folder system is working and you have identified predictable emails that can safely move to action folders, you can begin creating rules or filters.

Today, create carefully selected rules or filters for vendor emails and client communications.

Vendor emails are often strong candidates for automation because many follow predictable patterns. Client emails require more caution because they may include legal instructions, urgent concerns, or privileged communications.

Start with vendor emails. The following examples may work for vendor communications:

• Emails from known vendors’ domains with “billing” or “invoice” go to the For Vendor Billing folder.

• Emails from known process server domains with “service completed,” “return of service,” or “affidavit of service” go to the To Review folder for attorneys and paralegals and to the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants.

• Emails from known court reporter domains with “transcript” and an attachment go to the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants and to the Awaiting Filing/Calendaring folder for attorneys and paralegals.

• Emails from known expert contacts with “report,” “records,” or “opinion” go to the To Review folder for attorneys and paralegals and to the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants.

• Emails from known IT provider or accountant domains go to the For Firm Operations folder.

Use client automation carefully. The following examples may work for client communications:

• Emails from a client* with “signed,” “attached,” or “documents” and an attachment go to the To Review folder for attorneys and paralegals and to the For Internal File/Calendar folder for legal assistants.

• Emails from client with “approval,” “status,” “question,” or “please advise” go to the Response Needed folder.

• Emails from client with “settlement,” “authority,” or “offer” go to the Settlement Analysis Needed folder.

*If the client is a company and uses a company domain, you may include that domain in the rule or filter. If the client is an individual who uses a company email address, do not use the company domain in the rule or filter.

Do not over-automate client communications. Client emails often vary in purpose and may require the legal team to review the message and decide the next action.

Action Step:

Action Step:

Create rules or filters for vendor and client communications.

Confirm that each rule supports the workflow without hiding important client or vendor communications.

DAY 34

Confirm Deadlines, Calendar Time, and Task Completion

Today, refocus on the primary purpose of the external email workflow: making sure every deadline, calendar item, and task moves into the correct system and receives follow-through. Confirm that deadlines are entered into the approved docketing system, calendar events are added to the correct individual or team calendar, and task-related emails are assigned, scheduled, and completed through daily review of the action folders and approved docketing system.

Automation is only helpful if it supports action. A folder full of correctly routed emails still creates risk if no one reviews the folder, enters deadlines, saves documents, or completes the assigned work.

It is recommended that your legal team’s standard operating procedures identify who is responsible for administrative follow-through for the external email workflows. In many teams, a legal assistant or paralegal enters deadlines in the approved docketing system, adds events to the correct calendar, saves emails or attachments to the matter system, and replies to the team when docketing, calendaring, or filing is complete.

As you implement the structure outlined in this Challenge, you are creating a double-check process that reduces the risk of missed external email tasks and deadlines. The docketing system should capture formal deadlines and critical dates, while scheduled calendar blocks should prompt the individual or team to review the related action folders and complete the assigned work.

Do not believe that an automated rule or filter completes the work. A rule or filter only moves the email. The team must still calendar, assign, review, respond, and save to close the loop.

Action Step:

Review and ensure that your standard operating procedures cover the goals of docketing, calendaring, filing, and action completion of the external emails.

Action Step:

Process 50 old external emails and remove them from the inbox.

Action Step:

For court filing and opposing counsel external emails, write down common senders and topic keywords that may support future rules or filters.

Action Step:

Process at least 25 old court filing emails and 25 old opposing counsel emails and remove them from your inbox.

Action Step:

Process at least 25 old client emails and 25 old vendor emails and remove them from your inbox.

Week Five Goals

By the end of Week Five, you should have:

• Reviewed the external emails workflows

• Identified common senders and keywords for automation

• Created safe rules or filters for court filing and opposing counsel emails

• Created safe rules or filters for vendor and client emails

• Confirmed that deadlines and tasks connected to automated folders are being completed

A practical Week Five clean-up target is to remove 65 to 100 old external emails from the inbox by moving, filing, saving, calendaring, delegating, responding, archiving, or deleting according to firm policy.

Congratulations on completing Week Five of this 60-day Challenge!

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