publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/535467
ILTA WHITE PAPER: JUNE 2015 WWW.ILTANET.ORG 41 A PAPER-TO-DIGITAL MASTER PLAN Attorneys Choose Whether To Work with Paper: 55 percent of attorneys in law firms today would choose to work with a paper file even if its contents are available digitally from the DMS. Failure to recognize and affirm this will impede a P-to-D project because this group will strongly resist. Given their paper file and a digital alternative, these attorneys will gradually move to digital behaviors by choice instead of imposition. Mobile access to imaged documents, text searching of content and fast access to a complete matter file are known to move paper-loving attorneys toward a more digital orientation, but that takes time. Your plan must have policies, workflows and considerations for those attorneys not yet ready to work digitally. Your workflow must allow you to scan, capture and quality check incoming paper uniformly and have a best practice to identify attorneys who still keep a paper file. Maintain availability of that paper file using the following principles: • Recognize the paper file is a convenience copy, with all contents also maintained digitally in the DMS • Mark papers in the convenience file to denote they have been scanned • Shred the convenience file when the matter closes Supporting Policy: Certain policies must be in place and followed to support the workflows and operations of the project. Here is a list of policies to support a paper-to-digital initiative Workflows: Most of the workflows in a P-to-D initiative involve a new set of best practices for a firmwide approach to capturing paper digitally, and mapping these workflows is critical to your project plan. If existing, active matter files are going to be scanned, a related bulk process is needed for initial conversion. That type of conversion scanning and regular daily scanning, quality control and disposition operations are optimally performed in the records department. POLICY NOTES Records and Information Governance A comprehensive records and information governance policy should take into account the unique requirements of each legal practice group Retention-Destruction- Disposition A paper records retention and destruction policy must be updated to include scanning and shredding considerations, and disposition after scanning is key Original/Intrinsic Paper Document Retention A limited but defined set of paper documents must be physically retained; these are also the most important documents to scan (policy must control how and when to keep or return client originals) Scan Operation Quality Controls and Audits Scanning best practices need to incorporate a formal QC policy and process to ensure integrity, including tracking document inventory through its life cycle, image quality and page-count review standards, DMS write verification and paper disposition after scanning Job Descriptions As a matter of policy, job descriptions need to reflect where paper-to-digital integration changes the work responsibilities of attorneys and staff