A working checklist for running a law practice.

A law practice management checklist should cover the whole life of a matter and the firm around it: intake, conflict checks, engagement letters, matter records, deadlines, documents, time recording, billing, trust money, compliance duties, people, security and backups. Each area needs an owner, a routine and a record that shows the routine happened.

Use the list below as a starting point. Tick what your firm already does, mark gaps, and assign each gap a person and a date. Review the list once a year and after any near miss, such as a missed deadline or a trust difference.

The checklist is general information and not legal advice. Professional duties differ between jurisdictions, so check your own regulator's current rules for anything marked as a requirement where you practice.

• Every enquiry is logged in one place with its source, date and the person handling it.
• A conflict check runs on the client, related parties and opposing parties before any substantive advice.
• Conflict results and any waivers are recorded with the reason and the person who approved them.
• Identity and, where required, anti-money-laundering checks are complete before the matter opens.
• An engagement letter or fee agreement states scope, fee arrangement, billing terms and who the client is.
• The signed engagement is filed with the matter, and declined enquiries receive a non-engagement letter.

• Each matter has a responsible lawyer, a status, a practice area and a fee arrangement.
• Every deadline and court date is entered when it becomes known, with its source.
• A second person checks calculated deadlines on high-risk matters.
• Limitation dates are recorded at intake for every claim-type matter.
• Documents live in the matter record, not in personal inboxes or desktops.
• Document versions are kept, and final signed versions are clearly marked.
• Closed matters are closed formally, with a closing letter and a file retention date.

• Time is recorded daily against the matter, with a clear narrative.
• Unbilled time and expenses are reviewed before each billing run.
• Invoices go out on a fixed cycle, and overdue invoices are followed up on a set day.
• Write-downs are recorded with a reason so realization can be measured.
• Client money is held in a trust account, never in the operating account.
• Each client has its own trust ledger, and no ledger is allowed to go negative.
• The trust account is reconciled three ways on the schedule your rules require.

• Firm policies are written, versioned and acknowledged by every member.
• Continuing legal education hours are tracked against each lawyer's requirement.
• Access to records follows roles, and ethical walls are applied where a conflict requires them.
• Leavers lose access on their last day, and access is reviewed at least once a year.
• Every account uses two-factor authentication.
• Firm data can be exported, and someone has tested restoring or exporting it.
• An incident plan says who to call and what to record if a device is lost or an account is compromised.