Direct Reference Legal Filing System
| Publication year | 1983 |
| Pages | 1465 |
| Citation | Vol. 12 No. 9 Pg. 1465 |
1983, September, Pg. 1465. Direct Reference Legal Filing System
The direct reference legal filing system described in this month's column is unique.(fn1) Unlike other conventional systems, it allows an attorney or paralegal rapidly to locate any one of thousands of forms, without knowing the name of the form and without reference to any index. Alphabetization, and the classic inexactitudes that accompany it, can practically be rendered obsolete.
The system can be used with or without a computer;(fn2) either way, the methods slash retrieval time, and form files can be expanded well beyond current conventional use. A person wishing to locate a particular form need only know the use or purpose of the form---the system takes over from there. The forms are arranged in "logical groupings" by function instead of alphabetization, thereby eliminating the ambiguities prevalent in alphabetical systems.
For example, assume that an attorney wished to commence garnishment proceedings. A typical alphabetical filing system would cause an affidavit for writ of garnishment and the writ of garnishment to be separated by nineteen letters of the alphabet; the two forms, although always used in tandem, would be at opposite ends of the filing system. Having found the printed garnishment forms, if the attorney then wanted to refer to a completed set of garnishment pleadings as a sample, he would very likely encounter a different procedure entirely. Most often, he would resort to an inefficient, random search through client files.
The system proposed herein is a topical grouping system that avoids all of the problems encountered above. Under this system, the writ and the affidavit of garnishment would be side by side; moreover, any related checklists, completed "sample garnishments," briefs or other relevant memos or documents would be close at hand.
Each form is delegated a five-digit number, with a comma between the second and third digit.(fn3) The first digit on the left denotes one of nine major substantive practice categories, representing the types of matters handled by a particular law firm. The second digit denotes the first major sub-group within the category. The third digit denotes a sub-heading within the sub-group and so on.
The most important group is represented by the first digit. Selecting the categories and their numerical order can reflect the emphasis in particular areas of practice in a given law firm. The following designations seem...
To continue reading
Request your trial