My method of global caseload management relies upon placing files in various locations in your office, based on their level of doneness. It’s meant to be used in conjunction with individual file preparation
For files that still require some work, I employ three desk surfaces. The desk in my office is formed in a rough semicircle, or C. [You don’t need to have your desk in this shape. The important thing is the number of surfaces.] One side of the C is my war space. This is where I work on the case that is next up for trial. I aim to keep this area free of anything that is not related to that specific case. Typically this area is covered with police reports, jury instructions, caselaw, and my notes.
Next to this, in the curve of the C, is my computer space. This is where I research and write motions. My phone is also here. I have a swivel chair and it’s an easy task to switch between the trial space and the computer, as I need to research, type out cross examination chapters, or whatever.
The third surface is my “To Do” space. It has three piles of files on it
Pile 1: Clients that I need to speak with/visit in the jail.
Pile 2: Files that I need to do something on, such as write a motion or draft a subpoena.
Pile 3: Unread files.
Use Different Office Areas to Stay Organized
In addition to these desk surfaces, I keep files in an upright file-holder and in a file cabinet. The file-holder contains all files with an upcoming trial or hearing date. The files are in chronological order with the soonest court date at the front.
This last detail is important; the files with the soonest court dates MUST be at the top of the piles, and at the front of your trial holder! That way, you can glance at the top file and see what is most pressing.
The file cabinet is where I store files that are prepared. I never put a file in the cabinet unless it is 100% ready for court. If you put a file that still requires work in the file cabinet, you’ll forget about it until it’s too late.
[Sometimes, files are ready and become unready. For example, if you set a case for sentencing and you’re awaiting the return of a pre-sentence investigation, it’s okay to put the file in the cabinet until the report arrives. Once it arrives though, take the file out and place it in pile 2 until you’ve read the PSI, done whatever work is required, and are ready for sentencing. Don’t simply put the PSI in your file and then return the file, unread, to your cabinet. The cabinet really needs to be a place that holds only files that require absolutely no further work.]The aim of this caseload management system is to get files from undone (the desk surfaces) to done (the upright file-holder or file cabinet) as fast as possible.
Global Caseload Management In Action
Here’s how my caseload management system looks in action: After a busy morning in court, you return to your office and find a bunch of new files in your mailbox. Take them to your office, organize them chronologically, and put them in pile 3. Make sure that the file with the soonest court date is no top. Sit down and read that file, applying the micro-management system.
Depending on what the file requires, put it in pile 2 if you need to file a motion or investigate, pile 1 if you need to talk to the client, or, if nothing needs to be done, the file-holder or cabinet, depending on whether the next date is a hearing or trial. (This is unlikely if the file is brand new.)
Be sure not to neglect any of the piles. Don’t exclusively focus on pile 3, for example, and then go to court to discover that you’ve forgotten the top file from pile 2 in your office – and that you haven’t written the motion to suppress that you were supposed to file that day. Instead, look at the top file on all three piles. Which one has the soonest court date? That’s the one you need to work on next.
Conclusion
The caseload management system outlined above may seem to be a bit regimented. A felony assistant with a lighter caseload might want to relax it a bit. Plus, since some felony files have boxes of discovery, the pile system might not be entirely practical. But, when I was a misdemeanor assistant with hundreds of files, I needed a regimented system, and this is the one that worked for me.
I still follow it to some degree.