Matter intake

The Matter Coordinator starts with the subject of the work, its organization, the client counterparty and the person who owns the next action. The matter number lets the team refer to the same case in a review conversation or an external filing. An intake record is useful only when the name and counterparty identify the real work; a vague subject makes later conflict review and document selection harder.

Before engagement, the Supervising Attorney needs a conflict decision supported by evidence. The coordinator can prepare the record and collect the relevant counterparties, but a clearance decision has a different owner. The matter stays in conflict review while the reviewer asks for more information. A recorded conflict leads the team to decline the matter rather than treating a completed intake form as authority to proceed.

• Matter identity. Record the subject, number, organization, counterparty and owner together.
• Engagement context. Keep the jurisdiction and engagement reference with the matter when they apply.
• Lifecycle. Use intake, conflict review, engagement, active work, review and closure to show the next decision.

Agree who creates a matter, who conducts the conflict check and who may record engagement. Confirm how the organization identifies a client and whether two similar client names represent the same counterparty. The App Administrator maintains the organization and team member records used by the coordinator; the Supervising Attorney owns the legal decision.

Set the practice for assigning an owner when a matter moves between people. The current owner should receive the upcoming deadlines and review requests in context. A changed owner should not change the original conflict decision or erase the engagement reference. Agree how a declined matter remains available to authorized reviewers and auditors.

Take a contract review for an existing client. The coordinator selects the client and enters the subject, jurisdiction and owner. The reviewer examines the conflict evidence. If more information is needed, the case remains at conflict review, and the coordinator returns with the requested facts. If the result is clear, the team records its engagement reference and starts the work. The next person can see what was accepted without relying on an email summary.

Try the same case with a conflicting counterparty. The team should retain the declined record and the review evidence. It should not create an active matter just because a template or deadline was prepared. This rehearsal separates a complete intake from permission to perform the work.

• Matter intake — Find new matters that need their initial check.
• My matters — Follow the cases assigned to the current owner.
• Matters in progress — Review engaged, active and review-stage work.

Follow matter opening and review access.