Intake

A new instruction needs enough context for the firm to decide whether it can act. The Intake Coordinator records the matter subject, practice area and proposed fee, then checks the related client and counterparty context. The prospective matter carries an owner and a record number, so conflict and acceptance decisions can point to one place. The intake stays in Draft while the coordinator checks the request. Submission places it in the review queue.

For example, a client asks the firm to respond to a filing deadline. The coordinator records the requested scope and proposed fee, checks the relevant eligibility notes and sends the intake for review. The team can see the proposed work without treating the request as accepted. The supervising attorney checks the parties before anyone confirms engagement.

• Client context. The client record holds contact and eligibility notes for the organization; the matter uses its counterparty link for the party being screened.
• Proposed scope. The intake holds the practice area, proposed fee, conflict check note and decision date beside the parent matter.
• Decision trail. A submitted intake is reviewed alongside the conflict decision and the independent engagement decision.

Decide which coordinator receives new requests and which attorney owns conflict checks in each practice area. Agree how the subject and record number identify the same instruction across email, engagement letters and court material. Set a rule for when a draft is complete enough to submit. The proposed fee should be entered from the agreed commercial discussion, then reviewed before the matter becomes engaged.

Agree where the firm will keep the engagement letter and which reference identifies it. The matter’s engagement reference can point to that evidence. Decide how a rejection is explained and who communicates it to the prospective client. A rejected intake still gives the team a dated decision; it should not simply disappear from the queue.

Rehearse a request with an unfamiliar counterparty. Have the coordinator create the intake in Draft, verify the client context and submit it. Ask the supervising attorney to record a conflict outcome with evidence. A Clear outcome can proceed to the independent engagement review. A conflict outcome or request for more information sends the team back to the decision record before it makes any commitment.

Then have the Operations Reviewer approve or reject the proposed work. On acceptance, check that the intake reaches Completed and the matter reaches Engaged with its engagement reference. On rejection, check that the team can read the reason and decision date. This exercise identifies a missing handoff before a live request depends on it.

• Intake awaiting review — Submitted requests with their scope and parent matter for the reviewer.
• Intake decisions — Accepted, rejected and completed requests with the decision date.

See conflict and acceptance and the implementation sequence.