Method, system and storage medium for managing and providing access to legal information

• US 20020123902A1
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles H. Lenore, Robert Alan Brooks
• Original Assignee: Charles H. Lenore, Robert Alan Brooks
• Inventors: Brooks, Robert A., Lenore, Charles H.
• Application Number:
  US10/020,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20020123902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment is a method for managing legal information related to at least one legal matter in a system including a legal enterprise and a storage system coupled via a network. The method includes storing legal information in a database associated with the storage system. The legal information includes an evidentiary outline corresponding to the legal matter. The evidentiary outline includes a party'"'"'s position and a link to evidence stored in the database supporting the party'"'"'s position. Access to the legal information is provided to a client via the network.

Claims

1. A method for managing legal information related to at least one legal matter in a system including a legal enterprise and a storage system coupled via a network, the method comprising:

storing legal information in a database associated with the storage system, said legal information including an evidentiary outline corresponding to said legal matter, the evidentiary outline including a party'"'"'s position and a link to evidence stored in the database supporting the party'"'"'s position; and

,

providing the legal information to a client via the network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if the user is a client or a contributor.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said determining is based on a user identification and password.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising enabling the contributor to add a further link to further evidence in the database.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising enabling the contributor to edit the link to the evidence in the database.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein if the user is determined to be a client, said providing legal information is restricted to legal information associated with that client.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the contributor has access to legal information related to all said plurality of legal matters.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the contributor has access to legal information related to a subset of all said plurality of legal matters.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the legal information is encrypted prior to transmission to the storage system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said evidence includes documents produced through discovery.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said evidence includes responses to interrogatories.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said evidence includes deposition transcripts.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said evidence includes an audio file.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said evidence includes a video file.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said evidentiary outline includes multiple parties'"'"' positions.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the storage system determines if the user is a client or a contributor.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said determining is based on a user identification and password.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising enabling the contributor to add a further link to further evidence in the database.

20. The system of claim 17 further comprising enabling the contributor to edit the link to the evidence in the database.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein if the user is determined to be a client, said providing legal information is restricted to legal information associated with that client.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the contributor has access to legal information related to all said plurality of legal matters.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the contributor has access to legal information related to a subset of all said plurality of legal matters.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the legal information is encrypted prior to transmission to the storage system.

25. The system of claim 16 wherein said evidence includes documents produced through discovery.

26. The system of claim 16 wherein said evidence includes responses to interrogatories.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein said evidence includes deposition transcripts.

28. The system of claim 17 wherein said evidence includes an audio file.

29. The system of claim 16 wherein said evidence includes a video file.

30. The system of claim 16 further comprising a legal enterprise system coupled to the network, said legal enterprise system producing said legal information.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising a remote system coupled to the network, the remote system producing the request to access legal information and receiving the legal information via the network.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the remote system corresponds to a client.

16. A system for managing legal information related to at least one legal matter, the system comprising:

a storage system for receiving legal information from a contributor at the storage system via a network;

a database associated with the storage system for storing the legal information;

said storage system receiving a request to access legal information from a user via the network;

said storage system providing the legal information to the user via the network;

said legal information including an evidentiary outline corresponding to one of said legal matters, the evidentiary outline including a party'"'"'s position and a link to evidence stored in the database supporting the party'"'"'s position.

33. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for managing legal information related to a plurality of legal matters in a system including a legal enterprise and a storage system coupled via a network, the storage medium including instructions for causing the storage system to implement a method comprising:

receiving legal information from a contributor at the storage system via the network;

storing the legal information in a database associated with the storage system;

receiving a request to access legal information from a user via the network; and

,

providing the legal information to the user via the network;

said legal information including an evidentiary outline corresponding to one of said legal matters, the evidentiary outline including a party'"'"'s position and a link to evidence stored in the database supporting the party'"'"'s position.

34. The storage medium of claim 33 further comprising instructions for causing the storage system to determine if the user is a client or a contributor.

35. The storage medium of claim 34 wherein said determining is based on a user identification and password.

36. The storage medium of claim 34 further comprising instructions for causing the storage system to enable the contributor to add a further link to further evidence in the database.

37. The storage medium of claim 34 further comprising instructions for causing the storage system to enable the contributor to edit the link to the evidence in the database.

38. The storage medium of claim 34 wherein if the user is determined to be a client, said providing legal information is restricted to legal information associated with that client.

39. The storage medium of claim 34 wherein the contributor has access to legal information related to all said plurality of legal matters.

40. The storage medium of claim 34 wherein the contributor has access to legal information related to a subset of all said plurality of legal matters.

41. The storage medium of claim 33 wherein the legal information is encrypted prior to transmission to the storage system.

42. The storage medium of claim 33 wherein said evidence includes documents produced through discovery.

43. The storage medium of claim 33 wherein said evidence includes responses to interrogatories.

44. The storage medium of claim 33 wherein said evidence includes deposition transcripts.

45. The storage medium of claim 33 wherein said evidence includes an audio file.

46. The storage medium of claim 33 wherein said evidence includes a video file.