KNOWLEDGE-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR LAW FIRMS

• US 20120158781A1
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: West Publishing Corporation (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rhoads, Forrest, Liggett, Trace
• Granted Patent: US 9,710,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

The present inventors devised unique systems, methods, interfaces, and software for managing and leveraging knowledge in law firms and potentially other enterprises. For example, one system provides a single user interface for researching case law for online legal research service and identifying and accessing law-firm documents.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

means for receiving a query from agents of a law firm;

means, responsive to the received query, for searching at least first and second physical or logical databases for content related to the query, with the first database including work-product documents of the law firm and the second database including non-work-product documents of the law firm.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second databases are separated by a firewall.

3. The system of claim 1:

wherein the work product documents include briefs, client correspondence, advisory opinions, or legal memoranda; and

wherein the non-work-product documents include case opinions, court documents, law review articles, statutory materials, and legislative histories.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for receiving a query includes a graphical user interface for displaying a taxonomy of selectable legal topics, with selection of one or more of the legal topics indicative of a query being received.

5. The system of claim 1:

wherein the query includes an identification of a legal case; and

wherein the system further comprises means for displaying at least a portion of the documents found by the means for searching, with each displayed portion associated with an indicator of whether the document is a work-product document and with a depth-of-treatment indicator indicating a degree of treatment of the legal case within the document.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each displayed portion associated with an indicator that indicates the document is a work-product document is further associated with information identifying an author of the document, an office location of the author, and an identification of documents within a document management system for the law firm.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the query includes an identification of a legal case;

and wherein the system further comprises means for displaying at least a portion of each document found by the means for searching, with each displayed portion associated with;

a selectively displayable table of authorities listing documents cited within the document;

a selectively displayable listing of other documents citing the document;

a selectively displayable listing of work-product documents citing the document.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each listed document is associated with a depth-of-treatment indicator indicating a quantitative and/or qualitative degree to which the listed document treats the legal case and one or more of the listed work-product documents are associated with a feedback indicator selectable to view one or more user comments on the one or more listed work-product documents.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein each portion of the documents found by the means for searching includes a selection device for invoking display of text of the document, with text including one or more selectable citations to other corresponding documents and with each citation associated with an indicator of current reliability of its corresponding document as a legal authority

10. A method comprising providing an interface for an online legal research service, wherein the interface enables an authorized law firm user to view search results including both internal law-firm content and content of the online legal research service, wherein the search results are based on a single query submitted or initiated through the interface by the user.

11. A method comprising providing an interface for an online legal research service, wherein the interface enables an authorized law firm user to view search results including both internal law-firm content and content of the online legal research service, wherein the search results are based on a single query submitted through the interface by the user.