Setting firm rules for entry descriptions
Add fixed text to the start or end of every description, or give drafting guidance, for the whole firm, a group, a client or a matter, from the Admin Center.
Firm rules let Owners and Admins shape every description the firm's lawyers approve, so bills read the same whoever wrote the entry. A rule is applied when CaseClock drafts, again when the lawyer approves, and before an entry is sent. An entry already sent is never changed.
Before you begin
You are an Owner or Admin signed in at admin.caseclock.ai. Billing Managers can read rules but not change them. Rules apply to the active members of a firm managed in the Admin Center.
Kinds of rule
| Kind | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text at the end | Adds text after each description. Placeholders such as the matter number are filled in; if one cannot be filled, the text is not added. | ({matter_number}) |
| Text at the start | Adds text before each description. | Re: {client_name}: |
| Guidance | A sentence CaseClock drafts by. It outranks a lawyer's own style guide. | Always name the court. |
Writing habits are ready-made guidance you tick: descriptions start with the verb; never use the first person; name the person written to or met; past tense; services separated by semicolons; do not repeat the client or matter name; sentence case.
Create a rule
Open Firm Rules and start a new rule.
Give it a Title and choose the kind. The kind is fixed for the life of the rule.
Enter the Text or the Guidance, and tick any Writing habits.
Under Applies to, choose Whole firm, Members of these groups, Entries on these clients or Entries on these matters.
Check the result against the Sample description, then choose Create rule.
What lawyers see
The rule is applied to their drafts without a prompt. Under Settings, Memory, lawyers see the firm's rules read-only, marked as set by the firm's administrators.
Changing and archiving
Open a rule to change its text, habits or scope and choose Save rule. Archive stops a rule; archived rules are listed and can be restored. Every change is written to Audit.
Limits
- A rule shapes wording. It does not block an entry from being approved, and it does not flag entries for review.
- Rules apply to drafts made after the rule exists and to entries approved after it. Exported entries are untouched.
- The number of rule changes a firm can make in a day is limited; if you are told to wait, try again tomorrow.
Related guides
Delegates
How an assistant named as a Delegate works on a lawyer's entries in the CaseClock web app, what May draft and May approve allow, and what stays with the lawyer.
Connections
What the Connections page shows firm administrators about Clio, CaseClock Sync for PCLaw or Unity Accounting, the shared client list and Microsoft 365 approval.