Students at Brooklyn Law School are focused on their upcoming exams. Soon enough they will be in the legal work force and will need to exercise best practices in records management. The BLS Library has in its most recent New Books List a useful resource on that very topic: The Lawyer’s Guide to Records Management and Retention by George C. Cunningham (Call # KF320.R42 C86 2014). Although most lawyers know how important timely access to the right information is to their work, many have little knowledge in filing systems, databases and other information management tools. This book is designed to help lawyers develop an effective strategy for coping with the daily barrage of email, data and documents.
The second edition of this ABA Book Publishing guide is a comprehensive 442 page resource that helps lawyers create and maintain an effective and well-organized records management and retention system at their firms, including administration and storage of client files and administrative records in all types of media. It shows how to reduce costs, access information quickly and accurately, and use staff and technology resources more economically and efficiently. Special sections address issues facing new lawyers, solo practitioners, and small firms. The accompanying CD-ROM features useful checklists, forms, guidelines, and more such as how to:
- Understand the practical and ethical reasons for adopting a workable strategy for records information management and information governance;
- Gain an understanding of the records and information management tools currently available;
- Devise solutions and strategies to manage a law office’s records without taking up too much time;
- Group paper documents and e-mail in order easily to locate them later;
- Determine what you must keep, what you should keep, and for how long you should keep them;
- Find the best software and electronic records management tools; and
- Develop strategies that will please both technophobes and technophiles.
