Relay KC freebie · Law Firm Automation Checklist — Print or save as PDF: Ctrl + P → Save as PDF. Ideal Gumroad title: “5 Tasks Every Law Firm Should Automate (Checklist)”.

For small & midsize law firms

Law Firm Automation Checklist

Five workflows that quietly eat attorney and staff time — and that off-the-shelf AI + automation can usually touch first. Check what you’re doing today. Estimate hours. Rank what to fix first.

Firm name

Practice focus

Date

How to use: For each task, mark status, jot rough hours/week, and note the system of record (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, Outlook, shared drives, etc.). This is a diagnostic — not legal advice, and not a substitute for firm policy or ethics review on client data.

Demand letters & routine document drafting

Often 3–8 hrs/wk

Turning case notes / intake into first-draft demand letters, engagement letters, status updates, and discovery cover letters — then rewriting the same language firm-wide.

What “done” looks like Draft in your templates + tone, human review only

Typical tools ChatGPT/Claude + templates, Clio Grow/docs, Word + AI add-in

Watch-outs Hallucinated facts; always attorney review

Still fully manual Partial / ad hoc AI Automated + reviewed Hrs/wk:

Client intake → case management (no double entry)

Often 2–5 hrs/wk

Web forms, PDFs, and emails re-typed into CMS/CRM. Missing fields found late. Conflicts checks delayed because data is incomplete.

What “done” looks like One capture → CMS fields + checklist flags

Typical tools Form → Zapier/Make → Clio/MyCase; structured PDFs

Watch-outs Conflict data accuracy; PII handling

Still fully manual Partial / ad hoc AI Automated + reviewed Hrs/wk:

Deadline, court date & statute tracking alerts

High risk · 1–3 hrs/wk

Deadlines living in heads, sticky notes, or one person’s calendar. Misses are existential; over-checking burns partner time.

What “done” looks like Dual alerts + CMS calendar + owner assigned

Typical tools CMS deadlines, calendar rules, watchdog digests

Watch-outs Dual control still required; never “AI-only”

Still fully manual Partial / ad hoc AI Automated + reviewed Hrs/wk:

Carrier / portal / opposing counsel status sync

Often 2–6 hrs/wk

Logging into portals, downloading letters, updating file notes, emailing clients “we’re still waiting.” Personal injury and insurance-defense firms feel this hardest.

What “done” looks like Status notes + next action without re-key marathon

Typical tools Portal watches, email parsers, CMS notes bots

Watch-outs Portal TOS; credentials via secure connectors

Still fully manual Partial / ad hoc AI Automated + reviewed Hrs/wk:

Client follow-ups & no-update anxiety emails

Often 2–4 hrs/wk

“Just checking in” threads, document-request chases, and quiet files that blow up into angry calls. Staff time + partner fire drills.

What “done” looks like Cadenced, logged outreach with human override

Typical tools CMS workflows, email sequences, SMS where allowed

Watch-outs Tone, bar advertising rules, consent

Still fully manual Partial / ad hoc AI Automated + reviewed Hrs/wk:

Your firm snapshot

Tasks still fully manual (0–5)

Est. reclaimable hrs / week

#1 priority to fix first

Priority order (fill after scoring)

Rank	Task	Why this first	Owner
1
2
3

Ethics & data (don’t skip)

We will not paste confidential client facts into consumer AI tools without an approved firm policy.
Any automation has a human review step for client-facing or court-facing work.
Credentials use secure connectors — not shared passwords in chat.
Deadline systems keep dual control; AI never “owns” a statute alone.

When to stop DIY and get a plan: If two or more tasks are “fully manual” and you’re over ~5 hours/week of busywork, a structured AI Tools Assessment (effort × impact matrix + 4-day quick start) usually beats buying random tools.

Law firms · Kansas City & beyond

Free 20-minute mini-assessment: we name your #1 automation bottleneck. $999 assessment if the ROI is obvious — 5-hour guarantee.

Book free call →