![\"Law](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Law-Firm-Matter-Review.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Table of contents<\/h2>\n\n- How to Run the 5-Minute Matter Review<\/a>\n
\n- Schedule a Regular, Weekly 30- to 45-Minute Meeting<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bring the Full Team Together<\/a><\/li>\n
- Share The Digital Matter Board or Dashboard<\/a><\/li>\n
- Ask These Five Key Questions<\/a><\/li>\n
- Update Your Digital Matter Board As You Go<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Why a 5-Minute Matter Review Works<\/a><\/li>\n
- The 5-Minute Matter Review in Action<\/a><\/li>\n
- Build the Habit, Build the Firm<\/a><\/li>\n
- More Process Improvement Tips for Your Law Practice<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s easy to lose sight of all the moving pieces in a law firm, especially as you scale your business. Adding another clerk, paralegal, or attorney will allow you to accept more clients, but it will also move you one step further away from the work itself. As you delegate, you may struggle to stay on top of the dozens of files in progress and the new ones coming in. That\u2019s why you need a process for holding short, focused reviews of every active matter.<\/p>\n
We recommend the 5-Minute Matter Review. It\u2019s a simple and effective way to bring visibility, control and accountability to your legal work.<\/p>\n
If your firm is already using kanban boards, task lists or matter stages, that\u2019s great! But if those systems aren\u2019t consistently reviewed and updated, they\u2019ll only give you an out-of-date snapshot of the progress of your files. A weekly review helps you:<\/p>\n
\n- Spot blocked or overdue work early.<\/li>\n
- Keep your team aligned on priorities, even if they change.<\/li>\n
- Ensure work is progressing toward key milestones.<\/li>\n
- Avoid deadline surprises and client frustration.<\/li>\n
- Make smarter resourcing decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It doesn\u2019t take long \u2014 just five minutes per matter.<\/p>\n
How to Run the 5-Minute Matter Review<\/h2>\n
The beauty of this five-minute review is that it\u2019s easy to build into your firm\u2019s existing team meetings. And if you\u2019re not already having a weekly meeting, it\u2019s a great way to create the habit. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n
Schedule a Regular, Weekly 30- to 45-Minute Meeting<\/h3>\n
Some law firms like to do these on Mondays to set the tone for the week ahead. Others hold theirs on Fridays to capture everything that\u2019s happened in the week and ensure everyone hits the ground running on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
One of our clients holds weekly meetings on Thursdays so that his team has time left in the week to make last-minute adjustments. This also means he can avoid holding meetings on Friday afternoons, when everyone is just itching to get out of the office. Do what works best for you and your team.<\/p>\n
Read: \u201cStop Wasting Time: How to Run More Efficient Law Firm Meetings<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nBring the Full Team Together<\/h3>\n
That might mean all lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants, or a smaller team, depending on your size and scope. These meetings should be mandatory. The process only works when you have input from everyone involved in your active files.<\/p>\n
Share The Digital Matter Board<\/a> or Dashboard<\/h3>\nWhether you\u2019re using Clio Manage, Microsoft Planner, Legalboards or another practice management platform, you should be able to filter your dashboard to show only active matters. Share the board at the meeting, either on a screen in your conference room or in your video meeting. Everyone should be able to see the board.<\/p>\n
Ask These Five Key Questions<\/h3>\n
The team member responsible for each file should be asked these five guiding questions:<\/p>\n
\n- Where is the matter now?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- What\u2019s stuck or overdue?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- What\u2019s the next key milestone or deliverable?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Who owns the next step?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Are there any scope or resource issues?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
This is a slightly modified version of a typical stand-up meeting. Including the next key milestone or deliverable and who is responsible for it helps keep your team aligned on priorities, deadlines and overall timelines for each matter.<\/p>\n
Update Your Digital Matter Board As You Go<\/h3>\n
Your team should be keeping your board up to date as work progresses, but based on the discussion in the meeting, you may need to shift cards or reallocate work. You may also flag issues, adjust due dates, and set follow-up meetings for more complicated issues that require deeper discussion.<\/p>\n
Even the best legal project management system falls short if it\u2019s not routinely checked. The 5-Minute Matter Review gives you a quick, structured way to review each active matter to ensure work is progressing, manage risks, and keep your resources aligned around delivering results for your clients.<\/p>\n
Why a 5-Minute Matter Review Works<\/h2>\n
Whether your team is small or distributed across multiple locations, embedding this review into a weekly team meeting creates shared visibility, improves communication and keeps your matters on time and on budget. This approach:<\/p>\n
\n- Keeps meetings short<\/strong>: The team stays focused.<\/li>\n
- Provides task-level clarity<\/strong>: Vague updates become actionable tasks.<\/li>\n
- Follows a predictable rhythm: <\/strong>The weekly cadence builds habit and accountability.<\/li>\n
- Allows for proactive intervention:<\/strong> You\u2019ll identify roadblocks and bottlenecks before they become crises.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The 5-Minute Matter Review in Action<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s imagine you\u2019re a litigation firm using Clio, reviewing your active files. Next up is Johnson v. Smith. The team runs through the five questions and decides on the action to take.<\/p>\n
Review:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Where is the matter now?<\/strong> In the discovery stage.<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s stuck or overdue<\/strong>? The client hasn\u2019t returned signed verifications.<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s the next key milestone or deliverable? <\/strong>Interrogatories are due Friday.<\/li>\n
- Who owns the next step? <\/strong>The paralegal.<\/li>\n
- Are there any scope or resource issues?<\/strong> The paralegal needs help getting the client to respond.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Action:<\/strong> <\/mark>The attorney will follow up with the client today. Mark the task as \u201cClient Delay.\u201d<\/p>\nTime elapsed:<\/mark><\/strong> 3 minutes<\/strong><\/p>\nBuild the Habit, Build the Firm<\/h2>\n
A five-minute per matter review might seem too simple \u2014 but that\u2019s the point. The power is in the rhythm. By dedicating just a few minutes per file every week, you\u2019ll achieve several things:<\/p>\n
\n- Catch issues before they escalate.<\/li>\n
- Facilitate delegation to your team (and minimize management headaches).<\/li>\n
- Improve team collaboration and coordination.<\/li>\n
- Meet deadlines.<\/li>\n
- Deliver better service.<\/li>\n
- Protect profitability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And best of all, you and your team will stop guessing<\/em> where things stand \u2014 and start knowing<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\n\n![\"Power](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-Power-Zone-Playbook-COVER-Low-Res-w-Rule.jpg?resize=412%2C612&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\nGet the Power Zone Playbook for Lawyers<\/h2>\n
By Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner<\/p>\n
Get out of the grind and into your power zone!<\/strong> Learn to align the work you do with the work you love, finding the sweet spot where your expertise, passion, and client needs intersect. It\u2019s here, in your Power Zone, that you will discover the secret to a thriving practice.<\/p>\nEverything you need is in your Playbook.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\u200bGet it now!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMore Process Improvement Tips for Your Law Practice<\/h2>\n\n- 5 Tips to Make Time Entry Less Painful for Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n
- Law Firm Intake: 3 Tips to Save Time and Convert More Clients<\/a><\/li>\n
- New Client Onboarding: 5 Tips to Win Over New Clients<\/a><\/li>\n
- Time to Build Your Team: 5 Steps to Improve Your Hiring Process<\/a><\/li>\n
- From Hire to Higher: 6 Ways to Improve Employee Onboarding<\/a><\/li>\n
- Dread the Law Firm Annual Planning Process? 5 Ways to Make It Easier and More Fun<\/a><\/li>\n
- Lawyer Conflict Checks: 5 Tips to Tune Up Your Process<\/a><\/li>\n
- Want to Get Paid Faster? 5 Ways to Fix Law Firm Invoicing<\/a><\/li>\n
- Who\u2019s Answering Your Phones? 3 Tips to Improve Your Law Firm\u2019s Call-Answer Process<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner<\/strong> help lawyers and legal professionals build more efficient, productive and profitable practices. They\u2019re the co-founders of Gimbal Lean Practice Management Advisors and lawyers with over 20 years of experience each in Canada and Europe. Together, they\u2019re the exclusive Global Advisors on Legal Process Improvement to the International Institute of Legal Project Management. They write and speak regularly, facilitate legal process improvement projects across North America, and have taught Gimbal\u2019s LeanLegal\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0approach to thousands of legal professionals.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nImage \u00a9 iStockPhoto.com. <\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/AttorneyatWork-Logo-%C2%AE-2021-1.jpg?resize=372%2C106&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\nSign up for Attorney at Work\u2019s daily practice tips newsletter here<\/a> and subscribe to our podcast<\/a>, Attorney at Work Today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Process Improvement Tips | The 5-Minute Matter Review is a simple away to bring visibility, control and accountability to your work. The post The 5-Minute Matter Review: A Weekly Ritual for Project-Oriented Law Firms appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers. Every law firm needs a weekly meeting to review […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122415\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- Schedule a Regular, Weekly 30- to 45-Minute Meeting<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bring the Full Team Together<\/a><\/li>\n
- Share The Digital Matter Board or Dashboard<\/a><\/li>\n
- Ask These Five Key Questions<\/a><\/li>\n
- Update Your Digital Matter Board As You Go<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Why a 5-Minute Matter Review Works<\/a><\/li>\n
- The 5-Minute Matter Review in Action<\/a><\/li>\n
- Build the Habit, Build the Firm<\/a><\/li>\n
- More Process Improvement Tips for Your Law Practice<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s easy to lose sight of all the moving pieces in a law firm, especially as you scale your business. Adding another clerk, paralegal, or attorney will allow you to accept more clients, but it will also move you one step further away from the work itself. As you delegate, you may struggle to stay on top of the dozens of files in progress and the new ones coming in. That\u2019s why you need a process for holding short, focused reviews of every active matter.<\/p>\n
We recommend the 5-Minute Matter Review. It\u2019s a simple and effective way to bring visibility, control and accountability to your legal work.<\/p>\n
If your firm is already using kanban boards, task lists or matter stages, that\u2019s great! But if those systems aren\u2019t consistently reviewed and updated, they\u2019ll only give you an out-of-date snapshot of the progress of your files. A weekly review helps you:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Spot blocked or overdue work early.<\/li>\n
- Keep your team aligned on priorities, even if they change.<\/li>\n
- Ensure work is progressing toward key milestones.<\/li>\n
- Avoid deadline surprises and client frustration.<\/li>\n
- Make smarter resourcing decisions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It doesn\u2019t take long \u2014 just five minutes per matter.<\/p>\n
How to Run the 5-Minute Matter Review<\/h2>\n
The beauty of this five-minute review is that it\u2019s easy to build into your firm\u2019s existing team meetings. And if you\u2019re not already having a weekly meeting, it\u2019s a great way to create the habit. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n
Schedule a Regular, Weekly 30- to 45-Minute Meeting<\/h3>\n
Some law firms like to do these on Mondays to set the tone for the week ahead. Others hold theirs on Fridays to capture everything that\u2019s happened in the week and ensure everyone hits the ground running on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
One of our clients holds weekly meetings on Thursdays so that his team has time left in the week to make last-minute adjustments. This also means he can avoid holding meetings on Friday afternoons, when everyone is just itching to get out of the office. Do what works best for you and your team.<\/p>\n
Read: \u201cStop Wasting Time: How to Run More Efficient Law Firm Meetings<\/a>.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Bring the Full Team Together<\/h3>\n
That might mean all lawyers, paralegals and legal assistants, or a smaller team, depending on your size and scope. These meetings should be mandatory. The process only works when you have input from everyone involved in your active files.<\/p>\n
Share The Digital Matter Board<\/a> or Dashboard<\/h3>\n
Whether you\u2019re using Clio Manage, Microsoft Planner, Legalboards or another practice management platform, you should be able to filter your dashboard to show only active matters. Share the board at the meeting, either on a screen in your conference room or in your video meeting. Everyone should be able to see the board.<\/p>\n
Ask These Five Key Questions<\/h3>\n
The team member responsible for each file should be asked these five guiding questions:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Where is the matter now?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- What\u2019s stuck or overdue?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- What\u2019s the next key milestone or deliverable?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Who owns the next step?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Are there any scope or resource issues?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
This is a slightly modified version of a typical stand-up meeting. Including the next key milestone or deliverable and who is responsible for it helps keep your team aligned on priorities, deadlines and overall timelines for each matter.<\/p>\n
Update Your Digital Matter Board As You Go<\/h3>\n
Your team should be keeping your board up to date as work progresses, but based on the discussion in the meeting, you may need to shift cards or reallocate work. You may also flag issues, adjust due dates, and set follow-up meetings for more complicated issues that require deeper discussion.<\/p>\n
Even the best legal project management system falls short if it\u2019s not routinely checked. The 5-Minute Matter Review gives you a quick, structured way to review each active matter to ensure work is progressing, manage risks, and keep your resources aligned around delivering results for your clients.<\/p>\n
Why a 5-Minute Matter Review Works<\/h2>\n
Whether your team is small or distributed across multiple locations, embedding this review into a weekly team meeting creates shared visibility, improves communication and keeps your matters on time and on budget. This approach:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Keeps meetings short<\/strong>: The team stays focused.<\/li>\n
- Provides task-level clarity<\/strong>: Vague updates become actionable tasks.<\/li>\n
- Follows a predictable rhythm: <\/strong>The weekly cadence builds habit and accountability.<\/li>\n
- Allows for proactive intervention:<\/strong> You\u2019ll identify roadblocks and bottlenecks before they become crises.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The 5-Minute Matter Review in Action<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s imagine you\u2019re a litigation firm using Clio, reviewing your active files. Next up is Johnson v. Smith. The team runs through the five questions and decides on the action to take.<\/p>\n
Review:<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Where is the matter now?<\/strong> In the discovery stage.<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s stuck or overdue<\/strong>? The client hasn\u2019t returned signed verifications.<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s the next key milestone or deliverable? <\/strong>Interrogatories are due Friday.<\/li>\n
- Who owns the next step? <\/strong>The paralegal.<\/li>\n
- Are there any scope or resource issues?<\/strong> The paralegal needs help getting the client to respond.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Action:<\/strong> <\/mark>The attorney will follow up with the client today. Mark the task as \u201cClient Delay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Time elapsed:<\/mark><\/strong> 3 minutes<\/strong><\/p>\n
Build the Habit, Build the Firm<\/h2>\n
A five-minute per matter review might seem too simple \u2014 but that\u2019s the point. The power is in the rhythm. By dedicating just a few minutes per file every week, you\u2019ll achieve several things:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Catch issues before they escalate.<\/li>\n
- Facilitate delegation to your team (and minimize management headaches).<\/li>\n
- Improve team collaboration and coordination.<\/li>\n
- Meet deadlines.<\/li>\n
- Deliver better service.<\/li>\n
- Protect profitability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
And best of all, you and your team will stop guessing<\/em> where things stand \u2014 and start knowing<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\nGet the Power Zone Playbook for Lawyers<\/h2>\n
By Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner<\/p>\n
Get out of the grind and into your power zone!<\/strong> Learn to align the work you do with the work you love, finding the sweet spot where your expertise, passion, and client needs intersect. It\u2019s here, in your Power Zone, that you will discover the secret to a thriving practice.<\/p>\n
Everything you need is in your Playbook.<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u200bGet it now!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMore Process Improvement Tips for Your Law Practice<\/h2>\n
- \n
- 5 Tips to Make Time Entry Less Painful for Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n
- Law Firm Intake: 3 Tips to Save Time and Convert More Clients<\/a><\/li>\n
- New Client Onboarding: 5 Tips to Win Over New Clients<\/a><\/li>\n
- Time to Build Your Team: 5 Steps to Improve Your Hiring Process<\/a><\/li>\n
- From Hire to Higher: 6 Ways to Improve Employee Onboarding<\/a><\/li>\n
- Dread the Law Firm Annual Planning Process? 5 Ways to Make It Easier and More Fun<\/a><\/li>\n
- Lawyer Conflict Checks: 5 Tips to Tune Up Your Process<\/a><\/li>\n
- Want to Get Paid Faster? 5 Ways to Fix Law Firm Invoicing<\/a><\/li>\n
- Who\u2019s Answering Your Phones? 3 Tips to Improve Your Law Firm\u2019s Call-Answer Process<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner<\/strong> help lawyers and legal professionals build more efficient, productive and profitable practices. They\u2019re the co-founders of Gimbal Lean Practice Management Advisors and lawyers with over 20 years of experience each in Canada and Europe. Together, they\u2019re the exclusive Global Advisors on Legal Process Improvement to the International Institute of Legal Project Management. They write and speak regularly, facilitate legal process improvement projects across North America, and have taught Gimbal\u2019s LeanLegal\u00ae<\/sup>\u00a0approach to thousands of legal professionals.<\/em><\/p>\n
\nImage \u00a9 iStockPhoto.com. <\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\nSign up for Attorney at Work\u2019s daily practice tips newsletter here<\/a> and subscribe to our podcast<\/a>, Attorney at Work Today.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Process Improvement Tips | The 5-Minute Matter Review is a simple away to bring visibility, control and accountability to your work. The post The 5-Minute Matter Review: A Weekly Ritual for Project-Oriented Law Firms appeared first on Articles, Tips and Tech for Law Firms and Lawyers. Every law firm needs a weekly meeting to review […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal_matters"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122415\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Law Firm Intake: 3 Tips to Save Time and Convert More Clients<\/a><\/li>\n
- 5 Tips to Make Time Entry Less Painful for Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n
- What\u2019s stuck or overdue<\/strong>? The client hasn\u2019t returned signed verifications.<\/li>\n
- Provides task-level clarity<\/strong>: Vague updates become actionable tasks.<\/li>\n
- What\u2019s stuck or overdue?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Where is the matter now?<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Bring the Full Team Together<\/a><\/li>\n