There’s a Better Way: How to Deliver Courtesy Copies to Chambers Efficiently and Cost-Effectively
Every lawyer knows that, after filing a pleading with the court, a courtesy copy must be delivered to the Judge’s chambers. But mailing a 10-page motion with 30 pages of exhibits, and a cover letter, is not only expensive, it’s also risky. Who knows how long it will take to arrive at the intended destination? There have been several occasions when I didn’t even receive the courtesy copy until after the hearing date. And the alternative of sending a runner or walking it through yourself can be even more time-consuming and more expensive. There has to be a better way!
The Alternative to Mailing Courtesy Copies
Fortunately, there is a better way to send courtesy copies to the Judge’s chambers. Using the same customer service frienldy technology that most companies use, the Courts can reimagine this simple yet inefficient workflow. Using the form builder license the Court has hopefully purchased and the website it has now built after reading these posts, the Court can embed a simple, one question form with a drag & drop feature so that parties can upload a PDF of the courtesy copy onto the Court’s website.
This method of sending courtesy copies to the Judge’s chambers is fast, efficient, and cost-effective — making it the better option for both lawyers and litigants alike. It will also help drive down the cost of civili litigation. No more postage, copying costs or runners. The environment would benefit too from having fewer trees cut down to make all that paper!
Review Courtesy Copies in Real-Time, on any Mobile Device
The other benefit to this drag & drop feature is that it is fully integrated with whatever cloud-based folder the Judge uses, making it fast and easy to send documents — without having to worry about them getting lost in the mail. It’s also beneficial to the Court. I am able to review courtesy copies in real-time on any of my mobile devices regardless of where I am located. This is especially helpful when I’m at a conference and need to prepare for hearings upon my return.
The Court can also use this form to request other types of documents from the parties, such as letters, proposed orders, and trial exhibits. Bench books can be extremely expensive and time consuming. But they don’t have to be. Parties can simply upload all of the exhibits online and they will magically appear on my iPad in real time so that I am prepared for trial.
Modernizing the Justice System One Workflow at a Time
If you’re tired of wasting time and money requiring parties to mail or hand deliver courtesy copies to the court, this is the way to go. So what are we waiting for?
