Best Practices for Naming Files and Fields

Staying organized - a laudable goal, but often elusive for the busy attorney. And this problem goes beyond simple stacks of paper and overstuffed drawers in a law office. Organization for the modern-day lawyer means the ability to easily navigate saved computer files, digital documents, and databases. This means attorneys should commit to strong naming conventions for their files, as well as for the “fields” for their databases and automated documents.

If you are confused by the term “convention” here, we are NOT talking about the big meet-and-greets in Vegas, milling around between speeches and making small talk with strangers wearing name tags. No, we are referring to best practices for naming your files and fields. 

While this may seem like a mundane concern, it is an important step that can save a lot of headaches and “do-over” time down the road. Not a small thing for most lawyers, especially solo practices and small firms with limited staff.  

The Dangers of Files Saved Without Naming Conventions

To see the benefits of strong naming conventions, it helps to first look at the consequences of poor file naming practices. There is an all-too-common practice at many law offices of using haphazard methods for file naming. Consider file names such as these:

• Lopez NDA.pdf

• Separate Statement (Wellington) (REVISED) (2).doc

• BANNING FORM ROGS-March 2017.doc

If you or your staff need to find a file on short notice, wading through file names like these is no easy matter. Does the person’s last name refer to the client or the plaintiff in the civil suit? Which document is the final version that was actually used? And how would you possibly get these file names in any type of chronological order?

Best Practices for File Names

If a law practice wants to maximize its efficiency, proper name filing is key. The following are some of the basics.

1. Create a System Based on Your Office’s Needs

First things first, think hard about how you want your files organized. How will you and your staff search through files? What are the most common files that are retrieved? Is it important that your files are organized by date, type of document, or some other metric? The answers to these questions are critical for determining your naming conventions.

2. Use Standardized Descriptions and Abbreviations

The goal is to be able to know some basic facts about any file without opening it first. In other words, the file name should be descriptive so that any person accessing the system can find it easily. No file names based on cryptic codes that only one attorney understands.

The file names should also be short. This means using abbreviations whenever possible, which is fairly easy when a law firm has a large number of the same types of files. So you can decide on terms such as “Rtnr” for retainer or “LTR” for a letter. 

And keep those abbreviations consistent. If you are searching for a set of form interrogatories, with some file names using the term “FROGS” and others using “Form Interrogatories”, you are in for some frustration.

3. Know How to Use Casing and Separators

Consider what type of casing to use for file names. Title case, or “camel” case - where the first letter of every word is capitalized, can make a file search much easier - “Mtn” instead of “MTN” for a motion, as one example.

Also know how to use separators between the different elements of a file name. “Lopez_NDA” uses an underscore between the client name and the type of document. You can also use dashes (“Lopez-NDA”) or simply rely on the title casing to differentiate between the elements (“LopezNDA”). 

Avoid spaces, slashes and periods, as these characters can be either disallowed by word processing software or otherwise confusing. And definitely stay away from special characters. “@ # * ( ] !” might be a good descriptor for what you’re mumbling under your breath after an encounter with a difficult judge, but it does NOT belong in your file names.

4. Use a Standardized Date Format

If dates are one of the elements in your file format, then be sure to use a standardized date format.  “YYYYMMDD” is perhaps the most straightforward format - “20210704” for July 4, 2021, for example. But if you instead use “07-04-2021”, be sure to maintain that format across all files, so that there are always two digits in the month, two digits in the day, and four digits in the year. This will make the files more easily searchable.

5. Differentiate Between Versions

There are better ways to track versions of files than including words like “Final” or “Revised” in the file name. One way is to actually number the versions with elements such as “v1”, “v2”, etc. You can also use a version date. And the final version that is actually used (for client signature, service on opposing counsel, filing with the court, etc.) should be saved as a PDF.

6. Record Your Naming Conventions

With all this emphasis on consistency, one thing is clear - everyone at the firm needs to KNOW the proper file naming conventions you have chosen. Accordingly, your naming conventions need to be written down in a place where anyone in the firm can access them. One possibility is a master spreadsheet stored in the firm’s system.

7. Naming Conventions for Database and Document Fields

Many of the same guidelines for file naming also apply to naming the fields in databases and automated documents. You can get a quick primer on some of these terms here, but the “fields” we are referring to are representations of variable data in a document template. The template for a client retainer agreement could have fields for “Client First Name”, “Client Last Name” and “Retainer Amount.” 

When the template can have information filled in to create a new document, it is known as an automated document. And the information does not have to be inserted directly into that document. It can also be collected by another method (such as a questionnaire) and stored in a database, potentially for use in multiple documents.

This means that, like file names, field names should be standardized and consistent. If the client name field is called “Client Name” in your retainer agreement, it should not be split into “Client First Name” and “Client Last Name” in your NDA. Keep your field names consistent across different templates, and you will have more options for automating multiple documents.

The use of strong naming conventions for your files and fields is an important detail that should not be overlooked when streamlining and digitizing your office’s work processes. And who knows - it may just simplify your work life enough to allow time for that Vegas convention. 

Mike Robinson is a freelance B2B copywriter specializing in the health tech, fin tech and legal tech industries. After a sixteen-year legal career in business and healthcare finance litigation, he now crafts compelling content for professionals in these verticals to help them better understand the options for technical tools that can move their business forward.

Originally published July 2021