Using Checklists – ADR Notable

Have we mentioned that we love checklists? Attorney Kenneth Grady wrote a guest blog for ADR Notable about checklists in which he asserts that mediation is a "natural home" for checklists. You can read it here.

If you already use or want to try using checklists, this article will explain how to get the most out of this useful organizational feature. We think of checklists like a pilot's pre-flight checklist. They are a great way to ensure you think about or follow certain steps in all cases of a similar type, or in every case regardless of type. For example, in every case, you want to be sure you've done and documented a check for conflicts of interest. In a foreclosure case, you always want to ask if the borrower has filed for bankruptcy before proceeding.

It is important to remember that (with one exception) checklists are* created in My Library but can only be used when you are in a Case.

*The exception? It's the special Case Specific Checklist that you can read about below. It allows you to create a quick checklist when you are already working in a Case.

Creating a checklist

Checklists are created in My Library. To get started, first expand the Main Menu (if it is not already open) using the arrow in the lower left corner of the screen. Then navigate to My ADR Notable > My Library > My Checklists in the main menu:

Once you are in My Checklists, you will see two tabs across the top: My Global Checklists and ADR Notable Checklists. (See below to learn more about the ADR Notable Checklists.) We will now create a checklist to keep track of documents to share in a mortgage foreclosure avoidance case...

1. Select in My Global Checklists.

2. Enter a Checklist Title (e.g. Foreclosure Avoidance: Documents to share before a mediation)

3. Select and enter a list Item and any explanatory notes or comments.

4. When all the items have been entered, select at the bottom of the entry box.

The list will look like this when you are in My Library:

You can Edit or Delete this Checklist by selecting the buttons next to the title. When you edit a list, you can:

rename the Checklist,
reorder items (drag and drop),
delete items, and
add comments.

The next step is to use this Checklist during a case...

Using and modifying an existing checklist

You must be in a case to access your checklists and you can have more than one checklist operating during a case. Start by selecting the checkmark icon in the lower right corner of the screen to open the Checklist Menu. Clicking the down-arrow next to Select a Checklist will reveal the list of available checklists. Select the one that you created in My Library.

This list now appears, formatted as a checklist. You have several options for working with this list:

1. You can add items to the Checklist by selecting the button.
2. Of course, you can check off the item by selecting the checkbox. (Selecting it again will un-check the item.)
3. Selecting the edit icon allows you to open the task to add or revise a note and to record when and by whom the item was "checked off." (Any changes you make to the Comments will not affect the original list.) Don't forget to click the button!
4. The arrow on the far right expands the list item to display any Comments that you added when you created the Checklist.

Other things to know about Checklists

1. In My Library > My Checklists, there is a tab at the top called ADR Notable Checklists. Here you will find several pre-loaded checklists that you can work with if you like. They will appear in your list when you click on the checkmark icon in the lower right corner of your screen whenever you are in a case. When you open an ADR Notable Checklist, you will be able to add, delete, and reorder items as shown above.

Do you have a favorite checklist that you would like to share with the ADR Notable community? Send it along and we would be delighted to consider adding it to the "Checklist Library."

2. Perhaps you would like to use one of the ADR Notable Checklists but you would like to revise it to fit your own needs. That's easy to do! When you open one of the ADR Notable Checklists when you are in My Library, you will see a Copy button in the upper right corner. When you select this, the ADR Notable Checklist will automatically be copied into My Global Checklists. Open the new Checklist in My Global Checklists and select the Edit button to rename it. Then you can add items, and reorder, revise or delete items, as you wish!

3. You will also see a Checklist called Case Specific (Customize). This is a blank checklist that you can use in the event that you would like to create a quick checklist after you are already in a Case -- no need to go back to My Library! And any changes you make to the "Case Specific" checklist only appear in the case in which it is being used. The version in My Library > My Checklists will remain blank.