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This article applies to:

  • Product: Legal Tracker
  • Subject: Matter
  • Audiences: Company

Updating Matters with Matter Upload

This topic explains how to obtain the correct field labels (column headings) for your data file and how to run a report to obtain the current data for the matters you want to update, including how to obtain the Tracker ID for matters.

Required headings

The data file you use to update matters must contain at least one of these two fields (column headings) so that Tracker can identify the matters:
  • ASSOCIATED_MATTER_ID
    : A unique ID used to map a matter in Tracker to the same matter in another matter-tracking system. [Note: This is different than the Matter ID that is displayed in Tracker. The Matter ID displayed in Tracker is the company’s designated number/ID for the matter (formerly known as Company File Number).]
  • TRACKER_MATTER_ID
    : A unique internal ID that Tracker assigns to every matter in the system. [Note: This is different than the Matter ID that is displayed in Tracker. The Matter ID displayed in Tracker is the company’s designated number/ID for the matter (formerly known as Company File Number).] Use this TRACKER_MATTER_ID in situations where you cannot use an associated matter ID, including:
    • Updating matters that do not currently have associated matter IDs (this includes adding associated matter IDs to these matters).
    • Changing the values for existing associated matter IDs.
The other column headings you include depend on the changes you want to make; for example, if you want to change the lead company person and invoice approval route for several matters, you would include the headings LEAD_COMPANY_PERSON_EMAIL and INVOICE_APPROVAL_ROUTE.

Obtain the correct column headings

When you create a data file to update matters in Tracker, you must use the column headings that correspond to the type of information you want to change.
  1. Click
    Matters
    >
    Matter Upload
     in the left navigation.
  2. On the top toolbar, click the ellipss three small dots icon, then select
    Export columns info
    .
  3. Check the checkboxes to select the matter type you want to create, and then click
    Save
    .
  4. In the File Download dialog box, click
    Open
    .The opened Excel spreadsheet contains detailed information about the fields for that matter type.
  5. For every field in the Field Display Label column (column D) that corresponds to information you want to update, enter a
    Y
     in the Select column (column G). Delete the
    Y
     for any fields you do not want to include.
    note
    The field TRACKER_MATTER_ID is not included in this spreadsheet, but you can add it to your data file in the next procedure.
  6. Filter the spreadsheet by the
    Y
     value in the
    Select
    column (column G):
  7. On the Excel Ribbon, click the
    Data
     tab.
  8. In the
    Sort & Filter
     group, click
    Filter
    .
  9. Click the downward arrow in the
    Select column
     header.
  10. Clear the
    (Select All)
    check box, select the
    Y
    check box, and then click
    OK
    .
The values in the Upload Column column (column E) represent the column headings for your data file. You will use these headings in the next procedure.
note
If the Dependencies column (column I) for any of your selections contains the text See Help, see the Dependencies section.

Obtain the current values for matters you want to update

The easiest way to create a data file of the matters you want to update is to start with a Tracker report.
  1. Click
    Reports
    >
    Report List
     in the left navigation.
  2. On the Reports List page, click the
    Matters Report
    link.
  3. In the
    Columns
     section of the Report Builder, click
    Add fields
    .
  4. In the Select Column dialog box, find a field that you want to include in the data file, and then click select next to its name.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each field that you want to include. Refer to the
    Required headings
     section above to determine whether you should include the Associated Matter ID field, the Tracker ID field, or both.
    Note:
     The Tracker ID field is a unique internal identifier used in the Tracker system to identify individual matters. This is different than the Matter ID that is displayed in Tracker. The Matter ID displayed in Tracker is the company’s designated number/ID for the matter.
  6. For each field that you added to the
    Columns
    list, in the
    Custom Name
     box, enter the corresponding column heading (see column headings section). If you include the Tracker ID field, use the custom name TRACKER_MATTER_ID.
  7. Add any filters that will help you identify the matters you want to update. For example, if you want to change the lead company person for several matters, filter by the name of that person.
  8. Export the report results to a .csv file, make the desired changes in the file, and save the revised file.
When the data file is complete, follow the procedure to upload a file in Create or Update Multiple Matters with Matter Upload.

View the accepted values for matter data

For many fields in Tracker, such as lists, there are limited sets of acceptable values. Follow this procedure to view the acceptable values for the fields you want to include in your data file.
  1. Select the three small dots icon on the toolbar, then click
    Export Values Choices
    .
  2. In the
    File Download
     dialog box, click
    Open
    . The opened Excel spreadsheet contains information about the fields that correspond to each matter type and the acceptable values for those fields.
  3. Filter the spreadsheet by the type of matter you want to create in the Template Matter Type column (column A).
  4. On the Excel Ribbon, click the
    Data
    tab.
  5. In the Sort & Filter group, click
    Filter
    .
  6. Click the downward arrow in the
    Template Matter Type
     column header.
  7. Clear the
    Select All
    check box.
  8. Select the check box for the target matter type, select the
    Blanks
    check box (to include fields that belong to all matter types), then click
    OK
    .
  9. Filter the spreadsheet by the fields in the
    UPLOAD COLUMN
     column (column E):
  10. Click the downward arrow in the
    UPLOAD COLUMN
     column header.
  11. Clear the
    Select All
     check box.
  12. Select the check boxes for the column headings that you created in the new data spreadsheet (in the previous procedure), and then click
    OK
    .
The values in columns F through J now represent all of the acceptable values for their corresponding fields. You can use this set of data as a reference when you complete the data spreadsheet, or you can copy and paste the values directly into the spreadsheet.

Dependencies

Some of the fields in Tracker have dependencies, which means that the value in one field is related to the value in another field. If any of the fields you selected in the
Export Columns Info
 spreadsheet contained the text
See Help in the Dependencies column
 (column I), review the information in the following tables.
Relationships between fields
Field Label
Description
ALLOC_ALLOCATION_PECENT_1
ALLOC_COST_CENTER_1
ALLOC_GL_ACOUNT_1
ALLOC_PROFIT_CENTER_1
Allocations cannot be negative and must total 100%
Either all rows have a value for one of the three accounting codes, or all rows are blank.
COMPANY_EXPOSURE
COMPANY_MAXIMUM_EXPOSURE
A value for COMPANY_EXPOSURE is required if there is a value for COMPANY_MAXIMUM_EXPOSURE.
The value for COMPANY_EXPOSURE must be less than or equal to the value for COMPANY_MAXIMUM_EXPOSURE.
See also Table 2 below.
COMPANY_RECOVERY_ESTIMATE
COMPANY_MAXIMUM_RECOVERY
A value for COMPANY_RECOVERY_ESTIMATE is required if there is a value for COMPANY_MAXIMUM_RECOVERY.
The value for COMPANY_RECOVERY_ESTIMATE must be less than or equal to the value for COMPANY_MAXIMUM_RECOVERY.
COURT
COURT_ADDITIONAL_INFO The possible values in the COURT field are dependent on the country and state selected for the matter.
The possible values in the COURT field are dependent on the country and state selected for the matter.
If the COUNTRY_OR_REGION value for this matter is USA (or an equivalent) and the STATE and COURT values are specified, Tracker tries to match the COURT value with the name of a court in Tracker. If no match is found, this value is changed to CourtOther.
LIKELIHOOD_OF_LIABILITY
LIABILITY_IS_ESTIMABLE
See Table 2 below.
STATE
PROVINCE_REGION
If the COUNTRY_OR_REGION value for this matter is USA (or an equivalent), use the STATE field.
If a different country is selected, use the PROVINCE_REGION field.
For Litigation/Dispute matters, the selected state determines which courts are available in the COURT field.
TRIAL_DATE
TRIAL_DATE_SEND_EMAIL_NOTICE
A value for TRIAL_DATE is required if there is a value for TRIAL_DATE_SEND_EMAIL_NOTICE. Applicable to litigation-type matters.
RENEWAL_EXPIRATION_DATE
RENEWAL_EXPIRATION_DATE_SEND_EMAIL_NOTICE
A value for RENEWAL_EXPIRATION_DATE is required if there is a value for RENEWAL_EXPIRATION_DATE_SEND_EMAIL_NOTICE. Applicable to filing-type matters.
Relationships between LIABILITY and EXPOSURE fields
Field
Values
Values
Values
Values
LIKELIHOOD_OF_LIABILITY
Remote
Probable or Possible
Probable or Possible
Probable or Possible
LIABILITY_IS_ESTIMABLE
any value
Yes
No
No
COMPANY_EXPOSURE
any value
null
not null
any value
COMPANY_MAXIMUM_EXPOSURE
any value
any value
any value
not null
Result
Error: When liability is remote, there cannot be an estimated value.
Error: When liability can be estimated, there must be a value for company exposure.
Error: When liability cannot be estimated, there cannot be a value for company exposure.
Error: When liability cannot be estimated, there cannot be a value for maximum company exposure.

Enable update of matters closed for editing

If you want to update closed matters beyond the matter editing period, select the option to enable update of matters closed for editing. This will allow your file to include updates to closed matters. If you attempt to update closed matters without enabling update of matters closed for editing, those matters produce an error message and do not update.

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