Ask someone what comes to mind when they hear 'docket,' and you'll get wildly different answers. The word itself is both a noun and verb and has multiple meanings, ranging from a court's official record of case proceedings to a simple agenda, schedule, or list. Anyone in the docketing profession will also tell you that our software can call other things ‘dockets’, adding to the expansive list of what a docket can be. Occasionally, it feels like almost anything could be a docket with the right organization.
What I mean when I talk about docketing is people following a process and using technology to meticulously track and manage all deadlines and documents associated with litigation cases on behalf of law firms.
Most of this framework came from working under a CIO with decades of leadership experience, who taught me a consistent order of priorities: 1.) People; 2.) Process; 3.) Technology. Always in that order.
This was an easy philosophy to adopt immediately. When you respect your team, they'll follow any reasonable process. And a solid process can bridge almost any technology gap, something I've experienced firsthand while waiting for new systems to get approved or implemented.
When you have all three working together, skilled people following proven processes with robust technology, docketing transforms from administrative task to strategic advantage. The right technology doesn't replace good people or process; it amplifies them, turning careful deadline management into the silent foundation that keeps cases on track and firms ahead of their deadlines