Legal Equipment and Supplies Key Terms

Find out key terms used in legal equipment and supplies

By B. Lumadue

Legal firms need a lot of specialty items, in addition to standard office supplies, that often can't be found at a regular office supply store. All documents related to legal cases must be kept safe, confidential and easy to find quickly. Law firms need special equipment to help with out-of-office tasks like trials and other assignments that require traveling. Forms and software to track billable hours and case notes may be needed. In addition, all correspondence that legal firms send out must reflect professionalism and quality. There are many specialty items available for the legal industry. Get to know some of the key terms to find the equipment and supplies needed by your office.

Intellectual property folders

Intellectual property folders include patent applications, foreign patent and U.S. Trademark folders. They include space to record responses and fasteners or pockets to hold additional correspondence or drawings.
Try: See Baron for a selection of intellectual property folders.

Litigation bags

Litigation bags are designed to hold legal-sized files and folders. Most of them have wheels and telescoping handles to make transport easier.
Try: Check out various sizes and designs of litigation bags at eLegalSupply.

Tabs

Labeled tabs are used for filing court and case documents. They include numbers, exhibit filing, Roman numerals and editorial headings. Tabs make case files, and individual components within them, easy to find.
Try: View lettered, numbered and exhibit tabs at Legal Dimensions.

Filing

In addition to tabs, legal firms require other specialty items for filing documents. These include files with pockets to hold related items, legal-sized file folders and jackets, filing carts and expandable files.
Try: View a selection of filing supplies for the legal profession at All-State International.

Envelopes and backers

Legal envelopes are a more official and professional alternative to regular envelopes. They are usually marked to indicate that the contents are legal documents and may contain space to include a description of the contents. Backers and manuscript covers have a top tab that folds over to contain official legal documents and present them in an organized and professional manner.
Try: View legal document envelopes and backers at Blackstone Legal Supplies.

Software

Off-the-shelf specialty software for law offices is used to keep track of cases and allocate time effectively for client billing. Software is also available to simplify the process of preparing wills and real estate and other legal documents.
Try: Check the Market Center at FindLaw to review legal software products for case management, time and billing, document presentation and other tasks.