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Press release: Enhanced Productivity for Law Firms with the Integration of Microsoft Copilot

Ab Saraswat

Ab Saraswat

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    1.            The ‘Copilot for SG Law Firms’ module for the Legal Technology Platform (LTP)1 is officially launched today by the Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and Lupl. This latest addition integrates Copilot for Microsoft 365 into the LTP, making the LTP one of the first sector-specific technology solution that is integrated with Microsoft Copilot in Singapore.

    2.            LTP users can now incorporate generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) into their daily matter management and workflows to plan, organise and manage their work. With this latest integration, certain tasks can now be automated, including drafting status updates, tracking deadlines, and prioritising critical tasks. This enables legal professionals to use their time more effectively on higher value tasks. They will be able to work more efficiently, as well as collaborate with colleagues and clients more seamlessly.

    3.            Law firms can refer to the updated Legal Industry Digital Plan (IDP)2 at https://go.gov.sg/legal-idp, which now includes use cases of the Gen AI-enabled LTP.  

    Key Features of the Integration

    4.            With the Gen AI-enabled LTP, legal professionals now have access to a virtual legal project manager which can help with end-to-end matter management including the following, all via an intuitive natural language interface:

    a)    Scope matters more effectively with AI assistance and integrated matter templates;

    b)    Get real-time updates on tasks, progress and risks;

    c)    Stay on top of deadlines;

    d)    Monitor and manage team workload and capacity; and

    e)    Keep clients informed with AI-generated status updates.

    5.            Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong SC said, “It is an exciting time in the legal industry’s digitalisation journey. The integration of Copilot will enhance the Legal Technology Platform. With ‘Copilot for SG Law Firms’, they can now apply Generative AI directly to the cases and matters they have on hand. This will bring greater efficiency and time savings, allowing them to focus on higher value work and enhancing the way they deliver services to their clients.”

    6.            Jeff Green, Chief Executive Officer at Lupl, MinLaw’s Technology Partner for the LTP, said, “This important collaboration means the Legal Technology Platform is seamlessly integrated with Microsoft 365 Copilot. Our focus on leveraging AI to streamline daily administrative work will free up legal professionals to spend time on strategic priorities, delivering better outcomes for firms and their clients. This is the latest step in our journey to bring emerging technologies to law firms in Singapore.”

    7.             Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore, Ms Lee Hui Li said, “Microsoft is thrilled to be collaborating with the Ministry of Law and Lupl to bring the transformative power of Copilot to the legal industry. By embedding Copilot for Microsoft 365 into the Legal Technology Platform, we’re pioneering Singapore’s first sector-specific AI solution, streamlining legal workflows and boosting efficiency. This integration sets a new standard for innovation in the legal sector, and Microsoft is committed to furthering this work to enable all of Singapore’s industries to benefit from AI.”

    8.            Law firms interested in ‘Copilot for SG Law Firms’ can obtain more information, including its features and prices, and request a product demonstration at https://sg.lupl.com/copilot. 

    Funding Support for Singapore Law Firms to Adopt ‘Copilot for SG Law Firms’

    9.            MinLaw, with support from Enterprise Singapore and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, provides funding support to defray the initial costs of subscribing to the LTP. Successful applicants may receive funding support of 70 per cent via the Productivity Solutions Grant for the Legal Sector (PSG-Legal) for up to two years when they adopt the LTP and the ‘Copilot for SG Law Firms’ module. Interested firms should apply before 31 March 2025.

    1. For more information on the LTP, please refer to https://go.gov.sg/ltpi-pr.↩

    2. The Legal IDP serves as a guide for all law firms to level up their digital capabilities and provides an overview of the suite of technology solutions and its benefits, so small and medium-sized law practices can decide what solutions they need based on their level of digital maturity.

    ISSUED JOINTLY BY: MINISTRY OF LAW, LUPL & MICROSOFT SINGAPORE

    11 SEPTEMBER 2024

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      # Lupl Workstream Design Principles: A Practical Guide to Legal Project Management for Lawyers Legal project management works when your setup is simple, ownership is clear, and statuses are unambiguous. This guide shows how to turn existing processes and checklists into a lean, reliable Workstream. Lupl is the legal project management platform for law firms, making it easy and intuitive to apply these principles. It also supports moving your work from Excel, Word tables, or if you are transitioning from Microsoft Planner, Smartsheet, or Monday. You will learn what belongs in a Workstream, a Task, or a Step, and which columns to use. If you want practical project management for lawyers, start here. **Excerpt:** Legal project management works when ownership, dates, and statuses are clear. This guide shows lawyers how to turn checklists into Lupl Workstreams with the right columns, Tasks, and Steps. Use it to standardize project management for lawyers, reduce follow ups, and move matters to done. --- ## How to organize your work with Workstreams, Tasks, and Steps Workstreams, Tasks, and Steps are three different types of objects in Lupl. They form a simple hierarchy. Workstreams contain Tasks. Tasks may contain optional Steps. This hierarchy aligns with standard project management. In project management, you break work into projects, deliverables, and subtasks. Lupl adapts this for lawyers by using Workstreams, Tasks, and Steps. This makes it easier to map legal processes to a structure that teams can track and manage. * **Workstream.** Use when you have many similar or related items to track over time. Think of the Workstream as the table. * Examples: closing checklist, court deadlines, pretrial preparation, regulatory obligations, due diligence, local counsel management. * **Task.** A high level unit of legal work. A key deliverable with an owner and a due date. Tasks are the rows. * Examples: File motion. Prepare Shareholder Agreement. Submit Q3 report. * **Step.** An optional short checklist inside a single Task. Steps roll up to the parent Task. * Examples: Draft. QC. Partner review. E file. Serve. ### Quick test * If it can be overdue by itself, make it a Task. * If it only helps complete a Task, make it a Step. * If you need different columns or owners, create a separate Workstream. --- ## Do you need to track everything in Lupl Not every detail needs to be tracked in a project management system. The principle is to capture what drives accountability and progress. In Lupl, that means focusing on deliverables, not every micro action. * Use the level of detail you would bring to a weekly team meeting agenda. * Position Tasks as key deliverables. Treat Steps as optional micro tasks to show progress. * Example: You need client instructions. Do not add a Task for "Email client to request a call." Just make the call. If the client approves a key deliverable on the call, mark that item Approved in Lupl so the team has visibility. --- ## Start with the Core 5 columns Columns are the backbone of a Workstream. They define what information is tracked for each Task. In project management terms, these are your core metadata fields. They keep everyone aligned without overcomplicating the table. Keep the table narrow. You can add later. These five work across most legal project management use cases. 1. **Title.** Start with a verb. Example: File answer to complaint. 2. **Status.** Five to seven clear choices. Example: Not started, In progress, For review, For approval, Done. 3. **Assignee.** One named owner per row. If you add multiple assignees for collaboration, still name a primary owner. 4. **Due date.** One date per row. 5. **Type or Category.** Show different kinds of work in one table. Example: Filing, Discovery, Signature, Approval. **Priority.** Add only if you actively triage by priority each week. If added, keep it simple: High, Medium, Low. --- ## Add up to three Helper columns Lupl includes a set of pre made columns you can use out of the box. These allow you to customize Workstreams around different phases or stages of a matter. They also let you map how you already track transactional work, litigation, or other processes. Helper columns are optional fields that add context. In task management, these are similar to tags or attributes you use to sort and filter work. The key is to only add what you will update and use. Pick only what you will use. Stop when you reach three. * Party or Counterparty * Jurisdiction or Court * Phase * Approver * Approval, status or yes or no * Signature status * Risk, RAG * Amount or Number * External ID or Client ID * Document or Link * Docket number * Client entity **Guidance** * For Task Workstreams, prefer Approver, Approval, Risk. The rest are more common in Custom Workstreams. * Aim for eight columns or fewer in your main table. Put detail in the Task description, attachments, or Steps. --- ## Simple rules that keep your table clean Consistency is critical in project management. A cluttered or inconsistent table slows teams down. These rules ensure your Workstream remains usable and clear. * Only add a column people will update during the matter. If it never changes, set a default at the Workstream level or set a default value in the column. * Only add a column you will sort or filter on. If you will not use it to find or group work, leave it out. * If a value changes inside one Task, use Steps. Steps show progress without widening the table. * Keep columns short and structured. Use Description for brief context or instructions. Use Task comments for discussion and decisions. Link to work product in your DMS as the source of truth. * One accountable owner per Task and one due date. You can add collaborators, but always name a primary owner who moves the Task. If different people or dates apply to different parts, split into separate Tasks or capture the handoff as Steps. * Add automations after you lock the design. Finalize columns and status definitions first. Then add simple reminders and escalations that read those fields. --- ## Status hygiene that everyone understands Status is the single most important column in project management. It tells the team where the work stands. Too many options cause confusion. Too few cause misalignment. In Lupl, keep it simple and consistent. * Five to seven statuses are enough. * Use one review gate, For review or For approval. Use both only if your process needs two gates. * One terminal status, Done. This is the end state of the Task. Use Archived only if you report on it or need it for retention workflows. --- ## When to split into multiple Workstreams In project management, it is best practice to separate workstreams when workflows, owners, or audiences diverge. Lupl makes this easy by letting you create multiple Workstreams for one matter. Create a new Workstream if any of the following are true. * You need a different set of columns for a chunk of work. * Ownership or cadence is different, for example daily docketing vs monthly reporting. * The audience or confidentiality needs are different. **Signal** * If half your rows leave several columns blank, you are mixing processes. Split the table. --- ## Decision tree, three quick questions Use this quick framework to decide where an item belongs. This is the same principle used in task management software, adapted for legal workflows. 1. Is this a list of similar items over time, or a discrete phase of the matter * Yes. Create a Workstream. 2. Can it be overdue by itself, and does it need an owner * Yes. Create a Task. 3. Is it a step to finish a Task and not tracked on its own * Yes. Create a Step. --- ## Common mistakes to avoid Many project management failures come from overdesigning or misusing the structure. Avoid these mistakes to keep your Workstreams lean and effective. * Wide tables with many optional columns. Keep it to eight or fewer. * Two columns for the same idea, for example Status and Phase that overlap. Merge or define clearly. * More than one approval gate when one would do. It slows work and confuses owners. * Mixing unrelated processes in one table, for example signatures and invoice approvals. --- ## Build your first Workstream Building a Workstream is like setting up a project board. Keep it light, pilot it, then refine. Lupl is designed to let you do this quickly without heavy admin work. 1. Write the Workstream purpose in one sentence. 2. Add the Core 5 columns. 3. Add at most three Helpers you will use. 4. Define clear Status meanings in plain words. 5. Set defaults for any value that repeats on most rows, for example Jurisdiction. 6. Add two light automations, a due soon reminder and an overdue nudge. 7. Pilot for one week and adjust. --- ## Where this fits in legal project management Use these principles to standardize project management for lawyers across matters. Keep structures consistent. Reuse column sets and status definitions. Your team will find work faster, reduce follow ups, and close loops on time. --- ### On page SEO helpers * Suggested title tag. Lupl Workstream Design Principles, Practical Legal Project Management for Lawyers * Suggested meta description. Learn how to design lean Lupl Workstreams for legal project management. Get clear rules for Tasks, Steps, statuses, and columns to run matters with confidence. * Suggested URL slug. legal-project-management-for-lawyers-workstream-design

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