CounselLink Answer Center for Clients

Adding and Managing Users

  • Updated

The User Administrator role controls creation, editing, and management of user profiles, including office assignments and role assignments. Once added and assigned a role, a user becomes active and can perform work immediately based on permissions granted.

This article covers the following:

Adding Users

To grant someone access to CounselLink, they must have a user profile with a unique login and appropriate roles. 

You must have the User Admin role to add a user.

  1. You can access the Create New User page by these ways:
    • From Corporate Profile
      • Navigate to the Corporate Profile page.

      • Click on the plus sign (+) for the Office where the new user will be added.

        The office selected will display as the profile at the top of the page.

      • Click Add User from the QuickLinks column on the left side of the screen. The Search for Duplicate User Profile screen displays.

        This process is used to ensure that the person being added does not already exist in CounselLink.

      • Enter information into the fields.
      • Click Search.
      • If no individuals were found, click Add New Individual. 
  • From User Search
    • Click the User Search tab at the top of the page.

    • Click the +Add User button.

  • From Administration Panel

    • Click the Add User button in the Administration Panel on the homepage.

      The Create New User Profile Page displays.

  1. In the User Information section, provide the required information.

    Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

    1. In the Prefix list, choose a courtesy title such as Mr. or Mrs.
    2. In the First Name box, type the first name of the individual.
    3. In the Middle Initial box, type the middle name of the individual.
    4. In the Last Name box, type the last name of the individual.
    5. In the Suffix box, type the ending of the individual's name or academic suffixes if desired.
    6. In the Title list, choose the title that best describes the individual's position in the office.
    7. In the Email box, type the address CounselLink should use to notify the user of events.

    8. In the Login ID box, type the characters used to log into CounselLink. The password will be provided later.

      Adding users into CounselLink+ requires a different field (Lexis ID, SSO ID, or both). See the section on adding CounselLink+ users in this article.

  1.  
    1. In the User Office Address list, choose the office where the user will need to have access to matters or invoices. This will be the user’s primary CounselLink Office.
    2. In the Address, City, State, and Zip Code boxes, type an address for the individual.
    3. In the Phone boxes, type the office phone number.
    4. In the Mobile box, enter the mobile phone number.
    5. In the Fax boxes, type the fax phone number.

  1. In the Preferences section, provide the following information:

    If you'd like, you can use the defaults in this section for the user to configure on their own.

    Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

    1. In the Receive Message Center Emails field, the No option is selected by default. Select Yes is you wish for the user to receive emails from the message center.
    2. In the Receive Matter Assignment Emails field, the Yes option is selected by default. Select No if you do not want the user to receive Matter Assignment emails.
    3. In the Allow Scrollable List for Invoice field, select Yes to enable a scroll bar in the charges section on the Invoice Overview and Combined Invoice pages.
    4. In the New cycle invoices filtered by adjustments field, select Yes to view only adjusted charges or No to see the entire invoice.
    5. In the Category list, select from one of the available options to categorize the document.
    6. In the Owner field, identify the name of the person who will be listed as the owner.
    7. In the Shared list, select the appropriate option. This field answers the question: "Should outside counsel be able to view this document?" The default setting is No. See chart below.
    8. In the Access Level list, select the appropriate option. Answers the question: "Which outsiders can view this document?" The default setting is Private.

    See this topic for more information on document security.

  2. In the Regional Settings section, provide the required information:

    If you'd like, you can use the defaults in this section for the user to configure on their own.

    Corporate or divisions can have their own settings that will apply to all if not already changed by the user. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

    1. In the Short Date Format list, select the appearance of the shorter date used in invoices and searches (e.g. 07-21-2013).
    2. In the Long Date Format list, select the option that spells out the date (e.g. July 21, 2013).
    3. In the Digits in a Group list, select how many numbers are grouped together in large numbers.
    4. In the Digits Grouping Symbol list, select the symbol to be used to separate number groupings.
    5. In the Decimal Symbol list, select the symbol used between the whole and fractional number.
    6. In the Example of Negative Number, select the format of the negative number.
    7. In the Time Format list, select the preferences for the 12 or 24 hour clock, and preferences for period or semi-colon separator.
    8. In the Time Zone list, select the time zone for the user.
    9. In the Negative Currency Format list, select the option for use of parentheses or negative sign to indicate negative numbers.
    10. In the Currency Symbol Position list, select the position of the currency symbol.
    11. In the Display Currency ISO Code list, select the display of the ISO code or keep it hidden. USD is the code for US.
    12. The Example of Negative Currency field displays the format of the negative currency as defined.
  3. In the Office Settings section, choose which office(s) the individual should be assigned.
    • To add a user to an Office, select the office(s) from Office Name column.
    • To remove a user from an Office, select the office(s) from the Office Name column.

    • Select a User Persona from the drop down list.

      The User Persona feature must be enabled for your organization to have this option.

  4. Next, under the roles sections, choose the roles (access levels) for this user. If they will have a workflow role, be sure and give them a Matter or Invoice Authority Amount in the Invoice Roles section. For more information on roles, see Roles for Various Job Titles.
  5. Click Save.

Once a user has been added, they are sent a welcome email with login information.

Finding a User Profile

Back to top

  1. To locate a user:

    • Click User Search from the Administration panel on the homepage.

    • Click User Search from the QuickLinks panel on the Corporate Profile page.

    • Click the User Search tab at the top of the page.

    The User Search Page displays.

  2. Enter search criteria in the search field (e.g. first name, last name, email address, etc.)
  3. Click Search. The user list displays with your search criteria.

Adding an Additional Office to a User Profile

Back to top

  1. Find the user profile.

  2. Click the Add button in the Office Roles section.

    The Add User to Offices page displays.

  1. Select one or more offices under the Available Offices column in the Office Settings section.

  2. Click the right arrow to add the selected office to the Offices User Will Be Added To column.

    Click the double right arrow to add all offices to the Offices User Will Be Added To column.

  1. Assign roles for the office as needed.
  2. Click Save.

Mirroring Roles Assigned in Another Office

  1. Select the user's old and new offices from the User Profile page under the Office Roles section.

  2. Click the Edit Roles button. The Assign User Office Roles page displays.

  3. Scroll through the sections and select all roles to match previously assigned ones.
  4. Click Save.

Editing Application and Workflow Roles

Back to top

You need the User Administrator role to assign roles to other users.

  1. Navigate to the Corporate Profile. It can be accessed from one of two ways:

    • Select the Corporate Profile link under your user name in the title bar.

    • Click the Corporate Profile link from the Administration panel on the homepage.

  2. Click on the plus sign (+) for the Division / Office under the Corporate Structure heading.

  3. Select Corporate, Division, or Office from the list.

  4. Click the User Roles link from the QuickLinks column on the left side of the screen. The Assign Office Roles page displays for your selection.

    If assigning roles for an office, this process will add user roles for the selected office only. If a user needs roles in multiple offices, the roles must be added individually.

  5. In the Application Roles area, Select or deselect check boxes for roles as needed. Use the display options if necessary:

    • Slide the bottom bar to reveal more roles.

  • Slide the right side bar to reveal more users.

  • Select options from the Role Categories filter to reveal or hide roles associated with that category and click Save. By default, all role categories are displayed.

  1. If editing users for an office, scroll down to the Workflow Roles section and make edits as necessary.
  2. Click Save.

Removing Users from an Office

Back to top

A User Administrator can remove a user from an office and disable their assigned office roles. The user can still retain their login but will no longer have access to matters for that office.

Before removal, be sure that you reassign any of that user's current tasks and roles. 

If a user has the Matter Contact role on at least one matter, they cannot be removed from the office until the administrator assigns a new matter contact. The system will alert you when a user cannot be removed from an office until their matters or roles are reassigned.

Removing a User from an Office

  1. Find the user profile.

  2. Place a check mark next to the office(s) under the Office Roles section.

  1. Click Remove. The confirmation window displays.
  2. Click OK.

If user roles associated with matters have all been reassigned, etc., then the user is removed from the office and an email is sent to the user.

Resetting a Password for Users

Back to top

Resetting a User's Password from the Corporate Profile Page

  1. Find the user profile.
  2. Click the vertical three-lined icon in the corner.

  3. Click Reset Password.

    A confirmation message is displayed.

  1. Click OK.

An email with directions is sent to the user and the User Administrator that confirms the change.

Resetting a User's Password from the Client User Search Page

  1. Click the User Search tab at the top of the homepage or in the Administration panel.
  2. Scroll down the user list and select the user(s).

  3. Click Reset Password.

  4. Select Activate User Login from the drop down. The Reset Password window displays.
  5. Click Continue on the User login window.

An email with directions is sent to the user and the User Administrator, confirming the change.

Deactivating/Reactivating a User

Back to top

Deactivating a user prevents new work assignments in CounselLink but keeps historical data intact. Confirmation emails are sent to both the administrator (who performed the deactivation) and the deactivated user. You can also reactivate a user that was previously deactivated.

Only User Administrators can perform this task.

Deactivating a User

  1. Find the user profile.
  2. Click the vertical three-lined icon in the corner.

  3. Select Deactivate Individual.

    A confirmation window displays.

  1. Click Yes, Deactivate. If the user has no roles assigned, they are deactivated.

  2. If the user has pending work assigned for matters or invoices, the Re-assign Matter Contact page displays.

  1. Reassign the roles as needed.
  2. Click Save. The user is deactivated.

Reactivating a User

  1. Find the user profile.

  2. In the QuickLinks or under the User Information section of the screen, click Activate Individual.

    The Activation Confirmation screen displays.

  3. Click OK to activate the user.

Deactivating/Reactivating a User Login

Back to top

Login deactivation prevents login access only. This action does not remove roles or assignments.

Only User Administrators can perform these actions.

Deactivating a User Login

  1. Find the user profile.
  2. Click the vertical three-lined icon in the corner.

  3. Select Deactivate User Login.

    A confirmation window displays.

  1. Click OK to confirm the deactivation.

Deactivating a User Login from the User Search Page

  1. Click the User Search tab in your top tool bar or the Administration panel.

  2. Select the user(s) you wish to deactivate from the list.

    Add the Last Login column filter on the Profile Search page to view the last time users have logged into CounselLink.

  3. Click More Actions.

  4. Select Deactivate User Login from the drop down.

    The User login window displays.

  5. Click Continue on the User login window.

Reactivating a User Login

  1. Find the user profile.
  2. Click the vertical three-lined icon in the corner.

  3. Select Activate User Login.

    A confirmation window displays.

  1. Click OK.

Reactivating a User Login from the User Search Page

  1. Click the User Search tab in your top tool bar or the Administration panel.
  2. Scroll down the user list and select the user(s) you wish to reactivate.
  3. Click More Actions.

  4. Select Activate User Login from the drop down.

    The User login window displays.

  5. Click Continue on the User login window.

Reassigning Work

Back to top

Reassigning work helps balance workloads across users. For example, work may be reassigned to a new hire after onboarding or when a user is deactivated or removed. All active tasks must be reassigned to another active user to prevent workflow disruptions.

Only User Administrator can perform these actions.

Reassigning User Tasks

  1. Click the Matters tab.

    It is recommended that you search for all Active matters for the office where the user being removed / deactivated is the Matter Contact or Invoice Contact.

  2. Perform a search and select the appropriate matters.
    1. From the Matters Search page, under the Matter Contact filter column, select the Matter Contact.

    2. Under the Contact Office filter column, select the Contact Office as an additional filter.

      Active is selected under the Matter Status filter column by default.

    3. Click Select All Pages from the Selection drop down to select all listed matters.

    4. From the More Actions menu, click Update Matter Information.

    5. From the Mass Update Matter Information screen, under the Update Details section, select the contact role you wish to reassign.

    6. From the Update To field, select a new contact from the list, and then click Save & Update Another Field. Repeat these steps as necessary to reassign work for other contact roles.

If you are deactivating or removing a user, be sure to reassign all contact roles to cover the reassigned work.

Changing Invoice Authority Amount for a User

Back to top

Invoice authority amount specifies the limit that a reviewer can approve on an invoice. You may find that you need to increase or decrease this limit over time.

Only User Administrator can perform this action.

Changing Invoice Authority Amount for a User

  1. Find the User Profile.

  2. Select the office(s) in the Office Roles section of the Roles tab.

  3. Click Edit Roles. The Assign User Office Roles page displays.

  4. Scroll down to Invoice Roles to find the Invoice Authority Amount.

  5. Adjust the amount as necessary.
  6. Click Save.

The invoice authority amount is updated for the selected office.

Changing Invoice Authority Amount for one or More Offices

  1. Find the User Profile.

  2. Select the office(s) in the Office Roles section of the Roles tab.

  3. Click More Actions.

  4. Select Update Invoice Authority Amount. The Update Invoice Authority Amount window displays.

  5. Select a currency from the drop down.
  6. Edit the amount as necessary. Check Unlimited Amount to allow the user to have no limit.
  7. Click Save.

The invoice authority amount is updated for the selected office(s).

Setting an OOO Proxy for a User

Back to top

A proxy is a user who handles invoice review tasks when the assigned reviewer is unavailable. If a reviewer does not set a proxy, a User Administrator may assign one. Invoices already in the reviewer’s queue remain unchanged, while new invoices are routed to the proxy starting on the proxy start date.

If an invoice total is over the appointed proxy’s authority level, that proxy can "complete” the review but cannot approve an invoice.

Setting an Out of Office Proxy for a User

  1. Access the User Search page from one of two ways:

    • Click the User Search tab in your top tool bar

    • Click the User Search link in the Profiles panel.

  2. Click on the office in the Level column associated with the user.
  3. Click on the user's name under the User Name column.

  4. Click Edit for the User Information section on the user's User Profile page.

  5. Enter From and To dates in the Out of Office Proxy section.

    Dates must be in mm/dd/yyyy format.

  6. Cick Select in the Proxy user section.
  7. Optional: Search for the proxy in the list using one of the following options:
    • Scan the list for the name
    • Alphabetize the list by clicking the First Name or Last Name column headers
    • Filter the list:
      1. Choose either First Name or Last Name from the first drop down
      2. Leave the middle field as Contains
      3. Enter the name in the keyword
      4. Press Enter or click Go

  8. Click Select for the person to be the Out of Proxy for the user. The proxy's name appears in the Proxy field.

  9. Click Save.

The proxy user will receive all workflow tasks during the specified time frame.

Workflow tasks already assigned to the user when the out of office period begins are not automatically reassigned to the proxy. You can use the more actions menu on the appropriate search page to reassign pending items to the proxy user.

Removing an Out of Office Proxy

  1. Follow steps 1-7 above.
  2. Click Reset to remove the Out of Office Proxy.
  3. Click Save.

Viewing the User Audit Report

Back to top

The User Audit Report shows changes to a user's permission scope over time. It shows when roles are granted or revoked from individuals within your organization.

You must have the Corporate Administrator role to use this feature.

  1. Click User Audit Report in the QuickLinks section of the Corporate Profile page. The User Audit Report page displays.

  2. The report displays the following columns of information for each line:

    Column Description
    Client User Name of the user whose role or profile was changed.
    Client User Login Login for the user whose role or profile was changed.
    Event Description A brief description of the change that was implemented.
    Event Comment An elaboration of what was changed for the user. For example, if a role was added, it might display: 1 User Roles added: Payment Administrator.
    Event Date The date the change occurred.
    Performed by The name of the user who performed the change.
    Client Level The level of access at which the user's change was edited.
    Role Action Displays REVOKE or GRANT depending on if the user's role was added or taken away.
    Role Description Description of the role added or revoked.
    Old Authority Amount If invoice authority amount was changed, this column displays the amount authorized before the change.
    New Authority Amount If invoice authority amount was changed, this column displays the amount authorized after the change.

  3. The report page contains fields several options for filtering your search results.

    Field Description
    Start Date and End Date

    Enter in a time frame for which to return search results. After you've entered the dates or selected them from the calendar button next to the field, click Submit.

    By default, the search pre-populates the date range to activity that occurred in the last 60 days.
    Enter keywords Enter search terms to search for and streamline the list of users.
    Group By

    Select an item from this drop drown to group the results only by the selection:

    • None
    • Client User
    • Performed By
    • Event Date

Once you've arranged the results to your liking, you can download a copy of the report as an Excel document by clicking the download icon in the corner.

Adding a User in CounselLink+

Back to top

Adding a user in a CounselLink+ environment will have slightly different fields. Follow the instructions in this article to add a user. 

  1. Once you've added the email for the user, the Lexis Org Customer field displays. Click the three dots next to the field.

  2. In the window, select the organization under Org Customer for the user. If the email is attached to an existing user within a WAM-configured organization, you can view the information in the User Profile Name column.

  3. Click Save.

  4. Depending on your organization's configuration, you will see one or two fields: Lexis ID and SSO ID. If you selected a user that already exists in WAM, these fields will be populated and grayed out, so you are finished with this task.

  5. Fill out the field(s). If your organization is not configured for SSO, you will not see the SSO ID field.

    Field Value
    Lexis ID This will be the user's login ID for CounselLink.
    SSO ID This will be the user's ID for SSO login. Best practice is to use the same email entered for the user.