The MasterList

Why Mind Maps?
If we look at the traditional structure for handling the mix of thought and action in legal case work, we see that the calendar is the typical medium for tracking events, deadlines, and key ticklers & to-dos, whereas tactical ideas are worked out on legal pads, the backs of envelopes, and napkins.

2 modes of paper. One for tracking action. One for creating thoughts about action.

What if we could combine the tools necessary for laying out strategic thinking and for tracking action & agenda requirements at a single at-a-glance screen that could easily and intuitively be viewed, shared, and acted on by team-members across a computer network?

Then, you would have The MasterList with Mind Maps.

The Power of Mind Maps

You are the keeper of profound knowledge which impacts on every legal tactic you analyze and every legal action you take. The MasterList with Mind Maps is designed to tap into that knowledge so that you can create maps, tailored or off the rack, which define necessary processes either standard or just invented for the situation which can be brought to bear on any scenario, whether unique or repeated, which you and your staff may encounter in any case. Best of all, these maps are organized and stored right where and when you need them at the case management agenda screen ("masterlist") that defines the point of attack.

The Mind Map component that The MasterList chose to integrate into our action architecture was designed by Visual Mind, an innovative and easy to learn Mind Mapping tool that applies the mind-mapping design philosophy of the Tony Buzan organization. For an excellent introductory article by Dennis Kennedy on Mind Mapping as it applies to legal thinking and tactical legal action, see http://www.denniskennedy.com/mindmap.htm

Like Dennis, I have been creating Mind Maps on paper for many years to analyze, brainstorm, and lay out plans for critical legal-tactical issues. Now, with The MasterList 2.48vm - Visual Mind Version, I am finally map-happy. With a right click at any log (map storage "drawer") or agenda, I can create an ad hoc map to work out any kind of idea, strategy, process, or notion. And, I can store as many maps as I can create (Visual Mind will allow up to 99 million per database) logically on a case/client basis. I can also share them across the network with my team. And I can archive them in the History field for that case when I am done. What's really neat is that when I am in a map and realize that I have an action agenda (like calling that witness who just came to mind), I can right-click on the map branch and immediately create an associated case/client masterlist task entry with the branch text dropping in automatically.

There is no other Case Knowledge Management tool like The MasterList 2.48vm - Visual Mind Version.

We researched various types of mind maps. We were not satisfied until we discovered the ease of use and simplicity of Visual Mind. Combining The MasterList format with Visual Mind made the perfect fit. A highly motivated and thoughtful attorney could generate hundreds of mind maps. The MasterList gives the prolific thinker the perfect map storage and retrieval format in a legal case management context.

The moment you see a Mind Map associated with a specific task agenda, or neatly stored it in an alpha-numeric map "drawer" right at the case/client screen together with all your other tactical case information, you will be conscious of the limitless possibilities of this Case Knowledge Management format.

The MasterList 2.48vm - Visual Mind Version has opened a new dimension in Case Knowledge Management. We think you will find it to be an indispensable tool in your practice.

Bill Neubert
The MasterList

White Paper: Why Mind Maps
September, 2001

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