Taking attendance notes is a common task for trainee solicitors and junior lawyers. You might be asked to take a note during a client call, an internal meeting, a conference with counsel or a discussion with another party. It sounds straightforward, but a good attendance note needs to do more than record the general gist of what was said.
Attendance notes may later be used to confirm client instructions, prepare advice, draft witness statements or establish exactly what was discussed at an earlier stage of a matter. Accuracy, detail and structure therefore matter.
Here are three practical ways to produce better attendance notes as a trainee solicitor.
1. Capture as much as possible
When taking an attendance note, your first priority should be to create an accurate and comprehensive record of the discussion. That means capturing more than just the headline points. Record important questions, answers, instructions, decisions and action points as the conversation progresses.
Being able to type quickly can be surprisingly valuable here. The less time you spend trying to keep up with the conversation, the more attention you can give to what is actually being said.
You can tidy the note afterwards. During the meeting, focus on capturing the substance accurately rather than making every sentence perfectly polished. If you miss something important or are unsure what was said, flag this in the attendance note rather than guessing.
2. Refer clearly to documents discussed
Legal meetings are often document-heavy. If someone refers to a contract, witness statement, piece of correspondence or other document during the meeting, identify that document clearly in your attendance note. Where possible, include the relevant page, clause, paragraph or section number too.
This makes the attendance note much easier to use later. Someone returning to the matter weeks or months afterwards can locate the exact material being discussed rather than having to work it out themselves.
Depending on your firm's systems and practices, you may also be able to embed or link to the relevant document.
3. Use headings to structure your attendance note
A long block of text might contain all the right information and still be difficult to use. If a meeting covers several subjects, break your attendance note into clear topic headings. The precise headings will depend on the matter, but the principle is the same: make it easy for someone to find the information they need.
This becomes particularly valuable for longer calls and meetings. A well-structured attendance note allows another lawyer to jump directly to the relevant discussion without reading the entire document.
What should a good legal attendance note include?
The exact format will vary between law firms and practice areas, so you should always follow any internal templates or requirements. As a general rule, however, a useful attendance note should make clear when the meeting took place, who attended, what was discussed, any instructions or decisions given and what needs to happen next. The aim is to create a record that remains useful even when the conversation is no longer fresh in everyone's mind.
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