Conflict Checks in Clio Manage and Clio Grow

Conflict checks help you quickly determine if a new client or matter has a conflict of interest with your existing contacts and matters. Running a check at the start of your workflow ensures you meet ethical obligations and manage potential risks.

Understand conflict check requirements

Conflict checks search your data across both Clio Grow and Clio Manage. By default, only Firm administrators and users with the General Access role can run conflict checks and customize conflict checks search settings. To manage who can run a check or view the report, create or update custom roles. Learn more here.

Perform a conflict check

You can run a conflict check from the global search bar, the Contacts tab, or during matter creation. If you use both Clio Manage and Clio Grow, your conflict checks will sync between the two platforms.

Step 1: Initiate the check

1. Navigate to the conflict check page: 
   • From the global search bar: Click the global search bar, then click Run conflict check. 
   • From the Contacts tab: Go to Contacts, click the Conflict checks subtab, then click Run conflict check. 
   • From an existing matter: Go to Matters, click the matter’s name, scroll to the Conflicts check section, then click Run conflict check. 
   • When creating a matter: Enter the matter details, click Save and run conflict check instead of Save matter.

Step 2: Enter search parameters

Fill in the details you have for the new contacts or matter, and customize your search options.

1. From the New conflict check page, select the type of search  (Person, Company, Keyword) and enter or update the identifying information. 
   • Optional: Click Add variation to include possible alternatives to the first name and last name. 
   • Optional: Click Search matches for full name to retrieve results for the entire first and last name.
   • Optional: Under Label, add an identifying label for the search. This label does not form part of the search, but it can help you identify the search when generating the conflict check results.
2. Click More details to set search preferences, advanced options, and search categories to customize the search scope.
3. Optional: If the check is associated with an existing matter, select up to 25 clients and related contacts associated with the matter to include in the search. 
4. Optional: Click Add another search to run multiple searches at once (e.g., for adverse parties).
5. Once your search parameters are set, click Generate results.
    

Step 3: Review and close report

Review the results for each search and assign a status, then generate the final report.

1. Using the individual search tabs, navigate to each search you ran.
2. For each result, click the Mark conflict status dropdown and select the relevant option.
   • You can select multiple results using the checkboxes and assign a status in bulk.
3. Click Add note for a search result to add relevant information.
4. Once you have reviewed your results, click Close and generate report.
5. In the modal, review the Conflict status for the report and add any comments.
   • The Conflict status is automatically provided based on the individual results statuses. If you change this status, you will need to acknowledge the disclaimer before proceeding.
6. Click Close and generate report.
   • Upon completion, you will see a summary page where you can share the link, view the parameters, download the PDF report, or edit the associated matter.

View Conflict checks list data

The conflict check table organizes your firm’s checks using the following columns: 

• Details: Shows the type of search performed and the keywords or contact names used in the check. Click the name in this column to open the Summary page, where you can view the PDF report, linked matters, and search metadata.
• Report: Allows you to quickly access the final PDF report that was generated when the check was closed
• Associated matter: Shows the client matter linked to the conflict check. 
• Started by: Identifies the user who initiated the conflict check.
• Creation date: Displays the date the conflict check was initiated.
• Last updated: Displays the most recent date the check was modified or its status was reviewed.
• Conflict status: Displays the overall result of the search (e.g., “No Conflict Found,” “Conflict Found,” “Needs Review”).
• Actions: Contains a menu (three vertical dots) that allows you to manage the check, including options to Archive, Duplicate, and rerun, or Edit associated matter.

Manage and export conflict checks

You can manage and view the status of all previous conflict checks by navigating to the main Contacts tab and clicking the Conflict checks subtab in Clio Grow or Clio Manage. This list allows you to view Active, Open, Closed, or Archived conflict checks using quick filters, and it provides immediate options to edit the associated matter, duplicate, rerun, or archive a conflict check.

View summary and download report

To view the conflict check report results:

1. Go to the main Contacts tab > Conflict checks.
2. Under the Details column, select the contact or company to view the summary, download the PDF report, view and link matters, and view search metadata.
3. In the PDF report section, click the link to download the report automatically. Alternatively, you can click View report under the Reports column. 

Duplicate and rerun a check

Once a conflict check has been run and results generated, you cannot edit it. Instead, you can duplicate an existing report, modify the parameters, and rerun the check.

1. Go to the main Contacts tab > Conflict checks.
2. Locate the conflict check you would like to rerun.
3. Click the three dots icon in the Actions column.
4. Click Duplicate and rerun.

Archive previous checks

Archiving will remove a check from the active list. You can archive a check from the main list or a matter’s dashboard.

1. From the Conflict Check Summary page, click the three dots icon in the Actions column, or scroll to the Conflict Checks section on a matter’s dashboard and click the three dots icon.
2. Click Archive.

Manage matter associations

You can create, edit, or remove an association between a conflict check and a matter from the conflict check summary page or the matter’s dashboard.

From the conflict check page in Clio Manage or Clio Grow

1. Go to the main Contacts tab > Conflict checks.
2. To add, edit, or remove a matter for a conflict check, click the more icon (three vertical dots) in the Actions column.
3. Click Edit associated matter.
   • To add a matter or change the associated matter, click the down arrow and select the matter to associate with the conflict check.
   • To remove a matter, click the X for the matter.
4. Click Save.

From a matter’s dashboard in Clio Manage

1. In Clio Manage, go to the main Matter tab, then select a matter.
2. In the Conflict Checks section, click Link conflict check.
3. Search to find or click the down arrow, then select the relevant conflict check.
4. Click Save.