In Clio Manage, internal messages are direct messages between firm users, sent and stored inside Clio. Your team discusses matters, shares documents, and flags bills for approval in one place. Every thread stays on the matter record, alongside the rest of its communications.
Note: Internal messages are part of Clio's secure co-counsel portal. Non-users, such as co-counsel, sign in to the Clio for Co-Counsel portal to read and reply to messages. See Clio for Co-Counsel: Co-Counsel Actions.
Tip: To communicate and share resources with clients, use the secure client portal, Clio for Clients.
Navigate internal messages
Internal messages open from Inbox or from the Communications tab in a matter or contact. Messages sort into two categories.
Note: In the old Clio experience, Inbox is labelled Communications.
- My threads: Messages where you are the sender or the recipient.
- Matter threads: Messages linked to matters you have access to, including threads where you are neither the sender nor the recipient.
Tip: In the Communications tab of a matter or contact, click Expand rows at the bottom of the table to read the full body of each last message.
Send internal messages
Send an internal message to communicate with other firm users and attach documents to the message. Sent messages save as message threads in Inbox, and attached documents save to the matter's Documents tab. You can also use an internal message to notify a firm user that a bill is waiting for their approval. The message names the bill submitted for approval.
- Go to Inbox. You can also open the Communications tab in a matter or contact.
- Click New, then select Internal message.
- Select the firm user and a matter.
- Write your message.
- Click Send message.
Note: When you select a non-user, such as co-counsel, the recipient receives a prompt to sign in to Clio for Co-Counsel to respond. See Clio for Co-Counsel: Co-Counsel Actions.
- Go to Invoices. You can also open the Invoices tab in a matter or contact.
- In the bills table, select the Draft tab.
- Click the arrow next to Edit, then select Submit for approval.
- Select a firm user to approve the bill.
- Under Notify via, select the Internal message checkbox.
- Click Submit for approval.
Read and respond to internal messages
Only participants in a thread can respond to it. Other firm users can read the conversation when matter permissions are set to All Manage Users, and reply only when they are the sender or a recipient.
- Go to Inbox.
- Select Internal messages.
- Click the message to open the thread.
- Type your reply. Optional: Attach a document.
- Click Send.
- In a matter or contact, open the Communications tab.
- Select Internal messages.
- Click Reply to respond from the table. To open the full thread first, click the thread subject, or click the arrow next to Reply and select View.
- Type your reply. Optional: Attach a document.
- Click Send.
Add time to internal messages
Add a time entry to an internal message thread to capture billable or non-billable time for a future bill.
- Go to Inbox. You can also open the Communications tab in a matter or contact.
- Select Internal messages.
- Click Add time. In Inbox, you can also hover over the record and click the clock icon.
- Complete the time entry.
- Click Save entry.
Tip: Start the timer while you respond in a message thread. When you stop the timer, the time entry window opens.
Archive, filter, and print internal messages
Archive threads to clear them from the table, filter to find specific threads, and print a thread for a paper record. All three actions start from Inbox or from the Communications tab in a matter or contact.
Archive internal messages
Archived threads stay available through filters.
- Go to Inbox > Internal messages.
- Hover over the thread and click the archive icon. In the Communications tab of a matter or contact, click the arrow next to Reply, then select Archive.
- Click Archive thread.
Filter internal messages
Filter by matter, by archived status, by whether a thread has time entries, or by read or unread status.
- Go to Inbox > Internal messages.
- Click the filter icon.
- Choose your filters.
- Click Apply filters.
Print internal messages
Printing includes the entire thread.
- Go to Inbox > Internal messages.
- Open the thread and click Print thread. You can also hover over the thread and click the print icon.
- Follow the printing directions.
Up next
- Clio for Co-Counsel: Co-Counsel Actions: Share matter information and messages with co-counsel outside your firm.
- Set Up Clio for Clients: Message clients and share documents through a secure portal.