Dropbox Integration

Purpose: Display a list of files on a case that are 1) in the agency's specified Dropbox Business document store, and 2) reside in or below a top level folder in the “Team Space,” created via API when the matter was created in LegalServer. 

Cost: $4500 setup cost. There is currently no monthly charge for Dropbox integration. 

Dropbox Setup

Configuration Requirements

1. Client must provide 2 user accounts for LegalServer in the client Dropbox. The account emails must match the pattern dropbox+CLIENT[-INSTANCE]@legalserver.org (e.g., dropbox+ospd@legalserver.orgfor the live site, dropbox+ospd-demo@legalserver.orgfor demo).
2. Client must create and share with the LegalServer support at least 2 folders in their Dropbox folder, one for the client demo and live sites each. These will be where the integration creates the folders for each case.

Generally

Agencies need to be on the Dropbox Standard Business plan or higher. The agency will need to supply their LegalServer contact with User access to a test DropBox environment, or provide high-level keys (securely) to LegalServer for the setup. Credentials can be sent to LegalServer via the Secure Messaging Tool. The message with the credentials should also include the anticipated folder destinations for where case folders for the demo and live sites should be created if there is a preference. At a minimum, the account needs Read+Write permissions to the space where the case folders are being created. LegalServer developers will then create a team site or dedicated folder for the site. Two of the user accounts will be used for Legalserver -- dropbox+CLIENT[-INSTANCE]@legalserver.org (e.g.,dropbox+demo4@legalserver.orgfor the live site, dropbox+demo4-demo@legalserver.orgfor demo).

The LegalServer Dropbox app will use a generated access token to issue requests to the Dropbox API on behalf of a Team Admin user, in order to create case folders and display their contents.

The associated block and listview need to have the Dropbox Team Shared Folder ID added to it. 

Using the Dropbox Integration

Case Folder Creation

Place the “Dropbox - Create Case Folder” block on the disposition step of a case intake. This makes a call to the Dropbox API to create a folder with the Case ID in the name. As of 2021, the folder can either be the Case ID or "Last, First - Case ID". This configuration is set by LegalServer developers when enabling Dropbox. The folder created will be viewable by anyone in the Dropbox Team Space. All folders will be created in a specific Dropbox folder that you designate, it does not have to be the root folder of the Shared Team Folder. 

For cases that existed prior to the addition of the Dropbox Integration, this block can be placed on an auxiliary process. 

Once a case folder is created, it can be renamed or moved in Dropbox without breaking the connection with LegalServer. LegalServer stores the folder's unique Dropbox ID value to the case record. Do not move Matter folders into a different nested Dropbox hierarchy without testing the Dropbox Documents Listview first. Renaming a Matter folder is lower risk, but moving it may affect how LegalServer displays its contents.

Case Folder Contents

When the “Dropbox Documents” list is placed on a case profile LegalServer will show a telescoping view into the folder’s contents in Dropbox. The list includes document and folder names and links to them, and resembles the folder-document structure in Dropbox or your favorite Operating System.

Clicking on the document links will bring you to Dropbox. If you are not logged into Dropbox, Dropbox will require you to login first before opening the file. If you are logged in to Dropbox with a user that doesn't have permission, you will get an error message that access was denied. 

The block can optionally display Dropbox documents for matters beyond the current one. It can be set to show associated Matters, related matters, and associated matters of related matters.

Adding Documents

There are a number of ways to add documents to Dropbox: 

• Drag and drop files from your desktop directly into the Dropbox listview. This has a limit of 50mb per file.
• Add Document static process on the case
• Adding a document with a case note 
• Generating a Document Template (either for Download or Start Process types)
• Clicking the menu option in the File Manager record of a file and then selected Send to Dropbox

Copying a Matter's Case Note

When a case note is copied to another Matter, its Dropbox attachments are copied in a background job. By default, they go to Copied Note Documents in the destination Matter folder. Document Settings can instead place them in the Matter folder root. This is the case when the case note is initially created or it is transferred/copied.

Predefined folders

Under the Document Settings features, you've got the ability to establish predefinied folders that are created when the folder is created for the case. One path is created per line in the setting. For example:

Intake
Documents/Correspondence
Documents/Evidence/Medical
Documents/Evidence/Employment

LegalServer creates each missing segment in order under the Matter folder:

Case Folder/
  Intake/
  Documents/
    Correspondence/
    Evidence/
      Medical/
      Employment/

Caveats:

• Paths are relative to the Matter’s Dropbox folder. Do not include the Matter folder name or the Dropbox team/shared-folder root.
• Invalid Dropbox filename characters are sanitized.
• Paths are de-duplicated case-insensitively.
• The folders are created when the Matter folder is created.
• For a Matter that already has a Dropbox folder, running the Create Case Folder workflow again causes LegalServer to ensure newly configured predefined subfolders exist.

Changing the Destination Folder

Organizations will need to specify a specific folder for Dropbox case folder creation from their Live and Demo sites inside the Shared Folders of Dropbox. These should be separate folders. If an organization wishes to change the destination folder in the future, this will require a ticket and a paid change order with LegalServer. The alternative is to continue using the current destination folder but after it has been moved and renamed. Since LegalServer connects case folders via Folder ID, if you move or rename a folder in Dropbox, that connection will still remain. If you are moving a destination folder from a parent folder named for the current year the steps would be something like:

1. Create a placeholder non-linked folder in the past year's parent folder. 
2. Move any files/folders from the current destination folder to the placeholder non-linked folder.
3. Move the current destination folder to the new parent folder (it is faster to move when empty)
4. Rename the placeholder non-linked folder as needed. 

Document Migration

Linking existing Dropbox folders and/or documents stored in your source database is a separate cost that needs to be quoted specifically.

Assumptions and Constraints

Folders must initially be created with the Case ID, but that can later be changed. LegalServer will track the folder using a metadata tag on the Dropbox record.

LegalServer access does not grant Dropbox access. A user can see a Dropbox folder/files in LegalServer and still receive a Dropbox access denied message when they try to open it.

Organizations have an initial cap of 50 users utilizing their integration. Once that limit is reached, Dropbox will conduct a Production review of the integration. Until that review is approved, new users will not have access to the Dropbox integration.