Ethical walls are commonly used throughout the legal industry and are a method of securing the data to a certain group of people. This feature essentially uses record-level security, with the ability to create queries through the UI to enable/disable access to certain data.
An entity (Client / Matter contract / Matter) is selected as a secured entity (Client / Matter contract / Matter) and approved, will be available for the user who is assigned with Ethical walls user role. Such user have access to see the entity (Client / Matter contract / Matter) and all associated data.
If a client is secured, then all matter contracts and matters below it are also secured and the Ethical walls user who can access the client will have access to the client’s matter contracts and matters.
If a contract is secured, then all matters below it is secured, and the ethical wall user can access to the matters pertaining to the contract.
Parameters
A new parameter “Enable ethical walls” has been introduced in MMA parameters to enable this feature.
Matter management and accounting > Setup > Matter management and accounting parameters >General tab > Enable ethical walls
The number sequence ‘Ethical walls instruction id’ has been provided as it is a unique id and is used in the back end for technical purpose
Matter management and accounting > Setup > Matter management and accounting parameters >Number sequences
Roles relating to Ethical walls
The following roles has been introduced relating to Ethical walls.
System administrator > Users > Users assigned roles
Details of the role introduced for Ethical walls are as follows –
| Fields | Description |
| Ethical walls maintainer | When assigned with this role, the user is enabled to mark an entity (Client / Matter contract / Matter) to be secured and further approve the access in the Ethical wall approval app |
| Ethical walls user | When assigned with this role, the user is enabled to mark an entity (Client / Matter contract / Matter) to be secured and access the entity (Client / Matter contract / Matter) once the security access is approved |
Setups available for Clients / Matter contract / Matters forms
To enable users to mark an entity (Clients /Matter contract/ Matter) as secured, setups are available in the creation form and Ethical walls tab.
Creation forms
User can secure a Client, Matter or a Matter contract while creating a new record.
‘Is secured’ field is available in the following forms
Matter management and accounting > Clients > All clients >Create new client
Matter management and accounting > Matters > Matter contracts > Create new matter contract
Matter management and accounting > Matters > All matters > Create new matter.
Ethical wall tab and fields
Matter management and accounting > Clients > All clients
Details of the fields available on the Ethical walls are as follows –
| Fields | Description |
| Is secured | When this field is set to yes, and the record is submitted for review. The specific entity (client / Matter contract /Matter) will not be available for Ethical wall users. |
| Instruction | Instruction provided related to securing the entity (client / Matter contract /Matter). |
| Status | Status field shows the status of the record / request placed |
| Assigned to | Assigned to fields displays the user details who has been assigned to approve the request |
| Requested by | Displays the user details who has placed the request |
| Approved date | Displays the approval date once this request is approved |
| Date of last change | Displays the date of last change made to this request |
| Add | This button enables users to add email addresses of the users requiring access |
| Remove | This button enables users to remove email addresses of the users not requiring access |
| Email ID | Email addresses of the users will be added to, are proposed to get the access to the secured entity (Client/Matter contract/Matter) |
| Status | Status field shows the status of the record / request placed |
| Submit instruction to review | Submit Instruction to review, processes the request to be in review status and for further processing of the request. |
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Note – Above mentioned Ethical walls tab and fields are available in below paths also. Matter management and accounting > Matters > Matter contracts and Matter management and accounting > Matters > All matters. |
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