Complimentary!! Hearing Binder Index Template

Thank you for checking out my charts and personal work-product. As you know, I am an experienced paralegal with several decades of experience. The charts I am sharing for use are charts which I use on a daily basis and have used for a very long time. I have shared them with co-workers and people end up using them and adjusting them to their particular flavor or need.

Attorneys will routinely request hearing binders for use during evidentiary hearings - either live ones or via zoom. These binders aid the attorney during their argument and contain basically all the material he or she may need for preparing for the hearing and use during.

The basic binder contains the Notice of Hearing, Motion to be heard (with attached exhibits or broken up with tabs), the opposing party's response or objection (if any) and the filing party's reply to the response/objection. The binder will also include material (evidence) used by the attorney to argue his point as well as the supporting case law and all authorities relied upon.

This template represents the form used by me (and many others) as an index to identify all the material contained in the binder. I usually assign a Tab letter for the actual pleadings and Tab numbers for the case law. At other times, I split up the exhibits from the document, listing them separately as Ex. 1 or Ex. A (whatever they are called) directly under the specific document.

Finally, using the caption of the document, I usually create a little cover sheet (as fancy looking as I could make it :-) with the title of the motion being heard, date of hearing and Judge's name - bold and centered. I follow that with this index form (PDF'd) and the actual pleadings and case law (which I would already have all PDF'd and ready go). I combine it all in Adobe and that will give me the final product - a beautiful, neatly organized electronic binder. This could also be easily duplicated for as many people who may want it for the scheduled event and you can have it printed for physical binders.

Good luck!