Docketing

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The act of systematically arranging and cataloging legal materials to ensure timely access and reference
2. A methodical approach for managing and recording case details and documents in a legal context
3. The process of entering and organizing information about legal cases to keep track of their progress and documents

Etymology: "Docketing" is the present participle and gerund of "docket," so it carries the sense of the verb's activity: entering a case or document into a formal list. The verb's own origin is uncertain, but it is commonly thought to be a diminutive of "dock," a word that in this sense referred to a short label or ticket attached to something. That makes the underlying image a small tag or slip of paper, which fits a court's practice of noting a case briefly on a list to be heard. The practical sense came first in legal contexts: a docket was a schedule of cases awaiting hearing, and recording cases on it was the everyday clerical task the participle names. From that record-keeping meaning, the word spread to other fields where items are logged and ordered for attention, such as shipping and business.

Synonyms: scheduling, listing, registering, organizing, filing