Administrator & End-User Guide

Overview

Custom Rule Sets for Events is a built-in Clarra feature that lets your firm automate the creation of related events based on a Trigger Event — without requiring a third-party calendaring integration such as CalendarRules. Administrators configure reusable Rule Sets that define which related events to generate, their timing, and how to handle weekends and holidays. Once configured, any user with event permissions can apply these Rule Sets when creating or editing events.

This feature is designed for firms that:

• Work primarily in a limited number of courts and maintain their own deadline rules
• Need to automate internal workflow tasks (e.g., pre-deposition client meetings, contract milestones) that are not court-mandated
• Want a built-in alternative to — or supplement for — CalendarRules
• Operate outside the legal industry and need flexible, trigger-based event automation

Key Terminology

The following terms are used throughout this article and within Clarra's Workflows configuration screens:

Who Does What

Custom Rule Sets involve two types of users:

Administrators configure Rule Sets, Rules, and Holiday Calendars in Account Settings > Workflows. Users assigned the "Add/Edit Workflows" permission can also access this section.

End Users apply Rule Sets when creating or editing Events using the Date Calculator. Any user with the existing "Add/Edit Events" permission can use this feature.

Part 1: Administrator Configuration

Before users can generate related events, an Administrator must set up at least one Rule Set and at least one Rule. Configuration is done in Account Settings > Workflows.

Step 1: Create a Rule Set

A Rule Set is the container that organizes your Rules and, optionally, links to one or more Holiday Calendars.

• Go to Account Settings > Workflows and select the Rule Sets tab.
• Click “+ New Rule Set”.
• Enter a Rule Set Name (required, up to 255 characters).
• Enter an optional Description (up to 500 characters).
• Optionally, select one or more Holiday Calendars to apply to this Rule Set. Holiday Calendars can also be added or changed later.
• Click “Save”.

Step 2: Create a Rule

A Rule defines the Trigger Name and the related events to generate when that Trigger is applied. Rules are created with a three-step process.

Step 2a — Define the Trigger

• In the Workflows section, select the Rules tab.
• Click “+ New Rule”.
• Enter a Trigger Name (required). This is the name users will see when applying the Rule Set — for example, "Deposition Date" or "Contract Execution Date".
• Click “Next”.

Step 2b — Define Related Events

Add one or more Related Events that will be generated when the Trigger is applied.

• Click “+ Add Related Event”.
• Configure the Timing Rules for the Related Event:
  • When: Before or After the Trigger Event date
  • Value: Number of days
  • Days: Calendar Days (default) or Weekdays
  • Weekend & Holiday Handling Rule: Select how the date should shift if it falls on a weekend or holiday (Move to previous business day is the default).
• A helper text preview shows the calculated timing (e.g., "This event will be scheduled 3 calendar days after the Trigger").
• Complete the Event Details for the Related Event:
  • Event Type: Appointment, Deadline, or Task (required)
  • Milestone: Yes or No (default: No)
  • Event Code: Select from your firm's Event Codes configured in Properties (required)
  • Time & Duration: Required for Appointments; optional for Deadlines; not shown for Tasks
  • Status: By default "Not Done"
  • Reminder: Optional, multiple reminders can be selected
  • Description: Required
  • Notes: Optional. Auto-populated with system-generated text describing the timing and holiday handling logic.
• Repeat for each additional Related Event by clicking “+ Add Related Event”. Related Event cards can be expanded or collapsed.
• Click “Next”.

Step 2c — Assign to Rule Sets

• Select one or more Rule Sets from the dropdown (required). A Rule must belong to at least one Rule Set.
• If the needed Rule Set does not exist yet, select “+ Quick Add Rule Set” to create one inline.
• Click “Save”.

Step 3: Set Up Holiday Calendars (Optional)

Holiday Calendars let you specify dates on which no events should fall. When a related event's calculated date lands on a listed holiday, Clarra automatically adjusts the date based on the Weekend & Holiday Handling Rule configured for that event.

• In Account Settings > Workflows, click the “Holiday Calendars” button.
• Click “+ New Holiday Calendar” and either:
  • Upload a CSV file (download the sample template for the required format), or
  • Add dates manually.
• Save the calendar.
• To apply a Holiday Calendar to a Rule Set, edit the Rule Set and select the calendar(s) from the Holiday Calendars dropdown.

Editing Rule Sets and Rules

Rule Sets and Rules can be updated at any time. When you edit a Rule, Clarra gives you the option to apply your changes to existing events.

Editing a Rule Set

• Go to Account Settings > Workflows > Rule Sets.
• Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the Rule Set, or select “Rename” from the three-dot menu.
• Update the name, description, or Holiday Calendar assignments.
• Click “Save”.

Editing a Rule

• Go to Account Settings > Workflows > Rules.
• Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the Rule.
• Make your changes and click “Save Changes”.
• The Apply Rule Changes dialog will appear with two options:
  • No — Apply to new events only: Your edits will apply only to future events generated with this Rule. Existing related events are not changed.
  • Yes — Apply to existing events (Not Done or In Progress): Clarra will identify all existing events created with this Rule that have a status of Not Done or In Progress and show you a summary of the changes before applying them.
• If you select Yes, a Review Affected Events screen will show the Matter, Related Event Description, Old Date, and New Date for each affected event. You can review and then click “Apply Changes”.

Deleting Rule Sets and Rules

Deleting a Rule Set

A Rule Set can only be deleted if no Rules are currently associated with it. If Rules are associated, you must first reassign or delete those Rules before the Rule Set can be removed. 

Deleting a Rule

Deleting a Rule does not delete any existing events. However, the connection between the Trigger Event and its related events is removed — the related events become standalone events and will no longer update automatically if the Trigger Event's date changes. This action cannot be undone.

Bulk Import

If you have a large number of Rule Sets or Holiday Calendars to configure, you can import them using CSV files.

Importing Rule Sets

• Go to Account Settings > Workflows > Rule Sets.
• Select the import option and upload your CSV file (download the sample template for the correct format).
• Review the imported Rule Sets in the preview table. You can edit entries or add more manually.
• Click “Save”.

Importing Holiday Calendars

• Go to Account Settings > Workflows > Holiday Calendars.
• Upload your CSV file (download the sample template; format requires date and holiday name columns).
• Save the calendar.

Part 2: Using the Date Calculator (End Users)

Once an Administrator has configured at least one Rule Set and Rule, users with the "Add/Edit Events" permission can use the Date Calculator to generate related events from any Event in Clarra.

Step 1: Create or Open an Event and Launch the Date Calculator

• Create a new Event or open an existing Event in a Matter.
• Click “Save & Calculate Dates”.

• The Date Calculator page will open. The Matter, Trigger Date, and Time are pre-populated from the Event you just saved and cannot be edited on this page.

Step 2: Select a Rule Set and Trigger Item

• Select the Rule Set you want to apply from the Rule Set dropdown.
• Select the Trigger Item from the Trigger Item dropdown. The available options are populated based on the selected Rule Set.
• Click “Calculate”.

Clarra will calculate the dates for all Related Events defined in the Rule Set based on the Trigger Event date, applying any configured Calendar Day or Weekday calculations, weekend handling, and Holiday Calendar exclusions.

Step 3: Review Calculated Events

A list of all calculated Related Events will be displayed. By default, all events are selected.

• Review the event list, including dates, timing notes, and descriptions.
• Deselect any events you do not want to create by unchecking the corresponding checkbox.
• Use the search and filter options to find specific events in large result sets.
• Optionally, export the results as an .xlsx file.
• Click “Next” when you are ready to proceed.

Step 4: Customize and Save Events to the Matter

Before saving, you can review and edit each Related Event directly in the table.

• Editable columns include: Event Type, Event Date, Assignee, Time, Duration, Event Code, Event Description, Notes, Status, and Reminder.
• Assignees default to the Matter's default event assignees.
• Make any desired adjustments.
• Choose one of the following:
  • Save to Matter: Creates all selected Related Events and links them to the Trigger Event.
  • Save as Draft: Saves the configuration without finalizing the events.
  • Cancel: Exits without saving.

Once saved, the Related Events will appear in the Matter's Events section and in the Outline View, which displays the full parent-child hierarchy of the event family.

Understanding Event Relationships

Custom Rule Sets support multi-level event families. A Trigger Event (parent) can have Related Events (children), and some of those Related Events can in turn serve as triggers for their own Related Events (grandchildren). Clarra supports up to three levels:

• Level 1: Trigger Event (parent)
• Level 2: Related Events (children)
• Level 3: Related Events of Related Events (grandchildren)

When a Trigger Event's date changes, Clarra will prompt you to update the related events at each level. If you update a child event's date and grandchild events exist, you will be asked whether to update those as well.

Using Custom Rule Sets Alongside CalendarRules

If your firm uses CalendarRules, Custom Rule Sets can be used simultaneously without conflict. A few important notes:

• An event created as a CalendarRules child event can also serve as a Custom Rule Set Trigger Event (and vice versa).
• An event can be used with both CalendarRules ("Save & Calculate Docket") and Custom Rule Sets ("Save & Calculate Dates") — it may be a trigger for both families.
• If a Trigger Event's date changes and it has both CalendarRules children and Custom Rule Set children, Clarra will prompt you to update both sets of related events.
• Terminology distinction: Custom Rule Sets use "Date Calculator" and "Rule Set"; CalendarRules uses "Docket Calculator" and "Jurisdiction."

Permissions Summary

Date Calculation Logic

When the Date Calculator generates related events, it follows this sequence for each event:

1. Start with the Trigger Event date.
2. Apply the timing rule: add or subtract the specified number of Calendar Days or Weekdays.
3. Check if the resulting date falls on a weekend. If yes, adjust per the Weekend & Holiday Handling Rule.
4. Check if a Holiday Calendar is linked to the Rule Set and whether the date falls on a listed holiday. If yes, adjust per the Weekend & Holiday Handling Rule.
5. Set the Related Event date to the final adjusted date.

Dates are displayed in each user's configured regional time zone and format.

Notifications

Events created with Custom Rule Sets follow the same in-app and email notification rules as all other Clarra events, based on each user's personal notification settings.

An additional notification is sent in specific circumstances during Rule editing: if an Administrator applies a rule change to existing events but does not have access to certain matters containing affected events, Clarra automatically sends an in-app and email notification to all team members for those matters. The notification includes a link to the table of affected events so that team members can review and take action.

Events created via Custom Rule Sets also sync to connected external calendars (Outlook, Google Calendar) in the same way as other Clarra events, provided calendar sync is enabled for your account.

Audit Trail

Clarra maintains a full audit trail for Custom Rule Sets activity:

• Creation, modification, and deletion of Rule Sets, Rules, and Holiday Calendars are logged with the acting user and timestamp.
• Events created or modified via Custom Rule Sets are tracked in the Event Audit Trail.
• Audit trail activity is included in the Audit Trail by User report.
• The Last Modified date for each Rule Set and Rule is shown in the respective list views.

Reporting and Search

Events generated via Custom Rule Sets are fully integrated into Clarra's reporting and search features:

• All such events are indexed for global and contextual search within Clarra.
• They appear in all applicable Standard Reports and can be included in Custom Reports.
• The Outline View in the Matter's Events tab displays the full hierarchy of event families, including grandchild events.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need CalendarRules to use Custom Rule Sets?

No. Custom Rule Sets is an independent feature built into Clarra and does not require any third-party integration. It can be used on its own or alongside CalendarRules.

Can a Related Event be a recurring event?

No. Related Events created via Custom Rule Sets are always single, non-recurring events. Recurring events cannot be used as Trigger Events or as Related Events.

What happens to existing related events if I delete a Rule?

Deleting a Rule does not delete any existing events. However, the link between the Trigger Event and its Related Events is removed. The Related Events become standalone events and will no longer automatically update if the Trigger Event's date changes.

Can I use the same Rule in multiple Rule Sets?

Yes. A Rule can belong to more than one Rule Set. This many-to-many relationship lets you reuse common Rules across different Rule Sets without duplicating configuration.

What if a calculated date falls on both a weekend and a holiday?

Clarra applies weekend handling first, then checks against the Holiday Calendar. If the adjusted date still falls on a holiday, the Holiday Handling Rule is applied again until a valid working day is found.

Can I export my Rule Sets and Rules?

Yes. You can export Rule Sets and Rules individually as CSV/XLS files using the export options in the Workflows list views. You can also export the results of a date calculation as an .xlsx file from the Date Calculator.

Is the Date Calculator available on mobile?

The core Date Calculator functionality is accessible on mobile and tablet devices. Tables scroll horizontally on smaller screens. The administrative configuration screens in Account Settings are optimized for desktop but remain responsive on mobile and tablet devices.

Need Help?

If you have questions about configuring or using Custom Rule Sets, visit our Help Center at support.clarra.com or contact the Clarra support team through the Help Center.