Import Clients from Clio, MyCase, or PracticePanther (and When to Use a Generic CSV)

Switching practice management software should not mean weeks of copy-and-paste. Your old system already holds contacts, matters, and deadlines; what you need is a safe path from export to live data in the new tool.

That is what a structured CSV import is for: predictable columns, a validation pass before commit, and clear choices when a row might already exist in your database.

What you can import

MyLawyerLink is built around three related buckets of information:

• Clients — contact and profile details you use across matters
• Cases — matter-level information linked to clients
• Events — calendar entries such as hearings, deadlines, and appointments

You can bring these in as separate CSV files (one entity type at a time) or use combined import when you are doing a fuller migration and want clients, cases, and events processed together in the right order with relationships preserved.

Exports from Clio, MyCase, and PracticePanther are supported, along with a generic CSV when your columns follow the expected templates. Choosing the right source system in the importer helps align column headers with our fields so you spend less time fighting the file.

Where to go in the app

Open Import Data from your account area (you will also find a link from Account Settings under Import Data, and from the Clients page when you want to add data in bulk).

The page title is Import Data, with a short subtitle: import from CSV or migrate from another system. The flow is organized into four stages shown across the top: Select Type, Upload, Review, and Complete.

Step by step (how the wizard works)

1. Choose import method

First you pick Choose Import Method:

• Single Import — one type at a time: clients only, cases only, or events only.
• Combined Import — clients, cases, and events together for a fuller migration, with automatic relationship linking and import in the correct order.

2. Upload CSV files

For Single Import, you then Select Data Type — Clients, Cases, or Events — each with a one-line description (for example, clients for contact information; events for calendar events and deadlines). Upload a CSV file only; the UI reminds you to keep headers aligned with the template.

For Combined Import, you can attach Clients (Optional), Cases (Optional), and Events (Optional) CSVs—you need at least one file before you can validate. Help text explains that files are imported in order: Clients → Cases → Events.

On either path you can Download Example Files for clients, cases, and events to see the expected shape of the data.

When you are ready, click Validate & Continue (or Validating... while the request runs).

3. Review validation results

The Validation Results screen summarizes what the system found: counts such as Total Rows, Valid Rows, Errors, and Duplicates for a single file, or per-section totals for combined imports. Row-level Errors are listed with messages so you can fix the CSV and try again. Potential Duplicates are called out with a note that you will choose how to handle them in the next step.

If the data looks wrong, use Back to return to upload. When you are satisfied, continue with Configure Import.

4. Configure options and run the import

Under Configure Import Options:

• Duplicate Handling — Skip Duplicates (do not import rows that match existing records), Update Existing (merge new data into matches), or Create New (always insert new rows and ignore matches).
• Source System (Optional) — Generic CSV, Clio, MyCase, or PracticePanther. The helper text notes that this helps with field mapping when importing from specific software.

Then click Execute Import (shown as Importing... while running). When finished, you should see Import Complete! with a breakdown of Total, Successful, Failed, and Skipped rows so you know exactly what landed.

Practical tips before you import

• Export cleanly from the old system — use the vendor’s standard CSV or report export when possible; avoid hand-edited spreadsheets with merged cells or stray title rows.
• Normalize phones and emails — consistent formatting reduces validation errors and makes duplicate detection more reliable.
• Start small if you are unsure — a short test file (even a handful of rows) run through Validate & Continue surfaces header and typing issues before you upload thousands of lines.
• Keep a copy of the source export — treat the CSV from your prior system as part of your records retention practice; the import is a copy operation, not a substitute for archives or ethical obligations around client files.

Duplicates and ongoing data hygiene

Validation highlights potential duplicates before you commit. Combined with Duplicate Handling at configure time, you can avoid accidental double entries or deliberately refresh existing records. When you add clients manually elsewhere in the product, similar matching logic helps catch overlaps—useful after a bulk import when the team is still cleaning up edge cases.

Bottom line

Moving platforms is easier when the new system meets you halfway: validate first, map fields with source-aware templates, and choose how to treat rows that look like ones you already have. If you are evaluating MyLawyerLink or ready to cut over, start at Import Data—or Sign up if you have not created an account yet—and run a validation pass on a real export from Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, or your own CSV.