Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a security feature that allows your firm to control which users can access specific cases and jobs in your Steno dashboard.
Currently, when a new user joins your Firm Dashboard, they can see all cases and all job materials for your entire firm. This includes:
- All transcripts and exhibits
- All job details and witness names
- All invoices and billing information
- Cases from any office location or practice area
What Happens When You Enable RBAC
With RBAC enabled, you can choose exactly who sees your job files. You have two main options:
Option 1: Open Collaboration with Selective Restrictions
- Default: Everyone still sees everything (just like today)
- When needed: You can restrict specific confidential cases to selected users only
- Best for: Firms that want flexibility to lock down sensitive matters while keeping most cases open
Option 2: Restricted Access by Default
- Default: New cases are only visible to the person who books them
- When needed: Case administrators explicitly share access with other team members
- Best for: Firms requiring strict security controls on all matters
Understand User Access Roles
RBAC uses two types of roles that work together:
Firm-Level Roles
Firm Admin
- Full control over all users, cases, and settings across your entire organization
- Can override any case restrictions
- Manages firm-wide RBAC settings
- Example: Your managing partner who needs to oversee all case access
Billing User
- Access to all billing information and invoices firm-wide (invoices include job-level details such as case name, number, and witness names)
- Cannot access case content, transcripts, or exhibits
- Perfect for billing staff who need financial visibility without case materials
- Example: Your bookkeeper who processes invoices but shouldn't see confidential case information
Member (Standard User)
- Default role for most users
- Access to cases is managed at the case level (see Case-Level Roles below)
- Can be assigned as Case Admin or Case Viewer on specific cases
Case-Level Roles
Case Admin
- Can see all materials and jobs for specific cases they manage
- Can add/remove other users from their cases
- Can assign roles (Case Admin or Case Viewer) to other users
- Automatically assigned to whoever first books a job on a new case
- Example: A lead attorney books the first deposition on "Smith v. Jones" and becomes Case Admin, or a senior paralegal is manually assigned to manage a complex case
Case Viewer
- Can see all materials and jobs for assigned cases
- Cannot manage who else has access
- Perfect for team members who need visibility but not administrative control
- Example: An associate attorney is added to a case to review all transcripts and prepare for depositions but doesn't need to manage team access
Job Manager (Automatic)
- Can only see the specific job they're connected to
- Automatically assigned based on their role on the job
- Two levels:
- Job Owners (ordered by/on behalf of): Can edit job details
- Job Participants (ordered to/bill to): View-only access
- Cannot see other jobs within the same case
- Example: A paralegal orders a single deposition on an existing case and automatically gets access to the job's materials upon completion, but can't see the other 10 depositions already completed in the case
Learn How to Enable Role-Based Access Control in your Firm Dashboard here.
Need help? Contact concierge@steno.com for setup assistance.
More Articles:
How To Enable Role-Based Access
What Are The Firm Dashboard Roles