July 21, 2026
Understanding Your Lead Data: What Each Field Means
What every field in your Legal Leads delivery means and how to use them in mail merge templates for better solicitation letters.
Every morning, Legal Leads delivers a spreadsheet of court filings matching your criteria. But what do all those columns mean? Understanding your lead data helps you write better solicitation letters, set up smarter mail merge templates, and make informed decisions about which leads to prioritize.
This guide explains every field in your lead delivery file.
Defendant Information
- first_name
- The defendant's first name as recorded in the court filing. Use this in your salutation: "Dear [first_name]" or "Dear [first_name] [last_name]"
- last_name
- The defendant's last name. Combined with first_name for the full name on envelopes and letter headers.
- address_line_1
- Street address as provided to the court. This is typically the defendant's current address at the time of booking or citation.
- address_line_2
- Apartment, suite, or unit number if applicable. May be blank for single-family addresses.
- city
- City of residence.
- state
- State (typically "MO" for Missouri residents, but out-of-state defendants are common for traffic cases).
- zip_code
- 5-digit ZIP code. Important for mail delivery and can indicate the defendant's neighborhood.
Case Information
- case_number
- The court's official case number. Referencing this in your letter demonstrates you know their specific situation: "I understand you have a pending matter, case number [case_number]..."
- case_type
- The category of case: Criminal, Traffic/Municipal, Family, Civil, or Probate. Useful for writing case-type-specific letter templates.
- offense_description
- The specific charge or charges. Examples: "DWI - ALCOHOL", "STEALING", "POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE". This is the most valuable field for personalizing letters — you can speak directly to their charge.
- filing_date
- The date the case was filed in the court system. This is typically the arrest date or citation date. Letters arrive fastest when mailed immediately after filing.
Court Information
- circuit
- The Missouri judicial circuit number (1-46). Combined with location, tells you exactly which court has jurisdiction.
- court_name / location
- The specific court location. A circuit may have multiple courts — the main county court plus municipal courts in various cities. Example: "St. Louis County Circuit Court" vs. "Clayton Municipal Court" (both in Circuit 21).
- court_address
- The physical address of the courthouse. Useful if you want to include "Your case is being heard at [court_address]" in your letter.
Using Fields in Mail Merge
Here's how to combine fields in a mail merge template:
«first_name» «last_name»
«address_line_1»
«city», «state» «zip_code»
Dear «first_name»,
I understand you may be facing a charge of «offense_description» in «court_name» (case number «case_number»). As an attorney who regularly practices in this court, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss your options.
Data Quality Notes
- Address accuracy: Addresses come directly from court records. They're generally current — the defendant provided this address at arrest or citation. Occasional errors happen when defendants give false information.
- Name variations: Names appear exactly as recorded by the court. You may see nicknames, maiden names, or misspellings. Use them as-is for mail merge.
- Missing data: Some fields may be blank if the court didn't record that information. Your letter template should handle blank fields gracefully (e.g., don't reference offense_description if it might be empty).
- Multiple charges: If a defendant has multiple charges in one case, they appear in the offense_description field, typically separated by commas or semicolons.
Filtering Based on Fields
Understanding your data helps you set up better circuit settings:
- By case_type: Select Criminal, Traffic, Family, etc. based on your practice areas
- By keywords in offense_description: Include "DWI, DUI, intoxicated" to focus on drunk driving cases
- By location: If a circuit has multiple courts, you can select specific locations
Clean data, better letters
Legal Leads delivers structured, mail-merge-ready data every business day. Understand your fields, personalize your letters, and convert more leads into clients. Start your subscription today →
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a complete statement of Missouri attorney advertising rules.
Ready to Start Getting Leads?
Missouri attorney leads from court filings, delivered daily. $400/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Start Getting Leads