KAS Training's Legal Word Processing Corner

The Benefits of Customized Styles and Templates for the Small Law Office

2011-06-28T11:11:00.000-04:00

Looking back, as I reflect on my former days as a legal secretary, legal word processing operator, and technical support specialist, I find one thing is universal throughout every top-tier law firm: customized styles and templates.

Standardized documentation is critical to the law office. Just imagine hundreds, even thousands of attorneys working for one firm, all of them positioned in different offices working without a standard means of formatting their documents? Customized styles and templates reduce the cost of formatting a single document by thousands of dollars. This astronomical savings does not take into account the additional savings that stem from reduced document corruption, of which poor formatting is a high contributor.

An analysis of a firms documents is the first step in creating customized styles and templates. The process is simple. The analyst reviews each documents' formatting, noting document spacing, margins, font(s), font size(s), etc. Once the analysis is complete, in a matter of days, a small law office can be creating and formatting standardized, corruption protected documents in minutes instead of hours.

Customized styles and templates do not need fancy interfaces and execution buttons. The simplest of templates work behind the scene without notice. Still, its power to support standardized document production while delivering corruption-reducing support is enormous.

If you have gone from working in an international law firm to a small law office and you've grown weary of the tedious means of formatting documents without the benefits of customized styles and templates, let me make a suggestion. Take the bull by the horns. Find someone with decision making authority (or influence) and talk about the time-saving capabilities of customized styles and templates. Keep it short and simple. Speak their language. You may find yourself with new responsibilities which often leads to better opportunities.

If you're looking for the skills necessary to develop customized styles and templates, KAS (Knowledge Ability Skill) Training is here to help you acquire and redevelop the universal skill of legal word processing.

Law Firms, Microsoft Word 2010 and Styles

2010-09-28T13:50:00.001-04:00

I would dare to say that the legal industry leads the way in effectively employing the use of Microsoft Word. Yes, of course I am partial. I've been servicing lawyers with administrative support and training for most of my adult life. The need for proper document formatting and standardization is critical to the legal industry. Document size and the multiple types of formatting contained in a single legal document demands a standard that is accomplished through proper application usage. Therefore, the document production specialists (legal word processing operator) is required to have skill-sets that allow them to manipulate the application in a way that surpasses many certified Microsoft Office Specialists.

While some law firms continue to move forward from Office 2003 to 2007 and 2010 (yes, kicking and screaming), their users—once the initial shock wears off—will eventually come to understand that the new look, though intimidating, is a welcomed changed. I personally felt like someone broke into my home and move all of my most used household tools to different locations. However, knowing that the only thing in life I can count on is change, I bit the bullet and used the Ribbon Tab names to form associations with various tasks I needed to perform. Lo and behold, I began to located groups of commands that were quite familiar.

The more challenging change was grasping the difference in Word 2003 Outline Numbering with heading styles, to 2007/2010 Multilevel List. Taking the time to unlearn what I learned (In the words of Yoda), over time I grasped the new concept and found sheer pleasure knowing that there is no longer a need to dig deep into a Heading Style to customize the style numbering.

The Style Gallery is like an artist's arrangement of document formatting tools, displaying the name of the styles and its formatting appearance. Live Preview, a new technology introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, lets you preview a styles formatting attributes before you apply it. By rolling the mouse pointer over a style in the Style Gallery, the text at the cursor location in the document takes on the look of the style's attributes, allowing you to see what your text will look like before applying the style.

Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 provides varying ways to use styles—the backbone of document formatting. Create style sets, creating new styles, access, modify and clear direct formatting (the Style Inspector is impressive). Used creatively, any law office—small or large—can effectively devise and employ house-styles that will reduce cost, which is the bottom line of any company, in any industry.

Learn more about document production and the skill it requires. Pick up a copy of: "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals—Unveiling the Rules and Secrets of Legal Word Processing" Available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and all major online booksellers around the globe.

The Perils of Direct Formatting

2010-05-17T19:04:00.000-04:00

You find yourself working on a legal document with numerous paragraphs that begin with a number followed by a heading that precedes a paragraph (e.g., "10. The Seller's Options. The Seller will have the following options"). In the legal industry, there is a right way and a wrong way to format a heading with this particular formatting. The wrong way would include direct formatting. What is direct formatting?

Direct formatting is the process of applying formatting directly to text (characters) and paragraphs. Now, you may be thinking: "What are the formatting icons for if not for applying formatting?" You're right, the icons are for applying formatting directly. However, when you're formatting a document with Microsoft Word, each click of an icon inserts invisible codes into a document. The more codes you insert, the more likely you are to corrupt your document...in time. In addition, Microsoft Word's infrastructure supports the application of formatting with the use of Styles (please see our previous post on "Styles").

In the legal industry, direct formatting is considered objectionable. When a document is lengthy and contains multiple types of paragraph and character formatting, page numbering and page layouts, it is imperative that only a minimal amount of direct formatting is used, if any. Using the example in the first paragraph, by the time you reach paragraph 10, if direct formatting is employed, you will have inserted coding for each numbered paragraph that precedes it, which expends time, and time is revenue saved or spent.

Lesson 4 of "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals" provides a comparison of direct formatting with correct formatting steps for numerous character and paragraph formatting attributes. Lesson 8 discusses the use of Styles and why it is imperative that formatting begin and end with Styles, highlighting the simplicity of this important feature.

You can learn more about word processing for law professionals when you purchase "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals" by clicking the following link. http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00350I2B6.

KAS Training is providing free webinar training to anyone that purchases our book between May, 2010 and October 31, 2010. Check our website for details. http://www.kastraining.com

Styles: The Backbone of Legal Word Processing

2010-02-14T15:07:00.001-05:00

When I think of the word 'Style' the first thing that comes to my mind is fashion and home decorating. Modern/contemporary is my preference when it comes to home furnishings. And, though I'm not a slave to fashion (some who know me may disagree), I like the process of pulling together a modest, yet tasteful outfit. Right about now you may be asking yourself: 'what does all of this have to do with legal word processing?'

The word Style in any context is representative of a combination of complimentary elements. Modern home design is not just furniture with clean lines. It encompasses colors, textures, and other elements, which collectively identify the style name.

Microsoft Word Styles are the same as any other type of styling. Made up of a combination of formatting features, a single Style in Microsoft Word allows you to apply multiple formatting with a single mouse click. For example, consider the Paragraph style: like other Style types, each Paragraph style has a name that reflects it formatting elements. Paragraph styles also contain all of the elements needed to format a paragraph. Line spacing, spacing between paragraphs, first line indenting, keep lines together, and a host of other paragraph related formatting features. Because paragraphs differ in formatting, particularly in complex legal documents, using Styles to format will save a tremendous amount of time. And, of course, time saved is revenue saved.

When it comes to formatting complex legal documents, using Microsoft Word Styles is crucial. Because we tend to think of a word processing software as common technology, Microsoft Word is highly advanced technology. The touch of a key and the single click of a mouse combines complex coding. When we use Styles, we reduce the amount of codes in a document and thereby support the stability of what really is an intricate electronic file.

Most people feel that using Styles requires too much time and energy. Quite the opposite is true. You may spend a bit of time modifying Styles to reflect the desired formatting requirements. However, you will save an enormous amount of time when it comes to modifying documents, adding riders and making other types of document edits.

As the backbone of document formatting, KAS Training & Development addresses the use of Styles extensively in its book, "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals--Unveiling the Rules and Secrets of Legal Word Processing". For a view inside of our book, check us out at http://www.books.google.com/.

Legal Word Processing: What's the Big Deal?

2010-01-29T12:54:00.001-05:00

How many time have you heard someone say, "word processing is just typing. I don't understand what the big deal is." The truth is, when we don't understand something we tend to minimize its importance. As for word processing, particularly legal word processing, it is a big deal.

Ask any attorney how inappropriate it is for her (or him) to have even one pararagraph in a document formatted improperly. Or, for that matter, being able to incorporate a client's four-page rider containing several paragraphs displaying different levels of outline numbering.

Though most of my colleagues consider me a top-notch law technology trainer, I still see myself as a legal word processing geek. I understand the intricacies of document production and the importance of using Microsoft Word in a way that supports its technological infrastructure.

"Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals--Unveiling the Rules and Secrets of Legal Word Processing" is more than an instruction book or manual. It's an open discussion on the fundamentals of Microsoft Word. When we start with the fundamentals of any subject we establish the basis for undertanding its most complex components or features.

As a word processing software, Microsoft Word is a tool for 'processing' words. A computer may have a keyboard, but it's not a typewriter. If you're just using Microsoft Word to type, you're missing out on the capability of a program that allows its user to bring a book to life.

When we set out to create "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals...", we decided that we would only use Microsoft Word to create, edit and format our book. Therefore, in reality, though our book targets the law professional, anyone looking to learn more about proper document creation and formatting with Microsoft Word will learn the logic and foundation behind Microsoft Word.

In our next blog we'll discuss the topic of Microsoft Word styles. If you have a specific legal word processing topic that you would like us to address, please send us your comments.

Until next time, happy processing.

A One of a Kind Book on Legal Word Processing

2010-01-05T09:20:00.000-05:00

In December, 2009, KAS Training & Development completed its book entitled, "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals--Unveiling the Rules and Secrets of Legal Word Processing."

As Microsoft prepares to introduce Office 2010, KAS Training has positioned itself to answer the call of law professionals and law firm support staff with its new book featuring Microsoft Word 2010 and the current version of Microsoft Word, 2007.

"Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals" features law technology trainer, Patricia E. Gordon. Patricia has served some of world's top law firms. "Document production is a critical segment of every law firm" says, Patricia. Today's economy calls on associates, paralegals, secretaries and receptionists to be efficient in document production. During a recent training course for a law firm based in New York City, firm partners were impressed with the simplicity KAS Training brings to legal word processing."

"Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals" goes beyond the typical step-by-step instructional teaching of Microsoft Word's features. “KAS Training addresses the science of legal word processing in conjunction with the fundamentals of Microsoft Word. “WordPerfect users with a dependency on "Reveal Codes" will be thrilled by KAS Training's methodical teaching process and how this book focuses on the Microsoft Word features that are critical to the law office."

If you're new to legal word processing, "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals" takes you from the first step in legal word processing all the way through the application's most complex 'law firm features'. "I recommend this book to anyone that is seeking to enter the legal field as a paralegal, secretary or legal word processor” says Ms. Gordon, Executive Director with KAS Training & Development. "Most legal staffing firms require secretarial and word processing candidates to pass a stringent test before they are considered for contract and full-time employment. "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals" addresses the Microsoft Word features that staffing firms and law firms administer on skills assessment tests.

You can pre-order "Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals--Unveiling the Secrets of Legal Word Processing", by KAS Training & Development on Amazon, Amazon UK and other book sellers worldwide.

A Peek into the World of Legal Word Processing

2009-07-15T10:39:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, while attending a train-the-trainer session in New York City, I overheard a discussion where one of my peers talked about her introduction to the legal industry as a word processing specialists. My interest outweighed my modest guilt of eavesdropping, as I was reminded of the changes in desktop technology.

Long before Microsoft came on the scene, Wang, MultiMate and WordPerfect DOS were the leading word processing systems. And, the legal industry, like no other, demanded and continues to demand top-notch word processing skills that, in many cases, surpass the skill-sets of certified users. With twenty-four hour a day document production departments and word processing centers, international law firms generate millions of legal documents every day.

Speak with any experienced word processing specialists and he or she will tell you that legal word processing is more than knowing how to use the basic, intermediate and advance features of a word processing application. Legal word processing is the ability to correlate and apply the appropriate software features to the multiple objects in a complex legal document.

With Microsoft Office leading the way in desktop applications, the legal industry has long embraced Microsoft Word as its primary word processing software. However, 20 years ago WordPerfect DOS dominated the industry. With a few law firms still running dual word processing platforms that feature Microsoft Word and WordPerfect for Windows, attorneys, paralegals and secretaries with recent word processing skills tend to be sole Microsoft Word users.

The complexity of legal word processing leaves little or no room for error. Hence, it is critical for the 21 century law firm professional, both legal and administrative, to have proficient word processing skills. Combined with the realities of a recession that continues to take its toll on the once regarded recession-proof legal industry, now more than ever, associate attorneys, paralegals and legal secretaries must consider the importance and benefits of enhancing their word processing skills. And, the experienced word processing specialist must stay on top of her game as new versions of word processing applications are introduced.

In July, 2008, KAS Training launched its customized Legal Word Processing Course. The first of its kind, this training program brought law firm training to the public by providing individuals with an opportunity to learn the secrets behind legal word processing. Though KAS has temporarily discontinued its training to the public, it is currently in discussion with a prominent New York City university with the goal of bringing legal word processing training back to the public arena.

KAS Training will introduce its Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 legal word processing book, which will be available on Amazon beginning September/October, 2009.