TechnoLawyer: Automation/Document Assembly/Macros

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Sam Gibson discusses the impact of accepting credit cards at his law firm, Bob Leonard explains how he syncs his iPhone with LexisNexis' Total Practice Advantage (and LexisNexis discusses its mobililty plans for 2010), Marc Dobin explains how to create audio clips for trial, Bruce Dorner offers advice to new lawyers overwhelmed with technology options, and Christopher Holly reviews PureText and ClipCache Pro. Don't miss this issue.

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Coming today to TechnoFeature: You've heard of document assembly, and you've heard of cloud computing (Software as a Service). And maybe you've even heard about Web-based document assembly tools. But what about document assembly in your own private cloud? That's what Exari offers law firms that want an on-site solution with minimal software setup. How well does Exari work? Read document assembly expert Seth Rowland's exhaustive review in this TechnoFeature to find out. Seth doesn't just review Exari, but he also explains how to calculate the return on investment for your firm.

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Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a document workflow solution (see article below), a browser-based automatic time capture application, a service that provides daily case summaries, a utility to organize multiple windows, and an iPhone app for investors. Don't miss the next issue.

Add a Little Magic to Your Legal Documents

With clients pressuring law firms to increase efficiency, you must distinguish between true legal work and administrative work — and automate the latter if possible. This dichotomy exists in virtually every legal document, which consists of legal work product (the words) and administrative work (style, file format, etc). Once you develop this sixth sense, you can figure out which automation technologies to employ.

pdfDocs Desktop 3.1 … in One Sentence
DocsCorp's pdfDocs Desktop 3.1 helps law firms automate their document workflow, including creation, sharing, and organizing.

The Killer Feature
Arthur C. Clarke noted that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." DocsCorp hopes you see magic in the pdfDocs Desktop's new Organizer Projects.

Organizer Projects act like a drop box. Once you import related documents, you can edit them, apply annotations, redact confidential information, and more. When you finish, you can apply predetermined "output settings" and export them with one click.

For example, you can enable security, add watermarks and Bates numbers, remove metadata, and then export the documents in PDF, PDF/A, JPEG, or TIFF format. You can then send the documents to clients or opposing counsel, and also upload them to your document management system or Microsoft SharePoint portal.

You can create matter-centric and task-centric Organizer Projects, each with their own output settings, and place them in a network folder for use firm-wide.

Other Notable Features
pdfDocs Desktop's Binder feature enables you to automate the process of creating closing books and other such deliverables for clients, courts, etc. Version 3.1 offers new Binder functionality. For example, you can import an entire matter folder, maintaining file and folder structure into pdfDocs Desktop.

When you drag in documents from folders or your document management system, pdfDocs Desktop enables you to check the document management system for the latest version of the source document. Also, you can now burn Binders to an auto-launching CD-ROM. You can save single PDF Binders (or multiple PDF Binders) as a link to your document management system or SharePoint portal or both.

Speaking of SharePoint, pdfDocs Desktop now offers dual integration, serving as a gateway that ties together your document management system and your SharePoint portal.

What Else Should You Know?
As you would expect, pdfDocs Desktop's docu-centric features remain intact from previous versions — PDF creation and annotation, file-splitting, PDF form creation, Microsoft Office integration, Bates numbering, metadata removal, and much more. Learn more about pdfDocs Desktop 3.1.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a document assembly add-on for Microsoft Word (see article below), a touchscreen pocket computer (PDA), a litigation support program for managing discovery documents, an online electronic discovery workflow and project management application, and an iPhone fax app. Don't miss the next issue.

Document Dis-Assembly the First Step in Document Assembly

Few work-related tasks are as difficult as drafting legal documents. Even newly-minted lawyers with three years of law school and a bar exam under their belt lack the experience required for this task. But document drafting also involves a fair amount of tedious work. Nowadays, you can "outsource" such work to document assembly software, but some of these products seem like they require a software engineering degree — and you do not have any interest in going back to school.

Pathagoras 2010 … in One Sentence

Pathagoras is a document assembly solution that requires no programming knowledge to set up or use.

The Killer Feature

Pathagoras has always approached document assembly like a lawyer — you select clauses to create a rough draft, and then fill in the blanks with case-specific values such as your client's name, opposing party, etc. But moving clauses from existing documents into Pathagoras' clause libraries and books can consume a fair amount of time.

Pathagoras 2010's new "Term Works" technology automates this process. It provides the tools needed to "dis-assemble" a complete document into its core components. Open an existing document and then tell Pathagoras what separates the clauses — headings, paragraphs, or a simple character-set that you insert throughout the document. Pathagoras then dis-assembles the document, and stores each clause as a separate document using proper, meaningful names.

Because Pathagoras stores each clause as a Word document, it preserves all formatting such as italics, font size, etc. Pathagoras even preserves automatic paragraph numbering markers.

Other Notable Features

Pathagoras 2010 also features improved "DropDown Lists," which eliminate the need to manually dig through nested folders to find the document or clause you need to complete your document assembly project. Always on and always active, DropDown Lists reside at the top of your editing screen, and enable you to access any file within a designated folder with a single point-and-click. You can create up to ten DropDown Lists to access up to ten folders.

Other features include an Instant Database, which enable you to supply values to any variables in your document and save the assignments for reuse with other documents, Clause Sets for grouping clauses that you often use together, and built-in synchronization between your local hard drive and a network drive.

What Else Should You Know?

Pathagoras 2010 is a Microsoft Word add-on that works with Word 2000 and later on Windows. Pathagoras can convert your WordPerfect files into Word format so that you can extract their clauses using the new Term Works feature. You can also treat images as clauses for insertion into documents via the DropDown Lists. Pathagoras a2010 costs $379 for a single license or $799 for a 3-pack license. The company offers volume discounts for larger orders. Learn more about Pathagoras 2010.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Fat Friday: Seth Rowland responds to Ross Kodner's Minimum Daily Tech Requirement SmallLaw series (and Ross responds), solo Fredric Gruder shares his backup routine, Bruce Kilday ponders switching from his Treo 650 to the Palm Pre, Jeffrey Koncius compares Copernic to ISYS:desktop, and Andrew Weltchek reviews Anagram. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Fat Friday
Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a new automated legal forms program for New York lawyers (see article below), an iPhone app for scanning documents on the go, a legal-specific toolbar for Microsoft Office that automates document creation, a site on which you can search for large firm client memos, and a personal knowledge management application. Don't miss the next issue.

Cut Document Drafting Time in Half

Do you draft legal documents? Would you like to reduce the time it takes to draft these documents? Here's a tip — delegate the work to someone else. Of course, someone has to do the work and that someone might be you so delegation may not work. Fortunately, an alternative solution exists — use document assembly software that contains all the forms you regularly use.

ProDoc New York Automated Forms … in One Sentence
West's ProDoc New York Automated Forms is a document assembly system that ships with a library of forms, eliminating the need to create your own.

The Killer Feature
Launching today, ProDoc New York Automated Forms joins its California, Florida, and Texas siblings in the West Forms family. West claims that these products can cut drafting time in half and also reduce errors.

ProDoc New York Automated Forms accomplishes this feat thanks to a patented document-assembly engine that enables you to create several documents simultaneously. You choose the documents you want to assemble, and then answer the corresponding questions. ProDoc New York Automated Forms then builds your documents in your word processor for final review and editing. The California, Florida, and Texas versions work the same way.

Other Notable Features
ProDoc New York Automated Forms has other time-saving features as well. For example, it saves all of the client and case data you enter for reuse in other documents you create, thus eliminating dual entry.

You can tailor ProDoc New York Automated Forms to your practice by choosing from the following libraries: Family Law, Estate Planning, Real Estate, or Office Practice (the latter includes all libraries).

ProDoc New York Automated Forms also includes forms for New York Office of Court Administration (OCA) and Surrogate's Court. You'll also find model forms created by lawyers who are experts in their respective fields. ProDoc New York Automated Forms automatically keeps these forms up to date over the Internet.

What Else Should You Know?
ProDoc New York Automated Forms includes three licenses. Each additional license costs $10. You can use ProDoc New York Automated Forms in conjunction with ProDoc Small Office Suite for an additional $25. ProDoc Small Office Suite is a practice management system that features a calendar, time and billing, client and case organization, contact management, document management, and client and case notes. Learn more about ProDoc New York Automated Forms.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to TechnoFeature: Need to create your own forms? Microsoft Word expert Carol Bratt has written a clear and concise Microsoft Word tutorial that will have you creating fill-in forms in no time flat. This tutorial unravels the mystery behind merging cells, and creating drop-down boxes, text boxes, check box field forms, spacing, borders, and even form security. This particular tutorial explains how to create a round trip form that your clients receive via email and return to you complete with data.

How to Receive TechnoFeature
Our flagship newsletter never disappoints thanks to its in-depth reporting by leading legal technology and practice management experts, many of whom have become "household names" in the legal profession. It's in TechnoFeature that you'll find our oft-quoted formal product reviews and accompanying TechnoScore ratings. The TechnoFeature newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Peter Conway shares the details of his dual monitor setup and his thoughts about integrating a third, Channing Strother discusses Nuance's products and tech support, Nicholas Corona Jr. reviews the many versions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Charles Diorio reviews the MacBook Pro, VMWare Fusion, and other related products, and Adam Drennen shares some tips for creating macros in Word. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Answers to Questions
Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? In Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers. This newsletter's popularity stems from the relevance of the questions and answers to virtually everyone in the legal profession. The Answers to Questions newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Fat Friday: Senior Marketing Manager Conrad Saam responds to our criticism of Avvo's Top Legal Blogs list, Edward Zohn defends his position on whether lawyers should know how to build a PC, Ron Murphy describes his Mac-based backup routine, Thomas Sennett shares a tip about using Dragon NaturallySpeaking on a computer with iTunes installed, and Michael Gibney discusses his problem with the marketing of iCreate. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Fat Friday
Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.