Carol wanted an automatically-updating Table of Contents in her document. But she couldn’t use Styles (the preferred and easiest method) to populate it because of some formatting issues. I showed her how to use TC fields to get around those limitations, and now I’ll show you (with step-by-step video).
One of the things I’m on a rant about these days is loooooong documents. Complicated documents, like 20+ page contracts and appellate briefs and stuff like that. Why? Because they always seem to need special stuf inserted in them. Like custom headers and footers. And level-1 and level-2 and level-out-the-wazoo headings. It’s enough to make…
Once you’ve gotten beyond the basics of Microsoft Word formatting, you’re ready for more advanced features. Here are two 17-second videos that prove Word can help you become a lot more productive.
From markup to insertion to fixing TOA formatting and entries, here’s a comprehensive guide to Table of Authorities in Microsoft Word.
If you’ve ever needed to copy columns of text from a tabbed list and thought you had to retype them, think again. Try this trick instead.
Ever have the same phrase, sentence or even paragraph repeat over and over in a document you’re typing? Microsoft Word’s AutoText feature can help automate it!
If you’ve ever had to type “#. Defendant denies the allegations of Paragraph # of Plaintiff’s Complaint” over and over again, you’ll appreciate this reader’s dilemma. Watch me demonstrate how an intelligent use of a little-known field in Microsoft Word can let you embed the current paragraph number within the actual paragraph text so you’re not stuck going back and fixing them as you add/delete paragraphs during the editing process. Click the link below to view the video.
Want your Table of Authorities entry to line-wrap at a specific point? A fellow Legal Office Guru reader shares her (fantastic) tip on how to accomplish that.
Having trouble setting tabs in Microsoft Word? Here are two quick methods, plus a tip on how to set tabs for one section of your document without messing up the rest of your text.
A reader wrote me recently with an interesting dilemma: She needed to be able to automatically increment numbers in a Microsoft Word footer. But she’d found that the otherwise trusty AutoNum field doesn’t work in headers or footers. So how was she going to put the correct “Exhibit [X]” at the bottom of her documents? Here’s the solution I came up with for her. Click the “Read More” link to see the demonstration video.
If you ever want to insert a table in Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010, there are four (count ’em, FOUR) ways to do it. Click the Read More link for detailed instructions, then pick your favorite!
When you have to have a page number formatted with text (like “C-1 of 3”), then you need a working knowledge of how to insert the various page number fields in Microsoft Word. Here’s a tutorial using a real-life situation: an appellate brief with a specially numbered “Certificate of Interested Parties” section.
A Legal Office Guru reader has an “insert page number” macro that works just fine … until he logs off. How I solved his dilemma.
Got a large spreadsheet you need to make sense of? Don’t waste time trying to sort and manually manipulate those kabillion rows and columns. Create a pivot table to group and summarize your data with just a few mouse clicks.
If you want one-click access to the Microsoft Office commands, you need to use the Quick Access Toolbar. Here’s a video showing you two easy ways to add commands so you have quick and easy access to them as you work.
Don’t keep copying commonly-used blocks of text from old documents – that cut-and-paste routine will inevitably get you into trouble when you forget to edit out client-specific info. Instead, use Quick Parts to store generic text blocks like Certificates of Service, Signature Blocks, etc. Here’s a video to show you how.
If you need to sort text in Word, whether it’s within a table or just typed straight, here’s how.
Got a humongous Excel spreadsheet that needs printing? Here’s a detailed tutorial (including video) on how to format it to print attractively so the data makes sense.
If you ever have columns of numbers (particularly currency figures) you need lined up in Word, you need to learn about decimal tabs. Here’s a quick video introduction to inserting and using them.
Jessica, a reader from Miami, wanted some help with creating a custom timeline in Microsoft Office. Here’s the Excel-based solution I created for her.
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