C HAP T ER 3: W ORD P ROCESSING , PDF F IL E
C REAT ION , AND D OCUMENT A SSEM B LY
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I.
Centralized and Decentralized Word Processing
A. Centralized word processing
B. Decentralized word processing
II.
Legal Word-Processing Programs—Microsoft Word vs. Corel WordPerfect
A. Microsoft Word: 53% of the legal market vs. Corel WordPerfect: 47% of the
legal market
B. Microsoft Word 2007 uses a “ribbon” instead of drop-down menus
C. Microsoft Word 2003 uses drop-down menus.
D. Corel WordPerfect X3: WordPerfect started with a dominance in the legal
word processing market in the mid-1980s
III.
Legal Word Processing Fundamentals
A. Automatic paragraph numbering
B. Styles
C. Headers/footers
D. Automatic page numbering
E. Double indenting
F. Footnotes and endnotes
G. Electronic distribution of documents
H. Printing
I. Tables
J. Macros
K. Comments, comparing documents, track changes
L. Table of authorities
M. Reveal hidden codes
N. Legal Templates/Pleadings Wizard
O. Merging/document assembly in word processors
IV.
PDF File Creation
A. PDF (Portable Document Format)
B. Created by Adobe Systems
C. Used by most court systems to accept electronically filed documents
D. Can be secure
E. Retain original formatting
F. Can be viewed on different computers
G. Portable Document Format viewer/readers are free
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H. Programs to convert files to Portable Document Format can usually be
purchased (Adobe Acrobat)
I. Some word processors convert word processing documents to Portable
Document Format
V.
Document Assembly Programs
A. Create powerful standardized templates/forms
B. Users create templates/forms
C. Users answer questions to fill in the template/form
D. The program merges the template/form and the answers into one document
E. Standalone document assembly programs are more powerful than word
processors with similar features
VI.
Word Processing in the Legal Environment
A. Drafting correspondence and memorandums, taking notes, and other legal
documents
B. Repetitive documents
C. Form letters
D. Legal briefs
E. Preparing drafts of pleadings, motions, and discovery requests/responses
F. Documents with footnotes
G. Limited litigation support
H. Limited database management
VII.
Ethical Considerations
A. Word processor users must be careful to avoid the following
1. Metadata
a. “Data about data”
b. May include author, date, usage, comments, etc.
c. Can be extremely detrimental to a client’s case
d. Word 2007 and WordPerfect X3 have new tools to find and
remove metadata from files
e. Before a word processing document is sent out of the office, it
should be checked for metadata
2. Old client data left in new documents
3. Typographical errors the spell checker will not catch (words that are
spelled correctly but do not make sense, numbers that are wrong, etc.)
4. Misapplied law, switched law, or old law
5. Retrieving and completing the wrong form file
6. Leaving in or deleting inappropriate paragraphs
7. Preparing legal word processing documents to be filed with a court or that
contain legal judgment without the supervision of an attorney is the
unauthorized practice of law
8. Always validate cases/citations and factual references
9. Password-protect confidential word processing documents that will be
emailed
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WEB LINKS
ORGANIZATION
PRODUCT/SERVICE
WORLD WIDE WEB ADDRESS
LexisNexis
Hot Docs document assembly
program
Office suite of programs
including Corel WordPerfect
Online legal forms
Internet site devoted to word
processing
Office suite of programs
including Word
Microsoft Word home page
ProDoc document assembly
program
Large site for Microsoft Word
users
Document assembly program
http://www.hotdocs.com
Adobe Acrobat PDF file
creation program
http://www.adobe.com
Corel Corporation
Findlaw.com
Wordprocessing.com
Microsoft
Microsoft
ProDoc
Web Resources for
Microsoft Word
Ghostfill Technologies,
Inc.
Adobe Systems
Copyright 2008. Delmar Learning. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
http://www.corel.com
http://forms.lp.findlaw.com
http://www.wordprocessing.com
http://www.microsoft.com
http://www.microsoft.com/word
http://www.prodoc.com
http://www.addbalance.com/word
http://www.ghostfill.com
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