By Julie Bays, OBA Management Assistance Program Director

This week, I taught a four-hour Microsoft Word class for lawyers, and it was a good reminder that everyone comes to Word with a different comfort level. Some participants were less experienced users, while others were ready for more advanced tips. Next time, we may want to offer a beginner class and then a more advanced session later. But the good news is that everyone seemed to pick up at least one useful idea they can put to work right away.

One simple tip appealed to almost everyone: how to keep Word from returning to Aptos every time you open a new document.

1. Open a new blank document.
2. Right-click anywhere on the blank page and select Font.
3. Choose your preferred font and font size.
4. Select Set As Default.
5. Choose All documents based on the Normal template.
6. Select OK

That fifth step is the key. If you select only the current document, Aptos will be waiting for you when you open the next one.

I also want to thank Barron Henley of Affinity Consulting Group for his help as I prepared for the class. Barron generously sent me some articles to share with the attendees. In my opinion, he is the leading expert on Microsoft Word for lawyers, and I always learn something from him.

In “The Hidden Tax: Word Processor Inefficiency in Law Firms,” Barron explains how much time lawyers and their staff lose wrestling with Word. That lost time affects law firm costs, the reasonableness of fees and the time available for substantive client work. Word problems can also lead to broken paragraph numbering, inaccurate cross-references and outdated tables of contents.

Lawyers rely on Word to create documents for clients, courts and opposing counsel. Learning to use it more effectively helps us work more efficiently, reduce avoidable errors and produce more accurate legal documents.

Barron sent three excellent articles for the class, and I am pleased to share them with you as well. Barron Henley Articles