By Julie Bays, OBA Management Assistance Program Director

I recently attended an online seminar by Barron Henley that focused on common Microsoft Word formatting frustrations lawyers face daily. It was a great reminder that many of the preset defaults in Word seem almost designed to aggravate us when drafting pleadings, contracts, or any lengthy legal document. If you haven’t seen or heard Barron speak, I highly recommend it. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on Microsoft Word for lawyers. Not only does he make the technical details accessible, but he does so with a clarity and humor that keeps you engaged. For lawyers striving to maintain professional competence with the tools we use every day, his insights are invaluable.

One of Barron’s key messages is that Word need not be a daily battle. Features like Styles, “Keep with Next,” Quick Parts, and even the often-overlooked Navigation Pane can dramatically reduce errors, improve formatting consistency, and save time. These are the small but powerful adjustments that help lawyers create cleaner documents and avoid the frustration that often leads to missed deadlines or wasted billable hours.

If you want to see Barron in action, there are excellent free resources available online. I watched the free Clio webinar, Mastering Microsoft Word: Time-Saving Tips for Legal Professionals (available on demand but you have to give Clio your email address). He also shares practical advice through articles on the Affinity Consulting blog, such as Paragraph Glue: A Word Feature Every Legal User Should Know. Exploring these resources is a worthwhile investment in your professional toolkit.

If you’ve ever found yourself quietly grumbling at Word, and let’s be honest, most of us have, do yourself a favor and check out Barron Henley’s tips. You’ll work faster, your documents will look more professional, and you’ll spend less time wrestling with Word’s quirky defaults.