I Heart Tech

The First Two Signs That Your Legal Secretary Needs Microsoft Word Training

So. Today I got mad. I've had it with some of these secretaries who claim to not need training because they "know Word." Let me just point out the blue whale in the room (it ate the elephant) - most Word users have little idea how to TRULY use the awesome functions and features that make Word a time-saving-work of document-creation art. As a matter of fact, most of them use it more like a typewriter than a modern-day automated, efficiency creating, document development tool. Can I say this with authority? Yes. Why? Because I have spent the last 8 years of my life talking, helping, fixing, wiping the tears of and training your legal staff and your attorneys on Microsoft Word. Is it their fault....ehhhh, sometimes and no.

Here's what I think happened....there was WordPerfect and it was simple (and good) so everyone became proficient with it. Then Word started to sidle its way in. Law firms did one of three things: ignored Word (and many still do), allowed a bi-product existence or totally migrated to Word. Those who stuck with WP, haven't had to or wanted to learn a whole new product so they stayed and are the WordPerfect Die-hards. No problem with them, they have a tool and they know how to use it. Good.

Then we have the Middlers, those who stayed on the fence and allowed both products to stay in use. The users from these firms know WordPerfect VERY well and just enough Word to get  by. They may have been offered training at some point but either didn't go or it didn't stick because they didn't use it.These users will often claim they "know word" just from having had it installed on their computers over the past years. Yeah, because you learn application skills by keyboard osmosis. Many of these folks move on to other law firms and when asked if they know Word will answer, "Of course, my old firm has been using it for 5 years." No training needed there. (pahahaha!)

Then we have the poor poor Word Warriors who got handed Word during a "conversion/migration project." Here's what happened to them... back when all the first (and often major) conversions were starting in 2003, 2004, 2005 - we all thought it would be a GREAT idea to make support staff take 8 hours of Word training (straight!) and mandate attorneys to sit through 2 tortuous hours of training WHILE we yanked their old PC's out AND ran their life's works through "conversions" that were sure to perfectly produce Word 2003 docs. We all had visions of secretaries sitting back down at their desks, kissing their new computers and making sweet digital-love to Microsoft Word.

That's not quite how it went. The conversions were stressful, documents were lost, training was forgotten, tears were shed...it was pure survival mode. The documents needed to get done, get out and get replicated to keep the machine moving. So over time the thought of actually learning how to use Word as it should be used got buried in the day to day survival of the firm. The need for training has also gotten lost in the assumptions of administrators and attorneys because staff aren't asking for it and work is being produced. Everyone MUST be a Word expert. Hate to tell you, but many of you couldn't be more wrong.

I applaud (and thank) the many, many firms who do recognize the need for and offer training; heros are the secretaries who have the courage to admit they need training; champions are those that take pride in their work and want to create beautiful documents. THANK YOU! And of course, believe me, there are many users who are REALLY GOOD, but they are so far and few between that I can nearly remember them all (Hi Jill, Evalina, Marcus, Hello Maggie, Michelle G. (not S., she was such a faker), Hi Victoria! I often tell stories about you!).

Holy cow, did I get side-tracked. I'm almost not mad anymore, I'm sad. I feel sorry for all these people who have to sit in front of Word all day long and suffer. I feel sorry for those who want it but can't get. I do not, however, feel sorry for those of you whose firms pay REALLY good money for people like me to come in and HELP and you are so delusional that you don't get it.. or maybe you're so vain that you don't want to admint..But whatever, back to where I started.... Here are the first two signs of a badly created document because SOMEONE doesn't know what they are doing.

Here is how a typical AWFUL signature block will look when SOMEONE doesn't know or worse, just doesn't CARE...

Look at all those tabs! How embarrasing!

This is how is SHOULD (or could look, there are a couple of options but here's one)...

Here's another one...a typical case style done wrong....

Shameful!

What Pretty looks like...

Today, your documents are a sign of your commitment to technology in the business of your practice. Anyone can open up the hood and see how your Word documents are being nurtured, when they look like the bad examples above it reflects poorly on the Firm.

But alas, there is hope. With the release of Word 2007 and 2010, it's a clean slate! It's a second chance! So be sure to include training in your budgets and be sure to make training an embedded part of your firms culture and bottom line.

Here are a few training resources for Word 2007 and 2010:

What’s new in Word 2010 for 2003 upgraders

Microsoft Word's Team Blog

Interactive: Word 2003 to Word 2007 command reference guide

Converting documents from previous versions of Word

The Why Behind Our Styles and Lists Designs

Word 2010 Training Courses from Microsoft

Check the compatibility of your Word 2007 documents

Get this book!

Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Word 2010

or this one

Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Word 2007

Critical Computer Skills Every Attorney Should Know - Pasting (Yep, I'm Serious)

This one is short and sweet and pretty easy but I'm still astounded at the number of times I teach this to someone for the first time. We all know there's a lot of cutting and pasting that goes on in a law firm, that's not the problem. The problem can often be in the results of the paste. Let's discuss.....

There are equally many way to paste as there are to copy. So to copy, you cannnnnn right-click copy, edit > copy, CTRL+C, Command+C, click the copy button...and on and on and on...pick your favorite.

To paste you cannnnnn right-click paste, edit > paste, Command+V...and on and on.....BUT  BUT BUT, often, there's more. In most programs that allow formatted text, you will have an option/s for HOW you paste. Do you want to paste the text "as-is" - or do you want to paste it "text only" or do you want the program to try and "match" the formatting of the text you are pasting into? Well, believe it or not, these are very important questions. Why? Because often you don't know what kind of "information" is hidden behind your copied text. And in today's world we are copying from our own documents, old documents, new documents, someone else's documents, an email, a PDF file, the internet, from Westlaw, from Lexis, from Rainmaker, from....O-M-G...need I go on? You get it right? You are copying text from ALL OVER THE PLACE! And that text can be carrying code that makes it green, italicized or font Helvetica, it can have metadata attached to it, it can have a hyperlink to the source or it can have an automatic numbering code from WordPerfect 5 in it...it's crazy. And it's crazy because you it doesn't always reveal itself. These characteristics (hidden or visible) can cause your document to do weird things like causing your numbering to go wack or even cause major document corruption.

To easily prevent any unwanted surprises from arising, you should almost always paste text into a new document as plain text (aka "Paste Special") and then format that new text as you need it to look. Generally, you will have an option offered up by the program you are using. Which program do you use?

• Word 2003 paste options
• How to Use Paste Options and Paste Special in Word 2007
• Formatting options to Paste copied text in Word 2010
• Word 2011 for Mac paste options
• WordPerfect paste special

Couple of extra tips:

• For existing text in Word 2003-2010, look for the "Clear Formatting" button or option. It's magic!
• If you're using a program that doesn't have fancy paste options (like a cloud-based word processor), simply open up a plain text editor (like Textpad in Windows or TextEdit on the Mac), paste into it, then copy that plain text again.
• DO NOT disable the Paste Options function - it's one of the best things they've ever done to word processing!

Critical Computer Skills Every Attorney Should Know - Acrobat Essentials

At the core of a proper practice management package are tool like a document management program, Word, Outlook  and of course Adobe Acrobat. In my opinion, Acrobat is one of THE MOST ESSENTIAL tools in an attorneys technical toolbox. And just having it, doesn't mean much...and having Adobe Reader, doesn't mean ANYTHING (sorry). Not sure what you have? Open "it" up and look along the banner at the top of the window - if it doesnt say there, go to the Help menu and choose the "About..." menu option. The Reader is really only good for viewing, printing and filling out form-enabled PDF files. To create and manipulate PDF's you will need a higher version. This product matrix from Adobe will help you determine what those higher versions offer.

So back to my comment about "just having it doesn't mean much" - many of you have a full version of Acrobat but use it like it's Reader. You have no idea what a powerful tool you possess! Here is a short list of the things you can and need to be able to do with Adobe Acrobat (and if you dont have it - GET IT RIGHT NOW):

• Create simple PDF files (and even sophisticated PDF files such as an electronic closing binder)
• Insert, delete, extract, rotate pages
• Convert eligible files to text (that is, PDF to Word) (or Converting Depo Transcripts to PDF)
• Digitally sign documents
• Redact PDF files
• Bates stamp files

Learn More!

Acrobat X - Getting Started: The Basics of Editing a PDF Document on Adobe TV (This video details how to edit text and graphics in your PDF file using the new Content Panel in Acrobat X.)

Here are the online help guides for Adobe Acrobat 8 Pro, Acrobat 9 Pro  and Acrobat X (the latest) from Adobe.com.  If you have a version older than those - time to upgrade!

 Legal Specific Resources

• PDF For Lawyers
• Acrobat for Legal Professionals
• Lawyer PDF

Blog Posts: 

• Why I love my scanner and Adobe Acrobat by attorny Gregory Forman
• Adobe Acrobat X Brings New Lawyer-Friendly Features
• Adobe Acrobat X Review by Ernie Svenson

 

 

Critical Computer Skills Every Attorney Should Know – Understanding Metadata

Understanding Metadata

Metadata itself isn't a "skill" or a feature you need to sit down and learn. It is a responsibility and an important side-effect of technology that you need to understand and be able to discuss intelligently with your fellow attorneys, staff and clients. An entire book could be used to discuss metadata – we won't do that here but we will point you to some resources that will quickly and simply explain the ins and outs. Information considered "meta data" can include but is not limited to:

• User name and computer name
• Comments and tracked changes that may not be displayed
• Hidden text, worksheets, data columns, and data rows

Just what is it and where does it live?

• What types of hidden data and personal information are stored in Office documents?
• Dangers of Document Metadata

How does metadata affect the practice of law?

• Metadata - What Is It and What Are My Ethical Duties?
• Metadata -- Is It Really Just Good, Clean Fun?

What harm can it do?

• Metadata reveals SCO switched legal target
• Mistake by Top Spy Agency in U.S.

What you can do about it?

• How to quickly and easily remove metadata
• How do I find and remove hidden data and personal information in my Office documents?
• Control metadata in your legal documents (Office 2003)
• How to minimize metadata in PowerPoint presentations (2003 and 2007)

Legal Specific Tools

• WorkShare Protect
• iScrub
• Payne Metadata Assistant

More Resources:

Metadata Ethics Opinions Around the U.S. from the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center

Office 2003/XP Add-in: Remove Hidden Data

PDF Documents

Redacting PDF Files: A Survey of Tools

How to Properly Redact PDF files

PDF Files: Removing Sensitive Content

WordPerfect Resources

WordPerfect Office X3 Metadata Removal Patch

Saving WordPerfect Files Without Metadata

WordPerfect Office 12: Minimizing Metadata in WordPerfect 12 Documents

Critical Computer Skills Every Attorney Should Know - Basic Word Processing Skills

Basic Word Processing Skills

Along with words like "marketing" and "training" – "word processing" can make an attorney cringe. But in today's world, it is a critical, critical skill set.I often tell people that they might as well have a good old-fashioned typwewriter back on the desk - the way they just peck and poke away without taking advantage of any of the shortcuts and automation tools Word (or WP) have to offer. 

Learning basic document editing skills is a simple (truly simple) task. The true challenge is allowing yourself the time to learn. If your Firm employees a trainer or a help desk – call them up right now – right this second! and schedule a one hour appointment with them. That's all it will take. When they arrive (and they will do so happily) provide them with this checklist of must-know skills:

• Formatting Words, Paragraphs, Pages
• Inserting automatic page numbers so that as you add, delete or move pages, the numbers remain in numerical order
• Autotext and Autocorrect (in Word) are akin to macro's that store and spit out phrases, paragraphs, case styles with the tap of a couple of strokes (Word 2003 | Word 2007)
• A few tips and tricks (10 most useful Word shortcuts from TechRepublic)

If you don't have the luxury of an in-house technology resource, turn to the internet. There are countless tutorials, tips, templates and resources that can help you.

Here are some resources to get you started:

Websites

• Microsoft.com: A Roadmap to Word 2007 Training (With links to training tutorials!)
• Interactive: Word 2003 to Word 2007 Reference Guide
• Word on the Mac
• Training Classes from Affinity Consulting
• 60 indispensable Microsoft Word tips 

Blogs

• Legal Tech Trainer
• CompuSavvy's Word & WordPerfect Tips
• KAS Training's Legal Word Processing Corner
• This Blog's past Word for Lawyers posts

Books

• The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Word 2007
• Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Office Word 2007
• Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010 for Law Professionals Unveiling the Rules and Secrets of Legal Word Processing
• Word 2003 for Law Firms

The ABA TECHSHOW

If you plan on attending the ABA TECHSHOW this year you can sit in on this "Word for Lawyers" session I'll be doing with Barron Henley of Affinity Consulting:

If you're still manually typing paragraph numbers, tables of contents or tables of authority, you may as well throw your computer out the window and put that old electric typewriter back on your desk. Microsoft Word is a sophisticated tool, but most users just don't know how to tap its power. Drafting complex documents in Word does not have to be a wrestling match and shouldn't feel like punishment. If you're ready for Word enlightenment, come to this seminar. Hear the gospel of Styles and learn how to create paragraph numbering, tables of contents and authority which automatically generate and update. Saturday, March 27, 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Think about your Word documents as digital calling cards. They reflect your professionalism and attention to detail. Today, the appearance of a word processing document often reveals as much about an attorney's skills as the contents of the document itself. Document creation and editing skills are critical in today's professional and technical environment.

Oh, one more thing…take a look at an earlier post I did about typography.

Critical Computer Skills Every Attorney Should Know - Optimal Searching

Whether it's desktop, internet or email searching - this skill doesn't just talk when it when it comes to money – it screams. Being able to quickly find dates, phone numbers, files, pictures and forms is also critical in having a productive and non-frustrating work day. There are many tools built right into your computer that can help. There are also many third party tools that can really help and at no-to-low cost.

New to Vista and Windows 7 is an "integrated search" feature (and long available as Searchlight on the Mac) which creates an index of "everything" on your computer and allows you to search across and within documents, emails, folders and internet favorites. Access if from the Windows bubble. It's ok enough, especially if you have nothing else but it can take a little longer than most of us would find acceptable. Read more about Windows Search here.

Google Desktop Search is offered as a free download and is pretty awesome. It puts the power of Google INSIDE your computer and returns results like an internet Google search would. In the set up, you can even tell Google to search a shared drive on the network or to exclude a certain folder (like your music folder for example.)You can opt to turn off the feature that also searches internet at the same time and the option to send feedback to Google. You can read all about it here and download it here. Here's a review I found at Consumer Search:

Reviewers say Google Desktop keeps getting better with each version -- it's free and available for Linux, Mac and PC. It also has an Enterprise version for businesses and a new Quick Search tool. Google Desktop indexes… the content of files as well as most file types and is easy to customize. Add-ins are available -- for example, to index QuickBooks, OpenOffice and WordPerfect files. An optional sidebar can be customized with over 150 fun and useful widgets that draw information from the web. You can even set up Google Desktop so you can search your hard drive from another computer. The main drawback is the limited categorization of results, plus previews that have minimal formatting. You can add a search toolbar inside Outlook, but these results show no previews at all.

Other notable 3^rd party tools include Copernic and X1 (both cost about $50). Here's CNET's review of Copernic. Some of these tools offer enterprise versions which allow you to share the index databases with other people in your office. Good idea for you solos and smalls that don't have a true practice management or document management system in place. Info on Google Enterprise is here. Some features it lists:

• Centrally control user features and preferences
• Control content and enforce document retention policies
• Encrypt all user data and search index files

Check out this case study about a 1000-seat law firm that installed X1 corporate suite and it's Interwoven connector. There's a good blog post over here at Pandia which review these products as well as some others.

Without a good storage, searching, indexing and retrieval system - you and your peers and staff are wasting colossal, I mean COLOSSAL amounts of billable time. Make it a goal to get on this today!

Critical Computer Skills Every Attorney Should Know - Operating System and File Management Essentials

For years now, it has seemed that the art and skill of good lawyering is being pushed upon by technology. Perhaps it started with the first phone installation or the fax machine or the first attorney on the block to get an email address. Regardless from whence it came – it still cometh! And cometh and cometh… And some attorneys keep running and running. You would think that by now, I wouldn't have to post tips about [what some of us might consider] such basic and simple tips as cut, copy, paste – but I live the reality of it all the time <VBG>.

For a few attorneys – every new gadget, upgrade or software package is a welcome and anticipated opportunity to continue revolutionizing their practice. For many (read: most) others technology feels like another speed bump on the road to success serving only to burden their craft and keep them from doing what they love most: practicing law.

It's obvious by now that technology isn't going to stop changing the way we communicate and exchange information in practice of law. What seem to be piles and piles of electronic and physical data, files, dates, contacts, documents and megabytes aren't going to get any smaller. The best we can do is take on the challenge take technology head-on. If you've finally woken up and decided to give it a chance…where can you start? Right here, with these ten simple yet practical technology tips and skills that every attorney should know.

Operating System and File Management Essentials

Most of us have never had a basic training session on Windows or Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer). Lacking the basic skills of copying, moving, finding and organizing documents is absolutely detrimental to an attorney's productivity throughout the day. This is a particularly important skill for all you crazies who won't install a "real" document management system and insist on managing matter files within Windows Explorer. Here are a few things you should learn (and do it soon!) to work more efficiently:

Working with Windows

Check out this great tutorial from Microsoft.

• Parts of a window
• Moving a window
• Changing the size of a window
• Hiding a window
• Closing a window
• Switching between windows
• Arranging windows automatically
• Dialog boxes

Getting into and using Windows Explorer

The simplest way to access Windows Explorer is to right-click the Start menu (or the Vista bubble) or the My Computer icon and select Explore. If your keyboard has a Windows logo key, you can press Win-e to launch Windows Explorer.

Creating folders and managing folders

• Create a new folder
• How to create a new folder in Word

Renaming, copying and emailing files

Cut, copy, rename and email functions can be found in the right-click (which btw, for the most part you only r-click when you want to see a menu of options for an item).

Using SHIFT and CTRL keys to select files

If you want to select files that are listed in a sequence, hold the Shift key plus the up or down arrow keys at the same time. To individually select files, press and hold the Ctrl key while holding the up and down arrow key to move around, whenever you want to select a file click on the spacebar or your left mouse button.

Learn how to Drag and Drop

Drag and Drop  (Useful for moving and copying files)

That's a good start. Next tip (2) and post to come: Searching for Your Files.

Google's Search Options Help Filter For More Relevant Results

I've long joked that if Google were a man, I'd marry it. I just love it so much. And I don't know how long I had wished for some fancier and easier searching options from Google and I don't know exatly when they answered my prayers, but moved from Google Labs sometime last year and I thought I would share it with you just incase you havent noticed it yet. "IT" being the "Show Options" button that handily appears at the top of a Google search after you do a Google Search. It looks like this and is not to be missed!

Clicking on it reveals a list of options and filters for your search. My favorite and most useful is the option to fiter the search based on dates. Working in technology means working in a field that is CONSTANTLY changing, upgrading, obsoleting and creating. Finding one year old answers to today's questions aren't usually that helpful. So today, I was looking around for posts, articles, general chatter about social media and lawyers (I'm preparing for some sessions for the Florida Bar on the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn and Twitter). A regular search produced these results...look at the dates:

 
While these may be GOOD results rich in content and useful - I'm really looking for recent content - like within days gone by not months!

Enter the MAGIC BUTTON <VBG>. Clicking on it and choosing the option to now show me only those entries which are a week or less old yields these results:

Much better wouldn't you say? Check it out and be sure to poke around all the other options in there - pretty cool stuff. Thanks, Google!

Read and learn more here.
  
  
   

Why Your Documents Look Like Crap and I Think I'm In Love

A lot of tough love going on at I ♥ Tech this week so sit up and take it like a lawyer! For today's digital lashing, I'm going to piggy-back on someone else's program. I stumbled across this great post titled "Why Our Agreements Looks Like Crap" from attorney Michael J. O'Sullivan who writes about "issues encountered by corporate lawyers" at his blog ; provided, however,. I think I love this guy (I fall in tech love very easily). I found his points insightful and quite lawyerly. He points out some technical, possibly strategic and historical reasons as to why your documents look like crap (finally someone else who isn't afraid to call ugly ugly) but he doesn't hit on the root of all this formatting evil: lack of training. However, there is always me to do that...

He begins by describing one of the biggest failure points when it comes to creating and maintaining  good looking documents: OP. OTHER PEOPLE. I hear this excuse all the time. And likely from the same person that the OP are pointing their fingers right back at.The ugly truth is that most legal professionals don't really truly madly deeply know how to create complex legal documents. I don't care what your secretary tells you. As a matter of fact, most don't even know how to properly format a simple one page letter. There is an embarrassing amount of spacing and tabbing that goes on in the Word docs I often encounter. Microsoft Word is a complex program to a point. It's not that it's hard to use, it really isn't - and you are all very smart people. The thing about Word is that it's a structure snob and if you don't meet its standards, it spits on you. It requires some training. Just some, not even a lot. You wouldn't believe what one measly hour of learning will gain you.  Need some dollar figures to convince you? Read this other great post: Beware the Hidden Costs of Bad Formatting.

So get yourself some training and then get some for your clients too. Here's a thought: offer your most important clients (or their staff) some training. Get your trainer or bring one in *ahem*cough*cough* for a document workshop and figure out how to collaborate on the stream of documents you are and will be working on. Your clients will love you for it. Consider it part of your Make Our Clients Love Us and Want Us Campaign.

At this point I am SO SURE that you are SO INSPIRED to get some training that you CAN'T WAIT one more second! Yes? Yes! Let me lead you to some water: Typography for Lawyers by Matthew Butterick, lawyer, graphic designer, genius. Again, who is this guy? And I think I love him too! I implore you to take some time and read every page of this wonderful resource.

My friends, here is the thing, this day and age - your documents (along with all your other digital communications and exchanges) are a reflection of your commitment to the use of technology in your practice, which of course exists to help you better serve your clients.<VBG>.

Famous Law Firm Last Words: I'll Never Do That

I am going to take one tiny moment and NO pleasure in saying:

I TOLD YOU SO!

Yes, all caps and in red. I TOLD YOU SO. There are only a handful of you whose faces and names I can remember, but the rest of you, you know who you are...

Hey Legal Assistant, in the unemployment line...remember the time I invited you to a Word class on creating an automatic table of contents? You confidently, perhaps even defiantly, replied "I'll never need to know how to do that". She believed in job security, ga'bless'er. Just last week I was at a firm offering an Excel class and an Outlook class, one of the paralegals came in and sat down expecting the Outlook session to start, when she realized I was about to start Excel, she got up, pushed her chair in and said, "I'll be back for Outlook, I don't use Excel." Seriously? First, who REALLY doesn't use Excel? What paralegal with half a brain couldn't identify SOME way that Excel could be use on SOME matter SOME where? The more truthful statement would have been. "I'm comfortable in doing my job the way I do it, I'm very busy and I have no interest in expanding my skills in a way that 1) might make my job easier 2) might help my attorney better review or work on a matter and 3) I have no interest in learning how we can better serve our clients.

Whoa! Wait a minute, behind you, Legal Assistant, ...is that? Oh my, it sure is... it's Laid-Off C.O.O! I know you VERY well,  Mr-I-Have-People-That-Do-That-For-Me. Who's updating your resume and your cover letters now?  Don't you wish now you had taken a couple of those salaried hours of mine and learned how to perform simple tasks in Word and Excel? Yep. I know you do.

Esquire! You here too!? Wow. Remember the time, I begged and pleaded you to attend a lunch and learn on BASIC Word skills for lawyers? Or how about that totally awesome Training Golf Challenge that the entire firm participated in BUT you?

And you there, you look familiar...ahhhh yes, now I remember you.  You are that firm administrator that looked me in the eye at last years Central Florida ALA Partner Expo and said "Oh, we don't need training."

As a trainer (I'm more than "just a trainer" btw) I face these people every day. I'm always amazed at the number of people who turn - if not  RUN away from training. In this case, I'm of course, I'm referring to computer and legal technology training but certainly the thought can be applied more broadly.

I'm contracted by a large firm with several offices in two states to provide their new-hire training as well as to offer regularly scheduled and varied monthly training sessions. At first, attendance in those sessions (which are webinars kept to 30, 45 or 60 mins) was sparse. Just a few of those types who actually chase after these opportunities would loyally attend. But little by little as the word got out from them to their peers and to their office administrators about how useful the sessions have been, I've seen a steady growth in attendance. Hmmm, am I that good or the economy that scary?

What can you do to promote training and attendance in your firm? Well, here are a few things to consider:

1. Keep sessions short and relevant. Don't offer a 3-hour "Word for Lawyers" session, instead offer a 45 minute session like "Top Ten Things Every Attorney Should Know About Word".
2. If your state requires CLE, look into applying and getting it for your technology sessions. Most states offer it and it's pretty easy to qualify.
3. Be sure you have a likable and trusted trainer in front of your attorneys and staff. Not every Help Desk tech is right for a training job. See my old post about this topic.
4. If a billable hour is to be lost, make it worthwhile. Be sure they walk away satisfied - no THRILLED that they attended and with some new skills that they can use the minute they get back.

If you are lucky enough to have a firm that offers training and development - in any area - be sure to attend or sign up for upcoming sessions - do it today. If you don't have that sort of resource inhouse, but would like some help, maybe I can help. I offer legal technology training sessions either in person or over the web at times that are convenient for you and your firm.