Document automation solutions can significantly improve a law firm’s efficiency and profitability by quickly and accurately producing routine documents. The key to success is to start from a solid foundation because issues or flaws in the source document will propagate throughout the automated template and the generated documents. Building strong document templates starts with the built-in features of Microsoft Word. In this session, we'll take a look at tools and features within MS Word that can help legal professionals build strong, flexible templates that maintain formatting and streamline automation.

1.  Building a Solid Foundation in
MS Word
Legal Document
Templates 101

2. Improve Efficiency, Accuracy, And
Ultimately Profitability

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Document Automation
● 77% spend too much time on
administrative tasks
● 57% plan to take steps to improve
performance via greater use of technology
to cut costs

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Document Automation

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Document Automation

10. ● But first…
WORD DOCUMENT
AUTOMATION
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● Know court rules and requirements
● Mandatory form use vs suggested content
PDF vs DOCX

12. COURT FORMS
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13. Missing information and rejected filings

14. ● Save time and avoid errors
● Access up-to-date libraries of
thousands of official forms
● Re-use client and matter
information
○ Enter information once
○ Save regularly used form sets
○ Combine with Word Templates
COURT FORMS
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15. Available in all 50 states.
After logging into Lawyaw, you will see your available
court forms in your Library.
COURT FORMS
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16. Power of Sets
Save frequently used and related forms in packages
for easy access.
COURT FORMS
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17. Generating Forms
Automating the transfer of your client and matter
specific information into your local court form(s).
COURT FORMS
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18. Lawyaw then populates the form or form set
with these repeating bits of information
Enter (or import from Clio Manage) client
and matter specific information into
Lawyaw

19. Strengths:
● Content always current
● Reuse data across forms
● Dynamic font (re-)sizing
● In-form calculations
● Start from pre-checked forms
● Sets
COURT FORMS
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20. Form
Templates
Don't reinvent the wheel - save
common configurations as form
templates and get a head start on
the next matter.

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Duplicating
Forms
Use Duplicate Form to create
multiple copies of a form in your
matter.

22. Weaknesses:
● Content is not editable
● No formatting or styles
● Limited iterations of roles
● No conditional logic
COURT FORMS
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23. .docx

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● Copy/Paste
○ Issues
■ Errors of Omission and Errors
of Inclusion
■ Human Error
■ Time-Consuming
■ Data Reuse
■ Metadata
■ Client Confidentiality -
Overlooked past client info
■ Grammar mismatches
WORKING WITH WORD
DOCUMENTS

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● Templates capture institutional knowledge
● Share and retain legal expertise in systems
not people
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

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● Identify common elements and
reused data
● Add rules (conditional logic)
BUILDING ROBUST
TEMPLATES

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● Template Sets
● Workflows
MOVING BEYOND SINGLE
TEMPLATES

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GARBAGE IN -> GARBAGE
OUT

30. ● Paragraph and Section Numbering
● Cross-References
● Tab Stops and Tables
● Calculations
● Headers and Footers
● MS Word Fields
● Styles
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USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)

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Preparing your Document
● Identify variable (client/matter-specific) data
● Review/adjust formatting

32. Understanding Document Formatting
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MS Word

33. Understanding Document Formatting
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MS Word

34. Understanding Document Formatting
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MS Word

35. Understanding Document Formatting
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MS Word

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Preparing your Document
● Identify variable (client/matter-specific) data
● Review/adjust formatting

37. ● Paragraph and Section Numbering
○ Continue Numbering
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USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)

38. ● Paragraph and Section Numbering
○ Defining New Numbering Style
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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39. ● Cross-References
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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40. ● Table of Contents
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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41. ● Tab Stops
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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42. ● Tab Stops and Tables
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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43. ● Tables
○ Calculations
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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44. ● Headers and Footers
○ Section Breaks
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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45. ● Headers and Footers
○ Section Breaks
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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46. ● Page Breaks
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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47. ● MS Word Fields
○ Automatic Page Numbering
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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48. ● MS Word Fields
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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49. ● MS Word Fields
○ Page Numbering (Page XX of
XX)
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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50. ● MS Word Fields
○ Page Numbering (Page XX of
XX)
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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51. ● MS Word Fields
○ Page Numbering (Page XX of
XX)
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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52. ● MS Word Fields
○ Dates
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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53. ● MS Word Fields
○ Dates
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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54. ● MS Word Fields
○ Dates
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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55. ● MS Word Fields
○ Dates
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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Date Fields
MS Word Calculated Field
Lawyaw Field
Blank
Conditional Logic

57. ● Styles
USE THE ‘FREE’ STUFF
(Built-in MS Word features and functionality)
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Greg Maxey on Styles

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MS Word Tips and Tricks

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Building from a Solid
Foundation
● Paragraph and Section Numbering
● Tab Stops and Tables
● Headers and Footers
● MS Word Fields
● Styles

60. Iterate
Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.

61. ➢ Best Practices and Design Decisions
➢ Thursday December 8, 2022
➢ 2:00 PM EDT/11:00 AM PDT
➢ Get in Touch
Joe Kaczrowski
Manager, Legal Content
joe@lawyaw.com
https://exchange.lawyaw.com/templates/template-services
LEGAL DOCUMENT
TEMPLATES 201
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