New Video Tutorial: How to Manage User Templates
April 27, 2007
User Templates are one of the most powerful features of TurboLaw, allowing you to edit the built-in forms to suit your own particular needs. If you don’t like the boilerplate language that we’ve created, you can change it yourself – and have that change affect all future documents that you make.
However, because it is such a powerful feature, some people are (understandably) a little bit confused about how to use it. If you’re one of those people, you can view our latest video tutorial: How to Manage User Templates.
We hope you find it helpful!
New Photo Gallery
April 26, 2007
We’ve just added a new photo gallery to our website – we hope you’ll go check it out!
We’ll be adding more photos to it as time goes on.
Version 2.60 Released
April 23, 2007
We here at TurboLaw are very pleased to announce the release of version 2.60 – one of the most exciting releases we’ve had in nearly a year. We promised you that version 2.60 would be a “big” update – and it is! Here’s a run-down of the features and changes we’ve made:
- Added “State” column to the Search Documents window
- Improved integration with Microsoft Windows Vista
- Ability to open Case Folders directly from within TurboLaw
- Easier to add, remove, or rename files in a case
- Improved “Browse for Folder” window in the Network Setup Assistant
- Removed redundant “Print Case Info” button from Navigator
- Removed “Show Intake Sheet” button in Case Interview Wizards
- Automatic “unregistration” when un-installing TurboLaw (if an Internet connection is available) – frees up a license for use on a different computer
- TurboLaw’s Update now gives a list of what was updated
- Documents opened in the “Search Docs” window will be saved into the open case folder (if a case is open at the time)
- TurboLaw automatically enters “placeholder” dashes if you don’t know (or don’t have) an attorney/bar number for an attorney in your firm
- Streamlined “database” and “view” menus
- New “Print Case List” button allows you to print a list of all of the cases in TurboLaw, sorted by date, attorney, name, or state & area of practice, as well as include or exclude active or inactive cases
As you can see, this is quite a list! There are a lot of changes in this list that were a direct result of customer feedback, and we are very happy to be able to adapt to our customer’s needs.
In the near future we will have some new posts here that showcase some of these new features – complete with pictures, of course. Until then, please enjoy the latest and greatest version of TurboLaw yet!
Technology & Law – Vol. VII
April 4, 2007
“Technology & Law” is a semi-regular column posted by Keith M. Survell. It deals with the interaction of technology and security with the modern law office.
You are going to LOVE Office 2007.
I’m being quite serious here. You are really going to love it, once you upgrade to it. In fact, for anyone purchasing a new computer, I strongly recommend it. It is a worthwhile upgrade, and I will tell you why.
Lots of court forms in TurboLaw documents are laid out in tables, which help align the text exactly as it appeared on the original court form. Indeed, many court forms are obviously tables – with all the lines, columns, rows, and cells that come with that type of layout. It makes it easy to fill in by hand, but not so easy to reproduce on the computer.
Above: A typical Microsoft Word document with a table (click to see full-sized picture)
Now, tables are all fine and dandy, but they don’t exactly work the same way as paragraphs do in a word processor such as Microsoft Word. You can’t just press the “Enter” key and get a new line – you have to add a new “row” in order to do that. In previous versions of Microsoft Word, working with tables was a chore – you had to go to the “Table” menu and select from a number of unclear sub-menus. Even for those who knew how to work with tables, it was a lot of clicking.
Well, Microsoft has really thought about these types of users in their latest version of the Office Suite. In Microsoft Office Word 2007, “menus” as you have known them are gone – instead, you have a “ribbon” that has “tabs” that correspond to different types of tasks. Most people will never leave the “Home” tab, which has most of the things you commonly use – bold, italics, basic paragraph formatting, lists, etc. This makes is extremely easy to get going in the new version – everything you need is right there, and everything you don’t need is hidden from sight (but easily accessible with just a click).
In the spirit of not bothering you with things that you can’t use, some controls are hidden until you click on something that would allow you to use them. For instance, the tabs that contain all of the table editing and formatting tools are hidden – until you click on a table.
Above: The Table Tools tabs appear!
These tabs are colored brightly so that you will notice them – as you can see from the picture above, the table tools tabs are yellow. Should you need to do any editing, simply click on one of these tabs to see the necessary buttons and controls.
Above: The Table Tools “Layout” tab has been clicked
The Layout tab is the one you are most likely to use if you are using TurboLaw, as it includes all the functions you need to add or remove rows from a table. And best of all, the functions are very clearly labeled, and do exactly what they say.
Above: The “Rows & Columns” group of the “Layout” tab
Above: A closeup of a table (click to see full-sized picture)
It is just a single click now to insert a new row in a table. For example, in the document pictured above, there is space for only 6 children. If you needed a spot for a 7th child, you could simply click “Insert Below,” and a new row would appear. It really is that easy.
The ease of use in Microsoft Office Word 2007 goes beyond editing tables, though. This same philosophy has been applied to every function you could conceivably use – they are all grouped logically, so that when you need a function, it is already there. Word 2007 will make you even more productive – and when paired with TurboLaw, you’ll be able to produce and edit documents with astonishing speed. We really can’t say enough nice things about it – it will make your work easier.
TurboLaw and Pocket PCs
April 4, 2007
More and more often, we’re hearing questions along the lines of “Can I use TurboLaw on my PocketPC?” And the answer to this question is “Yes, and No.”
Yes, you can take your TurboLaw documents and edit them on your PocketPC by using the “pocket” versions of Microsoft Word and Excel (these typically come with any new Windows-powered PocketPC). Remember, TurboLaw documents are just Word (and occasionally Excel) documents – so once TurboLaw has created them, you can do whatever you like with them.
The “no” part of the answer comes from TurboLaw itself – there is no PocketPC “version” of TurboLaw that you can run on your PocketPC. So you can’t create new forms on your PocketPC – you can only edit existing ones. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, however – merging information into documents is a job for a full-fledged computer, not a tiny device with a 3 inch screen and no “real” keyboard to speak of. While you might want to occasionally enter client information into TurboLaw from your PocketPC, you would never want to make a habit of it. Imagine trying to fill in one of the Case Interview Wizards, while typing all of that information on a tiny “thumb” keyboard. Your thumbs would fall off after just a few screens!
However, since the documents are really the “heart” of TurboLaw, you’re not losing out on much by only having the documents on your PocketPC. With the right attachments (e.g. a small hand-held printer), you could make changes to a motion right on your PocketPC and print it out right in the courtroom – and it would certainly look better than a hand-written motion! Never mind that you could do the same to a financial statement, a complex court form, or really any other document that TurboLaw provides.
If you have feedback regarding your own experience with TurboLaw documents on your handheld device we would love to hear from you. Just e-mail: keith@turbolaw.com.
Subscribe
