This slide set was assembled for the advocate audience at NLADA's Susbtantive Law Conference held on July 21-24, 2010. Presenters: * Kathleen Brockel, NTAP * Rachel Medina, NTAP Contributors: The tips represent the "best of" various tech tips contributed by past "Tech Tips" presenters including Glenn Rawdon (LSC), Molly French (Colorado Legal Services), Joyce Raby (Consultant), Matthew Burnett (Pro Bono Net), and David Bonebrake (NTAP).

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8. Google Scholar (scholar.google.com) allows you to search and read opinions for US
state appellate and supreme court cases since 1950, US federal district, appellate, tax
and bankruptcy courts since 1923 and US Supreme Court cases since 1791 (all of this
is subject to change as new cases are added). It also includes citations for cases cited
by indexed opinions or journal articles which allows you to find influential cases
(often older or international) which are not yet online or publicly available.
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9. http://www.plol.org/
Free online legal research website launched a couple years ago. It bills itself as “the
largest free law library in the world.” Has federal statutes and cases; state cases back
to 1997. Tools like Sheperds and Keycite can be purchased on a per transaction basis.
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11. An automated legal information platform. Information is entered by lawyers and law
students, making information available to the public.
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12. A lot of you are probably pretty familiar with Podcasts. Essentially, podcasts are just
audio files that are delivered over the internet. You can listen to them on your iPod or
iPhone, but you don’t have to. Most podcasts play through the website that hosts
them.
http://legaltalknetwork.com/
Lawyer 2 Lawyer – Robert Ambrogi
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15. Who has used a meeting scheduler? Sent one out or received? These take
no implementation or learning time but SAVES lots of time for all concerned.
These are 3 free online options. Each works just a bit differently.
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16. Organizer can enter up to 12 dates and times, indicate the length of the meeting and
adjust the timezone.
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17. Organizer enters participant email addresses and a message
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18. This is a sample of the email that a potential participant receives. Participant clicks
on the link. The organizer also receives a confirmation.
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19. Participant checks the days and times they are available and can also enter a
message.
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20. Both the organizer and participants can view the chart. Organizer confirms the
meeting date and time and an email is sent to participants.
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21. Once the organizer confirms the meeting time and date, the participants receive a
confirming email.
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22. This is a Doodle scheduling sample – very similar to Meeting Wizard.
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23. If you want easy access to your Outlook work calendar you can
syncronize it with your Google calendar. You can choose to do it
both ways or either way. The tool is a free download from
Google.
http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&
answer=89955
To set up Google Calendar Sync:
Make sure you're using a supported operating system and Outlook version.
Download Google Calendar Sync (version 0.9.3.5)
athttp://dl.google.com/googlecalendarsync/GoogleCalendarSync_Installer.exe
Once a dialog box appears, click Save File. The downloaded file should open
automatically. If it doesn't, manually open it from your browser's download window.
Click OK to confirm that you're aware this is an executable file.
Read through the Google Calendar Sync Terms of Service, and click I Agree.
Follow through the Installation Options and click Install to finish the set-up process.
Once Google Calendar Sync is installed on your computer, the Google Calendar Sync
Settings window will appear:
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24. Here is the Outlook calendar
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25. Here is the Google Calendar
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26. So you want to set up reminders in your calendar of when discovery is due, when you
should prepare status conference materials, when jury fees are due, etc….
You could count on a calendar or you could simply input one of several date codes in
the “Start Time” field under a particular appointment and find the date you are
looking for.
Keep in mind, however, that Outlook is giving you the absolute calendar days
calculation taking into account weekends and holidays. This method is still useful for
setting up ticklers, especially if your habit is to give yourself a cushion of 5-10 days
(e.g., for mailing or just because your diligent). If you have the need to calculate
court days only and need to exclude weekends and holidays, I recommend setting up
a date calculator in Excel. (see our next tip!)
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28. You can easily determine the number of court days between 2 dates by using the
“NETWORKDAYS” function in Excel.
Go to: Formulas: Insert Function: “NETWORKDAYS”
This is an Excel function. It includes a list of court holidays which the calculator will
take into account in determining the number of “work” or court days between the
two dates you enter into the calculator. You can also insert rows into the list of
holidays in order to modify and customize the calculator to work for any particular
court in your jurisdiction.
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29. Step 1: set up the holiday table
Step 2: set up the date range table
Step 3: pull up the formula: Formulas: Insert Function: “NETWORKDAYS”
NOTE that you enter the table references not the actual dates. So enter A13 for start
date, enter A15:a18 for the holidays.
NOTE weekends are automatically excluded.
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37. First, modify the font. Note that all changes to the font style should be made by
selecting the various options from the Format list. Using the shortcuts under the
Formatting heading often leads to odd formatting settings sneaking into your
settings.
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42. Redaction tool not available/supported from Microsoft for Word 2007.
However, there is an open source tool available for download that integrates natively
with Word 2007.
See blog post: http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_office_word/archive/2008/09/22/a-
word-2007-redaction-tool.aspx
And download site: http://www.codeplex.com/redaction
Great if you need to share a confidential document, but don’t want to alter the
document by deleting all of the words or names. You have the choice of either going
through and individually deleting certain words (like I’ve done in the example) or you
can choose to mark all of a certain word. Once you’ve highlighted all the words you’d
like excluded, choose “redact” and a new document will be created with those words
or names blacked out. You’ll also still have a copy of the document with those words
intact. Go to the link for the quick download.

43. The tool provides you with the option of marking items as you go. Or, you may “find
and mark” which works similar to a find and replace function. When all items have
been marked, then select “Redact Document” to complete the redaction.

44. Do cases, courts, and page numbers haunt you in your dreams? Categorizing cases in
a Table of Authorities is easier than you think!
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45. Most trial and appellate briefs are likely to have at least two different categories of
authorities.
Here are some sample categories you could set up before you begin to mark your
citations: Supreme Court of the United States, Other Federal Authority, State Court
Decisions, Statutory Provisions, United States Constitution. Of course, your local rules
may require a specific organization of authorities much different from this example. It
is quite easy to set up your own, so that when you run the Table of Authorities, it
organizes all of your marked citations accordingly.
Use the short-cut Alt+Shift+I. Then select Category. You’ll find that the first seven
categories are pre-defined. Scroll down until you find an unused option (8, 9, 10,
etc.). Replace the # with your own custom categories, keeping in mind that Word will
sort your cases in the order in which the categories are represented in the list.
THEN, be sure to select the appropriate category as you mark your citations.
Insert your table and watch how nicely all your authority lines up!

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47. Have you ever wished you could get an email back? While I can't
show you how to do that, I can show you how to delay sending it
to give you time for second thoughts.
Open Outlook and select Tools, Rules and Alerts, then create a
new rule. On the Rules Wizard pick Check Messages after
sending,
Click next, then don't select anything on the conditions screen
that comes up next. Confirm you want it for all messages by
clicking Yes on the pop up box,
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48. On this screen select "defer delivery by a number of minutes. In
the step 2 box pick the number of minutes you want the delay.
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49. If you want some messages to be able to go immediately, create
an exception, such as setting the importance to high, or it could be
a special character in the Subject line.
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51. Msg then goes into your “drafts” box
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52. After you install the utility, you can configure it to look for key
words that indicate you meant to have an attachment. If the
message contains those words and there is no attachment, you
get this flag. If a message has one of the key words but you didn't
intend to send an attachment, you just click Yes.
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54. I’m sure all the techies in the room use most of these shortcuts all day long. But
perhaps your staff or volunteers do not. Print this list for every desk and include it as
part of employee orientation or training.
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55. These are used less often, but are very handy for those working in a diverse area.
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58. There are 2 options for doing automatic translations in MS Office 2007. The first one
is the translation screen tip, which really only lets you translate 1 word at a time, but
can be very convenient if you’re proficient in the language you’re trying to use, but
just need a little help here and there. The tool comes ready to translate into Arabic,
English, French, and Spanish, but if you go to the MS Office website you can
download add-ins to include many other languages. There are many negative reviews
out there about the reliability of this this tool, but I found that as long as you don’t
rely on it exclusively, it can be very helpful.
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59. The second option for translation is much more detailed, and a better option for
someone who isn’t familiar with the language they’d like to use. To use this option,
simply type out your whole document in English and then choose the “translate”
option. A side bar will come up where you can choose the language you’d like to
translate to. Unlike the Translator Screen Tip, this option comes pre-loaded with most
languages, so you won’t need to download any add-ins. Once you choose your
language, a web-based version of your document will be created in the language
you’ve selected.
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61. The Excel Conditional Formatting options are a great way to highlight your data for a
report or presentation. In the example, I selected a series of numbers, chose the
“greater than” option, and chose to highlight all the values greater than 50. There are
many other options, including “text that contains” for cells that have text rather than
numerical values.
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62. My next tip is also in Excel Conditional formatting. The top/bottom rules options
allows you to highlight the top percentage, average, or values as well as the bottom.
In the example, I chose to highlight all the values that were above average in my
series of numbers. All of these options can really help make your reports stand out
and help you make your point. There is also a “more rules” option, where you can go
into more depth with choices like “highlight duplicates”, or you can even make your
own rule if the rule you’re looking for doesn’t exist.
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63. To transpose your data or flip your chart making your rows columns and your
columns rows, simply select the data, copy it (Ctrl+C), select where you want the new
transposed spreadsheet to appear, choose Edit>Paste Special (or Paste>Paste Special
from the Home Tab in MS Excel 2007), check the Transpose option, and click OK.
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64. Excel Short-Cuts:
"F4" (switch from absolute to relative reference & vice versa): Manage your
calculations within a table by setting whether the reference should be absolute or
relative. Computations that are relative will change automatically as you insert
columns and rows. That automatic reaction in Excel can wreak havoc on a
spreadsheet if you meant the reference to remain the same. Absolute references are
preceded by “$”; Excel will add a “$” before each reference in a calculation when you
select the calculation and “F4.”
"alt-enter" (line break w/in a single cell): Manage your own text wrapping by using
alt+enter to begin a new line within the same cell.
"Ctrl+Shift+A" & "Ctrl+A" (reveal formula format or use formula wizard);
Let’s say I remember that there is this cool calculation called networkdays, but I have
no clue how to use it or what order the references should be included between the
parentheses. I can type “=networkdays” and then select Ctrl+Shift+A and Excel will
give me the format as follows: “=networkdays(start_date,end_date,holidays)”
Alternatively, if I need even more help, I can select Ctrl+A and I will get more help
from the Formula wizard.
"Data/Subtotal" (auto subtotal and grand total lines inserted by Excel!): You don’t
have to create rows for subtotals on your own. Let Excel do the work. Make sure you
have common names in the first column for items that you want to have subtotaled.
You can have second levels of differentiation in the data – just put the second label in
the second column. So, for instance, if you want to subtotal costs for meals only in a
reimbursement spreadsheet, a row in the first column would say meals, and the 64

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66. Make sure you have common names in the first column for items that you want to
have subtotaled. You can have second levels of differentiation in the data – just put
the second label in the second column. So, for instance, if you want to subtotal costs
for meals only in a reimbursement spreadsheet, a row in the first column would say
meals, and the second column breakfast; the next row would say “meals” again, and
the next column lunch, and so on. Then to create your subtotals select Subtotal under
the Data Tab or menu, tell Excel which columns you want totalled and watch the
magic.
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71. Xmarks (www.xmarks.com) is an extension for Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome and
Safari that synchronizes bookmarks and passwords between computers (and
browsers).
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72. Save paper by only printing the part of a web page you need. It’s easy:
-Highlight the text you want to print, then press Ctrl+P or select File->Print from your
browser menu.
-In the Print dialog box that appears, in the Print Range area click on the radio button
Selection, then click OK. Only the selected portion of the Web page will print.

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74. Use this online dictionary to figure out tech jargon, text-speak, and other
“netiquette” questions.
Is all of this cyberslang to you? Wondering what those cryptic text messaging
acronyms mean, or what the right netiquette is for using them? Netlingo is a good
place to find out. There’s a dictionary with down-to-learn definitions of techie jargon,
and a section dedicating to helping people decode those mysterious text messages
and emoticons. Who knew there’s even an text messaging acronym for Starbucks?

75. Simply put, RSS is a way to have electronic articles delivered directly to you,
rather than you going out and finding them. Instead of going out and browsing
multiple web pages, you sign up to receive articles from specific websites and
blogs, and those articles are gathered together and displayed using a program
for you to read at your convenience as they are published live. In short, it is an
information overload tool to manage and sort through content relevant to your
work that is published daily.
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78. You can add more tabs (i.e. a specific legal services tag). One idea: incorporate all
legal services rss feeds into tags. NEW later this year Customized Igoogle for legal
aid. See NTAP trainings Aug 2 @ 2:00 EDT & Sept 14.
This training will provide an overview of how to setup the Next Generation Legal
Services Desktop based on the igoogle.com content model on your desktop. An
example desktop template will be provided as well as a list of Google Gadgets that
may be helpful to you in service delivery
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79. 1. Sky: Browse the universe at sky.google.com. Also available in Google Earth. NOTE if
interested in learning to make Google Earth maps with Client data see NTAP training Sept 9
2. Search nearby: If you find a destination on the map—say, a hotel—in the info bubble, you
can "search nearby" to find the businesses and attractions close by.
3. Use business name/category in directions search: Instead of looking up the address of a
store and then having to get directions from one to the other, simply type "deli mountain
view, ca TO ice cream mountain view ca," and the search results will provide you with a list of
businesses to choose from and provide directions from point to point.
4. Public transit directions: Plan trips using public transportation at google.com/transit. For
cities where transit is available, a search for directions will also provide the option for
directions using public transit.
5. My Maps: Create your own maps by adding lines, markers, pictures, and videos to a
Google Map. You can also collaborate on maps with friends (or the public), and make it
publicly available or private.
6. Check gas prices: With mapplets like GasBuddy, you can see gas prices throughout your
area. Go to maps.google.com, select "My Maps", and browse the directory for "Gas Prices by
GasBuddy.com." There are plenty other useful and fun tools in the directory, such as
AccuWeather.com Weather Snapshot, Area Calculator, and Real Estate Search.
7. Check traffic: In many cities across the country, Google provides real-time traffic
information. For instance, type in "New York, NY" and click the "Traffic" button in the upper-
right corner of the map to view traffic patterns, road closures, and construction sites. This
feature is also available in Google Maps for Mobile.
8. Street view: View and navigate high-resolution, 360-degree street-level images of various
U.S. cities. Just click the Street View button and drag the "person" icon onto a blue outlined
street. Street View is also available for driving directions and in Google Earth.
9. Editing Google Maps: You can now add or edit business listing information to Google
Maps.
10. Weather in Google Earth: Get weather forecasts, conditions, clouds, and radars in the
"Weather" folder in the Google Earth layer menu.
11. Weather: To see weather conditions and a four-day forecast for any U.S. location, type
"weather" and a city or zip code. For example: "weather 94114" or "weather Kansas City KS."
12. Movies: Find movie info by typing "movies," or the name of a current film, into the
Google search box along with your location (city and state or zip code). For example, "Sex and
the City Atlanta GA" or "movies 02459."
13. Area codes: Enter an area code in the Google search box to see the location of a phone 79

80. Google’s Accessible Search is a version of Google with the results optimized for users
who are visually impaired or blind. It is still in beta mode, but it is designed to make it
easier for people who use screen readers to navigate through search results and
identify accessible websites. It also allows users to use hot-keys to browse the results.
It’s a good tool to keep in mind for clients who have difficulty searching the web
because of visual impairments, and also a way for you to gauge how Google views the
accessibility of your site.

81. Let’s say you’re here at NLADA, the conference has ended, you’ve checked out of the
hotel and four hours to kill before your flight. What do you want to do? Find Sushi in
Denver? Check the score of the game back at home? Text Google - 466453 to get
an instant answer. Here are some example queries. You can type of cuisine put your
city or zip to get a list of nearby restaurants. Or check your flight time by sending
flight, your airline abbreviation and flight number. You can even get simple
translations and facts from Google 411.

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83. The free way (Prey)
Prey is a free application that allows you to set up your computer to do a number of
things should it be stolen or go missing:
You can set it to periodically access a web page you create (or use the
preyproject.com website) – your computer goes missing, you delete the web page
and the computer receives a 404 page not found error and begins to send you reports
like the following:
The status of the computer
A list of running programs and active connections
Network and wi-fi information
Screen shots of the desktop
A picture of the physical surroundings (if the machine has a webcam)
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84. Fee Based (Absolute Software)
Absolute Software, which makes Lojack for Laptops, which provides a remote-kill
feature so if a portable is stolen, you can send a command to wipe out specific files--
or even the entire contents of the hard drive. It also has the option to help you locate
your computer and help recover it.
So what do you do with this information? Well you don’t go confront the thief – you
contact your local law enforcement and provide them with this information and
presumably they go get the bad guys.
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85. Tip 8 - to Lock Down a Cellphone if it is stolen
The free way
The free version is to find your cell phone’s imei number – a 15 digit number that is probably
underneath your cell phone battery. Or enter *#06# and the imei number will display on the
screen. Each cell phone has a unique imei number. If you cell phone is lost or stolen you can
call your provider (from someone else’s phone ) and give them that number. They will
then lock down the phone so it can’t be used in any way.
Each phone has “phone specific” methods you can use yourself to lock a remotely and/or
wipe the data from it – however they may cost you – check out your vendors websites for
information specific to your phone.
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86. Fee Based
Bluefish Wireless has a product called Central that will allow you to erase all the data
from your Palm Treo if it is ever lost or stolen. The product is $14.95.
http://www.bluefishwireless.com/download/central.html
www.blackberryapps.com sells a product called e-GPS for 2.99 that will “It allows you
to remotely send a command to your phone that will have your phone email you: its
GPS location, your address book with all your contact information, as well as
remotely wipe your phone and SD card to protect all of your information. Also if you
have misplaced your phone at home or office, you can send an alert command, and
have it ring, even if the sounds are turned completely off or set to vibrate. Once
downloaded and activated, it runs in the background, and works by command,
through email or SMS.”
If you have an Iphone, the product you need is MobileMe which does a number of
things besides allowing you to locate and/or wipe clean your Iphone – for $99 per
year subscription. Buy MobileMe at www.apple.com.
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87. Past Tech Tips presenters include:
Glenn Rawdon, Legal Services Corporation
Joyce Raby, Consultant
Molly French, Colorado Legal Services
David Bonebrake, NTAP
Matthew Burnett, Pro Bono Net
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