Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a Microsoft Word add-in that enforces firm standards through automated document creation, including data connections to Outlook, document management systems, and other software (see article below). In addition, you'll find links to the previous 11 TL NewsWire features, including our coverage of a legal research service that automatically locates statements of law in cases and directs you to the best authority for each of them, a specialized legal research service for trade secrets, including coverage of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 and tools for comparing jurisdictions, and much more. Don't miss the next issue.
The larger your firm, the more difficult it becomes to maintain efficiency and document quality. This relates both to the time it takes to create certain document types and the way they look. The secret is to enhance Microsoft Word and better integrate it with your other software.
Word LX Enterprise … in One Sentence
Infoware's Word LX Enterprise is a Microsoft Word add-in that automates document drafting tasks, and enforces your firm's work product guidelines.
The Killer Feature
When your firm pulls the trigger on Word LX, Infoware works closely with your implementation team to create all the document templates you'll need at the outset. Just as importantly, Infoware integrates Word LX with your existing software to further enhance document automation. For example, Word LX can retrieve contact information from practice management software and Document IDs from your document management system.
Out of the box integrations include Active Directory, Outlook (including Office 365 and Exchange), InterAction, iManage, OpenText, Amicus Attorney, PCLaw, and Time Matters. If you use products for which an integration doesn't exist, Infoware can build one using its API.
"Any law firm that wants to improve their document creation process should take a close look at Word LX," says Ivaylo Nikolov, Director, Information Technology at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg. "For many years, we've relied on it for increasing the efficiency of our staff and lawyers, and maintaining the accuracy of our documents."
Other Notable Features
Word LX resides in Microsoft Word's Ribbon. Click the LX New Docs button to view a customized dialog box, the top left of which lists templates for the most common document types — typically Letter, Memo, Envelope, Labels, etc. Use one of these or search for more specific template such as one related to a practice area (Word LX calls these "precedents").
Selecting a template or precedent unfurls additional options. These variations can accommodate different practice groups, offices, languages, paper size requirements, etc. Thanks to the Active Directory integration, users can create documents on behalf of others such as their boss. Personal settings enable you to control the zoom level and other niceties.
Once you finalize these options, a custom form appears. Here you can import data from connected applications per the integrations noted above. You also choose from a number of predefined options. For example, the Letter template offers choices for delivery method, salutation, cc/bcc, closing, and more.
When you need to print a document, Word LX's MultiPrint tool incorporates all of your firm's idiosyncrasies. Examples include printing final versions from the letterhead tray, applying stamps such as Draft or Copy, outputting a corresponding envelope, and creating a PDF version simultaneously for emailing or filing.
Word LX seeks to end the heartbreak associated with paragraph numbering and styles with a range of prebuilt options designed to work reliably. Infoware can create customized versions for your firm. CEO Dan Sharp tells us that Word LX offers more customization options than any competing product.
Other Word LX tools similarly improve on Word's native functions, including page numbers, section breaks, tables of authorities and contents, exhibit indexes, signature lines, headers and footers, and more.
What Else Should You Know?
"Our goal is to make document creation faster and easier for the legal profession," says Sharp. "Our solutions optimize and extend Microsoft Word with tools that are easier to use and that are more specific to the task of creating legal documents." Learn more about Word LX Enterprise.
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