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The article focuses on the job of drafters of legal instruments such as statutes, regulations, contracts, wills and the like. Topics discussed include the author's view on writing definitions as a professional lexicographer, background of a case in which a patent drafter defined throttling-valve, and reasons why legal drafters are urged to be abstemious lexicographers.

The author offers legal writing tips for U.S. lawyers. Tips suggested include the importance of allocating time for each task for the day such as reviewing files, reading high-court briefs and finalizing files, ideal number of paragraphs for each point heading, capitalization and number of words per line, and the behavior of judges to be considered in legal writing with particular focus on their preference for sound arguments.

The article offers several tips to be an associate after completing law school. Topics include focuses on building trust and staying busy that have the same playbook and creates a strong work product, but it also means anticipating the next step; and considered that the best thing to do in a difficult situation whether with a client, an attorney or a colleague is document.

Reports on the automation of law office operations. Applications of the personal computer to litigation; Categories of litigation support; Selection of software for document-abstract litigation support; Things to consider when evaluating software programs available for full-text litigation support.

The article presents a quiz on punctuation after discussing its use and importance in legal documents.

The article offers suggestions about writing legal briefs. Suggestions are offered on not to run a brief through space compressor. Suggestions are offered to make necessary corrections. It is also stated that lawyers should use marginal points in the most positive language and avoid exaggeration with unreasonable arguments.

The article discusses legal technology and client-centric processes in relation to the practice of law in America as of 2017, and it mentions author Richard Susskind's book "Tomorrow's Lawyers: An Introduction to Your Future" which examines issues such as internet-based global legal businesses, online document production, and legal process outsourcing. Self-employed lawyers and solo practitioners in the U.S. are addressed, along with attorney-client relations and social media.

The article discusses the issue of redaction in the preparation of legal documents to maintain confidentiality.

The article discusses the importance of precision in legal documents in relation to linguistic changes resulting in different English language grammatical standards. Topics include the use of gender inclusive pronouns, the use of preferred pronouns in relation to gender identity, and the cultivation of diversity in the legal profession.

The article discusses whether legal services outsourcing can expand beyond legal document review projects in America as of 2017, and it mentions how many law firms and corporate legal departments in the U.S. utilize outsourced service providers. Law firms' budgets in America are examined, along with business failures involving legal task outsourcing companies such as Clearspire Law Co. The American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct are assessed.

The article focuses on productive coding technique to sift through legal documents. It is done manually by sifting through thousands of documents to find evidence but predictive coding can do it at great speed and more efficiently and reliably. As shown by a research, only 70 percent documents can be identified by manual review. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Landmark Discovery, New York City Sanjay Manocha stated that it is also effective for identification of responsive document groups.

The article discusses American firms that scan and digitize legal documents, including OCR scanning company's scanning of the lawyer Coleman Watson's legal documents and the cost of scanning.

The article discusses several sites in Dallas, Texas, that have legal significance. The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza has a variety of exhibits about the assassination of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy in the way of archival photographs and interviews with witnesses to the assassination. The Underwood Law Library is another place of legal significance, with a collection of court papers and private notes from attorneys on the Dallas Independent School District desegregation case. Other places include the Old Red Museum and Belo Mansion.

The article focuses on the release of the Emancipation Proclamation by former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862 which is considered as one of the greatest moments in the American history. The Emancipation Proclamation was considered as unique among the iconic documents of the U.S. history like the Declaration of Independence, the preamble to the Constitution or Lincoln's own Gettysburg Address. Accordingly, the Emancipation Proclamation became a bill of lading in delivering freedom to some 3 million slaves with moral grandeur on the document.

The article offers suggestions on making legal writings more attractive and understandable. It is stated that although traditional legal education has taught writer to wrestle with the most difficult legal concepts in legalese, what matters is finding the right tone which goes beyond getting rid of verbal pomposity. Tone is also considered to deal with problems including split infinitives and sentences that end with prepositions. It is suggested that care should be taken while using modifiers in the sentences as the authors do not have the right to tell how the readers should feel. It is advised to use the active voice as to many writers use the passive voice to sound formal.

The article reports that U.S. courts are tossing out foreclosure cases and citing lawyers for lacking the right papers. IT may not be the most heralded footnote in U.S. jurisprudence, but lawyers involved in the brisk mortgage-foreclosure practice likely paid attention. In an October 31, 2007 ruling dismissing 14 foreclosure actions, U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the Northern District of Ohio spelled it out to attorneys representing Option One Mortgage Corp., an Irvine, California, mortgage service company seeking the foreclosures on behalf of Deutsche Bank National Trust Co.

This article states that Richard Granat lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, but keeps a family law practice going in Maryland. He does no face-to-face meetings with clients and the entire practice is managed through e-mail and phone calls. His only other staffer is a part-time paralegal. His practice is entirely virtual, existing only on his Web site at www.mdfamilylawyer.com. Granat says his practice works because he sells only unbundled legal services. He only offers specific help--like legal advice or document preparation--rather than serving a client through an entire case. In theory, the Web ought to be perfect for unbundled or limited-scope representation. With unbundled services, clients and potential clients can log on to a Web site and download documents, enter information and obtain specific, limited services from lawyers.

Reasons that the use of paper in law offices is important in providing and acquiring information. Comparison of using a paper dictionary over a digital dictionary; Production of legal documents to be used in litigation; Existence of the subtitles of information on paper.

Focuses on efforts of Houston, Texas-based law firm Baker Botts to restore and preserve documents from a case of a freed slave handled by lawyer Peter W. Gray in the 1840s. Significance of the case to the firm's history; Details of a research conducted on Drinker Biddle & Reath; Investments of the firm for its history.

Presents an article about the importance of tracking and recovering costs of printing document copies for clients. Plan of Equitrac to launch products to help law firms recover the cost of printing document copies; Difference between the documentation process at a law office and a university; Benefits of the adoption of digital documents.

Focuses on online document repository. Benefits of Web-based repository to law firms; Lawyers' concern about online repository; Information on the security systems for online repository.

Offers advice on how lawyers should select cases. Difficulties of lawyers in organizing and selecting legal cases; Suggestion for organizing legal files; Importance of evaluating the facts of a case.

The article discusses the American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility's issuance of Formal Opinion 471 on July 1, 2015 which addresses Rules 1.15 and 1.16 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and a question about which papers, property, and other materials must a lawyer turn over to a client when legal representation is terminated. American state court rules, an entire-file approach to client paperwork, and a 1977 opinion are examined.

The article focuses on the role of textual citations in legal writings for lawyers as well as the non lawyers. It discusses various reasons of making legal writing slow and cumbersome including unnecessary jargon, overlong sentences and overlong paragraphs. It also discusses the advantages of citation in making legal writing more clear and onerous.

The article offers information about the group of environmentally conscious law firms Law Firm Sustainability Network. Topics discussed include earth friendly tactics, sustainability in legal industries and improvements in the tactics and technology used by the group. It also discusses the sustainability tool used for its development.

The article focuses on the role of social media in trade-offs for the lawyers. Topics discussed include security issues related cloud computing, allowed data access and legal documentations. It also discusses various terms and conditions related to the technology uses including diligence, reasonable assumptions and related issues.

The article presents information on the common characteristics of the technology friendly lawyers of the U.S. Such lawyers can make use of products from Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. at the same time. The main aim of such lawyers is to have a paperless office. The lawyers may have a degree in technology or must have worked for software firms so can easily program their requirements. Advantages includes that one can work from anywhere, proper utilization of web marketing and technicalities.

The article provides an insight to the increasing application of latest computer software in reviewing the litigation documents and the associated limitations analyzed by the TREC Legal Track project. It argues that though searching a particular litigation detail in a long list of digital records has been made easier by the technology still the lawyers and paralegals are required to do lot of other works manually which can't be undermined.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to the article that were published in the previous issues including "Sustaining Justice," "Homogenous," and "Dirty Dozen," in the June 2011 issue.

The article reports that the ABA Model Intellectual Property Security Agreement Task Force is running an online project using software to create a model IP security agreement.

The article offers information on the bankruptcy of We the People Inc. It informs that the company suffered a loss of approximately 2.5 million U.S. dollars on revenue of about $1.4 million in 2009. The monthly operating expenses of the company declined by 13,000 U.S. dollars at the end of the year. It tells that the firm was established with the purpose to help the consumers having common legal problems by offering them legal documents.

Examines the use of document assembly software for composing lawyers' documents. Format of documents being used by lawyers; Advantages and disadvantages of using document assembly programs like HotDocs and Qshift; Alternatives to document assembly tools.

Discusses the impact of writing legal articles on a lawyer's career and client base. Importance of the target market in writing documents; Information on associate attorney Jeanne C. Wanlass; Tips on dealing with the editing process of articles for publication.

Discusses storage options ideal for digital legal documents. Innovative ways to store legal documents; Role of a robust storage system in computer data protection; Factors to consider when storing digital documents.

Focuses on the importance of the consultation of lawyers to local ethics rulings before destroying old client documents. Factors that should be established in a retainer agreement or disengagement letter; Condition in a case where such an agreement is non-existent or the client unable to be found; Advice on documents about claims of minor children.

Reports on miscues in handling of legal documents. Anecdotes; Implications; Cases. INSET: Oops..

Focuses on signing of blank documents by lawyers' clients in the United States. Production of affidavits; Different incidents; Fundamental honesty in serving the legal profession; Structure of ethical standard. INSET: For more on ethics..

Reports on the proposed rules in California and Florida that would mandate the use of recycled paper in documents filed in court. Key provisions of the rules; Differences between the two states' proposals; Arguments of supporters and opponents of the proposals.

Highlights the benefits of document-assembly software systems to law offices. Form of expert system that makes decisions based on legal rules and logic to help create tailor-made documents; Savings in time and labor for lawyers who have to do many different types of transactions; Formation of the firm Smith, Moskatel, Schlender & Smith to develop the software.

Examines the legality of using facsimile transmissions of legal document in the United States. Instances in which such transmissions are allowed; Examples of cases in Minnesota and Michigan.

Gives advice on how to write clear and effective legal documents in the practice of law. Correct use of the English vocabulary; Arrangement of sentences.

Focuses on the avoidance of sexist language when writing legal documents. History of the modern pursuit for sex-neutral language; Development of sex-neutral language; Interpretation of documents that use sexist language; Tips on using sex-neutral language.

Reports on the services offered by the Asheville, North Carolina-based National Climatic Data Center to lawyers in the United States. Use of weather data obtained from the center in courts; Types of legal documents supplied by the center to lawyers.