Technology in the Law Office, 4th edition

Technology in the Law Office, Fourth Edition uses the following features to facilitate learning:

REVISED! Thorough chapter reorganization provides an easy platform through which students can absorb the information of the text.

• Each chapter opens with a fictional law office scenario that helps students relate major concepts to real life experiences in a future career.
• All material covered in the text is divided into chapters based on functional aspects of the use of featured technology. Topics include:

• Core Programs such as word processing, electronic spreadsheets, and databases.
• Specialty Applications Software such as law office applications, case management, litigation support, and presentation graphics.
• Emerging Topics such as Internet use, the paperless office, the electronic courtroom, and electronic research.
• NEW! Contemporary Legal Software Programs are presented where applicable with:
• Software overview.
• Chapter Review exercises that allow students to utilize the software in real scenarios.
• REVISED! Chapter Review Exercises and Materials include:
• Practice questions.
• Continuing case studies.
• Two comprehensive case studies that reflect common situations in the law office and allow use of the appropriate application software.
• Glossary teaches students technical terminology used throughout the text with definitions in chapter margins so they can understand the material as they read it.
• Case Study Appendix helps students further understand the real world scenarios they are studying.

REVISED! The content of every chapter has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent technology development, issues, and practice in law, including:

• REVISED! Chapter 2: Legal Ethics in the Technology Age reflects the new ABA ethics rules on technology including state court requirements.

• Ethical issues related to technology are raised consistently in sections throughout the text.
• REVISED! Chapter 4: The Internet, The Cloud and Communications has been completely rewritten to help students grasp the importance of the topic, with Court and Technology added as a new learning objective.
• REVISED! Chapter 5: Word Processing now includes the most currently popular versions of Microsoft Word and WordPerfect software.
• REVISED! Tutorials for completion of common tasks include specific learning objectives to show students the importance of understanding such technology.
• REVISED! Chapter 6: Spreadsheets reflect current Microsoft Excel and Corral Quatro software most commonly used in law offices.
• REVISED! Content has been reorganized to improve learning flow from basic to advanced concepts.
• REVISED! Tutorials for completion of common tasks include specific learning objectives to show students the importance of understanding such technology.
• UPDATED! Additional tutorials with detailed learning objectives are available online.
• NEW! Chapter 8: Utilities, Applications and Tools is a new chapter that highlights specific coverage of the most frequently used technology to promote efficiency in the workplace, such as:
• PDF
• Optimal Character Recognition
• Document Scanning
• Encryption
• File Compression Programs
• NEW! Chapter 9: Office Management Software introduces the concept and importance of Legal Project Management with examples from real legal offices.  
• REVISED! Chapter 10: Case Organization and Management provides a clear learning objective and enticing visual material to help students learn how to use LexisNexis CaseMap, one of the most widely used software programs by the legal community.
• REVISED! Tutorials for completion of common tasks include specific learning objectives to show students the importance of understanding LexisNexis CaseMap.

• REVISED! Chapters 11-14: Electronic Discovery offer cases reflecting changes in the courts approach and enforcement of the rules of legal technology and the related ethical issues that arise from this, including:

• An overview of fundamental concepts of e-discovery.
• The use of technology in the search function, reflected in the new coverage of Technology Assisted Review (TAR).
• NEW! Advice from the Field features.

NEW! Also Available with CourseConnect with the Virtual Law Office Experience
CourseConnect offers complete online courses that run on common school LMS platforms such as Blackboard, Angel, Canvas, D2L, Sakai, and others. Courses contain interactive lessons covering core topics with assignments and discussion board suggestions using a methodology designed to increase student retention and success in any classroom environment.

Courses and topics are crafted by experts from each discipline and contain a variety of interactive multimedia elements, all levels of cognitive assessments, assignments, discussion questions, MP3 downloadable lectures and detailed instructor resource guides.

Virtual Law Office Experience within CourseConnect Housed within the Media Index in in the course are the complete Virtual Law Office Experience modules. Students watch realistic video scenarios, work with case files and documents, and use the technology tools found in the law office to do the work a paralegal will be asked to do in practice. Throughout the course, students build a portfolio of work that demonstrates that they have the training and experience employers are looking for.

CourseConnect with the Virtual Law Office Experience is your total online and blended learning solution designed to provide students with the tools they need to confirm their mastery of legal concepts and applications, and then apply their knowledge and skills in a workplace context.

For the instructor, CourseConnect courses are accompanied by a complete set of instructor materials including sample syllabi, lesson plans, and assignments with time-on-task estimates for all activities to assist with accreditation applications.

REVISED! Software tutorials and additional online reference materials help students truly understand the text and apply it to example scenarios.

• Mini-exercises and the technology resources website teach students web-based skills and popular software packages, including access to software such as:

• AbacusLaw
• LexisNexis CaseMap
• Summation
• SmartDraw
• Sanction, and more!
• Built-in “Help” features, tutorials, and online resources are available with all software programs.

Thorough chapter reorganization provides an easy platform through which students can absorb the information of the text.

• Each chapter opens with a fictional law office scenario that helps students relate major concepts to real life experiences in a future career.
• All material covered in the text is divided into chapters based on functional aspects of the use of featured technology. Topics include:

• Core Programs such as word processing, electronic spreadsheets, and databases.
• Specialty Applications Software such as law office applications, case management, litigation support, and presentation graphics.
• Emerging Topics such as Internet use, the paperless office, the electronic courtroom, and electronic research.
• Revised Chapter Review Exercises and Materials include:
• Practice questions.
• Continuing case studies.
• Two comprehensive case studies that reflect common situations in the law office and allow use of the appropriate application software.

The content of every chapter has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent technology development, issues, and practice in law, including:

• Chapter 2: Legal Ethics in the Technology Age reflects the new ABA ethics rules on technology including state court requirements.

• Ethical issues related to technology are raised consistently in sections throughout the text.
• Chapter 4: The Internet, The Cloud and Communications has been completely rewritten to help students grasp the importance of the topic, with Court and Technology added as a new learning objective.
• Chapter 5: Word Processing now includes the most currently popular versions of Microsoft Word and WordPerfect software.
• REVISED! Tutorials for completion of common tasks include specific learning objectives to show students the importance of understanding such technology.
• Chapter 6: Spreadsheets reflects current Microsoft Excel and Corral Quatro software most commonly used in law offices.
• Content has been reorganized to improve learning flow from basic to advanced concepts.
• Tutorials for completion of common tasks include specific learning objectives to show students the importance of understanding such technology.
• Additional tutorials with detailed learning objectives are available online.
• Chapter 8: Utilities, Applications and Tools is a new chapter that highlights specific coverage of the most frequently used technology to promote efficiency in the workplace, such as:
• PDF
• Optimal Character Recognition
• Document Scanning
• Encryption
• File Compression Programs
• Chapter 9: Office Management Software introduces the concept and importance of Legal Project Management with examples from real legal offices.  
• Chapter 10: Case Organization and Management provides a clear learning objective and enticing visual material to help students learn how to use LexisNexis CaseMap, one of the most widely used software programs by the legal community.
• Revised Tutorials for completion of common tasks include specific learning objectives to show students the importance of understanding LexisNexis CaseMap.

• Chapters 11-14: Electronic Discovery offer cases reflecting changes in the courts approach and enforcement of the rules of legal technology and the related ethical issues that arise from this, including:

• An overview of fundamental concepts of e-discovery.
• The use of technology in the search function, reflected in the new coverage of Technology Assisted Review (TAR).
• Advice from the Field features.