OpenOffice for the Law Student: a quick review

[lukjad]

I don't mind if you use Word, I find it to be quite good. I took a course in it, and so I know my was around it. If you find that it is easier, or more familiar, or just works better for you, I don't care if you use it or OpenOffice. If you told me that I had to use it instead of OpenOffice, that is where you and I would have problems. Have fun, and I hope you do well in your course.

[javyn999]

Don't mean to resurrect such a dead thread, but thought I'd throw my 2 cents in with a little pointer.

I'm a paralegal that spends much of my time preparing TOCs and TOAs for federal filings online. The built-in generators in both Word and WordPerfect are total CRAP.

I've found the best way is to scan the brief for authority, pasting it into a Spreadsheet. Each "sheet" in the spreadsheet is for a type of authority. Sheet 1 is for cases, 2 for statutes, 3 for rules. I paste each instance of authority with a corresponding page number in the brief into a cell creating a list down the column.

Then when done, I highlight my list and sort it alphabetically. Then I copy it back to a TOA template doc I generated with the tabs and whatnot set in the correct format.

I combine my TOC and TOA doc with the brief and cover page after converting to PDF.

OpenOffice is not what is going to keep lawyers away from Ubuntu. A total lack of a decent PDF editor is what is going to keep them away. pdfedit just doesn't cut it. More and more lawyers and paralegals are needing full featured PDF editors such as Acrobat or NitroPDF (my favorite - it even Bates stamps!).