Welcome to the LTRC Training Library. On this page, you'll find a library of training sessions addressing a variety of legal technology topics. Most of the recordings are brief - around 8-15 minutes - and targeted on specific, practical technology tips and tricks which can give your practice a boost and improve the return on your technology investment.
New recordings are added regularly, so check this page frequently.
Note: to view our tech training videos you will need Adobe Flash Player.
Gmail Tools and Timesavers
Learn some of Gmail's advanced features in order to tame the inbox tiger many of us face daily.
Replace Paper Sticky Notes with Microsoft Outlook Notes
Instead of cluttering your desk with paper sticky notes, try using the Notes feature in Microsoft Outlook. In this recording we demonstrate how to use Notes and how to have your notes automatically open on your desktop whenever you start your computer.
Creating Outlook Appointments
Set them but don’t forget them with Microsoft Outlook. After awhile, those yellow sticky note reminders on your computer monitor can become a regular part of the office landscape. Outlook reminder alerts clear the clutter to organize your work life. Here we review how to set a single or recurring appointment along with corresponding reminders.
Archiving Outlook Email Folders with Acrobat 9
Although practice management and document management tools will help organize and store Outlook emails, many attorneys choose to save all email related to a matter in Outlook, then save the folder with the client record. Natively saving Outlook folders is clunky, and saving individual emails is tiresome - Adobe Acrobat email archive tool to the rescue! Learn how to save individual emails, folders and subfolders from Outlook into a fully searchable, sortable PDF portfolio in just a few simple steps.
Email Management Tools in MS Outlook
MS Outlook has some built in tools to make managing and following up on email easier. We look at ways to harness these tools to help stay on top of tasks and keep your inbox clean. Functions like rules, flags and search folders are demonstrated to highlight their efficiencies (and deficiencies).
Outlook: Get in Touch with MS Outlook Contacts
Learn to boost the power of MS Outlook 2007 Contacts by using some of its less obvious features. Contacts can act as a way to organize Outlook information by client, perform CRM functions, start a workflow, add ticklers and more! Learn to make the most of this powerful function.
Encrypt Messages via Outlook with Dialawg
Encrypting confidential messages to your clients is not only important, but with Outlook and Dialawg, it's simple. This overview will show you how to send your first encrypted message (with or without attachments), regardless of the email setup used by your recipient.
Power Tricks with Email: Doing More with What You Have
Learn some helpful tricks to get your inbox under control. Outlook can make it easier for you to use e-mail in useful new ways. Presented by Ben Schorr, author of Lawyers Guide to Outlook 2007
Introduction to Google Apps
There's more to Google than search engines and Android. Learn the basics of Google Apps, with a focus on the Google Docs component: document authoring, spreadsheets, and presentation tools.
Gmail Tools and Timesavers
Learn some of Gmail's advanced features in order to tame the inbox tiger many of us face daily.
Power-up Google Chrome with Web Apps
In a previous session, we introduced the Google Chrome web browser and explored some of its basic functionality. In this video, we focus on some specific apps from the Chrome Web Store that can take your web browser to a new level, including Readability, Listhings, and Snippy.
Introducing Google Chrome
Tired of Internet Explorer? Learn about Google's web browser: Chrome. We explore the basic and advanced features of Chrome, including Chrome Web Apps.
Gathering Information Online with Google Docs Forms
There are various ways you can gather information from people electronically, such as sending out Microsoft Word or PDF forms. Using Google Docs you can create an online form that users can fill out in an Internet browser, and the information that users enter is automatically entered into a Google Docs spreadsheet.
About iGoogle
iGoogle is a customizable start page with the capability to add web feeds and Google Gadgets to bring the content you want to your own personal webpage. See the breaking news of your favorite newspapers, and your local or vacation destination five day weather forecasts. See what's playing at nearby movie theatres, or latest trial verdict you've been following. We'll demonstrate how to use iGoogle to put it all on one page or a series of pages that you choose.
Better Bookmarking with Google Bookmarks
Bookmarking is a useful tool for keeping track of the websites you visit frequently, particularly legal research sites. With Google Bookmarks, your bookmarks are stored online rather than in your web browser, allowing you to access them from any web-connected computer. In this session, we'll demonstrate Google's solution for storing, accessing, and organizing your bookmarks.
15 Google Search Tricks
Google isn't just for basic web searches. Need to track a package? Check flight status? Convert currency or measurements? We demonstrate how you can use the regular Google search tool in fifteen different ways you may never have expected.
Stay Up-to-Date with Online Alerts
Be the first to know by using online alerts. Alerts are free, personalized notification services that immediately inform you of the news that you decide is most important and relevant. Quickly set up alerts to find out what is being said about you, your firm, competitors or clients on blogs, Twitter or in the news.
Reducing PDF File Size
Scanning files to PDF is a great way to reduce office clutter, increase productivity and minimize paper usage and waste. However, PDF files can be sizable thus eating away at your file storage space. In this session, we demonstrate several easy ways to reduce the size of your PDF files.
E-Signature Basics in Adobe Acrobat
Tired of printing and rescanning documents every time you need a signature? In this session, we demonstrate a simple and basic method for applying your signature to a document electronically via Adobe Acrobat's stamp tool.
Redacting Documents with Adobe Acrobat
When you're sharing or filing a document, there are times when certain sensitive information in the document - like a name, social security number, or address - needs to remain confidential. Redaction makes selective disclosure possible by allowing you to remove or "black out" specific confidential portions of documents. In this session, we lead you step-by-step through the process of redacting documents completely and reliably with Adobe Acrobat.
Archiving Outlook Email Folder with Acrobat 9
Although practice management and document management tools will help organize and store Outlook emails, many attorneys choose to save all email related to a matter in Outlook, then save the folder with the client record. Natively saving Outlook folders is clunky, and saving individual emails is tiresome - Adobe Acrobat email archive tool to the rescue! Learn how to save individual emails, folders and subfolders from Outlook into a fully searchable, sortable PDF portfolio in just a few simple steps.
Removing Metadata with Word and Acrobat
Many jurisdictions have ethics rules regarding responsibilities of attorneys sending documents with respect to metadata removal. While there are a number of excellent automated removal tools on the market, some attorneys may feel that their risk is low and would prefer to remove metadata on an ad hoc basis. In this session, we look at the tools built into Word 2007 and Acrobat 9 that help remove errant metadata, what they will (and won't) remove, and a few tips along the way.
Adobe Acrobat: How to Secure PDFs for Transmission
Most lawyers send PDFs without password protecting them and without locking them down so that they cannot be altered. Our expert walks through the Adobe Acrobat features that allow you to send your PDF documents securely.
Mac: Introducing Mac OS X's Built-In PDF Tools
Did you know that every Mac ships with powerful built-in/pre-installed PDF tools? In this session, learn how to turn nearly anything on your screen into a PDF, and pick up some tips on editing and searching for PDFs on your Mac.
Adobe Acrobat: Using the Acrobat Typewriter Tool
ABA LTRC Director Catherine Sanders Reach demonstrates how you can use the Typewriter tool in Adobe Acrobat to add text to any PDF, including court forms and scanned documents.
Using Outlining and Document Maps in Word
Building on styles in Microsoft Word, learn how to create outlines and document maps which can help you efficiently organize the structure of documents and quickly find the section of a document you are looking for.
Selecting, Moving and Copying Text in Word
This session examines several quick, easy ways to select, move and copy text within Microsoft Word.
Working with Styles and Templates in Word (Part 1) (Part 2)
Boost your Word-efficiency by harnessing the power of styles and templates.
Creating Outlook Appointments
Set them but don’t forget them with Microsoft Outlook. After awhile, those yellow sticky note reminders on your computer monitor can become a regular part of the office landscape. Outlook reminder alerts clear the clutter to organize your work life. Here we review how to set a single or recurring appointment along with corresponding reminders.
Where's My File? Default File Locations
When you receive a Microsoft Outlook attachment and click to save it, the file is automatically saved to a temp directory. If you don’t tell Microsoft Outlook specifically where you want the file saved, you may never see this important document again! We take a few minutes to explore the default file locations of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, how to change the default file location and how to create folders within these applications.
Creating Forms with Microsoft Word
Forms which can be filled out by users can be created in software such as Adobe Acrobat, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word. In this session we demonstrate how to create password protected fillable forms which you can put online or send by e-mail to users, who will be able to fill out the designated fields and won't be able to alter other parts of the form.
Autosave the Day!
Have you ever been working on a brief, budget spreadsheet or other important document when a power outage occurs? Many of us have lost important documents due to an unexpected loss of power. Take a few minutes to explore the Autosave features of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Introduction to OneNote
OneNote is a useful research notebook combining certain text features of Microsoft Word with a tabbed notebook interface. You can copy text and images by dragging them into OneNote, and OneNote will create a hyperlink to the original source in most cases. In this session we'll demonstrate the basics of how to get started with OneNote.
Efficient Drafting with Microsoft Office Quick Parts
In this Training Tuesday session we look at ways to cut down on the time required for drafting e-mail messages and Word documents by using Microsoft Office's Quick Parts feature to store and instantly insert blocks of frequently-used text. Quick Parts can enable "document assembly-lite" capabilities within Microsoft Office.
Removing Metadata with Word and Acrobat
Many jurisdictions have ethics rules regarding responsibilities of attorneys sending documents with respect to metadata removal. While there are a number of excellent automated removal tools on the market, some attorneys may feel that their risk is low and would prefer to remove metadata on an ad hoc basis. In this session, we look at the tools built into Word 2007 and Acrobat 9 that help remove errant metadata, what they will (and won't) remove, and a few tips along the way.
Cost Saving Printing Options for Microsoft Office
While many attorneys are looking for ways to achieve a "paperless" law office, some printing is still innevitable. Learn about some green options for printing in Microsoft Office that can help you produce less waste and cut your printing costs.
Boost Productivity with Spaces
With Spaces, a built-in feature of Mac OS X, you can turn your Mac into a productivity powerhouse by eliminating desktop clutter and arranging your applications according to the way you want to work. In this session, we show you how to set up Spaces for your key daily tasks, like marketing, legal research, and client communication.
Introducing Mac OSX's Built-In PDF Tools
Did you know that every Mac ships with powerful built-in/pre-installed PDF tools? In this session, learn how to turn nearly anything on your screen into a PDF, and pick up some tips on editing and searching for PDFs on your Mac.
TweetDeck: Social Media Dashboard
Many lawyers are experimenting with social media, but managing the various tools and sites can be complicated and time consuming. Learn how TweetDeck can help you manage Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and more in one convenient place.
Twitter 101
It’s been hard to miss the Twitter buzz over the last year or two, as celebrities, journalists, politicians and businesses have increasingly used it for socializing and communicating. While lawyers are often slow to adopt new technology, Twitter has found a loyal and vocal following amongst some lawyers. In this session, we cover the basics of Twitter: the technology, the terminology, and how you can get started.
WordPress 101: Start Blogging in Under 15 Minutes
Blogs have become common marketing and professional development tools for lawyers, but starting a blog can seem daunting. In this session, we introduce you to one of the more popular blogging platforms - WordPress - and show you how to get started blogging in just a few minutes.
WordPress 101: Beyond Blogging
WordPress is more than just a blogging platform; it's a powerful content-management system. In this second session in our WordPress 101 series, we explore some of the more advanced features of WordPress that you can use to turn your simple blog into a fully featured, easily updated law firm website.
WordPress 101: Getting Noticed
Whether you're using WordPress to build a topical legal blog or as the backbone of your firms' website, it's a safe bet that one of your goals is to get noticed. In this session, we look at some of the settings and strategies you can use to help spread the word about your new blog or website.
Managing Projects with Basecamp
Basecamp helps you take complex projects and break them down into manageable tasklists and milestones in a collaborative environment.
Get Organized with Remember the Milk
This web application helps you stay on top of your personal and professional tasks wherever you go.
Read it Later
Save that great webpage and Read it Later with the utility of the same name. In this session, we look at how you can integrate Read it Later into the way that you work.
About Firefox
Another alternative to Internet Explorer. We explore the interface and extended functionality of this popular web browser.
Windows 7 Federated Search - Part 1
One of the niftiest features of Microsoft Windows 7 operating system is the federated search. This feature allows you to search across email, documents, pictures, videos, and both local and networked drives. In part 1 of this session, we introduce an demonstrate the basic search functionality.
Windows 7 Federated Search - Part 2
In part 2 of our session on Microsoft Windows 7 federated search, we look at how you can use search connectors to search useful websites like Google, Twitter, and YouTube right from Windows -- no web browser necessary. The websites mentioned in the session can be found at http://bit.ly/c9otPE and http://bit.ly/R99o.
Take Notes on the Go with Simplenote
When lawyers go mobile, information has a tendency to get scattered. With Simplenote, lawyers can bring some order to the chaos by storing their notes in a single location online. In this session, we'll demonstrate how you can use Simplenote to create, edit, and organize notes from virtually any device with a web connection - including your Smartphone.
Become a Browser Power User
Web browsers are one of the most basic and important tools in every lawyer's legal technology toolbox. They're the gateway to legal research, social networking, and even software. In this session, we look at some tips for getting more out of your browser, including customizing your built-in search tools, organizing your bookmarks, and installing plug-ins.
Protecting Passwords in Firefox
The Firefox browser has hundreds of great extensions to enhance your web browsing experience. One particular extension, LastPass, helps you protect and remember all the passwords required to do practically anything on the Internet these days, from shopping to logging into legal research databases. Erik Mazzone, Director of the Center for Practice Management at the NC Bar Association demonstrates how to protect your passwords - and remember them - with Firefox and LastPass.
A "QuickJump" Around: Finding Files Fast
TechHit’s QuickJump program allows you to get to your Windows folders fast and furious, reducing your number of clicks through the use of an onscreen search function. Jared Correia, Law Practice Management Advisor with Massachusetts LOMAP, provides a “quick” tour.
Trust Accounting Simplified with Clio
Trust accounting is a much-feared topic among lawyers, but with the right software managing trust accounts can be a snap. In this session, we walk through how to set up a trust account, receive a retainer, apply the retainer to a bill, and produce reports that may be needed for demonstrating compliance with your bar association trust accounting rules. We're able to do all this in under 15 minutes, proving that trust accounting is, truly, nothing to be feared.
Encrypt Messages via Outlook with Dialawg
Encrypting confidential messages to your clients is not only important, but with Outlook and Dialawg, it's simple. This overview will show you how to send your first encrypted message (with or without attachments), regardless of the email setup used by your recipient.
Electronic Signatures with RightSignature
In this recording, John Gainor demonstrates how to use RightSignature to upload and send documents for electronic signature, as well as how to create re-usable document templates.
Introducing ReputationDefender
Noah Lang, Director of Business Marketing for ReputationDefender, describes two of ReputationDefender's signature services: MyReputation and MyEdge.
Three Ways to Capture More Billable Time with Chrometa
Learn how to organize, reconcile and export time tracked in Chrometa, a software tool that automatically accurately logs your time.
