
To purchase a slightly revised version of the book on Amazon.com, click this link.
There is no preview on the Amazon page.
Jan Berinstein's first book, Formatting Legal
Documents With Microsoft Office Word 2007,
also is available for purchase on both Lulu.com and Amazon.com!
The book contains numerous tips and tricks, plus instructions for
working with headers and footers, styles,
automatic paragraph numbering, tracking changes, generating a TOC
and TOA, and
much more!

To purchase a slightly revised version of the book on Amazon.com,
click this link.
There is no preview on the Amazon page.
New Amazon Pages for
Formatting Legal Documents Books
Jan Berinstein has republished her books, Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft
Word 2010
and Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Office Word 2007.
Both books are listed on Amazon (with new covers and slight textual revisions), but they've been
relocated to new web pages.
You can find the revised version of the Word 2010 book on this page. The revised version of the Word
2007 book now appears here.
For more information, see this press release.
Jan Berinstein Assisting With Office 2010 Rollouts
at Large Law Firms in Los Angeles
While continuing to offer training services through her own company, Ms. Berinstein also
has been working as a contract trainer for several highly regarded training companies including
Traveling Coaches, EncoreTech, and King-Herpel & Associates. In that capacity, she has
provided training and floor support to large law firms in the Los Angeles area that are upgrading
to Office 2010 and Windows 7, along with document automation software such as MacPac and
the Payne Group's Forms Assistant, Numbering Assistant, and Pleading Assistant.
"I'm enjoying the challenge," she says enthusiastically. "It's great fun helping people become
more comfortable with new software, and I am learning a lot in the process, too."
Ms. Berinstein looks forward to working with outside training companies on new projects in
2012.
CompuSavvy Offers New "Troubleshooting Word Documents" Class
As of early 2011, CompuSavvy now offers a new full-day class,
"Troubleshooting Word Documents." The class, available in various cities throughout
California, includes a "document clinic" in which the instructor examines documents that
students bring in on their own laptops.
Jan Berinstein, who teaches the class, explains how to take a methodological approach to
troubleshooting and helps students learn to "brainstorm" productively. In addition, she
discusses (and demonstrates) various diagnostic tools built into Word. Through hands-on
exercises
with sample documents, students have an opportunity to test many of those tools.
Ms. Berinstein gives students substantive handouts, including a troubleshooting checklist.
For more informationdetails about the dates, locations, and pricesee the Upcoming Classes page on this site. Also see the Course Outlines page for an overview of the class
topics.
Class registration closes ten (10) days in advance, so be sure to register early.
Please feel free to forward this press release to
other people you know who might be interested in taking the class.
CompuSavvy Lowers Class Prices
Because of the ongoing recession, CompuSavvy has lowered the price of its full-day classes
from $295.00 to $275.00 and has extended the summer price
reduction on its half-day classes from $215.00 to $195.00. The
discounted prices, the lowest rates in CompuSavvy history, will remain in effect at least through
March 31, 2012.
We will continue to offer a special discount when more than one person from the same
organization enrolls in a class. However, to compensate for the drop in price, we have to impose
stricter enrollment requirements (i.e., we will need greater numbers of students to register) in
order to proceed with some classes, particularly the ones scheduled in Northern California.
It is our hope that the price reductions make it easier for people to acquire the skills they need to
getor hold ontoa good job.
For more information, see our Upcoming Classes
page, as well as the Classes &
Training page on the CompuSavvy Word and WordPerfect Tips blog.
One-On-One Trainingat Discounted Ratesfor Legal Secretaries and
Paralegals
Who Are Paying Their Own Way
In addition to our regular lab classes, we now provide one-on-one (or one-on-two) training
in Word and WordPerfect at discounted rates for legal secretaries, paralegals, and others in the
legal field who are paying their own way.
Typically, we meet on Saturdays at an office in Encino (free parking in the building lot). We
spend an hour to two hours covering exactly the topics you want to learn.
The cost is significantly lower than our normal corporate rate.
For details, drop us a note at the compusavvy AT earthlink DOT net address. Someone will get
back to you as soon as possible.
Ms. Berinstein Offers "Dressing Up Your Word Documents With Styles" E-book
on Lulu
In light of the interest that legal secretaries' organizations have shown in Ms. Berinstein's
tutorial about using styles in Word, Ms. Berinstein has turned the tutorial into an e-book that she
is offering for sale on Lulu.com.
The e-book is based on but goes beyond portions of Ms. Berinstein's Word 2007 and Word
2010 books that introduce users to styles. It explains the advantages of using styles in Word
2003, Word 2007, and Word 2010, as well as a few potential "gotchas." In addition, it provides
step-by-step instructions for creating simple styles from scratch and by example in all three
versions of the program.
Toward the end of the e-book, Ms. Berinstein suggests some style "dos" and "don'ts."
The e-book, which costs $7.25, includes an exercise with step-by-step instructions for creating a
style for an indented (block) quotation, as well as for assigning a keyboard shortcut to the
style.
To buy a copy of the e-book, click this link. You
should be able to download the book as soon as you have paid for it.
TechnoFeature Publishes Two Articles by Jan Berinstein About Word
2010
TechnoFeature, a newsletter published by the well-respected organization TechnoLawyer,
ran two articles by Ms. Berinstein in August, 2010. The first, entitled "Review of the Top Six
New Features for Law Firms in Word 2010," outlined a few of the most noteworthy new and
modified features in the latest version of Word; the second, called "Ten Powerful Word 2010
Customization Tips for Law Firms," explored ways that people can make the program more
efficient and user-friendly.
For more information, contact Ms. Berinstein directly via the compusavvy AT earthlink DOT net
address.
Jan Berinstein Becomes a Columnist for the Legal IT Professionals Web
Site
Ms. Berinstein has joined the ranks of the regular columnists on the Legal IT Professionals
web site (www.legalitprofessionals.com). Her articles appear every few months.
To view an announcement on the site, click this link. To go to the site's main page, click
this one. (Articles are available from a
Columns drop-down at the top center of the page.)
The Legal IT Professionals group, which has a strong presence on Linked in, describes
itself as "the leading international source of independent legal IT news, information, and expert
commentary. Our website is aimed at professionals working in the legal technology industry like
law firm IT staff, legal software vendors, legal IT consultants, but also paralegals, knowledge
management specialists, and lawyers interested in the technology that facilitates their work."
Ms. Berinstein frequently participates in (and sometimes initiates) discussions on the
group's LinkedIn page about current issues in technology used in law firms.
CompuSavvy Adds "Computers for Seniors" Classes
We've recently added several half-day hands-on computer lab classes geared toward older
adults.
The classes, which began in August of 2010, are designed to make people more comfortable
with computers. Loosely based on the classes Jan Berinstein teaches for The Osher Institute for
Lifelong Learning and UCLA Extension, these workshops range from an introductory course for
complete novices to intermediate classes that cover using e-mail and the Internet, creating simple
documents, and troubleshooting.
There are six classes in all. For now, we have scheduled the classes only in Los Angeles (at
ExecuTrain's Thousand Oaks facility); we will add classes in other cities if there is enough
demand for them. Note that we have lowered our prices on both half-day and full-day
classes through at least March of 2012.
For more information, see our Upcoming Classes
page. We will be posting outlines soon.
Jan Berinstein's Formatting Legal Documents With Word 2010 Book Is
Here!
Jan Berinstein has published her second book, Formatting Legal Documents With
Word 2010. As of January, 2012, a slightly revised version of the book is available on Amazon.com
; the original version is available on Lulu.com.
(If you prefer, you can buy the older version of the book from Lulu by simply clicking the
gray button with the word "Lulu" in blue, above.)
Like the Word 2007 book that Ms. Berinstein published in 2009, this book contains
tutorials about everyday features like line spacing, fonts, indents, and tabs, as well as more legal-
specific lessons about formatting pleadings, contracts, and other complex documents used in law
firms. It also explains how to make the program more user-friendly and offers helpful hints
about automating your work with keyboard shortcuts, fill-in fields, Quick Parts, and styles.
However, there is also a great deal of fresh material. In addition to a detailed description of
features that are new and features that have been modified in Word 2010, the book includes an
entire new section about mailings and forms, plus instructions for setting up custom templates
and for creating pleading paper from scratch. Ms. Berinstein has added numerous
troubleshooting tips and suggestions for preventing, diagnosing, and repairing document
corruption.
A preview that displays selected tutorials, as well as the entire Table of Contents, is
available from the book's Lulu page. (There is no preview on the Amazon page.)
Jan Berinstein Explains How to "Dress Up Your Word Documents With
Styles"
Ms. Berinstein spoke at the June 3, 2010 meeting of the San Gabriel Valley Legal
Secretaries Association in Monrovia, California. She provided several handouts on the topic of
styles.
The well-attended talk covered style basics, as well as how to avoid potential problems. Ms.
Berinstein held the audience's attention with her signature humor and interactive teaching
method. There was a lively Q & A session.
Afterwards, representatives of the SGV LSA sent Ms. Berinstein a thank-you letter that read in
part: "Your presentation was outstanding and the information you provided was
invaluable."
ABA Recognizes CompuSavvy's Blog in Its "60 Sites in 60 Minutes 2010"
List
The American Bar Association included CompuSavvy's blog in its "60 Sites in 60 Minutes
2010" list this past March.
You can see the entire list by
clicking this link.
The blog, which provides tips about both MS Word and WordPerfect on an
occasional basis, has received favorable attention from the prestigious organization
TechnoLawyer, which has linked to several of our blog articles in its "BlawgWorld" newsletter.
Also, the Legal IT Professionals group ran an article on its web site about the blog here.
You can find the blog by clicking this
link. Also see see this press release.
We add posts as often as time permits, typically once every week or two. Keep checking back
for new tips!
Jan Berinstein's Word 2007 Book Helps Legal Staff Take Control of Complex
Documents
Jan Berinstein has written a book that explains how to format legal
documents with Microsoft Office Word 2007. The book, which includes instructions for
formatting pleadings (based on California court rules but easily tweaked to adapt to other
jurisdictions), is available for
purchase on Lulu.com (just click the Buy Now button above), and a slightly revised version is
available on Amazon.com. It
includes a brief section comparing Word's "logic" with that of WordPerfect; tips about
customizing Word to make it work the way you want; lists of keyboard shortcuts; instructions for
working with headers and footers, automatic paragraph numbering, styles, tracking changes,
creating and generating a Table of Contents and a Table of Authorities; and other valuable
information.
There is a preview available on the Lulu page that includes, among other things, the entire
Table of Contents.
The book was featured on the Legal IT Professionals' web site and also received a
favorable review in May, 2009 from software consultant John Heckman, which you can read by
clicking this link.
John mentioned the book again in a later post, where he said: "Jan Berinstein has brought
out a very useful book [called] 'Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Office Word 2007'
which is available from Amazon. She focuses on what you really need to know (especially if you
are coming from WordPerfect) rather than some of the more abstruse areas that most firms
consign to their IT people or trainers." The second post, which also mentions other sites that
offer Word tips, is available
here.
Creating Labels With Mail Merge in Word 2007 Tip Sheet Available on
Lulu.com
Ms. Berinstein has just made a four-page tutorial available for purchase on Lulu.com for
$3.75 per copy.
The article, which is in electronic form (as a PDF file), explains how to create a sheet of different
labels using Word 2007's Mail Merge feature. Because it is a download, there are no shipping
fees.
The article does not appear in Ms. Berinstein's Word 2007 book.
You can buy the "cheat sheet" by visiting this
page. Alternatively, you can visit Ms. Berinstein's Lulu storefront -- where her book and her
Lyon,
France 2010 calendar are also available for purchase -- by clicking here.
Please note that the tutorial is a copyrighted work, not to be distributed in any form without Ms.
Berinstein's
written permission.
CompuSavvy's Pleading Templates
Compensate for the Lack of a Pleading Wizard in Word 2007
We have designed two simple California pleading templates for Word 2007--one that
"suppresses" the page number on the first page and one that does not--that are available for
purchase for a modest fee.
The templates, which are compatible with earlier versions of Word, use standard 12-point single
spacing and 24-point double spacing. That makes them easier to use than pleading templates
generated by the Pleading Wizard in older versions of Word. (Word 2007 does not come with a
Pleading Wizard.)
Both templates involve a fairly basic design, but they can be customized easily. For more
information, see this press release.
To get an idea of what the templates look like, click this link (to see the template that has a page number on all
pages, including the first page)or this link (to see the template where the page number is
"suppressed" on the first page).
If you're interested in purchasing one of the templates, drop us a note at compusavvy AT
earthlink DOT net (or at templates AT compusavvy DOT net), or leave a voicemail message on
our answering machine at (818) 776-1228. Be sure to provide your e-mail address as well as
your name and phone number. We will get
back to you as soon as possible.
Please allow a few days for us to process your request.
Ms. Berinstein's Lyon 2010 Calendar Is Now Available on
Amazon.com
Jan Berinstein's Lyon,
France 2010 calendar is available for purchase on Amazon.com! You
can find it by clicking this link.
The calendar is also available on Lulu.com . There are a few images from the
interior posted on both sites.
Note that although Amazon's shipping charges tend to be lower than Lulu's, Lulu frequently
offers substantial discounts -- typically on weekends -- that you can apply by entering a coupon
code at checkout.
It's terrific to have the calendar listed on Amazon as well as on Lulu, especially at this time of
year. (It won't
quite fit in a Christmas stocking, but it's a great holiday gift nonetheless!)
And remember, we're splitting the proceeds with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So your
purchase constitutes a gift even if you end up keeping it for yourself!
Buy a Scenic Calendar and Help Fight Leukemia and Lymphoma
Ms. Berinstein, an amateur photographer, has created a Lyon, France 2010 calendar that she
is selling on Lulu.com. The 12-month wall calendar is a paean to that vibrant city and
incorporates some of Ms. Berinstein's favorite images of its gorgeous parks and rivers, as well as
its monuments and the historic cobblestone district known as "Vieux Lyon." A couple of the
photos were taken during the annual Festival of Lights.
Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will be split 50:50 with the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. That worthy organization is working on treatments and, with luck, an eventual cure for
those terrible blood diseases.
The calendar costs a little more than standard calendars because of the nature of publishing on
demand (POD), whereby an item is printed only when someone orders it, rather than being
printed in bulk. Also, it is a custom work of art.
It makes a terrific (and unique) gift, and buying a copy is a painless way to help fight two
deadly diseases.
To purchase the calendar (or to see a preview that includes four months), go to
this
page on Lulu. Alternatively, you can visit Ms. Berinstein's Lulu storefront -- where her
book and her downloadable article about creating a sheet of labels with the Mail Merge feature of
Word 2007 are also available for purchase -- by clicking here.
Thanks very much for your support!
Jan Berinstein to speak at San Fernando Valley Legal Secretaries Association
meeting in July, 2009
The SFVLSA has invited Ms. Berinstein to be the featured speaker at their July 14 meeting.
Ms. Berinstein will discuss her new book and, in particular, will go over a few of the features of
Word 2007 that legal staff find most confusing headers and footers, section breaks,
aligning text with pleading line numbers, and troubleshooting generally.
Ms. Berinstein Taught Follow-Up Intermediate Computer Class in the Fall of
2009 at UCLA Extension
The Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning at UCLA Extension scheduled an
"Intermediate II" computer class for adult learners, taught by Ms. Berinstein. It ran
from October 2, 2009 through November 6, 2009.
The fall class picked up more or less where the spring class left off. We covered creating,
formatting, and printing simple documents with Microsoft Word. Students had an
opportunity to master the basics and also to experiment with borders and clip art. We
touched on computer maintenance and backups; students learned some essential system tools and
practiced backing up files to a CD.
We devoted the last two weeks of class to Google Earth, the Internet, and students' follow-up
questions.
Ms. Berinstein will be teaching another computer class for Osher in the spring of 2010. For
information about upcoming classes, see the UCLA
Extension
catalogue (search for "Computers for Adult Learners" or Osher), call The Osher Institute at
(310) 825-2301, or email osher@uclaextension.edu.
"Computers for Adult Learners" Intermediate Class Offered in the Spring of 2009
at
UCLA Extension
For the past few years, Jan Berinstein has been teaching the "Computers for Adult Learners"
series of hands-on computer workshops (formerly known as "Computers for Seniors") for
The Osher Institute at UCLA Extension. The intermediate-level class started on April 16,
2009.
The spring 2009 class focused on intermediate Windows tasks, including how to search for files
and how to create new folders, plus various tips, tricks, and shortcuts. In addition, we spent a
little time reviewing e-mail options such as how to attach a file to an e-mail message and how to
send a "bcc." We also visited a few news, travel, health, and financial web sites, and we
sampled some of the fun things you can do with search engines, including translation of phrases
and web pages.
We are hoping to offer the multimedia class, the third in the series, early in 2010. In that class,
we briefly explore photo editing, photo sharing on the web, listening to Internet radio, using
iTunes to download and organize music and podcasts, viewing online videos, burning CDs, and
exploring the world of satellite imagery with Google Earth and Zillow.
Because of popular
demand, we might do a separate Internet class and/or one that deals exclusively with e-mail.
Stay tuned!
For more information, see the UCLA Extension
catalogue (search for "Computers for Adult Learners" or Osher), call The Osher Institute at
(310) 825-2301, or email osher@uclaextension.edu.
Jan Berinstein Co-Authors and Edits Absolute Beginner's Guide to
WordPerfect
Books
In 2005 and 2006, Jan Berinstein worked on two of Laura Acklen's Absolute Beginner's
Guide to WordPerfect books. Ms. Berinstein co-authored and helped to update
Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect 12 and also served as a technical editor on
Absolute Beginner's Guide to WordPerfect X3. In addition, Ms. Berinstein continues to
serve as Administrator of and a Moderator on the WordPerfect Universe web site.
Ms. Berinstein's Blurb in Law Office Computing Magazine
Jan
Berinstein wrote a blurb for the "Asked & Answered" column in the August/September 2003
issue of Law Office Computing magazine. The article addresses
the
question, "What software programs are overrated for the sole or small firm
practitioner"?
Jan Berinstein Participates in "Great Spam Debate"
at
LegalTech Los Angeles
On May 14, 2003, Ms. Berinstein participated in a panel discussion at LegalTech Los
Angeles entitled "The Great Spam Debate: Government Regulation or Private Industry
Solutions." She detailed several methods for filtering spam, which, by some estimates, now
accounts for as much as 40-50% of all e-mail. She also pointed out that there are two strong anti-
spam measures currently making their way through the California State Senate. Both bills would
strengthen existing law by, in effect, banning unsolicited commercial e-mail originating from
within California or sent to an e-mail address in California. There would be exceptions if the
sender and the recipient had an existing business relationship prior to the mailing or if the
recipient specifically and affirmatively requested information from the sender (the "opt-in"
approach).
The other panelists included Scott Giordano, a lawyer who specializes in electronic evidence and
electronic due diligence; Ray Everett Church of ePrivacy Group; and David Cain of Corvigo, Inc.
They described pending federal legislation dealing with spam and recent lawsuits, some of which
provided large monetary awards to ISPs, including EarthLink and AOL.
Ms. Berinstein Offers Formatting Tips
For San Fernando Valley
Legal Secretaries' Association
On September 10, 2002, Ms. Berinstein gave
a brief talk for the San Fernando Valley Legal Secretaries' Association. She provided tips about
formatting legal documents with WordPerfect and MS Word. Thanks to Cheri Casella, 2nd Vice
President and Program Chair of the SFVLSA, for the invitation and cheerful assistance.
Ms. Berinstein Teaches
12-Hour Internet Legal Research Class
for UCLA Extension
Jan Berinstein taught a twelve-hour hands-on "Internet Legal Research"
workshopone of her specialtiesfor UCLA Extension in the fall quarter of 2002.
Topics included browser basics, search engines vs. directories, how search engines work,
advanced search techniques, informal channels for legal information (such as newsgroups and
listservs), the "invisible" web, and an exploration of selected legal web sites.
Ms. Berinstein Offers Advice at LegalTech L.A.
On How to
Prevent Hack Attacks
In May, 2002, Ms. Berinstein was on a panel at LegalTech Los Angeles called "Danger Will
Robinson! Is Anyone Safe From a Hack Attack?" She gave a presentation that described
common methods hackers use to gain access to other people's computers and provided practical
steps people can take to prevent becoming a victim. Ken McGuire of the FBI's Computer Crime
squad also gave a presentation. Afterwards, both speakers, along with moderator Ryan Bilbrey
of Ernst & Young, answered questions from the audience.
"Legal Research on the Internet"
A Popular MCLE Topic in 2001-2002
Ms. Berinstein taught "Legal Research on the Internet" in several California cities in 2001
and 2002.
The all-day classes, geared toward lawyers and paralegals, were sponsored by the Center for
Professional Education, Inc. / Center for Continuing Legal Education (CPE / CLE). Each class
covered, among other things:
The history of the Internet and the World Wide Web
Internet terminology
Using web browsers
A comparison of the search engines
Formulating an effective search strategy
Evaluating the reliability of Internet sites
Popular web sites for legal research, including government sites Information security
Ethical issues
and
The future of the Internet and its impact on the practice of law
Ms. Berinstein also taught "Internet for Accounting and Financial Research," a PowerPoint class
for accountants, and "Legal Document Production With WordPerfect," a class she designed.
Although the Center for Professional Education is not currently offering computer classes for
legal professionals in California, Ms. Berinstein's company, CompuSavvy, is preparing to take up
the slack. For more information, see CompuSavvy's Home Page
and Upcoming Classes.
Jan Berinstein an Amicus Attorney® Certified Consultant
In June, 1999, Jan Berinstein became an Amicus Attorney® Certified Consultant.
Although she does not currently (as of 2009) work with Amicus Attorney, she can put you in
touch with other consultants who do. Please send her an e-mail at compusavvy AT earthlink
DOT net or give her a call at (818) 776-1228 if you would like a referral.
In
August, 1999, Ms. Berinstein attended the Amicus Attorney® Partners Conference in
Toronto, where Gavel & Gown unveiled Version IV of Amicus Attorney®! (Version V [5] is
now available from the Gavel & Gown web site, www.amicusattorney.com.)
Jan Berinstein Offers Computer Tips
at Glendale/Burbank Legal Secretaries Association Meeting
On
September 16, 1998, Jan Berinstein revealed "Secrets of a Word Processor: Ten Great Computer
Tips" at the Glendale/Burbank Legal Secretaries Association monthly meeting in Toluca Lake.
To arrange to have Ms. Berinstein conduct a workshop or seminar for your group, give her a call
at (818) 776-1228.
Ms. Berinstein's Computer Classes
at the University of West Los Angeles
In the fall of 1998, Jan
Berinstein taught "Computers and the Law," a 15-week course for paralegal students, at the
University of West Los Angeles in Inglewood. The class covered word processing software,
Windows 95, and a variety of programs used in law offices, including Excel®,
Timeslips®, Legal Solutions®, CompuLaw's Vision Docket®, Summation®,
Concordance®, Abacus Law®, and more. Students also
learned how to conduct legal research on the Internet, using CD-ROMs, and via Lexis and
Westlaw.
This was the second class Ms. Berinstein taught at UWLA. In July and August, 1998, she led a
brand-new six-week computer literacy seminar for both law and paralegal students.
The seminar, designed for novices, covered basic computer terms and concepts, including input,
output, hardware, and software. It also introduced students to an operating system (Windows
95), three word processing programs, and a variety of legal-specific software.
Ms. Berinstein is very pleased to be associated with the University of West Los Angeles and
wishes to thank Rae Chesner, Scott Dicks, and Nate Rosenblatt for their assistance and
support.
Jan Berinstein a Featured Speaker
at Legal Secretaries Forum Conference
On March 7, 1998, Jan
Berinstein conducted a workshop on legal word processing at the 30th annual seminar of the L.A.
County Forum of Legal Secretaries at the Radisson Hotel in Sherman Oaks. The workshop
explored major differences between WordPerfect and Word, as well as ways to automate
everyday tasks such as creating pleading paper, inserting symbols like ¶ and §, and
creating envelopes directly from letters ("on the fly").
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