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), as well as 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 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.

For more information, also see this press release.

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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.

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 -- which 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!

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.

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!

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New CompuSavvy Blog Offers Word & WordPerfect Tips

We've started a blog! It provides tips —for both MS Word and WordPerfect —on an occasional basis. (We try to add at least one new post each week, although other commitments sometimes cause delays.)

We thought it might be useful to post short articles that address some of the questions our training clients ask us most often (Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs), and also to include a few pointers from the new Word 2007 book.

The blog has received favorable attention from the prestigious organization TechnoLawyer, which has linked to several of our blog articles in its "BlawgWorld" news letter, and from the Legal IT Professionals, which recently ran an article about the blog here.

To sign up for any of TechnoLawyer's free newsletters, visit TechnoLawyer's home page.

You can find the blog by clicking this link. Also see see this press release.

We'll add posts as often as possible. Keep checking back for new tips!

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.

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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.

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"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.

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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.

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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"?

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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.

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" workshop—one of her specialties—for 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.

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