Microsoft Word:
What you need to know for your
Legal Analysis Writing and
Research (LAWR) Class
Microsoft Word
Both Word 2013 for
Windows PC and Word 2011
for Apple-Mac platforms
Download (Word) Office
Windows
•
Google “ub software download”
–
Click on first result: “Downloading Software…”
Apple
How to Format an Appellate Brief:
Guide to formatting an appellate brief using Word and a PC or a MAC
Why is this important?
• Your respective faculty want to focus on teaching legal
research and writing skills and not spend class time
teaching the features of Microsoft Word
• Easily
preventable
formatting
mistakes may
needlessly
cost you
points on your
assignments!
How to Set Font Type
1. Click the Home Tab on the ribbon
2. In the Font group you will see a
drop down menu for the font types
3. Font types are listed alphabetically
4. Word offers a Recently Used Fonts
section at the top of the listing
How to Set Font Size
1. Click the Home Tab on the ribbon
2. In the Font group you will see a
drop down menu for the font sizes
3. Font size can be selected from the
listing or a specific size can be typed
in at the top
Mac: How to Set Font Type and Size
Under the home menu select font type and size or set under Font tab in the top menu
How to Insert Symbols (¶ § ©, etc.)
1. Click the Insert Tab on the ribbon
2. Click on Symbol menu on the far right
3. If you don’t see the symbol in the quick view
window, click on the ‘More Symbols’ option at the
bottom of the drop down
4. Select the symbol and click Insert
Next time…
Mac: How to Insert symbols ¶ § ©
Select insert tab in top menu followed by symbols in the drop down
Setting Indentation of Paragraphs and Headings
1. Click the View tab and check the box labeled “Ruler” if
the Ruler does not appear by default
Creating a First-Line Indent with the Ruler
2. Place cursor where
you want to add the
indent
3. On the Ruler, drag
the First Line Indent
Marker (the top
triangle located on
the left side of the
ruler) to the position
where you want the
text to start
Mac: Creating a First-Line Indent with the Ruler
Paragraph Indentation
1.
2.
Left click to highlight the relevant paragraph(s)
Slide the left and right indents to the desired locations on the ruler.
• Bluebook Rule 5.1
Paragraph Indentation (cont’d)
3. Justify the paragraph (under Home tab)
• Bluebook Rule 5.1
Mac: Paragraph Indentation
How to Set Margins - Document
1. Click the Page Layout tab on the ribbon
2. Click on Margins
3. There are a variety of options to choose from. If your professor
requests a unique margin setting then choose the Custom Margins
option at the bottom of the drop down menu
How to Set Margins – Within Document
1.
2.
3.
4.
Highlight the text you want to indent
Click the Page Layout Tab on the ribbon
Click on Margins
Choose the Custom Margins option at the bottom of the drop down menu
and specify the dimensions necessary
Mac: How to Set Margins-Within Document
In documents memo select Layout followed
by margins
Creating and Indenting Bullet Points and Outline Sections
Under the Home Tab select from the bullet outline options;
there are three lists to chose from and an option to customize a list
Creating and Indenting Bullet Points and Outline Sections
Mac uses a very similar operation
How to Adjust Line Spacing
1. Place cursor in blank document or highlight
relevant paragraphs
2. From Home tab, select the Line and Paragraph
Spacing option
3. Under Line Spacing choose ‘Exactly’
4. Next choose the specific spacing (such as 24
pt.) or type in the spacing number requested
by your faculty member
Mac: How to Adjust Line Spacing
Under the document home tab
select the line spacing button.
How to Add or Remove Extra Space
Before or After a Paragraph
1. Highlight the paragraph(s) you would like to change
2. Under the Home tab, click the Line and Paragraph
Spacing menu and select the appropriate option
Note: Mac uses a very similar operation
Insertion of nonbreaking or "hard" spaces
• Nonbreaking spaces are used to keep two words
together avoiding separation by lines.
– Hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys as you press the
Spacebar. Word will not break the line at the point
between selected words.
– The same method works for Mac.
Find and Replace
• From the Home tab, select either Find or Replace on the
far right-hand side of the screen or use CTRL + F
Mac: Find and Replace
• Search in Mac using the field next to the
magnifying glass icon
Using Spelling and Grammar Check
• Located under the Review tab
•
For Mac click “Spelling and Grammar” under tools in the top menu bar
• Remember to reproof your document manually!
– avoid complete reliance on spelling and grammar check
Managing AutoCorrect and other proofing options
1. Click File tab
2. Select Options, then Proofing
3. Make desired changes
Enable (disable) for ALL CAPS
or numbers
Enable or disable
spell check and
grammar features
Mac: Manage AutoCorrect
Select auto correct under tools (top menu)
How to Turn off Superscript (2nd, 3rd, 4th)
1. Click the File Tab on the ribbon
2. Select Options, then Proofing in the pop up window
3. Click the Auto Correct Options button
4. Select the AutoFormat Tab, uncheck the Ordinals with superscript and
click OK
BB Rule 10
Mac: How to Turn off Superscript (4th, 5th, 6th)
Setting Passive Sentence Notification: two methods
Setting the Passive Check: 1
Setting the Passive Check: 2
Mac: Setting the Passive Check
Select “Word” in Top
Menu then “Preferences”
In Word preference box select
“Spelling and Grammar”
In the Spelling and Grammar
box select “Settings”
In the settings box check passive
sentences
Insertion of Page Numbers
• Formatting page #’s
Mac: Insertion of Page Numbers
Select insert page number under the
inset tab in the menu bar, or under
document elements select “page #”
in the document menu
Creating Section Headings
1.
2.
3.
Insert page numbers
Select headings to be included in the Table of
Contents by holding Ctrl and left-clicking
(highlighting) each one
Choose heading format under Home tab
Building a Table of Contents
1. Place cursor at
the location
desired for the
Table of Contents
2. Under the
References tab
select the Table of
Contents menu
3. Choose desired format
for Table of Contents
Completed Table of Contents
Mac: Creating a Table of Contents
Under the Home tab click Headings
under Styles
Go to Document Elements tab and
create your table of contents
Creating Table of Authorities (under Reference tab)
Select citations and mark
Place cursor at the location the
table needs to be inserted; Mac users CREATING YOUR TABLE OF AUTHORITIES (Using a MAC and Word 2011)
Microsoft Guide
Inserting Page Breaks
• Place cursor at the desired location for the page break
• Under the Page Layout tab, click the Breaks drop down menu and
select Next Page
Mac: Insertion of Page Breaks
Place curser at the location
desired for the page break
Select page break under the layout
tab or page break from the
inset tab on the top menu bar
Changing Page Number Fonts Within the Same Document
Double click the top margin of
the page after the inserted
break
Select Arabic page
numbers for the
remainder of the doc.,
Under “File Tab” select “Link to Previous “
Mac users see: The 3 basic steps to preparing your document
Enable Text-To-Speech (TTS)
Select Speech in Word Options
and add to Tool Bar
Select text to be read with mouse and
click on the speech button in the tool bar,
an automated voice will read the outlined text aloud
Tracking Changes
Mac: Turn of tracking by unchecking
“Highlight Changes” options.
To turn off tracking click “Track Changes”
until blue highlight is off
Using Shortcut Keys
See handout for a more extensive listing of shortcuts
Law Library Website:
• Access instructional videos on MS Word
Student Services Librarian
Student
Services
Brian Detweiler
211a O’Brian Hall
briandet@buffalo.edu