Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers document automation software that doesn't require programming skills (see article below), software designed for David Allen's Getting Things Done system, and a portable digital stereo recorder. Don't miss the next issue.
A Shorter Path to Document Automation
By Neil J. Squillante
Law firms face a conundrum when it comes to document automation technology. The people best suited to create an expert system for your law firm are the lawyers, but many lawyers don't know how to program and don't have the time to develop such skills.
Lawyer and Pathagoras founder Roy Lasris took note of this situation several years ago and developed Pathagoras, a document assembly program that doesn't require any programming. The latest version — Pathagoras 2008 — continues to build on this guiding principle.
With Pathagoras, you start by transforming existing documents and forms (your own or from any source) into templates. By simply selecting words, you can create "clauses" that you store in a "glossary" for use when drafting documents. You can also create "variables" — matter-specific information such as a client's name — just as easily.
In Pathagoras 2008, variables can contain anything you want — an address, date, name, etc. like before, but also entire documents such as terms and conditions, warranties, etc.
Along the same lines, you can assign up to ten commonly-used folders to Pathagoras' DropDown Lists. This way with one click you can quickly insert any file (photo, PDF, Word or WordPerfect, text, etc.) into a document. You don't even need to create a variable.
This focus on timesavers permeates the new version. For example, the new interface enables you to more readily access a greater number of clauses, files, images, and templates than ever before. Also, a number of helpful utilities make it easier to manage your forms library and associated resources.
Other features include PathSmart and SaveSmart for quickly accessing and saving files in designated locations, Name and Subject Editor for displaying and renaming files and folders in a spreadsheet-like table, calendar and calculator tools that can autofill dates and numbers respectively based on triggers in a document, Spell Out for spelling out numbers you enter, and much more.
Pathagoras 2008 runs on Windows 2000, XP, and Vista. You can try it for free for 90 days and take advantage of free video tutorials. Prices start at $379 for a single-user license. A network version for three users sells for $799. Many other configurations exist. Existing customers qualify for reduced upgrade prices. Learn more about Pathagoras 2008.
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