Need to create a document on the go? If so, you`ll be happy to know that you can create legal symbols on your mobile device. You should see a search box at the bottom of your Windows desktop, near the Start menu. Enter “Character Map” here and select the app icon. It opens and displays a whole series of special characters. Six rows down, you will see the section icon in the second column. Left-click on it and it will expand and appear at the bottom of the box labeled “Characters to Copy”. Left-click Select, and then click Copy. Now you can insert it anywhere you need it. If you don`t want to write your own keyboard shortcuts, you can purchase add-ins to configure them for you. Lawcut§ (Lawcuts) is an add-in for Microsoft Word that adds a list of Word-specific keyboard shortcuts to the right. The monthly fee to run Lawcut§ on Microsoft Word is $1.99. Many lawyers try to save time by copying an icon from another document or earlier in the document.
The problem with copying and pasting a symbol is that you can also paste the formatting settings. A symbol copied from a header or bulleted list carries some of this formatting code when pasted elsewhere. Also, an inserted symbol can break an entire paragraph by changing the font, style, etc. Fixing all of this is another interruption that distracts you from finishing your design. A keyboard shortcut preserves the formatting of the document. By far, the easiest way to enter a vertical double S symbol is to copy and paste. Google or visit a website (like this one) and look for the § symbol. Click and hold the left mouse button to highlight it. Then right-click on the highlighted icon and choose “Copy”.
Alternatively, you can hold down “Ctrl” and “C”. After copying it, locate the document, browser or text box where you want to type this icon, right-click and choose “Paste”. Another way to create the “section” symbol (§), regardless of the word processing software you use, is listed here: keyboard shortcuts should not be limited to icons alone. You can program entire sections to insert themselves. The AutoText feature of Microsoft Word can be programmed to insert both expressions and formatting when they are used. You can enter the header and signature blocks once in court applications, save them as auto-insert, and then quickly insert them into your documents. If you want to improve your law firm with technology, people often think about adding new tools. But another way to improve your legal practice is to make better use of the technology you already have. You probably already know that lawyers spend a lot of their time creating documents. That`s why getting the most out of your word processor is a great way to leverage technology, reduce errors, and create better documents.
An easy to learn trick is keyboard shortcuts for legal symbols. As mentioned earlier, I used to copy and paste icons from Google or other documents. The problem with this is that you are not only copying the icon, but also the formatting associated with it. Among the legal symbols listed, the only one with a standard iPhone shortcut is the section icon. Long press the & symbol and you will have the option to enter a § in its place. If you`re not a Windows user, you might be using a Mac. If so, it`s easy. All you have to do is press and hold “Option” and “6” at the same time.
Wherever your cursor is, a section icon will appear. It`s as simple as that! Find and select the “Insert menu”, then select “Symbol”, then “More symbols” then “Special characters”. Open this and it will display a large display of special characters, just like the “drawing card” in Windows. Find the section icon and select Paste. The § will then be visible in your document wherever you left your cursor. The section mark “§” is also widely known as the vertical double S symbol. While you may not come across a vertical double S symbol every day, they are often found in legal documents. Most often, they are used as a shortcut that directs the reader to a reference. If you see a section marker, you will probably be redirected to the footer or footnotes of the document. This list of allowed keyboard jumps may not contain icons that your industry, jurisdiction, or judge prefers.
You may not want to learn the alternative keyboard shortcuts and use something memorable instead. You can always create more by customizing your keyboard shortcuts. The following is an example of using the Customize Keyboard feature in Microsoft Word to create a keyboard shortcut for ‡ (a double-dagger symbol used in some types of documents to refer to notes). The iPhone only included the § icon as a keyboard shortcut. Press and hold the & symbol to get an option to insert a §. iPhone owners can easily add a keyboard shortcut using the iPhone text replacement feature. Keyboard shortcuts are a sequence of keys that, when pressed, insert a symbol or special character into a document. They can be used to enter punctuation marks like a dash, but in our case we want to use links to enter legal symbols. If for some reason you don`t have access to the internet or are simply offline, there is another place where you can find a section icon. It is an application integrated with Windows that allows you to format and copy special characters and symbols so that you can use them as you wish.
These keyboards have special keys that insert legal symbols at the touch of a button. If you need to enter the section character (§), simply press the button. 3. Paste the symbol in the “Phrase” field and the link you want to use in the “Link” field. Before I learn the shortcuts for some of the symbols I use frequently, I would copy and paste them from Google. However, this often leads to mistakes, either by using the wrong symbol or by copying and pasting something completely different. Keyboard shortcuts for legal symbols prevent you from stopping your writing flow by quickly routing your symbol across the page without stopping. If that doesn`t work, your section icon may be linked to a different key assignment. You can only use a keyboard shortcut to enter a duplicate S symbol if your keyboard has a numeric keypad.
First, make sure that the “Digital Lock” is enabled if necessary so that your numeric keypad is activated. Then, simply hold down the “Alt” key and enter the following number using your keyboard: 21 or 0167. As soon as you release the “Alt” key, the section icon appears. Keyboard shortcuts for legal symbols also avoid unnecessary errors. If you know your keyboard shortcuts for legal symbols, lawyers can get the right icon the first time. If you don`t use keyboard shortcuts, you may insert the wrong icon. Knowing the right keyboard shortcuts for legal symbols reduces the likelihood of mistakes and the added stress that comes with them. If learning and programming your own keyboard shortcuts seems difficult, there is an alternative.
