Category Archives: Adobe Acrobat

Make Your PDF Document Edit-Proof – Lock It Down!

13 Thursday Dec 2018

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Legal Technology

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How To *Really* Lock Down a PDF Document, by Catherine Sanders, Catherine’s Call, ncbarblog

https://ncbarblog.com/how-to-really-lock-down-a-pdf-document/

Although I have worked in multiple areas of the law, I cannot think of one in which I did not use Adobe Acrobat. Even if you do not have the latest version, Adobe Acrobat DC (which I love), you need to learn how to “lock” your document so that no one outside of your office can edit it in any way.

There is a definite danger in becoming complacent and not staying up to date with technology. Keeping up to date can be expensive. You and others may also have a short learning curve to retrain on new software.

But, think about it. We constantly retrain ourselves in the legal world. Court rules, case law, and statutes change, and we are ethically bound to learn and  them. I cannot count how many versions of WordPerfect, Word, Adobe Acrobat, or case management software I’ve learned over the years. Retraining is simply a necessary fact of life when you are a legal professional.

I like this post for several reasons. First and foremost, it not only tells you, but shows you, how to lock down your .pdf document. Second, it shows you how to use some Adobe functions you might not normally use, which adds to your skill set. This one is a keeper! -CCE

How to Use Excel to Create Searchable Bates Numbers.

26 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Bates Numbers, Excel, Legal Technology, Litigation, Microsoft Office

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Fast Tip Friday, Convert Doc Number List to Searchable Bates Numbers, by Amy Bowser-Rollins, Litigation Support Guru

http://tinyurl.com/pdg3pnx

This is an adaptation of an article posted on the Excel Esquire site. This scenario happens often in the middle of a litigation matter. Attorneys will make a list of relevant document numbers and only include the part of the number that is different. But in order for a paralegal or litigation support professional to run a search for the documents in a database, we need to re-format the document numbers. . . .

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Free Legal Style Guide from Adobe.

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Editing, Grammar, Legal Technology, Legal Writing, Numbers, Punctuation, Style Manuals

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Adobe Legal Department Legal Style Guide (with hat tip to William P. Statsky)

http://www.adobe.com/legal/legal-innovation.html

A free, concise legal writing style guide from Adobe. Definitely worth a look. -CCE

 

A New Way To Get The Latest Adobe Acrobat Software – Acrobat DC.

28 Thursday May 2015

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Legal Technology

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A New Way To Buy Acrobat DC: Subscription, by Rick Borstein, Acrobat for Legal Professionals Blog

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/

Adobe Acrobat is one of sharpest tools used in a law office. It would definitely be on my list of indispensable technology. I keep hearing about Acrobat DC, but have not had the opportunity to run it through its paces. Which option is more practical? Buying the license or trying the subscription route?

For those of you who are interested in the many various ways you can use Adobe Acrobat – any version – look to your right at the website. You might see something you like. -CCE

Before going further, I need to make sure that you know that you certainly can continue to buy and upgrade Acrobat as you have in the past without buying a subscription.

Subscription is a new additional purchase option for Acrobat.

Adobe has other software subscription offerings such as the Creative Cloud. The idea of subscription software is new to some folks, so I thought I would offer some background here and discuss some factors you might consider in making a decision of Buy versus Subscribe.

Note that purchase considerations will vary quite a bit between an individual or small firm and that of a large enterprise and that the opinions below are my own. . . .

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Use The GoodReader App To Sign PDF Documents On iPhone or iPads.

18 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, iPad, iPhones, Legal Technology

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GoodReader Update Adds Signatures, by Jeff Richardson, by iPad J.D. Blog

http://tinyurl.com/l4bvqj6

The GoodReader app is one of the most frequently used apps on my iPad because it has such great tools for organizing my documents, syncing them to my computers, and annotating PDF files.  And perhaps best of all, the developer is constantly finding ways to make the app even better.  This week, GoodReader version 4.10 was released, and it adds the ability to create and add signatures to your documents.  I’ve used many other apps with a signature feature, but GoodReader does such a nice job of implementing the feature that it may now be the best way to sign a document on an iPad or iPhone. . . .

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Trouble Finding Words and Terms in Adobe Documents? Not Any More.

14 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Legal Technology

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Searching and Marking Multiple Words in a PDF, by Rick Borstein, Rick Borstein’s Acrobat for Professionals Blog

http://blogs.adobe.com/acrolaw/category/case-analysis/

Legal Professionals often need to search across a large number of documents. Finding a key fact, name or term is an important part of how you will apply your knowledge to a case.

For example, recently a paralegal sent me this email:

An attorney I work with just gave me a list of about 50 words and phrases as part of a case. I need to mark these terms each time I find them in my case documents. Help! Is there a way I can list all of the search words in a PDF?

While many folks have discovered the Search functionality in Acrobat, Acrobat 9 and below do not offer the ability to save searches or report the results.

Oddly, the only tool in Acrobat that allows you to search for terms and mark them in a PDF is part of the Search and Redact feature. . . .

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New “Must Have” PDF Book For Lawyers By Ernie Svenson.

21 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Legal Technology

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Review: PDF Essentials for Lawyers by Ernie Svenson / MPU 230, by Jeff Richardson, iPhone J.D. Blog

http://tinyurl.com/mvtts7k

You know this has to be good. First, it’s recommended by Jeff Richardson; second, the book is written by PDF expert Ernie Svenson. It doesn’t get much better than that. -CCE

I still remember the time, many years ago, when PDF documents seemed novel. Today, of course, most attorneys work with PDF documents just about every day, especially if you practice in federal court. And PDF is my preferred file format for storing documents on my iPad. My GoodReader app has a huge number of folders, each of which is full of PDF documents for the pleadings, correspondence, research, exhibits, and other key documents associated with my case files. But as much as I work with PDF files, I always feel like there is so much more to know about working with this file format.  I suspect that most of you feel the same way. (If you don’t, then either you are a PDF genius, or you just don’t know what you are missing.)

Today, I have two good recommendations for helping you to learn more about working with PDF files:  a free podcast, and an inexpensive book. . . .

“Lock Down” Your Bates Numbers To Prevent Edits By Opposing Counsel.

16 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Bates Numbering, Bates Numbers, Discovery, E-Discovery, Legal Technology, Requests for Production

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Preventing Edits To Bates Numbers Applied In Acrobat, by Rick Borstein, Acrobat for Legal Professionals Blog

http://tinyurl.com/lvc4j87

If your job is anything like mine, you use Adobe Acrobat to Bates number documents all the time. There are many reasons to use a Bates numbering system. One of the top reasons is that it helps to eliminate confusion and keeps documents organized.

If opposing counsel can change the Bates numbers on your produced documents, it can create havoc. I do not like havoc, especially when I have spent a lot of time and my client’s money to create a neatly Bates-numbered set of documents. Thank you, Mr. Borstein! -CCE

[T]he ability to remove Bates Numbers is valuable in case you make a mistake during the numbering process. However, due to the adversarial nature of the legal business, attorneys may desire to limit what the other side can do with documents.

To whit, this email I received from an attorney last week:

What can I use to flatten Bates numbers so that they cannot be altered or removed using the Acrobat Bates numbering process?

I know I can print to PDF, save as TIFF, print-then-scan, etc., but am looking for a solution that will work in batch mode and not degrade the appearance of the file. Also, I don’t favor using security settings because I don’t want to restrict the user’s ability to access the file.

In this article, I’ll discuss how to ‘lock down’ Bates Numbers so that they cannot be removed by Acrobat’s ‘Remove Bates’ option. . . .

Cool Tip – How To Re-Number Your Exhibits’ Bates Stamps For Trial.

23 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Bates Numbers, Exhibits, Legal Technology, Trial Notebooks, Trial Tips and Techniques

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Trial Tech Tips – TrialDirector Bates Numbering, by Ted Brooks, Court Technology and Trial Presentation Blawg  

http://tinyurl.com/ok53uvl

This tip is one of the best ways to use Adobe Acrobat’s Bates-numbering feature. Not to take away from TrialDirector, but you can do this entirely with Adobe Acrobat. It is fast and easy. If you have not tried it, I strongly encourage it. Mr. Brooks’ post will explain why. -CCE

This article is the first in a series entitled ‘Trial Tech Tips.’ Focused on the crossroads of law and technology, and in no particular order, we will share a collection of proven and tested methods for accomplishing a wide variety of common and/or critical tasks encountered during trial preparation or presentation. We will also try to rank them from one to ten on a ‘geek scale,’ with one being not too technical, and 10 being very technical.

On a geek scale of one to ten, this article would be rated at about an 8.

In litigation, it is generally a good idea to make sure that when a certain document is referred to, it is that exact document, and not another version of the same. In situations where there are more than one, and it can be proven, it can result in an interesting trial.

Bates numbering has been around for some time, and is one good method of making sure that everyone is on the same page – literally. Through the years, inked stamps have been used, printed stickers, and nowadays the method most commonly used adds them via software – generally in the lower right corner of each page. Although the most efficient methods can handle a large volume all in one operation, this can also be done at the individual document level.

There are many reasons for adding a Bates number to your exhibits, and there are many for adding yet another Bates number. For instance, if your exhibits have already been numbered according to document productions, it may be helpful to add another set of numbering tied to trial exhibit numbers. This makes it easier for counsel, judges, witnesses and jurors to quickly get to any given exhibit page. Rather than having some lengthy production-based Bates number (e.g., PLTF000024) that may or may not be followed by its next numerical page (PLTF000025) when used in a trial exhibit, we can simply make reference to the trial exhibit and page number (e.g., 0178-002 would be trial exhibit 178, page 2). . . .[Emphasis added.]

Lawyer Explains How TrialPad 4.0 Made Trial Presentation A Piece of Cake.

12 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Apple, Apps, Graphics, iPad, Legal Technology, Mac, Presentations, Technology, Trial Tips and Techniques

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TrialPad 4.0: Trial Presentation Made Easy, by Todd Hendrickson, Lawyerist Blog

http://lawyerist.com/74651/trialpad-trial-presentation/

I recently put TrialPad 4.0 through its paces during  a two-week trial — but not from the start. As in the past, I felt to overwhelmed to add figure out a new app to my trial prep to-do list.

So I started trial using Acrobat to display documents. I am very comfortable with Acrobat, and I knew I would not have to wonder about how to find a particular feature or function in the middle of trial.

After all, like most paperless lawyers, I use Acrobat on a daily basis. But by day two of what I knew would be a two-week trial, I was frustrated with the limitations of Acrobat, particularly the inability to do a call-out on the fly. This was hampering my ability to really emphasize key pieces of evidence.

A heavenly light should have descended.

I had a copy of TrialPad from Ian O’Flaherty, who developed it. Ian was kind enough to provide me with a code to download TrialPad at no cost. This is probably why I felt no need to use it, since I wasn’t invested in it. But now I had to get up and running overnight if I wanted to use something better than Acrobat during my trial. And I did get up and running overnight. I went back to my hotel room, loaded up the documents I knew I would be working with the next day, ran through the process of presenting and annotating, and then set back to prepare for the next day of trial.

With more than a little trepidation, I hooked my iPad up to my projector the next day at trial.

A heavenly light should have descended. I’m not kidding, TrialPad was nearly magical. To say that ease of use is built in is a vast understatement. . . .

Nine Top Tips for Paralegals Preparing for Trial.

09 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Animations, Bates Numbers, Legal Technology, Paralegals/Legal Assistants, PowerPoint, Presentations, Trial Notebooks, Trial Tips and Techniques, Witness Preparation

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9 Critical Steps for Trial Preparation, by David J. Dempsey, Paralegal Today Magazine (formerly Legal Assistant Today)

http://paralegaltoday.com/issue_archive/features/feature1_ja03.htm

I suspect that any paralegal with significant trial experience would have other things to add to this list. But it’s still good advice and a good start. -CCE

[P]aralegals play an indispensable role in the trial preparation process. It’s imperative that, in conjunction with the lead counsel, you design and adhere to a plan to make sure your energies — and those of the entire support team — are focused on the tasks that will contribute most to the success of the trial.

As the final phases of intense trial preparation approach, paralegals can wear many hats: coordinating schedules, monitoring deadlines, helping prepare witnesses and documents, organizing files and exhibits, preparing subpoenas and working with all members of the support team, including expert witnesses, outside vendors, and other legal assistants and attorneys involved in the trial.

Every trial attorney will use the talents of a paralegal in different ways. In my practice, I tend to rely heavily on paralegals and delegate a considerable amount of responsibility to them.

While the following guidelines will not work for every trial team, these are nine critical steps I believe paralegals can take to help make sure when the opening gavel falls at trial, your team is prepared to prevail. . . .

Craig Ball’s Lawyers’ Guide to Forms of Production.

19 Monday May 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Authentication, Bates Numbers, Computer Forensics, Databases, Discovery, Document Review, E-Discovery, Emails, Evidence, Federal Judges, Federal Rules of Discovery, Federal Rules of Evidence, Forensic Evidence, Judges, Legal Forms, Legal Technology, Native Format

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A Guide to Forms of Production, by Craig Ball, Ball In Your Court Blog

http://ballinyourcourt.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/a-guide-to-forms-of-production/

Craig Ball’s Lawyers’ Guide to Forms of Production! Although Mr. Ball says there is much he wants to re-organize and rewrite, I can’t wait to dive in.  You will find the hyperlink to the Guide when you go to the web site. Thank you, Craig Ball! -CCE

Semiannually, I compile a primer on some key aspect of electronic discovery.  In the past, I’ve written on computer forensics, backup systems, metadata and databases. For 2014, I’ve completed the first draft of the Lawyers’ Guide to Forms of Production, intended to serve as a primer on making sensible and cost-effective specifications for production of electronically stored information.  It’s the culmination and re-purposing of much that I’ve written on forms heretofore, along with new material extolling the advantages of native and near-native forms.

Reviewing the latest draft, there is much I want to add and re-organize; accordingly, it will be a work-in-progress for months to come.  Consider it a “public comment” version.  The linked document includes exemplar verbiage for requests and model protocols for your adaption and adoption.  I plan to add more forms and examples. . . .

PDF File Reduction Lifesaver For E-Filing Restriction.

11 Sunday May 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Courts, E-Filing, Legal Technology

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Reducing The File Size Of A PDF The Fast, Easy Way, by Ernie Svenson, PDF for Lawyers

http://pdfforlawyers.com/category/e-filing/

Lawyers sometimes need to slim down the size of a PDF, often to meet an e-filing restriction (i.e. where a court limits the size of files uploaded to its servers).

There are two ways to reduce the file size of an existing PDF: (1) the Reduced Size option, and (2) the Optimized PDF option. . . .

GoodReader4 App for iPads Adds PDF Page Management.

10 Saturday May 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Apple, Apps, iPad, iPhones, Legal Technology

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Review: GoodReader 4 — Next Generation Of Goodreader Adds PDF Page Management, by Jeff Richardson, iPhone J.D.

http://bit.ly/1uOPxXx

GoodReader has long been one of the most useful apps on my iPad because it makes it easy to organize documents into folders and read them on the iPad.  I have folders for each of my cases, sub-folders within each case folder for Correspondence, Pleadings, Exhibits, etc., and I sync all of my non-privileged documents to and from my iPad using Dropbox.  It’s a good system that has worked well for me, and I know countless other attorneys who do the same thing.

Yesterday, the next generation of GoodReader was introduced.  It is a new app called GoodReader 4, and you need to pay for it.  It is currently on sale for $2.99, but after an introductory period the price will go up to $6.99.  Unlike the prior version of GoodReader, GoodReader 4 is a universal app so you can buy it once and use it on both your iPhone and your iPad.  You can tell the old app from the new app because the old app icon was green whereas the new one has an aqua gradient  The old version of GoodReader was also updated yesterday to version 3.21, and you need to get that update in order to migrate your documents from the old version of GoodReader to GoodReader 4. . . .

Alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro? The Price Is Right.

03 Thursday Apr 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Legal Technology

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Nuance Takes on Acrobat Pro — At 1/3 the Price, by Robert Ambrogi, Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites

http://tinyurl.com/lsllqof

Professional-strength PDF software is a must-have for lawyers, and the gold standard for PDF software has always been Adobe Acrobat Pro. But at Acrobat Pro’s current retail price of $449, many lawyers, especially in smaller firms, opt for more budget-friendly alternatives, such as CutePDF Professional, which I reviewed here several years ago.

Now there is another choice. Today, Nuance Communications — maker of the Dragon speech recognition software — is launching Nuance Power PDF Advanced, a full-featured professional PDF program, with all the features businesses — including lawyers — would expect in such a program. Notably, Nuance has set the price of Power PDF at $149.99 — a third the cost of Acrobat Pro — with volume discounts available.  (A 30-day free trial is available.) . . . .

 

How to Clean Up Scanned PDF Documents.

08 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Legal Technology

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How to Erase and Clean-up a Scanned PDF in Acrobat XI, by Rick Borstein, Acrobat for Legal Professionals

http://tinyurl.com/mwb92n9

Has anyone ever made notes on the original and only copy of a .pdf document? Did you ever need to get remove staple holes, stray marks, or fax headers? Here’s how to do it. -CCE

Robert Ambrogi’s Most Popular 2013 Posts

02 Thursday Jan 2014

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Clouds, Law Office Management, Legal Ethics, Social Media, Using Social Media

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My Most Popular Posts of 2013, by Robert Ambrogi, Robert Ambrogi’s Web Sites

http://www.lawsitesblog.com/2013/12/popular-posts-2013.html

Stolen Passwords – Is It Too Late?

07 Saturday Dec 2013

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Passwords, Search Enginges, Using Social Media

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How to find out if your password has been stolen, by Larry Seltzer for Zero Day, ZDNet Blog

http://tinyurl.com/qcgnlzx 

There are many public databases of breached accounts, the largest breach being that of Adobe.com, but no way to search across all of them. Until now.

Was It Appropriate to Produce Word Documents as PDF Files?

06 Friday Dec 2013

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, E-Discovery, Federal District Court Rules, Legal Technology, Metadata, Native Format, Requests for Production, Trial Tips and Techniques, Word

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Who Knew What When About the Form of Production, by Joshua Gilliland, Esq., Bow Tie Law Blog

http://bowtielaw.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/who-knew-what-when-about-the-form-of-production/

Magistrate Judge William Hussmann put a new spin on form of production analysis in Crissen v. Gupta: What form was discovery in and when was it in that form?

When You Want Fast and Cheap, Adobe Acrobat Does the Trick in a Pinch.

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, Databases, Discovery, E-Discovery, Emails, Evidence, Legal Technology, Pre-Trial, Trial Tips and Techniques

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Acrobat to the Rescue: Searching Unsearchable Productions, by Craig Ball, Ball In Your Court Blog

http://tinyurl.com/paxgrfn

Three Base Hit: An Analysis of Apple v. Samsung, Bookmarking in Adobe, and E-Briefs

23 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat, E-Briefs, Legal Technology, Patent Law

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An E-Brief Reading Guide to the Latest Decision in Apple v. Samsung, by Michael Kelleher, Cogent Legal Blog

http://tinyurl.com/oax544l

This post is unique. Interesting analysis of Apple v. Samsung and a “how to” on bookmarking Adobe documents and creating and using e-briefs. CCE

Adobe Acrobat Layouts, Themes, and Tools

23 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Adobe Acrobat

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Joel’s Portfolio Tools – Export Portfolio Data, by Rick Borstein, Acrobat for Legal Professionals Blog
http://adobe.ly/11fNZoj

Like Ernie Svenson’s PDF for Lawyers Blog, Rick Borstein’s Acrobat for Legal Professionals Blog always has great stuff. He has shared a special treat – a new blog from his former colleague and PDF wizard, Joel Geraci. Rick says Joel can solve just about any PDF problem. Joel has started a company called Practical PDF.

Here’s a sample of Joel’s new blog, which is definitely worth taking a look and adding to your Adobe Acrobat arsenal:

PDF Portfolio Layouts, Themes and Tools, The Practical: PDF Blog
http://blog.practicalpdf.com/portfolios/