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In a previous Computer Corner article, “Getting
on Top of To-Dos,” I talked about using Microsoft
Outlook to create tasks to keep work organized. As
noted above, OneNote interacts with Outlook and lets
you create emails, tasks, etc. from within the program,
and to send an email to OneNote from Outlook.
To make
this even easier, I created a customized toolbar and
dragged it to the side of the OneNote screen. That
toolbar has the commands I use most, such as inserting
a subpage, a task, a tag, or deleting a page.
I now
organize all to dos, for my practice and everything
else, in a “ToDo” notebook. Because OneNote
stores emails, web pages, pictures, spreadsheet cells,
entire files, links to files, audio files, etc., I
can quickly see a lot more than if I rely on Tasks
or Appointments alone. The formatting in OneNote is
far more extensive than anything in Outlook, so it
is easy to highlight in yellow or other colors, color
the text, and add images. I use Snagit to capture bits
and pieces of webpages, parts of photos, and to create
and edit the screenshots in this article.
(+ Click on image to enlarge)
Where do you put all those
bits and pieces of information relating to practice
development, website development, malpractice insurance,
advertising, MCLE, etc.? I put them in my “Law
Practice” notebook so I can find things quickly.
(+ Click on image to enlarge)
I also have an “Office” notebook for keeping
track of equipment, software, etc. I use the “Send
to OneNote” button to send orders to OneNote
on line or received by email, and to keep track of
registration keys, which I highlight in yellow. Reinstallations
go faster, or reordering items like toner. With all
receipts in one place, I can also add comments on the
products, attach update information and the like.
Often I hear from potential
new clients by phone or email, but it is too soon to
undertake formal representation. I keep the notes and
emails in a “PNC” section in my Law Practice
notebook, with an easily recognizable launch bar button
(a head icon). If further contacted, I have their information
before me in seconds.
(+ Click on image to enlarge)
If the potential client signs a fee agreement, I can
then export the data to the folder I set up for them,
as a Word or PDF file.
Tired of looking for the Post-its,
yellow pads and other bits and pieces of information
on a research topic? Just save everything to a section
in a notebook, or devote an entire notebook to legal
research. You can link to files, annotate your work,
highlight, and find everything quickly with the fast
search engine. Here are examples of research from Med-Legal’s
Quick Reference.
(+ Click on images to enlarge)
It would be easy to add the actual cases, downloaded
from Lexis, or snippets of holdings, and using OneNote’s
tags, quickly linking the essential information.
If you
want to send several pages of notes to Word as one
file, simply hold down the control key, click on the
desired pages, then in File menu, click on “Send
To” button and select Word. If you want to combine
some pages of notes in OneNote, use Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C
to select and copy, then Ctrl+V to paste into the recipient
page.
Preparing a letter to an AME, QME or
PTP or preparing for a deposition? OneNote lets you
get everything into a tabbed section and also is great
for outlining.
Once you have gathered the data, you
can reorganize your notes by dragging pages into the
correct order, then highlight multiple pages by holding
down the control key to select the pages, then use
the ”Send To” button to send to Word or
to a PDF file (if you installed the add-in mentioned
above).
(+ Click on image to enlarge)
If you feel you
are too disorganized to deal with multiple notebooks
and sections, pages and subpages, there is still a
good reason to use OneNote: All unfiled notes, even
if you never move them to another notebook or section,
can be searched in an instant, and if you use Windows
Search, a free desktop search engine, it will make
the search amazingly fast.
A search through the free templates
for OneNote is inspiring. There are many kinds of stationery/templates,
notebooks for many purposes, even notebooks for lawyers – for
legal clients, law practice and a trial notebook. It
is so easy to add sections, reorganize material, apply
color coding. Once I got the hang of it, I made notebooks
for my work, family mementos, friends, my pets, my
art collection, and so on. I am not comfortable with
disorganized notes and non-relational databases, but
OneNote suits all types.
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