We talked shop and covered topics like the best practices that drive consistency and compliance, how to configure your document creation tool for success, and the importance of training and upskilling for document professionals. Here are some key insights and final thoughts from what proved to be an enlightening discussion with a true champion of legal documentation excellence.
High-quality legal documents are essential for a firm’s efficiency and brand integrity. Consistency in document formatting not only saves time but also minimizes errors. As Caroline explained: “The value that BigHand Document Creation provides is in its ability to ensure consistency of formatting and to have the Dorsey brand as a standard on letters, memos, and other documents.”
This consistency isn’t just about looking professional; it streamlines workflows by eliminating repetitive formatting tasks, allowing legal professionals to focus on content. Moreover, a robust document creation tool integrates with other systems - like a Document Management System (DMS) - to automatically pull in accurate, up-to-date information. The result is a document that reflects your brand and meets compliance standards with minimal manual intervention.
Configuring your document creation tool to support the entire document lifecycle is crucial. This means setting up templates that reflect both user preferences and mandatory standards. Caroline shared how her firm balances these needs: “In our firm, when we launch BigHand Document Creation, users have the option to choose their preferences like letter closing and the information they want to include. However, critical elements such as our logo remain fixed to ensure compliance with our brand.”
By embedding key requirements - such as partner listings in footers or region-specific formatting (like A4 versus letter size) - into your templates, you relieve individual users from having to remember every detail. This approach speeds up the document creation process and reduces the risk of errors. A well-configured system automatically adjusts formatting based on regional needs and legal mandates, ensuring that every document is compliant from the moment it’s generated.
Even the best tools require proper training and ongoing support to truly deliver value. Caroline emphasized the importance of this during our discussion: “New joiners at our firm go through a ‘Word Essentials’ class in their first week that covers how to use BigHand Document Creation effectively. Ongoing training, quick guides on our intranet, and regular follow-ups ensure that everyone stays up to date with the tool.”
Integrating comprehensive training into your onboarding process is critical. When new employees learn to leverage the tool from day one, they can hit the ground running. Yet training doesn’t stop at onboarding - ongoing sessions, focus groups, and feedback mechanisms are essential to address challenges and fine-tune the tool based on real-world usage.
This continuous support not only boosts adoption and encourages exploration of advanced features but also plays a key role in upskilling existing document professionals, especially as many seasoned experts approach retirement. For example, Dorsey & Whitney LLP’s “Next Level” program certifies staff on the latest document creation techniques, keeping them at the cutting edge. By investing in continuous training, you enhance productivity today while preparing your team for future challenges.
Legal documents are far more than mere paperwork - they’re the foundation of your firm’s output and brand reputation. By embracing best practices, smart configuration, and continuous training, you can transform document creation from a routine task into a strategic advantage. The insights Caroline shared remind us that effective legal documentation is all about balancing technology with human expertise.
If you’d like to hear more from Caroline on how to elevate your document creation process, tune in to the full session today!
Give your teams a quick, easy way to design and deploy in-house document templates and let your people work in a more self-sufficient way without the need for support, with the correct template for the job, every time. Save time, effort and money that can be reinvested in higher value areas. Make template management quick and easy with BigHand Document Creation.
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