UNIT 7: , Electronic Spreadsheets and Databases; Using Excel in the Law Office

Unit 7 Overview In this unit, you will learn how the computer, with the appropriate electronic spreadsheet software, can be used to replace pencil and paper for the creation of “what if” scenarios involving financial transactions. Electronic spreadsheets can also be used to update and modify financial records as new information and documents are provided by clients. We will also explore common features of programs as found in Microsoft Outlook

Unit Outcomes Create an electronic spreadsheet; Learn about useful features of software such as templates and formulas; Learn about features of common programs such as Microsoft Outlook; Define the function of a database and the terms used to identify the components, as well as how databases may be used by the legal team.

To Do List Read Goldman Chapter 7, pp , ; Chapter 8, pp ; Chapter 10, pp Participate in the Discussion 20 Points Attend Seminar 20 Points Take a short Quiz 40 Points

Key Terminology The Unit 7 Key Terms are: Cell Column Database Field Form Views Formula bar Property bar Record Row Spreadsheet Table Workbook

Video Watch the provided video on contemporaneous timekeeping and fees & billing issues. What should you do to avoid having to reconstruct your time?

Microsoft Excel Tutorials The following tutorials will help get you acclimated to Microsoft Excel and its features. Depending on your comfort level and familiarity with the software, you may not need to complete all of the first two tutorials. However, be sure to complete the third Password Protection tutorial, as you are expected to submit a "secure" workbook for part 2 of your two-part DB this week. The following tutorials are all located on the Microsoft website. "Get to Know Excel: Create Your First Workbook": “So That’s How! Great Excel Features”: &CT "Help secure and protect data in Excel" Complete the section “Use passwords to help secure a workbook”: protect-data-in-excel-RZ aspx?CTT=3

Discussion Board (2 parts) Topic 1: Programs Explore Microsoft Outlook on your computer or in your . What different functions do you find? How can they be helpful to a law office? What security issues need to be addressed by a law firm that uses and why?

Discussion Board (2 parts) Topic 1: Programs (continued) Complete the following exercises: Create a distribution list using addresses of your family and try sending a group . How can a distribution list save time? What are the risks to a law firm of using a distribution list? Send yourself a test flagged as of “high importance,” using the blank copy feature. What does that do? How might that be helpful to a law firm? Research how to encrypt s and report your results. Is it worth the effort and cost for a law firm to encrypt s as a standard practice?

Discussion Board (2 parts) Topic 2: Contemporaneous Timekeeping Click to view the video "Contemporaneous Timekeeping". As you watch the video, consider this: How can a paralegal avoid a violation of the ethical obligation with regard to fees when the law firm insists on a minimum number of billable hours? Also, why is the presentation of accurate financial information critical to the law office? Put it into Practice Using the workbook posted in Doc Sharing, keep track of the time you spend on your Kaplan University homework for two days. Engage security features and upload your timesheet to your Discussion post, remembering to provide the password. Then review your classmates’ timesheets as though you were a client reviewing a statement you will need to pay.

Unit 7 Test Access dates: 6/27/ :00:00 AM to 7/3/ :59:59 PM Can be reviewed in Gradebook on: 7/10/ :59:59 PM Number of times the exam can be taken: 1 Time allowed to complete: 55min

Introduction to Electronic Spreadsheets Many areas of legal practice require calculating and presenting financial data 1. family law – requires calculation of income levels, the value of assets and liabilities amassed during the marriage and an equitable way to divide that property 2. estate planning and administration – requires calculation of the wealth of an individual and tax consequences related to transfer of wealth, the value of the assets upon death, the calculation of any death or inheritance taxes and an accounting of all financial activities during the administration of the estate

Introduction to Electronic Spreadsheets 3. personal injury – require calculation of the lost wages and benefits as well as medical expenses to determine the appropriate level of damages 4. practice management – calculations of fees and allocations of settlement awards between costs, fees and the net recovery to the client

Using Excel to Organize Spreadsheets can be used to calculate and present financial information This financial information can be a part of the case, such as with divorce or estate matters, or can be for purposes of presenting a bill to a client. applications software may include specialized templates designed for specific needs of the legal community such as a HUD settlement statement reduces error associated with hand prepared calculations

Creating and Working with Spreadsheets spreadsheet - in its most basic form, any two items with some relationship that is acted upon mathematically and the result presented in a third location two major computer spreadsheet programs: Microsoft Excel and Corel Quattro

Online and Program Resources Just like with the word processing programs, there are resources available within the program and online as well to help you troubleshoot and learn how to use the software. Your text offers the websites where you can access the online resources

Using Excel to Streamline Many courts will accept spreadsheets to document information, thereby helping to avoid the need to duplicate information Templates are also used for standard matters Electronic spreadsheets help to reduce errors because things are calculated automatically instead of manually

Using Excel Day-to-Day So, where do you start? If you are told to create a document in Excel, would you know where to begin?

Parts of an Electronic Spreadsheet Standard terms of a spreadsheet are rows, columns, cells, formula bar, and workbooks. Rows are horizontal sets of cells Columns are vertical sets of cells Cells are those boxes where horizontal and vertical meet Formula bar is the area at the top of the spreadsheet where you enter text Workbook refers to a collection of worksheets Property Bar is similar to the formula bar but appears in Corel’s Quattro Pro

Creating an Electronic Spreadsheet The checklist provided in your book is a good way to approach organizing or setting up the spreadsheet. Ask yourself what you want to do, what you input, what you want to get out of the spreadsheet, what formulas you will use to get there, and how many columns and rows will be needed. The labels you use can be in any rows; whenever you place your arrow in a cell and begin typing, that information will appear in the formula bar.

Spreadsheet Templates spreadsheet templates are saved much the same as templates in word processing they represent frequently used calculations and presentations that rarely change A. Templates – Projects 1. Excel uses the term templates 2. within Quattro templates are called projects and are available for use when a new spreadsheet is created 3. Excel templates cannot be used in Quattro B. Templates from Microsoft 1. download from Microsoft website 2. be sure to check compatibility

Mathematical Computations Basic mathematical computations can be done on the spreadsheet Multiply = * Divide = / Add = + Subtract = - For each of these you use a OR you can just click on the AutoSum button (∑)

Spreadsheet Security Password controlling the spreadsheets is an important way to protect the information contained in them. Tutorials are available to educate you on all of the security features that you can use. Just like in Word, you can click on the Office button, then Prepare and see all of the different things you can enable. Give it a try!

Give It a Try! Try opening a spreadsheet right now, entering some text or figures to see what the columns, rows, and formula bar look like! Try adding a column of figures. Signal when you are done and if it made sense to you.

What do you think? Now that you know what electronic spreadsheets are and the basics of them, what are your thoughts? What do you think these would be useful for in a law office? What are the ethical considerations associated with using these?

Practice Questions

Practice Question # 1 What are macros and what is the danger of using them?

Practice Question # 1 ANSWER: Macros are programs within a document or file that perform a function. With regard to a spreadsheet program, a macro might be one that calculates loan payments based upon the amount of the loan, interest rate and number of payments. One must be cautious that the macro is providing the function or calculation desired, using the correct information and placing the result in the desired location. In many instances the macro will retrieve information from a particular cell. If the cell does not have the right number the calculation will be wrong. It is always helpful to know what calculation you are performing and what the result should be.

Practice Question # 2 What security features are available in Microsoft Excel?

Practice Question # 2 ANSWER: Most applications, such as Excel can be password controlled for security. The example in Exhibit 7.16 from the Excel 2003 tutorial shows the method for limiting access to an Excel spreadsheet. As with other Office 2007 programs, an Office Button feature—Prepare—provides a number of security options, including inspections of the document for hidden metadata as shown in Exhibit 7.18, as well as the ability to encrypt the file with a password, or to restrict access similar to that shown in Exhibit 7.17.

Practice Question # 3 What are the different parts of an electronic spreadsheet?

Practice Question # 3 ANSWER: The parts of an electronic spreadsheet are: row – horizontal set of cells in a spreadsheet column – a vertical set of cells in a spreadsheet cell – in a spreadsheet, the box at the intersection of a row and column for text or numerical data formula/property bar – in Excel, the area at the top of the spreadsheet for entering formula and data into spreadsheet cells workbook – a collection of worksheets

Practice Question # 4 What resources are there on how to learn how to use Excel or Quattro Pro?

Practice Question # 4 ANSWER: Microsoft offers a number of online tutorials, some of which are listed in Exhibit 7.3, which shows those for Excel An example is shown in Exhibit 7.4. Corel’s Quattro Pro provides tutorials within the program that can be used without the need for an internal connection to a website. Exhibit 7.5 shows a partial list of the available tutorials and Exhibit 7.6 show the contents of a tutorial, in this case on using the property bar. Finally, each program has content specific help within the program.

Practice Question # 5 How would you go about creating and saving a spreadsheet?

Practice Question # 5 ANSWER: First – Start with what you want the spreadsheet to show or calculate. Creating a Spreadsheet Checklist What do you want to do? What are the inputs? What is the desired outcome? What are the formulas? What columns are needed?

Practice Question # 5 ANSWER: Second – Create the column labels. Setting up an electronic spreadsheet is a little like setting up the columns in a table, with each column having a heading; in this example, Dollars, Conversion Rate, and Euros. The label can be in any row, but in this example it is in Row 1. Third – Enter a formula. The cell (row and column) in which the answer will be calculated must contain the desired formula.

Practice Question # 5 ANSWER (continued): Second – Create the column labels. Setting up an electronic spreadsheet is a little like setting up the columns in a table, with each column having a heading; in this example, Dollars, Conversion Rate, and Euros. The label can be in any row, but in this example it is in Row 1. Third – Enter a formula. The cell (row and column) in which the answer will be calculated must contain the desired formula.

Practice Question # 5 ANSWER (continued): Fourth – enter your data and review the results for accuracy Fifth – save the file in the location and with the name desired just as you would with a word processing file

Practice Question # 5 ANSWER (continued): Each time you place your cursor in a cell, a window opens for input of the formula in the property bar (Quattro Pro) or formula bar (Excel). Electronic spreadsheets have many potential formulas that can be used from the very simple (add two numbers) to the complex (calculate the present or future value of a number). In Quattro Pro ( ) formula is the most basic and with a little effort can be used for most applications. symbol-word combination tells the program you want to calculate the information found between the parentheses ( ); in this example, to multiply the amount in Cell A2 times the amount in Cell B2 and put the result in Cell C2. Note: In Microsoft Excel the = sign is used instead of used in Quattro Pro.

Practice Question # 6 What steps would you take to protect an Excel spreadsheet?

Practice Question # 6 ANSWER: As with other Office 2007 programs, an Office Button feature—Prepare—provides a number of security options, including inspections of the document for hidden metadata as shown in Exhibit 7.18, as well as the ability to encrypt the file with a password, or to restrict access similar to that shown in Exhibit 7.17.

Practice Question # 7 What should an attorney know about using a spreadsheet in a negotiation session?

Practice Question # 7 ANSWER: The spreadsheet can be useful in displaying and analyzing figures. If prepared properly it can be used to show the effect of changes to the numbers almost instantaneously. The attorney may have used the spreadsheet to evaluate various positions in the negotiating process. It will be important to protect this attorney work product from disclosure in the meeting.

Practice Question # 8 What information should an attorney convey to the paralegal to enable the paralegal to prepare an electronic spreadsheet?

Practice Question # 8 ANSWER: The attorney needs to convey what he wants the spreadsheet to demonstrate. There are a number of questions that can help the attorney put into words what he envisions the spreadsheet being used for. What do you want to do? What are the inputs? What is the desired outcome? What are the formulas? What columns are needed?

Practice Question # 9 How much of a spreadsheet can be set up ahead of time for a negotiation session?

Practice Question # 9 ANSWER: The entire spreadsheet can be created ahead of time – the title, column labels, and functions can all be entered. Current data can be entered to check that the calculations are correct.

Practice Question # 10 What hardware or software will the attorney need for the negotiation meeting?

Practice Question # 10 ANSWER: The attorney will need a laptop equipped with the spreadsheet program. He will also need the cables necessary to attach to a display device or a printer. This will permit the spreadsheet when presented and discussed to be seen by everyone at the same time. Because changes can be made and viewed instantaneously, a display device will be better for presentation than a printer. To the extent the attorney will need information from the office, an Internet connection that will allow access to the file server will also be required.

ELECTRONIC DATABASES Chapter 8 is an introduction to electronic databases. Most students may feel that they have no understanding of and haven’t created or used databases. That may be true but most of us fail to recognize that we use databases all the time – some are electronic and others are not. A white pages telephone directory is a traditional database. The listing of recording artists and songs on I-tunes is an electronic database. Raise your awareness to become more sensitive to your daily use of databases. This will assist you in understanding the materials in chapter 8.

INTRO TO ELECTRONIC DATABASES database – a repository of information of all types that can be sorted and presented in a desired, meaningful manner 1. paper card file system containing names, contact information, types of matters represented is a database traditionally used in law offices 2. electronic databases, such as those created using Microsoft Access or Corel DB, take the same information but store it electronically where is can be sorted, analyzed and manipulated with a keystroke 3. frequently used by law firms to maintain client relations

NAVIGATING ELECTRONIC DATABASES standard terms used to describe the parts of a database table – data that is organized in a format of horizontal rows and vertical columns field – information located in vertical columns record – information located in horizontal row typically, in a table, the record contains all the information about one thing report – presents data from the database in an organized presentation

Electronic Database Basics database is a collection of information, essentially an electronic card with information that can be searched using a set of things to look for and present in a predefined manner. advantage of the database is the ability to search across a number of different sets of information and sort the data according to a predefined set of criteria. electronic database is nothing more that a version of the cards maintained in a cardfile box – except the information can be checked more quickly, more accurately and automatically A. Resources for Learning Database Basics 1. step-by-step tutorials available on line

OFFICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE administrative activities common to most, if not all, law offices 1. timekeeping 2. calendar maintenance 3. accounting electronic office management systems allow access from anywhere

OFFICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Most office functions can be divided into the following categories Calendar – keeping personal appointments, case deadlines, statute of limitations and important dates reminders Contacts – keeping a current list of names, addresses, phone, e- mail addresses, and other information for clients, opposing counsel, vendors, networking contacts and other people and firms Files – keeping track of individual case files, projects, client matters and related documents Accounting – keeping track of time and billing information, client and firm funds and escrow accounts and preparing bills, reports and tax returns

How do Office Management Systems Work? Generic office management systems, such as Microsoft Outlook offers features like a calendar with reminders, contact management, Outlook also offers ease of synchronization with hand held devices like Blackberry

How do Office Management Systems Work? Legal specialty office management, such as AbacusLaw and Tabs3, have greater depth of integrated functions which share data between different functions within the software Abacus and Tabs feature a program shell (software program containing a platform for using different software programs) that allow the use of one or more programs and the sharing of information across the programs Legal specialty software uses a set of databases to record and share information across a group of program functions

How do Office Management Systems Work? For example, AbacusLaw uses the following databases which can be searched individually or in combination to obtain the documents regarding a particular matter and/or client Names – names and contacts, as in an address book, with all the relevant information plus the ability to include notes and links to other related databases Events – appointments, tasks, reminders and things to do entered and accessible in a number of different formats Matters – matter, case, file or project that you need to keep track of which once entered can be attached to contacts and events Documents – a list of previously saved word processing files, scanned images, pleadings, correspondence or Internet Web pages

SUMMARY You have now seen how electronic spreadsheets can help you in calculating and presenting financial information. As you saw in the previous unit on word processing, electronic spreadsheet software programs have detailed help menus, tutorials, and on line references and templates. Built in sample templates and those available for download provide solutions or starting points in creating electronic spreadsheet solutions for many applications. You have also learned about the common features of programs and how they can be used in a law office.