Introduction to Openlaw

1
Introduction to Openlaw
Openlaw Litigation Software

• Openlaw is database software primarily designed
  for listing documents in litigation and
  displaying images of them.
• It is actually much more versatile than that
• the purpose does not have to be litigation
• the displayed files can be any file type not
  just images
• the items listed do not have to be documents
• mere listing is only the start of the available
  functionality
• This is a brief guide to Openlaws main
  functions. There is more information on our web
  site at www.oxfordlaw.co.uk including other
  illustrated guides.
• If you want further information, please contact
• Richard Brockbank richard.brockbank_at_oxfordlaw.co.u
  k
• Oxford Law and Computing Limited
• Tatham House, Northcourt Lane, Abingdon,
  Oxfordshire, England OX14 1PN
• Tel [phone]

2
The Control Panel
Openlaw Litigation Software
Menus for Case functions
The name of the Case
The currently-loaded Bundle
The total number of Items in the Case
Search for a new Selection of Items
The number of Items in the current Selection
View the Items in your current Selection
Run a Report (e.g. a List of Documents) on your
Selection
Work with existing Bundles
Save your current Selection as a new Bundle
All the main functions are accessed from the
Control Panel
3
Item Card and Image
The image is displayed beside the Item card. This
can be any file type which the computer knows how
to display
All the information stored about an Item is
displayed on a tabbed card
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Item Card
Openlaw Litigation Software
Menu of functions relevant to the Selection
Unique Item Number
This shows if the Item is linked to another Item
e.g. if it has Attachments
An Item can have multiple List Numbers
Other Tabs hold more detailed information about
the Item
ShowDate handles approximate dates
A single click marks an Item as In the List, as
privileged or to be reviewed
Items can be events
Switch to Grid View for a tabular display of the
Selection
All the information about an Item is one click
away
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Grid View
Openlaw Litigation Software
Highlight a row to see its image
Switch to Tab View
Refine a Selection by marking Items to
be included or excluded from a new Bundle
Quick Add screen for main fields
A simple way of reviewing Items
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Grid View with Image
The Grid View shows less detail than the Tab
View but makes it very easy to review and tag
Items
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Quick Add
Openlaw Litigation Software
Pick entries from pick-lists less typing
and more accuracy than a word-processor
Repeat this entry if the next Item is similar
Full Description builds up as you enter
information
Shows just the primary Disclosure Fields for fast
addition of new Items
8
Standard Reports
Openlaw Litigation Software
Review on-screen before sending to a printer or
to Microsoft Word or to an export file
This is one of the built-in Standard Reports.
There is a wide range of Additional Reports or
you can specify your own layouts
It takes two clicks to produce this report from
your Selection
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Additional Reports
Openlaw Litigation Software
Case Reports relate to the Case as a whole
Selection Reports relate to the current Selection
of Items
Every Case comes with a set of Additional
Reports. Customised sets can be provided for a
firm or a particular Case
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Queries
Openlaw Litigation Software
Various Query options offer different ways of
finding Items
Quick Query is the fast way to produce a
Disclosure List in Date order
Categories Query searches any permutation of up
to 44 user-definable check boxes
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Text Search
Openlaw Litigation Software
Search for a word in any or all of the text boxes
The green buttons show which tabs contain your
search term. The term is highlighted in
the colour of your choice
12
Images
Openlaw Litigation Software
Images can be annotated with comments, highlights
or lines
Your private comments can be removed globally
Redactions (concealment of privileged sections)
can be burned into the image
13
Bundles
Openlaw Litigation Software
This Bundle is tied to a particular set of images
Admin information about a Bundle
Edit the Description to something meaningful
Print page-numbered bundles of images
Merge two Bundles to find Items which are
different or in common
The start page number for a Paginated Bundle
Re-order a Bundle and add or delete Items
Update Query results to capture recent changes
Items can have multiple sets of List Numbers
Delete all the Items in a Bundle
Bundles are stored Selections of Items which
can be reloaded and used for several core
functions
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Names
Openlaw Litigation Software
Stored Name the name as it will appear in a
list of documents First Name Last Name of
Organisation
Lookup Name the name as it will be indexed in
pick-lists Last Name First Name of
Organisation
Notes about the person
The Individuals Name
The Organisation Name
The Alias the name by which a person is
commonly known
There are flexible tools for entering Names
accurately and re-using them throughout the Case
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Paginated Bundles
Openlaw Litigation Software
Optional separator pages
Remove existing annotations e.g. private notes
Print pagination numbers
Burn the pagination into the image if required
The page range to print
Print page-numbered Bundles of images. In court,
jump to specified page using the pagination
numbering scheme across multiple Bundles
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Keep it Simple
Openlaw Litigation Software
There are many things we have not shown you in
this brief guide. There are many look-ups and
functions designed to help you enter information
quickly and accurately, and several Add-Ons to
perform specific tasks if you need them. The
best bit is that you may not need any of them to
create and print a List of Documents for
Disclosure. The picture shows an Item Card with
almost all its functionality switched off. You
can add functions as you need them. You can use
the cut-down version shown here to
exchange documents information with opponents.
You can choose how much detail to send to
clients, experts, counsel and others.
Licence switches allow you to hide any features
you do not need
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Openlaw Add-Ons
Openlaw Litigation Software
A range of optional extras designed to make it
easy to work with information in Openlaw
18
Pricing etc
Openlaw Litigation Software
Openlaw is sold by the Case, so you do not have
to commit to capital expense. The core price
for Openlaw Professional is a Case quarterly
rental of 300 for the right to add 500
Items. Blocks of extra capacity can be added,
with discounts for large blocks. Openlaw
Add-Ons are separately priced. Site Licences
allow you to create as many Cases as you like.
Rental Prices include a Low-Start monthly
option under which the initial rental is very
low, rising as the Case goes on. There is
further information, a copy of the full Manual
and a working Demo version on our web sites at
www.oxfordlaw.co.uk and www.openlaw.co.uk There
you will also find details of our support options
and our consultancy and data conversion services.
If you want further information, please
contact Richard Brockbank richard.brockbank_at_oxfo
rdlaw.co.uk Oxford Law and Computing
Limited Tatham House, Northcourt Lane, Abingdon,
Oxfordshire, England OX14 1PN Tel [phone]
9890