Sometimes you will get an email from a client and that will trigger the need to have an in person meeting. This requires the creation of an entry in your calendar. To save time and avoid re-entering all the information in the email, remember that you can create an appointment in your calendar by dragging the e-mail message to the taskbar Calendar icon and dropping it there. All the information from the original email will automatically be transferred to the new calendar entry – no need to retype it. Make any necessary edits and save the meeting entry. This trick …

How do you spot a person who is likely to engage in dishonesty within the firm, and how do you prevent it?

I believe that creativity is a skill that can be developed. I have to believe it because I am still working on colouring inside the lines. To enhance your legal research work product, sometimes you need to think outside the lines.

For example, think about unconventional places where information can be found. I am not talking about a Google search.

A good example of creative thinking is set out in a case called Sparks v. Dubé, 2011 NBQB 40. Even though precedent suggested that an ex parte order for preservation of information on a Facebook account would be difficult, …

Have several tips in draft, but came across (hat tip to Ben Schorr) this really great post on Yahoo’s Upgrade Your Life blog: 5 ways to make an easy-to-remember, ultra-secure password.

This is a must read. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Essential and very practical advice in this post – please read it – I guarantee you will change a bunch of your passwords.

And it closes with a good suggestion for those of us that can’t remember all our passwords: Consider using a password manager like LastPass and 1Password. With a password manager, you’ll use …

Accordingly, a major part of time management is learning to set your own goals at levels that energize you and seek to drive you to learn new information and approaches. By setting SMART goals, you can make the most of your time and motivate yourself to perform at your best (as well as your team).

Today’s Tip: Take advantage of training opportunities.

Since we are in back to school mode, I thought a training tip would be appropriate. Legal research, like many other skills, is enhanced by practice. We don’t always have a chance to practice everything we need.

When was the last time you did research for a point in time historical regulation? When did you last need to find a United Nations document? Are you confident that if you needed ALL the commentary about a point of law you would be able to find it?

There are plenty of offerings to help you …

If you routinely print two or more kinds of documents, each requiring its own printer settings, you’ve probably found it frustrating to have to re-enter all the printer properties every time you change documents.

There is actually a very simple trick to avoid having to do this. Simply install the same printer two or more times, but with different names and settings.

This way, you simply select the “printer” that has the group of print settings you want each time you print.

To install a printer with new print settings in Windows, go to Start, Settings, Printers, and click the …

Accordingly we believe that to truly give direction to your life as well as make the most of your time, you must address both of these two components: namely how to sort out the truly important goals for your life and then how to find the time to pursue them. Only in this way do we believe you can find both satisfaction and meaning in your life.

Today’s Tip FWIW: Understand the Acronym.

Robert Fulford, from the National Post, wrote about acronyms in his article When Words Die yesterday when he had to use acronymfinder.com to decipher FWIW.

Thanks for the link Robert. For what it’s worth, I was happy that you spelled out FWIW for me in your post.

Acronym Finder has the search benefit of a search for either and acronym or a phrase translated into an acronym with their ‘word in meaning’ search. Since, as Robert’s article points out, acronyms are making their way to common media, rather than just texts and twitter, it …

PIPEDA and Your Practice: A Privacy Handbook for Lawyers was launched by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada at the Canadian Bar Association Canadian Legal Conference and Expo 2011. This handbook explains how the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) relates to the everyday practice of Canadian lawyers in the private sector.

PIPEDA covers the collection, use and disclosure of personal information in the course of commercial activities. Like other organizations in Canada, lawyers and law firms must comply with the requirements of applicable privacy legislation in their jurisdictions. This resource describes best practices in managing …