It’s time for me to remind you all of a modest but essential element in my legaltech toolbox—the Numbering Assistant, a Word add-in by PayneGroup.
Why is the Numbering Assistant important to me? Because it allows me, a Word styles doofus, to quickly and easily apply to a contract either the MSCD hanging-indent scheme or the MSCD first-line-indent scheme, each offered in “Articles” and “Sections” versions.
A simple way for an organization to improve its contracts process would be for it to opt for a uniform enumeration scheme and use technology so it’s easy to apply the scheme. With the Numbering Assistant, you get both those steps in one product. (I say that without any prospect of financial reward—PayneGroup incorporated my schemes in the Numbering Assistant as a favor to me, and no money changes hands.)
Why the reminder? Because I realized that my page about the Numbering Assistant (here) and the pages it links to all describe a previous version of the Numbering Assistant, before it was revised to include the newer MSCD scheme, the hanging-indent scheme. That oversight made it all very confusing. I’ve made the necessary fixes. (For a description of the MSCD hanging-indent enumeration scheme, see this 2015 post.)
But who am I kidding! I don’t use the MSCD first-line-indent scheme anymore. It’s only for those who want a U.S. BigLaw aesthetic or have no choice in the matter. Among its other shortcomings (detailed in MSCD), the first-line-indent scheme is harder to automate. That explains the two pages of fiddly tips that my page about the Numbering Assistant links to. I haven’t bothered preparing a set of tips for applying the MSCD hanging-indent scheme, because I think you could readily figure it out for yourself. (When in doubt, remember that “Format Painter” is your friend!) If you encounter any problems, don’t hesitate to contact me or PayneGroup.
A perpetual license to the Numbering Assistant costs $78; students and faculty are entitled to a 10% discount. If you’d like a free 30-day trial, click here to send an email to PayneGroup.
And PayneGroup is at ILTACON 2019, which opens today. They’re at booth 310. If you’d like to find out more about the Numbering Assistant, visit them, give them the secret blog handshake, and tell them I say hi.
