Microsoft Word 2016:

What you need to know for your Legal Analysis

Writing and Research (LAWR) Class

For PC and Mac

Terry McCormack
Assoc. Director of Law Library
Brian Detweiler
Student Services Librarian
 Still Using an Old Version of Microsoft Office?
• Download the latest version of MS Office PC
from UB IT (for free!)
• Google “ub software download”
– Click on first result: “Downloading Software…”

Mac

• Select 32-bit
regardless
of your OS
 Why is this important?
• Your respective faculty want to focus on teaching legal research and writing
skills rather than spend class time teaching the features of Microsoft Word.
• Easily preventable
formatting mistakes
may needlessly
cost you points on
your assignments!
 Quick Access
Basic Terminology:
Toolbar

Ribbon:
Menu / Tabs:
Interface Change options
on the Ribbon

Page & Status Bar

Word (View) Layout &
Count Zoom-In/Out
 How to Set Font Type & Size
1. Select the Home tab
2. In the Font group you will see
drop down menus for font
type and font size

• The same method works for Mac

 How to Adjust Line Spacing
1. Place cursor in blank document or
highlight relevant paragraphs
2. From Home tab, select the Line and
Paragraph Spacing option
3. Under Line Spacing choose ‘Exactly’
4. Next choose the specific spacing (such as
24 point) or type in the spacing number
requested by your faculty member
 How to Add or Remove Space
Before or After a Paragraph on PC
1. Highlight the paragraph(s) you would like to change
2. Under the Home tab, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing
menu and select the appropriate option
 How to Add or Remove Space
Before or After a Paragraph on Mac
• Paragraph spacing options are located
under the Line Spacing menu
How to Insert Non-Breaking or “Hard" Spaces
• Nonbreaking spaces are used to keep two words together,
avoiding separation by line breaks.

• Hold down Ctrl and Shift as you press the Spacebar and Word
will not break the line between the selected text.
• The same method works for Mac.
 How to Insert Symbols (¶, §, ©, etc.) on PC
1. Click the Insert Tab on the
ribbon
2. Click on Symbol menu on
the far right
3. If you don’t see the symbol
in the quick view window,
click on the ‘More Symbols’
option at the bottom of the
drop down menu
4. Select the symbol and click Next time…
Insert

• Bluebook Rule 12
 How to Insert symbols on Mac
1. Click the Insert tab on the
ribbon
2. Click Advanced Symbol on
the far right
3. If you don’t see your symbol
in the default menu, select
the ‘Special Characters’ tab
4. Select the symbol and click
Insert

Next time…
Setting Indentation of Paragraphs and Headings
1. Click the View tab and check the box labeled “Ruler” if the Ruler
does not appear by default

• The same method works for Mac

 Creating a First-Line Indent with the Ruler
2. Place cursor where
you want to add the
indent
3. On the Ruler, drag
the First Line Indent
Marker (the top
triangle located on
the left side of the
ruler) to the position
where you want the
text to start

• The same method works for Mac

 Paragraph Indentation
1. Left click to highlight the
relevant paragraph(s)

2. Slide the left and right

indents to the desired
locations on the ruler.

• Bluebook Rule 5.1

 Paragraph Indentation (cont’d)
3. Justify the paragraph
(under Home tab)

• Bluebook Rule 5.1

• The same method works for Mac

 Hanging Indent
1. Select relevant
paragraphs
2. Slide bottom indent
(bottom triangle) to
right

• The same method works for Mac

 How to Set Margins
1. Click the Layout tab on the ribbon
2. Click on Margins
3. There are a variety of options to
choose from. If your professor
requests a unique margin setting
then choose the Custom Margins
option at the bottom of the drop
down menu

• The same method works for Mac

 Creating and Indenting Bullet Points and Outline Sections
Under the Home Tab, select from the outline options on the ribbon; there are three types
to chose from and an option to customize your outline. Use Tab (right) and Shift + Tab
(left) to change levels.

Bulleted Multilevel
Lists Numbered Lists
Lists

• Mac uses a similar operation

 Find and Replace on PC
• From the Home tab, select either Find or Replace on the far right-hand side of the screen
or use CTRL + F
 Find and Replace on Mac
• Search using the field at the top of the page next to the magnifying glass
icon or use command + F
• Click on the arrow next to the icon to replace the word
 Spelling & Grammar Check
• Located under the Review tab

• Remember to reproof your document manually!

 Do not rely solely on Spelling & Grammar
check to catch all of your miss takes!
• The same method works for Mac
 Managing AutoCorrect and other proofing options on PC
1. Click File tab
2. Select Options,
then Proofing Turn off
superscript
3. Make desired
changes

Enable (or disable) for ALL CAPS

or numbers

• Bluebook Rule 10
Enable or disable
spell check and
grammar features
 Managing Spell Check & AutoCorrect on Mac
1. Select Word menu
2. Select Preferences
3. Make desired
changes

Turn off
superscript
Setting Passive Voice Check on PC? Not Yet.

10/5/2015

• Microsoft Word 2013 for PC

No Passive Voice Check on Mac yet, either.

?
• Microsoft Word 2011 for Mac
 Inserting Page Numbers on PC

Location options

• Formatting page #’s:

Inserting & Formatting Page Numbers on Mac
 Changing Page Number Font
PC:
1. Double-click the page number in the Footer
2. Right click the number to bring up the editing options
3. Adjust font type and size using the drop-down menus

MAC: Double-click the page number and

use the options on the Home tab
ribbon to adjust font type and size
 Inserting Next Page Section Breaks
1. Place cursor at the
desired location for the
page break
2. Under the Layout tab,
click the Breaks drop
down menu and select
Next Page Page Break

Section Break

• The same method works for Mac

 Changing Page Number Fonts Within the Same Document

2. Under Design tab, de-select “Link

1. Double click the
to Previous” by clicking on it
top margin of the
page after the
inserted break

• The same method works for Mac 3. Select Arabic page

Numbers (or other
format changes) for
the remainder of
the document
 Creating Section Headings
1. Insert page numbers
2. Select headings to be included in the Table of Contents
by holding Ctrl and left-clicking (highlighting) each one
– Mac users: hold command while highlighting
3. Choose a heading format under Home tab

• The same method works for Mac

 Building a Table of Contents
1. Place cursor at
the desired
location for the
Table of Contents
2. Under the
References tab
select the Table of
Contents menu

3. Choose desired format

for Table of Contents
• The same method works for Mac
 Updating a Table of Contents
1. Left click in the Table of Contents
and select “Update Table”
2. Choose “Update page
numbers…” and click OK
a) If you changed the name of one
or more headings, select “Update
entire table” instead

• Updating a TOC in Mac

is essentially the same
 Creating a Table of Authorities
1. Select and mark your citations 2. Place cursor at the desired location
for the table and click OK

• Show/Hide Formatting Symbols: • The same method works for Mac

 Enabling Text-to-Speech on PC
1. Click File tab 3. Select Speak from the
2. Select Options, All Commands list and
then Quick click Add, then click OK
Access Toolbar 4. Highlight the text to be read with your
cursor and click on the Speak button
in the Toolbar; an automated voice
will read the text aloud.
 Enabling Text-to-Speech on Mac
1. From the 3. Select Text to Speech and ensure the box
system ribbon, is checked (this is the default setting)
select System
Preferences
2. Select Dictation
& Speech 4. Highlight the text to
be read and hit
option + esc on the
keyboard.
 Tracking Changes
• Select the Track Changes option under the Review tab

• Mac uses a similar operation

 Law Library Website:
• Access our slides and instructional videos on MS Word
 Other Online Guides for Word 2016
http://guides.kentlaw.iit.edu/wordforlawschool/fundamentals

www.customguide.com/cheat_sheets/word-2016-quick-reference.pdf
 Questions? Come see us!
Brian Detweiler Terry McCormack
Student Services Librarian Assoc. Dir. Of Law Library
211a O’Brian Hall 542 O’Brian Hall
briandet@buffalo.edu cormack@buffalo.edu
(716) 645-2384 (716) 645-2831