By nature, lawyers create content. And any software that helps us generate and distribute content is good for the business and, ultimately, clients. That's why my ears perk up when I get wind of new or revised tools to automate and streamline document assembly and creation; especially tools that are compatible with a staple in the legal industry: Microsoft Office.
Recently, the Sackett Group rebuilt (.NET/C#) their MacPac production and automation software from the ground up, enabling lawyers to automate content generation. MacPac version 10 combines content management and document assembly functionality and includes new macros and templates (MS-Office 2003 and 2007) as well as an SQL-server database for shared content and global author perferences. It utilizes XML-based content to use with Microsoft Office.
The Sackett Group is not alone in creating automation stations for document production. Esquire Innovations has also announced the release of their version 5.0, compatiable with Microsoft's Office 2007 and Windows Vista. Like MacPac, Esquire boasts a comprehensive and integrated template and macro creation and automation tools that are compatible with Microsoft Office 2007 and Windows Vista.
If you do not presently use automation tools to streamline document creation, both The Sackett Group and Esquire Innovations are good places to start your research. And if you do have them, make a note that there's something new to check out.
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