Taking Notes
Note-taking is essential for success in the law office and the courtroom. Notes facilitate processing and retrieval of information gathered during discovery, meetings, research, and trial preparation. They enable note-takers to comprehend and retain spoken words. Use the tips and tools mentioned in this article to improve your note-taking. Experiment with each of the alternatives to determine which is best suited to your work style.
Using Notes
Note-taking promotes
listening and learning. It is useful for recording information during conferences,
depositions, meetings, and seminars. It is also useful when phoning,
researching, and preparing for trial. After concluding a note-taking session,
review your notes to organize thoughts, calendar tasks, create checklists,
and assure that things get done.
Periodically review notes to refresh
your recollection and follow-up on action items.
Analog Tools
Although some note-takers prefer typing, studies show that writing notes with pen and paper increases comprehension because it forces note-takers to slow down, focus, and think. Simplicity is also an advantage of handwritten note-taking --- log-ins are not required and multi-tasking (e.g. checking e-mail) is not a temptation. Analog alternatives include outlining, diagramming, and dividing pages into columns. To accommodate different note-taking styles, legal pads and wirebound notebooks are available in a variety of rules, spacings, and margins that are suitable for counselors and litigators.
Although some note-takers prefer typing, studies show that writing notes with pen and paper increases comprehension because it forces note-takers to slow down, focus, and think. Simplicity is also an advantage of handwritten note-taking --- log-ins are not required and multi-tasking (e.g. checking e-mail) is not a temptation. Analog alternatives include outlining, diagramming, and dividing pages into columns. To accommodate different note-taking styles, legal pads and wirebound notebooks are available in a variety of rules, spacings, and margins that are suitable for counselors and litigators.
Digital Tools
Several digital tools are available to facilitate keyboarding,
keyword searches, online saving, and sharing with others. Word processing
software like Apple Pages and Microsoft Word can be used for note-taking on desktops,
laptops, and mobile devices. Note-taking apps like Apple Notes, Evernote,
Google Keep, and Microsoft OneNote can be used for note-taking on smartphones and tablets. Digital pens can be
used to write notes on Apple's iPad Pro, Microsoft's Surface, and pen-friendly
PC's. "Smart" notebooks like Moleskin's Smart Writing Tablets,
Rocketbook's Wave, and Wacom's Bamboo Folio can be used to write notes on
special paper and then transmit them to others or to online storage.
Audio Tools
Audio recordings free users from handwriting and typing
notes. Single-purpose apps for recording with smartphones include Apple's Voice
Memo, Griffin's iTalk, and Searing Media's Parrot. Dual purpose apps that facilitate recording and
transcribing include Audionote, Evernote, and Microsoft's OneNote. For
heavy-duty recording, consider using a dedicated voice recorder made by Olympus,
Phillips, or Sony. Although smartphones
are useful for occasional recording, dedicated voice recorders are more
versatile and have better recording quality, longer battery life, and greater storage
capacity. Also, smartphones can only capture voices within 3 feet of the phone.
Transcription software like Dragon
Naturally Speaking can be used to transcribe recordings into text.
Saving
Whether
note-taking on paper or a digital device, index your notes by numbering the
pages and writing a table of contents on the first page. Carefully save your
notes so they are accessible when needed. Alternatives for saving paper
notes include using separate legal pads for each client, storing notes in
binders or folders, and retaining them in a computerized database. Paper notes
can be scanned into PDF's to facilitate search and retrieval of information.
Scanning can be accomplished with a computer or smartphone and the resulting
PDF can then be uploaded to a storage service. Storage services like Google
Drive and Evernote use optical character recognition to facilitate text
searches.