Using Evernote to Build a Customized Blawg Database

I've previously posted about how useful Evernote is for logging your cases and keeping tract of case notes (see related post). Recently I've discovered another invaluable feature. I'm a big fan of reading legal weblogs (a.k.a. "Blawgs") and often find very useful tips--useful tips that I often can't remember or forget how to find again.

If you too suffer from this unfortunate mind spasm, there's a solution. You can create a new set of notebooks in Evernote. I've created two--one titled "civil trial" and the other "criminal trial."

You can then clip (copy) and tag all of those useful Blawg posts into the corresponding notebook in Evernote. (For consistency, I've tagged all of the clipped posts using the same system I used to create my digital legal research library (see related post).)

Now your blogs are simply a click or a word-search away--all stored conveniently in your Evernote software.

Using PDF-Xchange Viewer to Rid Yourself of Exhibit Stickers

I have posted previously about the benefits of using PDF-Xchange Viewer instead of Adobe Reader to view and edit PDF files. Click here to download the free version.

Here's how to use the free version PDF-Xchange Viewer to dramatically reduce the number of yellow "Exhibit" stickers you purchase every month.

1. Take a yellow Exhibit sticker--preferably the kind that just says "Exhibit," not "Plaintiff's Exhibit" or "Defendant's Exhibit," and physically paste it onto a blank sheet of paper.

2. Scan the blank sheet of paper with the Exhibit sticker into your system in color.

3. Open the scanned sheet of paper in PDF-Xchange Viewer.

4. Use the camera clipper and clip an image around the Exhibit sticker.

5. Go to the stamp icon and pull up the drop-down menu.

6. Select "Show Stamps Palette."

7. Choose "Create New Stamps Collection" on the upper left-hand side of the Show Stamps Palette window.

8. Select "Create New Stamp from Clipboard Image" on the upper right-hand side of the Show Stamps Palette window.

9. Your Exhibit sticker should now appear in your new stamp collection.

10. Name your Exhibit sticker collection anything you want.

Now you can organize your scanned documents as trial and hearing exhibits without having to paste on exhibit stickers. What's great is you can use PDF-Xchange's typewriter function and type anything you want on the exhibit sticker stamped on your scanned documents, such "P-1" or "P-MSJ-3."