Law school time savers: Typing

This post was originally posted at i don't wear skinny jeans, a blog written by a current NYU 1L.

Reposted here with permission.

The comments on his post may have more useful shortcuts added since he wrote this text. You should check it out. Also, you should read his blog.

It can be tiring to take lengthy class notes and write briefs on your computer (for those of us that still brief). To make it easier, we use shorthand. I thought it would be useful to compile a list of the keyboard shortcuts and typing shorthand that people find helpful.

Typing Shorthand

• Attorney = atty
• Common Law = c/l OR cLAW
• Consideration = ø or cx
• Constitution = C
• Contract = K
• Court = ct
• Defendant = D or ∆
• Federal = fed
• General Rule = GRULE
• Jurisdiction = jdx or juris
• Majority Rule = majR
• Minority Rule = minR
• Negligence = neg or negc
• Plaintiff = P or π
• Rule Against Perpetuity = rap
• Standard of Review = sor
• State = st
• Statute of Fraud = sof
• Statute of Limitations = sol
• Strict Liability = SL
• Summary Judgment = sj
• Supreme Court of the United States = SCOTUS OR SCt
• Two part words (e.g., affirmative action) = x/y (e.g., a/a)
• About = a/b
• Amendment = ame
• Argument = arg
• Because = b/c
• Between = btw or b/w
• Commercial = comm
• Different = diff
• Discrimination = disc
• Each = ea
• Employee = EE
• Employer = ER
• Employment = emp
• Ending with “-ion” = ^n
• Especially = esp
• For = 4
• From = f/
• Government = gov OR govt
• Not = ! or ≠ or %
• Point = pt
• President = pres
• Probably = prob
• Property = prop
• Reaction = rxn
• Required = req’d
• Review = rev
• Should = sd
• Something = sthg
• Standard = std
• Statement = stmnt
• Within = w/in
• Without = w/out
• With Respect To = w.r.t.
• Would = wd

Keyboard Shortcuts
OneNote

• Ctrl + (Shift + L) OR . = Bullet point
• Ctrl + / = Numbering
• Alt + Shift + (Left Arrow OR Right Arrow) = tab line left or right
• Ctrl + 2 = Star
• Ctrl + 3 = Question Mark
• Ctrl + 4 = Yellow Highlight (of the entire line of text)
• Ctrl + 5 = Green Highlight (of the entire line of text)
• Text + Tab = Creates a table

Microsoft Office (for Macs, Ctrl = Apple button)

• Alt + 0167 (or customize as Ctrl + Shift + S) / Mac: Option + 6 = §
• Alt + 8710 (or customize as Alt + P or Ctrl + Shift + P) / Mac: Option + J= ∆
• Alt + 227 (or customize as Alt + D or Ctrl + Shift + D) / Mac: Option + P = π
• Alt + 0248 / Mac: Option + O = ø
• Ctrl + (B or I or U) = Bold OR Italics OR Underline
• Ctrl + (C or V) = Copy OR Paste
• Ctrl + (Z or Y) = Undo OR Redo

If you have any to add, leave it in the comments and I’ll update this post. I realize I may be a minority in doing stuff like this.

Obsessive and compulsive,
i.don’t.wear.skinny.jeans