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Office 2007: Challenges and Opportunities for The Legal Community

By Judye Carter Reynolds
May 30, 2007

The highly publicized release of Microsoft Office 2007' was received with caution in the legal industry. Promises of greater compatibility with non-Office programs were offset by a drastically redesigned user interface and concern over a new file format. Productivity hits and resulting end-user frustration are anticipated.

The traditional layers of toolbar-menu-feature-dialog box in previous versions have been eliminated. The standard and formatting toolbars are replaced with 'the Ribbon.' This new look is vaguely reminiscent of early versions of WordPerfect for Windows'. The name is the same, too. The Ribbon is a dynamic toolbar that reflects the currently selected menu item. Clever! Cascading menus are now flat and static. The intent was to expose more features and perhaps increase feature familiarity and use.

Customer input and usability studies identified the need for a redesigned user interface to improve productivity and efficiency. The familiar File menu is replaced with a button in all Office 2007 programs. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) has matured to the new Fluent User Interface (FUI). (Yes, that's pronounced 'phooey.') For instance, the fluency of the Ribbon interface organizes commands as a set of Tabs across the screen. Several tabs are contextual and appear based on the current selection. Contextual refers to the behavior of the right-click menu ' it varies based on the position of the insertion point or the currently selected item.

Good news for keyboard aficionados: Although the features and menu commands are relocated and re-organized, the keyboard shortcuts have been maintained. For example, 'Alt-E, S' still translates to Edit-Paste Special even though the Edit menu doesn't exist.

Due to the complexity and process flow of legal documents, law firm users of Microsoft Word tend to be more familiar with a wider variety of features than the typical end user. A drastic re-design and a change in file format equate to an extensive migration project for the technology team. Consequently, law firms are not upgrading to Office 2007 en masse. This new version cannot be ignored in the interim, however. Firms that exchange documents with clients, for instance, will encounter Office 2007 documents. Technology departments have to be prepared to receive, edit and return documents efficiently.

The new file format is called Office OpenXML (OOXML). This is a compressed format that results in files that are 75% smaller than current formats. Compact file formats improve file sharing and collaboration via e-mail, for instance. Other benefits of the new file format include reduced document corruption and susceptibility to virus attacks. The traditional DOC extension applied to Word documents is now DOCX in 2007, XLSX for Excel, and PPTX for PowerPoint.

DOCX files are incompatible with earlier versions of Word, such as 2003 and 2002, without using a file converter. A Compatibility Pack is available as a free download from Microsoft for file conversion. The Compatibility Packs provides backward compatibility so that older versions of Office can open, edit and save files in the new file format. The Compatibility Pack is provided for Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, but not Access.

Alternatively, 2007 users can save files to the old Office formats to ensure compatibility. Files can be saved to the old format as needed using 'Save As' from the Microsoft Office button. The default file format can be set to the DOC format as well. From the Office button, select Word Options, then Word Options at the bottom, select Save from the left, then change the 'Save files in this format:' drop-down list.

In an office environment where dual versions of Microsoft Office exist, 2007 and 2003, for instance, consider forcing the default save option to 97-2003 format using a group policy. This will prevent users from re-enabling the new format until the firm is using a uniform version.

Office 2007 will support the traditional Office file formats (binary). When documents from earlier versions of Word (97-2003) are opened in Word 2007, Compatibility Mode is automatically enabled and indicated on the title bar. Compatibility Mode ensures that features unique to 2007 are not introduced to the document thus ensuring full compatibility in both environments. This is very useful when collaboration occurs between 2007 and older versions of Word.

It is advisable to run the Compatibility Checker to view a list of the content affected by downgrading a 2007 file to an older format. For instance, if 2007-specific features are included in the document, and the document is saved down to 2003, that content will be affected. If the file is saved back up to 2007, some features will be re-applied to the document automatically. The Compatibility Checker is available from the Office button and then selecting 'Prepare.' The Compatibility Checker will run automatically and display if formatting or feature conflicts exist. Issues listed in the Compatibility Checker are grouped by severity of the conflict. Appearance and formatting distortions are grouped separately from lost or severely degraded data.

Compatibility Mode is document-specific and can be disabled. Disabling Compatibility Mode will convert the current document to the OpenXML format and allowing access to the new features available. The Convert command is available from the Microsoft Office button.

The round-tripping requirements of legal documents that may flow through various versions of Word are satisfied for 2007 users with Compatibility mode and for 2003 and earlier when the Compatibility Pack.

Office 2007 documents can also be shared with users not using any version of Microsoft Office. Viewers, available as a free download, enable sharing of Microsoft Office files with users who do not have it installed or Office users who don't have the Compatibility Pack installed. The viewers only provide viewing and printing capability, but do not allow edit functionality.

Along with converting files manually and individually, Microsoft provides batch conversion capability. Using the Office File Converter and the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, bulk conversions of documents can be processed. The Office File Converter is one of the many tools provided with the Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM), another Microsoft download.

The batch conversion process can include a deep scan of your Office documents to determine if potential conversion issues exist in legacy documents and a reporting tool for logging possible compatibility problems. The scanner will exclude password protected and restricted documents.


Judye Carter Reynolds has 25 years of experience in various training roles spanning customer training, technical support and software implementation services for small to large law firms. Currently, she is the Vice President of Client Experiences for Esquire Innovations, Inc., a CA-based provider of Microsoft Office integration software services and applications for the legal market.

The highly publicized release of Microsoft Office 2007' was received with caution in the legal industry. Promises of greater compatibility with non-Office programs were offset by a drastically redesigned user interface and concern over a new file format. Productivity hits and resulting end-user frustration are anticipated.

The traditional layers of toolbar-menu-feature-dialog box in previous versions have been eliminated. The standard and formatting toolbars are replaced with 'the Ribbon.' This new look is vaguely reminiscent of early versions of WordPerfect for Windows'. The name is the same, too. The Ribbon is a dynamic toolbar that reflects the currently selected menu item. Clever! Cascading menus are now flat and static. The intent was to expose more features and perhaps increase feature familiarity and use.

Customer input and usability studies identified the need for a redesigned user interface to improve productivity and efficiency. The familiar File menu is replaced with a button in all Office 2007 programs. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) has matured to the new Fluent User Interface (FUI). (Yes, that's pronounced 'phooey.') For instance, the fluency of the Ribbon interface organizes commands as a set of Tabs across the screen. Several tabs are contextual and appear based on the current selection. Contextual refers to the behavior of the right-click menu ' it varies based on the position of the insertion point or the currently selected item.

Good news for keyboard aficionados: Although the features and menu commands are relocated and re-organized, the keyboard shortcuts have been maintained. For example, 'Alt-E, S' still translates to Edit-Paste Special even though the Edit menu doesn't exist.

Due to the complexity and process flow of legal documents, law firm users of Microsoft Word tend to be more familiar with a wider variety of features than the typical end user. A drastic re-design and a change in file format equate to an extensive migration project for the technology team. Consequently, law firms are not upgrading to Office 2007 en masse. This new version cannot be ignored in the interim, however. Firms that exchange documents with clients, for instance, will encounter Office 2007 documents. Technology departments have to be prepared to receive, edit and return documents efficiently.

The new file format is called Office OpenXML (OOXML). This is a compressed format that results in files that are 75% smaller than current formats. Compact file formats improve file sharing and collaboration via e-mail, for instance. Other benefits of the new file format include reduced document corruption and susceptibility to virus attacks. The traditional DOC extension applied to Word documents is now DOCX in 2007, XLSX for Excel, and PPTX for PowerPoint.

DOCX files are incompatible with earlier versions of Word, such as 2003 and 2002, without using a file converter. A Compatibility Pack is available as a free download from Microsoft for file conversion. The Compatibility Packs provides backward compatibility so that older versions of Office can open, edit and save files in the new file format. The Compatibility Pack is provided for Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, but not Access.

Alternatively, 2007 users can save files to the old Office formats to ensure compatibility. Files can be saved to the old format as needed using 'Save As' from the Microsoft Office button. The default file format can be set to the DOC format as well. From the Office button, select Word Options, then Word Options at the bottom, select Save from the left, then change the 'Save files in this format:' drop-down list.

In an office environment where dual versions of Microsoft Office exist, 2007 and 2003, for instance, consider forcing the default save option to 97-2003 format using a group policy. This will prevent users from re-enabling the new format until the firm is using a uniform version.

Office 2007 will support the traditional Office file formats (binary). When documents from earlier versions of Word (97-2003) are opened in Word 2007, Compatibility Mode is automatically enabled and indicated on the title bar. Compatibility Mode ensures that features unique to 2007 are not introduced to the document thus ensuring full compatibility in both environments. This is very useful when collaboration occurs between 2007 and older versions of Word.

It is advisable to run the Compatibility Checker to view a list of the content affected by downgrading a 2007 file to an older format. For instance, if 2007-specific features are included in the document, and the document is saved down to 2003, that content will be affected. If the file is saved back up to 2007, some features will be re-applied to the document automatically. The Compatibility Checker is available from the Office button and then selecting 'Prepare.' The Compatibility Checker will run automatically and display if formatting or feature conflicts exist. Issues listed in the Compatibility Checker are grouped by severity of the conflict. Appearance and formatting distortions are grouped separately from lost or severely degraded data.

Compatibility Mode is document-specific and can be disabled. Disabling Compatibility Mode will convert the current document to the OpenXML format and allowing access to the new features available. The Convert command is available from the Microsoft Office button.

The round-tripping requirements of legal documents that may flow through various versions of Word are satisfied for 2007 users with Compatibility mode and for 2003 and earlier when the Compatibility Pack.

Office 2007 documents can also be shared with users not using any version of Microsoft Office. Viewers, available as a free download, enable sharing of Microsoft Office files with users who do not have it installed or Office users who don't have the Compatibility Pack installed. The viewers only provide viewing and printing capability, but do not allow edit functionality.

Along with converting files manually and individually, Microsoft provides batch conversion capability. Using the Office File Converter and the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack, bulk conversions of documents can be processed. The Office File Converter is one of the many tools provided with the Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM), another Microsoft download.

The batch conversion process can include a deep scan of your Office documents to determine if potential conversion issues exist in legacy documents and a reporting tool for logging possible compatibility problems. The scanner will exclude password protected and restricted documents.


Judye Carter Reynolds has 25 years of experience in various training roles spanning customer training, technical support and software implementation services for small to large law firms. Currently, she is the Vice President of Client Experiences for Esquire Innovations, Inc., a CA-based provider of Microsoft Office integration software services and applications for the legal market.
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