Judge Nuffer's Resource Materials
Q&A, Computer Information and CLE Materials

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Technical/Technology     

Substantive
Hyperlinks and E-Research 

CM/ECF Information

Redaction and Metadata

PDF Skill and Help Files

Liberty Player for Court Audio

 Multiple Monitor / Large Monitor Computer Systems   How to get a large virtual desktop. 

Useful Computer Skills in the CM/ECF Environment  Settings and skills  for Windows, Lotus Notes, Acrobat, Westlaw and CM/ECF that are useful with the CM/ECF.

 Questions and Answers about Magistrate Judges

Who Hears the Motion?  This flow chart may reduce confusion about which judge will hear a motion when a district judge refers parts of a case to a magistrate judge.

CLE Materials Archive

Hyperlinks and E-Research  

Learn all about Cross-Document Hyperlinks in CM/ECF that let your court papers refer to other court papers in the CM/ECF docket.  When the judge reads a memorandum reference to a declaration or deposition, a cross-document hyperlink in the memorandum can take the judge to that declaration or deposition.  

The hyperlink, as set by the filer, may link to the start of the document or to a specific page in the document. A filer can file a document that includes a hyperlink to a document that is being filed simultaneously (in the same docketing transaction) with the primary document (e.g., a Memo in Support of Summary Judgment may have hyperlinks to the attached documents that are part of the same docketing transaction).

Include hyperlinks to authorities cited in your memoranda by using WestCiteLink or LexLink, part of LexisNexis Citation Tools 2003.  See a sample document with hyperlinks.  Another sample.  Another sample with a table of contents.  Sample document with Lexis links.  Click on a link in the sample documents or on blue text below in this sample to see how hyperlinks make it easy to find cases, statutes and rules.  

The Lexis tool to create research hyperlinks for Microsoft Word or WordPerfect is free.  West Brief Tools is a free download, but usage to create links incurs charges.  The person clicking links from a document to view cited authorities incurs Westlaw or Lexis charges.   The court has Westlaw and Lexis access.   An April 2006 survey of judges' chambers indicates both are used, but Westlaw use is predominant.

Watch a video presentation about hyperlinks to cited authorities. (requires Flash player).

Westlaw Video Demonstrations  (requires Flash player):   Copying and pasting from Westlaw    E-Research in Westlaw
Lexis Video Demonstrations   (requires Flash player):    Copying and pasting from Lexis    E-Research in Lexis

CM/ECF Information

Judge Nuffer's CM/ECF Blog   Unofficial and informal information about CM/ECF.

PDF Skill and Help Files

Types of PDF Documents

Copying Text from a PDF Document to a Word Processing Document  (requires Flash player)
Find and Search in Acrobat (requires Flash player)

Preserving Hyperlinks in PDF Conversion 

Acrobat Pro and Standard

Annotating a PDF Document   Text Box Annotations (requires Flash player)
Converting a Scanned PDF to Text PDF  (requires Flash player)

PDF Flattener    This Acrobat plug-in from Jeff Pepper creates a new toolbar icon (a blue down arrow) for "flattening" a pdf document.  Place this file in C:/Program Files/Adobe/Acrobat 6.0/Acrobat/Javascripts or C:/Program Files/Adobe/Acrobat 7.0/Acrobat/Javascripts, then restart Acrobat.  Note this tool does not prevent editing text based PDF files, and will not eliminate text behind graphic elements, but only prevents removal of graphic elements.

Adobe whitepaper, Redaction of Confidential Information in a [PDF] Document:  

"How to safely remove sensitive information from Microsoft Word documents and convert to PDF"  

Also includes instructions on redaction of native PDF document.

Redaction and Metadata 

Continuing Legal Education materials

Presentations at St. George Utah Federal Bar Association (September 2008)
     Utah Fifth District Courthouse     The Oddfellows Building      Salt Lake City Courthouse and Court Programs

Working Smart in the CM/ECF World (April 2008)

E-Ethics (April 2008) 

A Practical Guide to E-Discovery (January 2008)

E-Ethics (December 2007) PDF

E-Ethics (June 2007) (PDF)

A Practical Guide to E-Discovery (June 2007) (PDF)

Lay Participation in Criminal Justice (March 2007 - Kharkiv, Ukraine)

15 Tips in 15 Minutes (November 2006) (PDF - 2 MB)

How E-filers Can Make Chambers Happy (October 2006) (PDF - 1.6 MB)

Document Retention and Destruction (last updated July 20, 2005)   Word   PDF

Practice Hints for Motions to Compel (last updated July 20, 2005)    WordPerfect   PDF

Provisions of Federal and Local District of Utah Rules Regarding Motions to Compel (last updated 2005)  WordPerfect   PDF

An Introduction to CM/ECF (last updated February 2005)(5 MB ppt)

Proposed Rules and New Practice Standards for Electronic Discovery (last updated October 2004)  Word  PDF

Electronic Discovery (last updated March 2004)  Word  PDF

Liberty Player for Court Audio

The record in proceedings before magistrate judges in Utah is recorded on equipment using the Liberty Recorder. If you receive one of these audio files, you must play it using the free Liberty Player. These audio files may only be used for informal purposes, such as preparation of orders based on bench rulings. For any official purpose, including objections or appeals, you must obtain an official transcript. The fees for audio recordings and official transcripts are set by law.

Please send suggestions, corrections, etc. to mj.nuffer@utd.uscourts.gov 

Rev. 6/19/09