Welcome to Your New Digital Planner and Casebook

Thanks for choosing our Digital Planner and Casebook. It’s carefully designed to help legal professionals streamline operations and boost productivity. To help you get the most out of your new planner, we’ve included detailed instructions for setting it up and customizing it to your needs. If you have any questions, feel free to email us.

Just so you know, the video guide may not show the planner you purchased; however, the functionality is similar. The written instructions are more detailed and include guides on all functions and tabs. To skip the video, use the Table of Contents to navigate to Getting Started with your Digital Planner.

Table of Contents

Video Demo

The video demo uses GoodNotes. However, the steps may differ if you prefer a different PDF annotation tool, such as Adobe Reader or Notability.

A guide for the top menu on GoodNotes is below.

Getting Started with Your Digital Planner

Step 1: Download and Open the Digital Planner

  1. Download the Digital Planner from the PDF of your order.
  2. Navigate to your download folder, right-click on the downloaded planner file, and choose ”Open with GoodNotes.’‘
  3. In GoodNotes, select ”Import as New Document’‘.
  4. Open the document, and ensure you are not in edit mode (where the pen icon is circled) to use hyperlink functionality.
  5. Note: If you prefer a different PDF annotation tool like Adobe Reader or Notability, the steps to open and import the document differ slightly.

Step 2: Navigate Your Planner

  1. Start on the Cover Page, then navigate to the second page by swiping or using the page overview feature.
  2. The top menu offers three tabs: 2025, Casebook, and Templates.
  3. Starting with the calendar: Use the tabs to navigate to planner pages.
    • 2025: Access the yearly events planner.
    • Tabs 1-12: Navigate monthly planners (1=January, 12=December).
  4. Select a day on the monthly view to go to the daily planner.

Step 3: Using the Daily Planner

  1. Daily Schedule: On the left side, find the date at the top and an hourly schedule below.
    • Add Events:
      • Tap on an hour to add an event for that specific time to your Apple Calendar.
      • Tap on the whole date at the top to add an all-day event for that time to your Apple Calendar.
  2. Daily Planning Sections: On the right, use the sections to plan your day.
  3. Hyperlinks: If a link does not open, tap on the month’s name in the date (e.g., “January”) instead of the day to activate the link.

Step 4: Using the Casebook

  1. Access the Casebook: Click the Casebook tab at the top of any page to go to the casebook directory page.
  2. Assign Tabs: Use fields 1-12 on the Casebook Directory to assign a case, such as “People v. Simpson,” for a case name or case number: “07C237890-4,” or for a client: ” O.J. Simpson.”

Step 5: Managing Case Information with Tabs

  1. Using Tabs for Case Navigation: Use tabs 1-12 to navigate different case information pages. Each tab corresponds to a specific case that you’ve you’ve assigned.
  2. Access a Case: For example, if you assigned tab 1 to ” O.J. Simpson,” select tab 1 on the right side of your planner to open the case information page for ” O.J. Simpson.”
  3. Enter Case Details: Add all relevant information pertinent to the case on this page.
  4. Repeat for Other Cases: Continue this process for tabs 2-12, assigning each one to a different case and populating them with the necessary information.

Step 6: Importing Documents to Casebook

  1. Save the Document: Before importing a document to your digital planner, save the PDF to your device.
  2. Navigate to the Case: Open the case information page where you want to import the document. For example, if you’re working with the ” O.J. Simpson” case, navigate to this section using the assigned tab.
  3. Import the Document: Navigate to the case’s information page, open the sidebar, select the casebook page, press the down karat, and select “Add page after,” then select ” Import”. Locate and select the document you saved to your device to add it to the casebook.
  4. Caution: Please be aware that deleting the planner’s original pages can break the hyperlinks. Exercise caution to maintain the integrity of the functionality.

Step 7: Managing Templates in Your Digital Planner

Templates are pre-designed forms in your planner that you can use to standardize data entry, note-taking, or case management. Here’s how to use them effectively:

  1. Navigate to Templates: Select the Templates tab from the top menu.
  2. Select a Form: Navigate through tabs A through L on the planner’s side to find the template you need. Some templates may consist of multiple pages—a left or right arrow at the bottom of the page will indicate these.
  3. Duplicate the Form: Once you’ve selected the template, navigate to the “More” option at the top right hand of the planner and copy it to preserve the original and ensure you always have a clean version to use again.
  4. Move the Duplicated Form: Navigate to the case’s information page, open the sidebar, select the casebook page, press the down arrow, select “Add page after,” and then select”Paste.” If you are dealing with a multi-page template, copy and move all related pages.

Step 8: Contact Book

  1. Access the Contact Book: Select the ‘Contacts’ tab at the top of your digital planner. This will take you to the main Contact Book page, which features alphabetical tabs from A to W on the side, helping you organize contacts under each set of letters.
  2. Create a New Contact: Click the “New Contact Card” button on the Contact Book main page. This action will open a blank contact card that you can start filling out.
  3. Duplicate a Contact Card: To duplicate the contact card, navigate to the “More” option at the planner’s top right-hand. Select ‘Copy’ to create a duplicate of the contact card. This step ensures you preserve the original blank card and always have a clean template ready for future entries.
  4. Fill Out and Organize Contact Cards: Enter the contact details on the newly created card. Once completed, drag this card under the appropriate alphabetical tab to keep your contacts organized and easily accessible.

Step 9: Notebooks

  1. Access the Notebooks: Navigate to the Notebooks Index page in your planner. You’ll find five notebook tabs in various colors. You can name each notebook directly on the Notebooks Index page and/or label the corresponding tabs on the right for easy identification.
  2. Duplicate a Notebook Page: Choose from the available paper page templates, which include blank, lined, box graph, or dot graph options. To duplicate a template, navigate to the “More” option located at the top right hand of the planner and select ‘Copy’. This ensures you always have a clean version of the template for future use.
  3. Customize Your Notebook: After duplicating the desired page template, drag it to the appropriate notebook. Use this to organize different projects, maintain notes, or manage sticker collections. Each notebook tab can hold multiple pages tailored to your specific needs.
  4. Using Notebooks for Projects or Sticker Books: Notebooks are versatile and can serve various purposes. Use them for personal projects, brainstorming, or as a collection for your digital stickers. Each notebook can be customized to suit different areas of your work or hobbies, making it a flexible tool for organization.

Using Acrobat Adobe

The process of copying and importing documents is similar to that of Acrobat Adobe. Use the “Pages Thumbnail” option to copy and paste templates. Alternatively, drag and drop PDF pages from other documents into the planner using the “Page Thumbnail” option to import them. (The Page Thumbnail button shows all pages in a grid.)

I advise you not to edit the planner via Adobe; hyperlinks may not work while editing a PDF.

Instead, select the Fill in Forms icon to type information into the digital planner or choose an option such as a checkmark. This setting will also allow you to click on hyperlinks. Just so you know, editing the PDF in Adobe or deleting pages may break the hyperlinks in the digital planner.

Additional Tips:

  • When navigating multi-page templates, use the arrows to view all pages before duplicating to ensure all necessary information is included.
  • If you encounter issues while duplicating or moving templates, ensure you are not in edit mode, as it may prevent manipulation of the documents. Switch to manage mode and try again.

Security and Collaboration Tips for Your Digital Planner/Casebook

Set up Password Protection: Secure your digital planner with a password to protect sensitive information.

In PDF Readers (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader)

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader and load the PDF file you want to secure.
  2. Navigate to File> Protect Using Password.
  3. Choose if you want the password required to view the document or just for editing and printing.
  4. Enter a password, confirm it, and then save the document.

In Note-taking Apps (e.g., GoodNotes)

While GoodNotes does not offer password protection for individual notebooks within the app itself, you can use the native features on iOS devices to secure the app:

  1. Use App Lock: iOS devices allow you to lock apps via Screen Time settings using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.
    • Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
    • Enable restrictions and then go to Allowed Apps.
    • From there, select the apps you want to protect and configure your desired form of authentication.

Using Encryption Software

For ultimate security, especially for sensitive information, consider using dedicated encryption software that can password-protect any file type:

  1. Download encryption software like VeraCrypt or AxCrypt.
  2. Follow the software’s instructions to encrypt your File or folder, and add a password during the process.

Note:

  • Remembering your passwords or keeping them in a secure password manager is crucial because losing them can permanently lose access to encrypted or password-protected files.
  • Backup and Restore:
    • Backup Procedures: Regularly back up your planner to cloud storage, such as iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox, to ensure you have a recent copy saved in case of device failure or data loss.
    • Restoration Steps: If you need to restore your planner, go to the settings menu and select ”Restore from Backup.” Follow the instructions to choose your backup file and restore your planner to its previous state.

Export and Share from GoodNotes:

  • Export Document: Use GoodNotes to export the desired sections of your planner as PDFs.
  • Upload to Cloud Storage: Upload these PDF files to a cloud storage service where you can manage access permissions.

Manage Access via Cloud Storage:

  • Granting Access: Share the PDF files or folders with your colleagues in your cloud storage service. You can set the access level to either ”view only” or ”edit” (if the service and file format support it).
  • Tracking and Managing Access: Use the cloud service’s sharing settings to see who currently has access to each document. Adjust permissions or revoke access from the cloud service interface as needed.