A while back, I wrote about using Outlook templates to streamline the sending of boilerplate e-mails. Since then, I’ve discovered the joys of Outlook meeting request templates for my docket entries, as well. Using docket entry templates means I don’t have to memorize the members of each working group, and — perhaps more importantly — I don’t have to always remember to uncheck that pesky “Request responses” option.

I’ve also been using an Outlook e-mail template for one case in which we serve discovery on the other side by e-mail (as well as, sadly, surface mail). They’ve asked us to serve a particular group of lawyers at their firm, and my template already has those addresses in the “to” box, so I never need to worry about forgetting someone. I’ve also pre-filled the case name in the subject line and the “Dear Counsel” opening, and our own working group’s addresses in the bcc field.

I recently ran across this stupendous Tech Republic article clearly explaining how to make Outlook templates more accessible by way of an Outlook toolbar. And there are pictures! (It also explains how to create templates, so you have everything you need in one place.) I hate to admit it, but this piece just blows away my puny suggestion of putting shortcuts to your templates on your desktop. As soon as I have time to take a breath at work (probably about next February), I’m making my own Outlook template toolbar.

I do worry about one thing with this approach, though: My firm’s IT people periodically do something over the network that causes all my MS Word custom toolbars, autotext, etc., to disappear. I keep that stuff backed up so I can restore it when these washouts occur, but I’m not sure that process will work the same way with Outlook. Guess I’ll find out.

Tech Republic: Create Outlook e-mail templates and integrate them onto the toolbar