I struggle a lot with making small mistakes that drive our partners crazy. Stuff like typos and overlooking little details. Does anyone have any tips on how to get better at slowing down and proofreading your work?

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Always proof in print if you can, or at least run a redline and look through it yourself, stuff usually jumps out better in a different font. Stepping away for 5-10 minutes oe switching tasks helps to get a somewhat fresh eye on it. If you have time, send your stuff to your secretary or doc services to proof.

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Agree with this one. Always print it on paper and that's when you proofread your work. When you read your work don't do it right away. Take time to take a pause and read it backwards instead. It will make you spot the errors right away.

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Slow down. Develop a process, use a checklist and go step by step. Don’t be overeager to quickly knock out an assignment.

Work needs to be correct and timely. One without the other is about as good as neither

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I was told that by my boss as a first year and it’s always stuck with me.

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Read it in reverse, it's always helped me. The sentences, out of context, allow you to see grammar and spelling errors much more easily.

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I wholeheartedly agree with this! I, too, suffer from the inability to see my mistakes. I read it as I intended it, not as it is on the page. However, when proofreading, I always: 1. Take a break; 2. Read out loud, and 3. Read in reverse.

Litera is very helpful

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Checklist for sure before you submit any assignment. Search for $, replace any dumb quotes with smart quotes, dumb apostrophes with smart, no double spaces anywhere (looking at you, people who double space after periods), consistent use of party names, make sure all defined terms are used more than once, make sure defined terms are defined, etc.

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Honestly, the only way I can catch everything is to get the document out of word, print to PDF - then read it over. 99% of the time, if I don’t print to PDF or print it from the age old printing device I will miss something stupid. Lately, I’ve been too busy to do this and my work product isn’t where I want it to be.

Grammarly is pretty nice too

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Print it out! That’s helped me a lot.

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Hi, I’m a dyslexic attorney. I review every document I sent back several times. I’ll read for legal issues, logic, bigger concerns and grammar, and typos a few times. I also use the speech to text function on the computer and follow along reading with it when I’m checking for grammar and then sometimes I just listened to the document to make sure it says what I think it says.

I also have a sticky note on the side of my computer of all the things I need to check a document for so I don’t make any silly mistakes. When I find another Blindspot, I added to the list, so I remember to check next time.

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Sadly, my sticky note got thrown out when I moved offices last but I generally review for (1) legal issues/concerns, (2) backup (ensuring I know that what’s in their matches their gov docs/what we’re trying to accomplish, (3) internal cohesion (sections don’t conflict), grammar and spelling, (4) reviewing the redlines I generate. I don’t send until I’m confident I understand the legal basis for each line and that each is correct, legally, per the company/deal and grammatically (assignment depending).

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Chat GPT

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You can download grammarly. It will highlight a lot of typos. Then you can go through whatever it marks extra carefully. I also know some people who proofread their documents backward. Taking a break from a document for a bit and then proofing it one last time can also help.

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I have this same problem, have tried all kinds of things, and still cant seem to avoid this. I sometimes feel like my brain isn’t meant for this kind of work.

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Yeah, i feel like i have been doing transactional work for long enough that i shouldn’t struggle so much with this stuff anymore (about 4 years although i switched from straight RE to RE/corporate about 8 months ago and am still familiarizing myself with the forms and terms). There are first years in my group who crush me on the typo count and it drives the one partner in particular up a wall.

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Change font color to make review easier

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Great tips — and, even better, associated w/ your experience Sr. Paralegal 1!

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Create a checklist of things to look for when proofreading, such as grammar, punctuation, typos, and flow. This will help you ensure that you’re covering all your bases.

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Don’t forget, “read aloud.” It’ll help you catch those small mistakes that your brain autocorrects for you

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Highlight changes as you make them if we’re talking about changes being implemented. Just one small tip that helps a lot in my experience.

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Don't you have human proofreaders on staff? Or your legal assistant?

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I suggest you take a break first. When you’ve finished writing, take a break before you start editing. This will help you refresh your mind and come back to your work with a fresh perspective.

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Grammarly.
Checklists.
Text to speech programs.
Point and read method like a child.

I use all four.

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Everything A1 said, plus, use your proofreading tools like litera or even word proofreading app, and read your changes out loud (you catch a lot of stuff your brain otherwise skims past)

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Microsoft Word will also read aloud to you which is a lifesaver.

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Reading aloud is a great way to slow down and proofread your work more carefully. It can help you catch typos, spelling errors, and awkward phrasing.

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