When drafting appellate briefs, motions, or memoranda, attorneys are often required to include a Table of Authorities (TOA) that lists all cited cases, statutes, and regulations. Microsoft Word provides a built-in tool to mark citations and automatically generate a TOA, helping ensure compliance with court formatting rules and saving hours of manual work.
This tutorial walks legal professionals through marking citations and generating a TOA in Word—streamlining the final stages of legal brief preparation.
Step-by-Step Guide: Creating a Table of Authorities in Word
Step 1: Enable the Reference Tools
- Open your legal document in Microsoft Word.
- Go to the References tab in the Ribbon.
- Locate the Table of Authorities section.
🧑⚖️ Legal Tip: Always complete your document’s citations before marking authorities to avoid duplication.
Step 2: Mark Citations
- Select a citation in your text (e.g., Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966)).
- Click Mark Citation in the References tab.
- In the Mark Citation window:
- Confirm the long citation and category (e.g., Cases, Statutes, Rules).
- Click Mark (or Mark All to apply to all instances).
- Repeat for each distinct citation.
📚 Best Practice: Use “Mark All” for standard references that appear multiple times in the brief.
Step 3: Insert the Table of Authorities
- Place your cursor where the TOA should appear (usually after the Table of Contents).
- Click Insert Table of Authorities in the References tab.
- In the dialog box:
- Choose formatting style (APA, MLA, etc., or court-specific).
- Check “Use passim” for multiple page references.
- Click OK to insert the TOA.
🧾 Formatting Tip: Format the TOA using styles like “TOA Heading” and “TOA Entry” to match court rules.
Step 4: Update the TOA After Revisions
- If changes are made to the document, click on the TOA.
- Press F9 or right-click > Update Field.
- Choose Update entire table to refresh page numbers and entries.
🛡️ Compliance Tip: Always regenerate the TOA before filing to reflect the latest pagination.
Step 5: Review and Finalize for Filing
- Turn on Show/Hide ¶ to verify TOA codes are invisible (do not print).
- Save a clean PDF version of the document using File > Save As > PDF.
- Submit via e-filing portal or court-specific system.
🧷 Submission Tip: Check local rules for TOA placement—some require separate upload or bookmarks in PDFs.
Conclusion
Using Microsoft Word’s Table of Authorities feature helps attorneys streamline brief production, meet court formatting requirements, and minimize clerical errors. When paired with Word’s Table of Contents and Cross-References, it enhances the professionalism and compliance of every legal filing.