Essential Office Supplies Every Law Firm Needs

Despite the paperless office trend, many attorneys feel wary about abandoning paper for an electronic storage system. Can you imagine being in the middle of a court appearance when your laptop crashes, taking all your files with it?

Something is comforting about having printed documents rather than relying on an electronic device. Even if you are leaning toward a paperless office, maintaining a well-stocked, efficient law office means keeping ample stock of the following essential office supplies.

Specialty Stamps for Attorneys

Every legal firm needs a variety of business stamps. Everything from a return address to a date stamp indicating a document's receipt helps keep things moving efficiently. Having an assortment of professional legal stamps helps you look more professional while minimizing errors.

Legal offices have special needs, so don’t miss stocking every paralegal and legal secretary with these essentials:

• Highly Confidential
• Redacted
• Client’s Copy
• Judge’s Copy
• Attorney’s Copy
• Draft
• Original
• Courtesy Copy
• Confidential
• Privileged
• Attorney in Fact
• Initial circle
• Notary Stamp
• Restricted
• Seal highlighter—darkens raised embossing
• Exhibit Stamp with Border

When handling pleadings and evidence, you may find the need to use a redacting marker, redacting coverup tape, and a security stamp for larger areas, such as addresses. These essential tools need to be handy to make sure nothing leaves the office without having highly confidential information sufficiently covered.

Shredder

A shredder is an office essential when dealing with confidential materials. You must dispose of items you no longer need without risking attorney-client privilege.

There are several types of paper shredders you can select from:

• Auto-feed paper shredder—load shredder with a stack of documents and walk away
• Continuous duty paper shredder—a high run time before needing to cool down
• Cross-cut paper shredder—cuts documents from both directions for more security
• CD, DVD, and credit card shredder—dedicated to shredding media into small particles
• Industrial paper shredder—suitable for large industrial environments for bulk shredding
• Micro-cut paper shredder—advanced cross-cut for maximum security for confidential documents
• Strip-cut paper shredder—cuts records into long vertical strips

You need to decide whether your office needs a shredder with a wastebasket that captures the paper shreds; a portable one you sit on top of your container, or a small manual shredder that you hold in your hands and operate by turning a knob or hand crank.

Legal Pads

Sam Walton built the Walmart chain into the nation’s largest retailer by showing up at stores and asking questions, using one very important tool—a yellow legal pad. As he talked to customers, asked questions, and made observations, he wrote down everything on that yellow pad.

If yellow legal pads are good enough for someone once the wealthiest person in the world, why would you want to give them up? The most efficient law firms keep this efficient product in two popular sizes.

For jotting quick notes such as your daily “to-do” list, directions to staff, or for your paralegal to jot you a reminder when leaving you draft pleadings, nothing compares to a 5” x 8” junior legal pad.

When meeting with clients or appearing in court, nothing compares to the efficiency of an 8-1/2” x 11-3/4” legal pad in traditional canary yellow or white. Whether jotting down the judge’s directions for a criminal client, the final terms for a judgment of divorce, or the judge’s findings on a motion, the legal pad is a must-have tool of the trade.

Pens

This essential item is vital in a law office, where the original signing of documents, including court orders, pleadings, settlement agreements, wills, trusts, business contracts, and more, requires the ability to get a crisp, original signature.

Remember that blue ink is the preference for distinguishing an original document from a photocopy. This rule applies to court documents, bank documents, and real estate.

Stock Certificates

If your firm conducts business for corporations with stockholders, you will need a supply of stock certificates that meet the Model Business Corporation Act (MBCA) requirements.

To comply with the MBCA, every certificate must contain:

• Corporation name
• The corporate seal of authenticity
• Number of shares owned
• Purchase date
• Registered stock certificate number
• Relevant signatures

When selecting a product, check for a section to complete when transferring share ownership. The transfer form on a stock certificate must be notarized and sent to the transfer agent, who then registers the stock for the purchaser.

Keep clients happy by purchasing downloadable stock certificates you can personalize and print immediately.

Legal Tabs

Legal tabs are usually printed on bright white legal stock. All-State is the traditional law office brand.

They are available in upper and lower case and come in regular (not bold) print. You can purchase bottom letter and number tabs with the word “exhibit” on them.

Avery tabs are now the most common for law offices. They come in a standard 8-1/2 x 11 format to meet the conversion to standard paper size for most legal filings.

You can purchase the Avery brand with side or bottom style index tabs. You may select from blank tabs, exhibit tabs, number dividers, and indexes.

Exhibit Labels

Nothing beats a supply of color-coded document labels for use in the office or when submitting legal documents. Placing a label directly onto a document makes it easy to identify.

Use color coding when placing exhibit labels onto exhibits, pleadings, reports, trial documents, depositions, wills, trusts, and more.

Will Supplies

With a legal document the client will be holding and storing for a lengthy period, you want to present it to them professionally.

Estate planning attorneys must keep an ample supply of supplies that pertain to wills and trusts. This includes will stationary, continuation pages, manuscript covers, deed covers, and more.

You want to ensure you can present items properly by stocking testamentary envelopes, will envelopes, letter size will covers, legal size will covers, and oversize will envelopes.

Basic Office Supplies

In addition to the essential legal office supplies, you need basic items every business uses. Make sure your office has an ample supply of the following:

• Binders
• Calculator or adding machine
• Calendar and Appointment Book
• Copy paper
• Folders and red rope expanding folders
• Highlighters—yellow photocopies “clean”
• Letter opener
• Rubber bands
• Sharpie markers
• Stamps or postage meter
• Paperclips and binder clips
• Post-it notes
• Printer ink and toner
• Scissors
• Staplers and staples
• Tape—basic scotch tape and packaging tape
• Three-hole punch

Additional items may be necessary depending on the type of law your office handles. If you constantly scramble to find a particular item, now is the time to stock up.

Purchasing Office Supplies Efficiently

ExhibitIndexes.com makes shopping for your office supplies easy. We provide online support, bulk discounts, and free shipping. Our secure online payment and quality products guarantee that your firm’s needs are fully met.

It is easy to shop for our products online. If you have any questions, you can reach us by phone at 800-698-8423.