2026-01-12 – Weekly Legal Secretary News : A comma's impact in legal deals

Last week in our Legal Secretary community, discussions were vibrant and insightful, with members sharing strategies and resources for enhancing their skills. A recurring theme was the importance of staying updated on legal procedures, particularly in trademark and e-filing processes. Members also exchanged valuable tips on managing complex documentation and explored continuing education opportunities to bolster their expertise.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Sharpening trademark support skills this year
There’s a lively conversation about how to enhance trademark support skills in 2023. It’s a great resource for anyone looking to stay sharp in this essential area.

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Specimen review checklist for TEAS Plus
A practical checklist for reviewing specimens in TEAS Plus filings is being discussed. This could be a real time-saver for those frequently involved in trademark applications.

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CE on deadline calculation and e-filing
This thread covers continuing education options focused on mastering deadline calculations and e-filing, crucial for maintaining accuracy in legal documentation.

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When the closing package fights back
Members are sharing their experiences with tricky closing packages, offering advice on overcoming these common hurdles.

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Best training for litigation support this spring
There’s a helpful discussion on upcoming training sessions for litigation support, perfect for those looking to upgrade their skills this season.

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CLE courses that sharpen case prep
This topic explores CLE courses that can enhance your case preparation skills, providing practical insights for legal support professionals.

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When a comma kills a deal
A fascinating thread on the impact of punctuation in legal documents, highlighting how a simple comma can alter the course of a deal.

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Courses for secure document workflows
To ensure secure document handling, this discussion covers various courses aimed at improving workflow security.

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Reliable pre-filing checks for accuracy
Here, members are sharing their go-to pre-filing checks to maintain accuracy and avoid common pitfalls.

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Buffer time before TEAS filing
A discussion on the importance of buffer time before filing TEAS applications, packed with practical tips.

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Wishing you a productive week ahead in the forum. Keep sharing and learning from each other.

1 Like

I do a quick comma pass before e-filing: run Word’s Read Aloud on lists and definitions and add the Oxford comma in obligation lists — it once caught a shipping clause where “one comma can change who pays.” If your attorneys don’t want Oxford commas, I reframe the list with semicolons instead; for specific matters, defer to counsel.

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Building on @sarah_jones93’s point, I enable Word’s Editor setting for the Oxford comma and run a quick Find for “and/or” before e‑filing to keep obligation lists clean. It’s saved a shipping clause for me, but if a style call bumps against local rules I check the court’s guide or run it past the attorney — comma gremlins love tables.

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Quick trick: I export to PDF and use Acrobat’s Read Out Loud; if it pauses in a condition or exception, I re-check that comma — caught a milestone-payment clause once. Style can be jurisdiction- or partner-specific, so I confirm with the attorney first, @lgrace87.

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I do a quick ‘swap test’ on three-part duties: copy the clause, swap items 2 and 3, and if the meaning shifts, I add the serial comma or break it into subclauses — commas are cheap insurance. If house style forbids the Oxford comma, I’ll restructure instead, and for anything sensitive I flag counsel to weigh.

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