Microsoft 365 Copilot for Legal Administrative Work

1. Open Microsoft Word → look for the Copilot icon in the lower-right corner of the document window (Microsoft moved it off the Home ribbon in 2026; press F6 to jump to it, or right-click it and choose Move to ribbon if you prefer the old placement)
2. Open Outlook → look for the Copilot icon in the email compose toolbar (Outlook kept its existing entry points)
3. If you don't see Copilot, contact your IT administrator to confirm the license is assigned to your account; the corner button only appears for licensed users

Draft a document from an outline:

1. Open a new Word document
2. Select the Draft with Copilot icon on the canvas (or open Copilot from the corner icon)
3. Type: "Draft a formal engagement letter for an estate planning matter. Include: scope of representation (will, power of attorney, healthcare directive), hourly fee structure, retainer amount, billing frequency, client responsibilities, and termination clause." Select the Generate arrow.
4. Copilot drafts the full document and offers Keep it / Regenerate / Discard; the attorney reviews and customizes all specific terms

Reformat an existing document:

1. Open the document
2. Open Copilot from the corner icon → type: "Reformat this document to meet these specifications: 12pt Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, page numbers bottom center."
3. Copilot applies formatting throughout

Summarize a long document:

1. Open a lengthy contract or brief
2. Open Copilot from the corner icon → "Summarize this document in 5 bullet points. Focus on key obligations, deadlines, and action items."
3. Use the summary to brief the attorney before a client call

Summarize a thread:

1. Open any email thread in Outlook
2. Select the Summary by Copilot box at the top of the thread (classic Outlook shows a Summarize button)
3. Copilot produces a 3-5 sentence summary of the thread: who said what, what's agreed, what's pending

Draft a scheduling email:

1. Open a new email in Outlook
2. Click the Copilot icon in the compose toolbar → Draft (classic Outlook: Draft with Copilot)
3. Type: "Write a scheduling email to opposing counsel requesting 3 date options for a deposition next month. Reference our previous call. Formal legal tone."
4. Review and add specific names, dates, and case information

Coach mode for tone:

1. Draft an email manually
2. Click Copilot → Coaching by Copilot
3. Copilot analyzes the tone and suggests improvements: "The opening is direct but could be warmer" or "The request in paragraph 2 is unclear; consider rewording to: [suggestion]"

Enable transcription for attorney calls:

1. During a Teams call, click More → Record and transcribe (with all participants' consent)
2. After the call ends, go to the Teams chat for that meeting → find the transcript

Generate action items from a meeting:

1. After a Teams call, open the Recap tab of the meeting details in your Calendar
2. Click Copilot → "List all action items from this meeting with who is responsible for each."
3. Copilot reads the transcript and produces a task list; you add these to Clio or your task manager