Author Archives: ARoberts

dtSearch releases new version with built-in PDF viewer

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A new upgrade of the popular dtSearch Desktop program was recently released (version 2026.01) that includes a new built-in PDF viewer. This upgrade is free for all existing dtSearch Desktop users.

dtSearch is a popular search and retrieval program that can be a useful tool for searching discovery and creating brief banks. It can be helpful in viewing different file types (including non-PDF files) even if you do not have the associated program installed on your computer.

The new version displays PDF files with highlighted hits without requiring any additional software. Once upgraded, users no longer need to install the dtSearch PDF hit-highlighting plug-in which had required a licensed copy of Adobe Acrobat to work. The new PDF viewer will work automatically with existing dtSearch indexes. There is no need to re-index for this new viewer to work. Full technical details can be found in the release notes.

To upgrade dtSearch Desktop to the current version, run dtSearch Desktop and click Help > Check for updates > Check now…

If you do not yet have a license of dtSearch Desktop and would like to request a license, fill out the form located in the following post: https://nlsblog.org/2014/03/25/dtsearch-desktop/

2025 Update: dtSearch Desktop Demonstration video (originally published in 2014)

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By Alex Roberts

Note: Here is a quickstart video that demonstrates how to set up a new dtSearch index and search it. Index set up is also described in the dtSearch Guide parts III and IV. Searching an index will be detailed in future posts.

Here is a brief 12-minute video that demonstrates how to set up a new dtSearch index and how to run searches within an index.

Licenses for dtSearch are available for CJA panel attorneys with current, active cases at no cost.  If you are interested in obtaining a license, please fill out a dtSearch request form, at: http://nlsblog.org/2014/03/25/dtsearch-desktop/.  

Note: like most litigation software programs, this program was developed for Windows-based operating systems and does not work with Macintosh operating systems.

Shutter Encoder

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Shutter Encoder

We are constantly on the lookout for new tools to keep in our litigation support toolbox and Shutter Encoder is quickly becoming one of our new favorites. It’s a publicly available (a.k.a. “free”) media converter program that is based on standards and functions within the open-source FFmpeg software project. Currently there are both PC and Mac versions available for download from their website: https://www.shutterencoder.com/en/. 

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Microsoft Excel Tips & Tricks for CJA Cases: Formatting Tables

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This post is part of an ongoing series of videos on how Microsoft Excel can help CJA practitioners (including attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and mitigation specialists) in their CJA cases.

Previous Post: Filename Lists
Today’s Post: Formatting Tables

CJA panel attorneys and federal defenders frequently receive some of their discovery in spreadsheet or Excel format. Call detail records and indices listing information regarding discovery productions (often called document indexes) are two examples. Having the files in Excel format instead of PDF is advantageous as spreadsheets are designed to sort and filter information, either by a single or multiple criteria. With voluminous information, this ability to sort and filter by multiple criteria can speed up review and allow you to identify the information you are interested in. For example, if you have telephone call records in Excel format, it is easy to filter by a number of phone numbers and quickly narrow the entries to review with several clicks. If the same information is in PDF format, it would have to be done manual and take much, much more time.

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dtSearch Desktop Demonstration Video

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dtSearch is a popular search and retrieval program. Here is a brief 12 minute video that demonstrates how to setup a new dtSearch index and how to run searches within an index.

As mentioned in the dtSearch Desktop post, we have been able to obtain a limited number of licenses that will be made available to CJA panel attorneys with current, active cases.  To request a license go to the dtSearch Desktop post and fill out the request form on the bottom.

Note: like most litigation software programs, this program was developed for Windows-based operating systems and does not work with Macintosh operating systems.