EDITORS
Contents
Attorneys and non-attorneys
Due to the specialized nature of the law, Lawpendium seeks editors who are attorneys. However, Lawpendium is not equipped at this time to gauge the licensure of its editors. Also, it is likely that non-attorneys can contribute in meaningful ways that do not require a law license.
To become an editor
To become an editor, you will need to create an account and login. This is done to prevent spammers and vandals from creating and altering pages. To create a login, click at the top right corner of the page--it is quick and easy!
Also, please take credit for your work. We encourage you to fill in biographical information or to create an external link to your bio on pages you make significant contributions to.
How to edit
It's very easy to edit the contents of a wiki. It only takes a few clicks.
- Click the "Edit" page tab at the top of the page.
- Make changes to the text.
- Click the "Save page" button.
Simple as that!
Preview
It's a good idea to use the "Show preview" button to see what your change will look like, before you save it. This is also related to tracking changes because every time you save, this is displayed to others as a separate change. This isn't something to worry about too much, but it's good to get into the habit of eliminating mistakes in your own work, by using a preview before saving, rather than saving several minor corrections afterwards.
Show changes
Another option is the "Show changes" button which allows you to see the differences between the current version and your edited version.
Starting a new page
For instructions on how to start a new page, click here
Formatting pages
For help in how to format pages with sections, bold text, italics, etc., click here
To upload a document or image
How to Upload a Document or Image
When uploading a file within the wiki two steps need to be taken: First, the file must be uploaded. Second a link should be provided to the file from a wiki page.
To upload a file, click on the Upload File link in the toolbox, located in the left hand column of this screen. Please read the instructions on this page carefully.
- Under the Source File section click on the "Choose File" button and find the file in your folders
- Name the file
- press the Upload File button and wait for it to complete
- Note that if the filename has special characters (such as spaces), these will be replaced automatically by other characters (such as and underscore “_”) automatically.
Naming Files
Great care should be taken when naming a file. Names must be chosen such that they are unique to the particular file and will not be duplicated. Also, it is best if you name your document with a name that begins with the specific state it is relevant to. For example, to upload a document that contains interrogatories used in the state of Kansas in a personal injury lawsuit, name your file something such as Kansas_Interrogatories_personal_injury.doc
Linking Uploaded File to a Lawpendium Page
After successfully uploading a document, a link must be added to connect it to a specific wiki page.
To do so, go to the wiki page you would like to link to your document. Under the "edit" tab add the following text:
Here is an example of interrogatories for a personal injury suit in the state of Kansas: [[Media:Kansas_Interrogatories_personal_injury.doc]]
which will result in:
Here is an example of interrogatories for a personal injury suit in the state of Kansas: Media:Kansas_Interrogatories_personal_injury.doc
To create a link to another web site
In order to create a link to another web site, click "edit" on the page you want to add the link, then put in the following:[http://www.example.com link title]
Then replace "www.example.com" with the actual URL and then replace "link title" with whatever text you want to call the link.
Creating links
For additional instruction on how to create links in a page, click here
Additional information
Lawpendium is designed to evolve constantly. Although it is relatively new, it has already undergone significant changes. If you feel the site would benefit from a new section, angle, or idea, please feel free to become and editor and participate.
If you are working on a poorly developed jurisdiction, please refer to the Utah page to see how it can be organized.
As for using MediaWiki, below are links to help:
