Building a Table of Authorities in Microsoft Word is a task legal professionals face regularly. It requires marking citations, sorting them by category, and inserting a formatted table. Doing this manually is time-consuming and error-prone. Copilot in Word can automate much of this work by identifying citations and generating the table structure.
The main challenge is that Copilot relies on correctly marked citations in your document. Without proper formatting, Copilot cannot build an accurate table. This article explains how to use Copilot to mark citations and insert a Table of Authorities with minimal manual effort.
You will learn the prerequisite steps, the exact commands to use, and common pitfalls to avoid. By the end, you can reduce the time spent on this task from hours to minutes.
Key Takeaways: Automating a Table of Authorities with Copilot in Word
- Copilot pane > Draft with Copilot > “Mark citations in this document”: Instructs Copilot to identify and highlight all legal citations for marking.
- Copilot pane > Draft with Copilot > “Insert a Table of Authorities after the table of contents”: Generates the formatted table after citations are marked.
- Alt+Shift+I keyboard shortcut (Windows): Marks a selected citation manually when Copilot misses one; use this to supplement automated marking.
How Copilot Handles Table of Authorities Generation
Copilot in Word uses the Microsoft Graph and the document’s existing content to identify patterns that resemble legal citations. It looks for common citation formats such as case names, statutes, and regulations. When you ask Copilot to mark citations, it scans the document and inserts hidden field codes that Word uses for the Table of Authorities feature.
To use Copilot for this task, you need a Microsoft 365 Copilot license and the Word desktop app or Word for the web. The document must contain at least a few clearly written citations. Copilot performs best on documents with consistent formatting, such as briefs or memoranda.
Copilot does not replace the manual marking process entirely. It can miss non-standard citations or citations embedded in tables or footnotes. You should review and supplement Copilot’s work with manual marking for full accuracy.
Steps to Build a Table of Authorities Using Copilot in Word
Follow these steps to generate a Table of Authorities with Copilot. The process has two phases: marking citations and inserting the table.
Phase 1: Mark Citations with Copilot
- Open your document in Word
Make sure you are signed in with your Microsoft 365 Copilot account. The document should contain the legal text with citations you want to include. - Open the Copilot pane
Click the Copilot icon on the Home tab or press Alt+Insert. The Copilot pane opens on the right side of the window. - Ask Copilot to mark citations
In the Copilot pane, type: “Mark all legal citations in this document for a Table of Authorities.” Press Enter. Copilot scans the document and inserts field codes at each citation it finds. A progress indicator shows the scan status. - Review the marked citations
After Copilot finishes, press Alt+F9 to toggle field code display. You will see codes like{ TA \l "Case Name v. Other Party, 123 U.S. 456 (2023)" \s "Cases" }. This confirms Copilot marked the citation under the “Cases” category. - Manually mark any missed citations
Select a citation Copilot missed. Press Alt+Shift+I. In the Mark Citation dialog, verify the text and select the appropriate category (Cases, Statutes, Regulations, or Other Authorities). Click Mark. Repeat for each missed citation.
Phase 2: Insert the Table of Authorities
- Place the cursor where you want the table
Typically, this is after the table of contents or at the beginning of the document. Click to set the insertion point. - Ask Copilot to insert the table
In the Copilot pane, type: “Insert a Table of Authorities here.” Press Enter. Copilot generates the table based on the marked citations. It organizes entries by category and sorts them alphabetically. - Format the table
If the table does not match your firm’s style, right-click the table and select Table of Authorities Properties. You can change the tab leader, indent, and category order. Copilot uses default formatting; you may need to adjust it. - Update the table when you edit citations
After adding or changing citations, right-click the Table of Authorities and select Update Field. Choose Update entire table to refresh all entries. Copilot does not update the table automatically.
Common Issues and How to Avoid Them
Even with Copilot, you may encounter problems. Here are the most frequent ones and their solutions.
Copilot does not find any citations
This happens when the document uses non-standard citation formatting. Copilot relies on common patterns like italicized case names, “v.” separators, and reporter volume numbers. Rewrite citations using standard Bluebook or ALWD format. Then run the mark command again.
Citations appear in the wrong category
Copilot assigns categories based on keywords. A statute citation might end up in “Other Authorities” instead of “Statutes.” To fix this, manually mark the citation using Alt+Shift+I and select the correct category. Copilot does not override manual marks.
The table shows duplicate entries
If the same citation appears on multiple pages, Copilot may create separate entries. Check the field codes: each { TA } field should have a unique \l string. Merge duplicates by deleting the extra field codes manually. Then update the table.
Table does not update after Copilot marks new citations
Copilot does not automatically refresh the table. After marking new citations, right-click the table and select Update Field. Choose Update entire table to include the new entries.
Copilot vs Manual Table of Authorities: Key Differences
| Item | Copilot-Assisted | Manual Method |
|---|---|---|
| Citation detection | Automated; scans document for patterns | Manual; user selects each citation |
| Time for a 50-page brief | 5–10 minutes plus review | 1–2 hours |
| Category assignment | Automatic based on keywords | User selects from list |
| Accuracy with unusual citations | May miss or misassign | High with user knowledge |
| Field code insertion | Hidden codes added automatically | User inserts via Mark Citation dialog |
| Table generation | One command from Copilot pane | Insert > Table of Authorities > Insert |
| Update after edits | Manual update required | Manual update required |
| Best for | Documents with standard Bluebook citations | Documents with non-standard or mixed formats |
Copilot speeds up the process significantly but works best on documents with consistent citation formatting. For complex briefs with many footnotes or unusual sources, use the manual method for full control.
You can now use Copilot in Word to mark citations and insert a Table of Authorities in minutes. Start by opening a document with standard legal citations and run the mark command. After reviewing and supplementing any missed citations, insert the table with a single prompt. For documents with inconsistent formatting, use the Alt+Shift+I shortcut to manually mark citations and ensure accuracy.