Annotations & Highlights

What are Annotations?

Annotations allow you to highlight important passages in cases and legislation, add notes, and collaborate with others. They're essential for organizing your legal research and marking key information for later reference.

Creating a Highlight

To highlight text in a document:

1. Select the text you want to highlight by clicking and dragging
2. The reader toolbar will become active
3. Click the Highlight button (highlighter icon)
4. The text is now highlighted and saved to your account

Highlighted text appears with a yellow background, making it easy to spot when you return to the document.

Adding Notes to Highlights

To create a highlight with notes:

1. Select the text you want to annotate
2. Click the Comment button (comment icon) in the toolbar
3. A panel opens where you can type your notes
4. Write your analysis, observations, or reminders
5. Click Save to create the annotation

Your notes are attached to the specific passage you selected.

Viewing Your Annotations

In the Document

When you open a document with annotations:

• Highlighted passages are visually marked
• Click on any highlight to view the full annotation
• A panel opens showing the quoted text and your notes

Annotation Details Panel

When you click a highlight, you'll see:

• The quoted passage from the document
• Your notes (if you added any)
• Comments from you or collaborators
• Options to edit, delete, or share

Managing Annotations

Editing Annotations

To edit your notes:

1. Click on the highlighted text
2. In the annotation panel, click Edit
3. Modify your notes
4. Click Save to update

Note: Only the person who created an annotation can edit it.

Deleting Annotations

To remove an annotation:

1. Click on the highlighted text
2. Click the menu icon (three dots)
3. Select Delete
4. Confirm the deletion

The highlight will be removed from the document.

Comments on Annotations

Annotations support collaborative discussion through comments:

Adding a Comment

1. Open an annotation by clicking the highlighted text
2. Scroll to the comment section at the bottom
3. Type your comment in the text editor
4. Click Submit to post

Comment Features

• Anyone with access can add comments to annotations
• Comments show the author's name and timestamp
• You can edit or delete your own comments
• Use comments to discuss interpretations or share insights

Sharing Annotations

Share specific annotations with colleagues:

1. Open the annotation panel
2. Click the Share icon
3. Copy the generated link
4. Send the link to others

When someone opens the shared link:

• They'll be taken directly to the document
• The annotated passage will be highlighted
• The annotation panel will open automatically

Annotation Best Practices

For Case Research

• Highlight ratio decidendi (key legal principles)
• Annotate important facts that may be relevant to your matter
• Mark judicial reasoning that supports your arguments
• Note distinctions from your case

For Legislation Research

• Highlight relevant definitions
• Annotate applicable sections for your matter
• Mark amended provisions with notes about changes
• Note cross-references to other legislation

Organizing Your Research

• Use clear, descriptive notes that will make sense later
• Include case references in your annotations for cross-referencing
• Add tags or keywords in your notes for easier searching

Technical Notes

Selection Limits

To prevent misuse, there's a maximum selection size of 2,500 characters per annotation. If you need to annotate a longer passage, create multiple annotations.

Supported Documents

Annotations work on:

• All cases in the judy.legal database
• All legislation in the judy.legal database

Data Storage

Your annotations are:

• Saved securely to your account
• Available across all your devices
• Preserved even if you close the browser