How to create a table of contents in Microsoft Word

I like my dots aligned. That is why I was thrilled to finally figure out how to create a table of contents in MS Word. I’m sure this is super basic, but I was unawares, and thought I would share:

Step 1: Highlight your headers and format them using the header styles 1-3. The header styles should be under the “Home” tab.

Step 2: Once your headers are formatted, hit the “References” tab and select the “table of contents” option.

Word should automatically create a table of contents.

It will look something like this when complete:

Also, remember that if you need a table of authorities for your brief, you can use a MS Word add-on called “Best Authority” from LexisNexis to automatically do that to. It’s amazing.