CSV Export and Mail Merge Setup for Attorney Direct Mail

If you're mailing your own solicitation letters (rather than using mail outsourcing), the fastest way to get letters out the door is mail merge. Legal Leads delivers your leads in a format that drops right into Word or Google Docs, letting you print personalized letters in minutes instead of hours.

This guide walks you through setting up mail merge from scratch — no technical expertise required.

What You'll Need

• Your daily leads CSV — downloaded from the Legal Leads portal
• Microsoft Word (recommended) or Google Docs
• Your letter template — see our solicitation letter guide
• A printer — laser recommended for professional quality
• Envelopes with your return address and "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" pre-printed

Step 1: Download Your Leads

Log into your Legal Leads portal and navigate to your leads. Click the CSV export button to download your data. The file includes all the fields you need for mail merge:

• first_name — Defendant's first name
• last_name — Defendant's last name
• address_line_1 — Street address
• city — City
• state — State
• zip_code — ZIP code
• case_type — Type of case (Criminal, Traffic, etc.)
• offense_description — What they were charged with
• case_number — Court case number

Step 2: Set Up Your Template in Word

Open Microsoft Word and create your letter template (or open your existing one). Then:

1. Go to Mailings → Start Mail Merge → Letters
2. Click Select Recipients → Use an Existing List
3. Browse to your downloaded CSV file and select it
4. Word will import your lead data as merge fields

Step 3: Insert Merge Fields

Place your cursor where you want personalized data, then click Insert Merge Field. Build your letter with merge fields like this:

The merge fields (shown in «brackets») will be replaced with actual data from each lead when you print.

Step 4: Preview and Print

1. Click Preview Results to see how each letter will look with real data
2. Use the arrows to flip through recipients and spot-check a few
3. When satisfied, click Finish & Merge → Print Documents
4. Select All to print every letter, or specify a range

50 personalized letters in under 5 minutes. Compare that to typing each one by hand.

Google Docs Alternative

If you use Google Workspace instead of Microsoft Office:

1. Upload your CSV to Google Sheets
2. Install a mail merge add-on like Yet Another Mail Merge or Mail Merge for Google Docs
3. Create your letter template in Google Docs using {{field_name}} placeholders
4. Run the merge — the add-on generates personalized documents you can print

Envelope Printing Tips

• Pre-print "ADVERTISING MATERIAL" on your envelopes in bulk — required by Rule 4-7.3
• Use the same mail merge to print addresses directly on envelopes (Mailings → Envelopes in Word)
• #10 business envelopes are standard for solicitation letters
• Pre-printed return address with your firm name and bar number saves time

Daily Workflow

Once your template is set up, your daily routine looks like this:

If even 20 minutes is too much, mail outsourcing reduces your daily involvement to zero — leads go directly to the mailing partner and letters go out without any action from you.