Reid My Blog!

Finally, a Real Beer App for your iPad

Where was this during Beer for Blawgers at ABA TECHSHOW 2012? I want one!

Nuance, iPads changing the game for doctors, are lawyers next?

USA Today reports on an advanced voice-recognition software now being tested in hospitals that can validate medical facts, spot inconsistencies, and ask follow-up questions as doctors using iPads dictate their notes into a patient's file.

If this works for doctors, why not lawyers? As we dictate a new lease, trust document, or custody agreement, the software could review prior information in our client's electronic file to correctly spell names, ask if we want to include additional assets already noted in the file, or note the lease needs a special provision because it is located in an enterprise zone or similar.

These are the types of technological changes that I've written about before, and were highlighted at ABA TECHSHOW 2012--changes that every lawyer who wants a successful future must continue to watch, and take action as appropriate. As Jim Calloway pointed out in his plenary session at ABA TECHSHOW, now is not the time to be behind the technology curve.

And let's not wait for the medical profession to show us the way, let's get the word out to Nuance and other tech companies that the legal profession wants to be the leader in the professional marketspace! 

Sixty Websites for Lawyers from ABA TECHSHOW 2012

 

Again this year, the always exciting 60 Sites in 60 Minutes plenary session concluded ABA TECHSHOW 2012. Natalie Kelly, Dan Pinnington, Catherine Sanders Reach and I shared variety of serious and funs sites with the packed room. For those that could not make it, here is a full list of the sites we presented:

Sites to help you do your job

• ABA Preview of Supreme Court Cases: Everything you want or need to know about what is happening at the Supreme Court, past, present and future. americanbar.org/publications/preview_home.html
• Fastcase and Mobile Sync: Legal research on your desktop, iPhone or iPad. Bar Association users can use the Mobile Sync feature to keep one research session going across all platforms. www.fastcase.com
• CellularAbroad is a helpful site to find the best mobile phone and coverage option specific to your phone and carrier when traveling overseas. www.cellularabroad.com
• Google Scholar adds treatment to citing cases scholar.google.com
• Jureeka: Turn legal citations in web pages into hyperlinks that point to online legal source material in Chrome or Firefox jureeka.blogspot.ca
• TinyEye: Reverse image search: find out source of an image, other uses of it, higher resolution versions, etc. www.tineye.com
• Google Images lets you search by dragging and dropping an imagewww.google.com/imghp
• Meevsu: Have a live confrontation or debate via webcam, with the audience voting for the winner meevsu.com

Helpful information

• Law Practice Today e-zine archives is full of terrific articles on all aspects of law practice management www.americanbar.org/publications/law_practice_magazine
• Room77: See what your hotel view is like, before you book the room www.room77.com
• Priceblink: Find lower prices while you shop and set notifications for desired price points. www.priceblink.com
• The Holotypic Occlupanid Research Group exists for one purpose. You’ll have to see for yourself because you won’t believe it until you see it. www.horg.com/horg/intro.html
• PMA Pipe: Keep up with all the law practice management blogs feeds.feedburner.com/PmaPipe
• MarineTraffic: Watch the movement of ships around the world, tracked by GPS in real time MarineTraffic.com/ais
• AllTop: See the top headlines on the most popular news sites and blogs alltop.com
• The World at 7 Billion: With seven billion people in the world, where do you fit in? Just enter your birthdate and find out! www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15391515
• Handsfreeinfo: See what your state’s cell phone and texting laws for drivers prohibit – or are about to prohibit. Handsfreeinfo.com
• WhoIsTheMostFamous:With just a first name, try to guess the most famous surname. WhoIsTheMostFamous.com
• Scoopertino is the parody blog of all things Apple (based in Coopertino, CA) that recently claimed Apple would replace the complete iTunes library with songs sung by Siri, starting with Stairway to Heaven! scoopertino.com
• US Department of State provides important travel information for every country in the world www.state.gov/misc/list/index.htm
• An American’s Guide to Canada tells you everything you want to know about life in the Great White North, including “Canadianisms” and how to immigrate. AmericansGuide.ca

Technology tools and sites

• Adobe provides great online tools for collaboration and converting and editing PDF documents acrobat.com
• Alternativeto: If you’ve decided to replace a software application, this site will recommend alternatives based on user feedback. alternativeto.net
• FollowUpThen: Schedule followups to emails you don’t need to deal with now, by simply forwarding them to this site. followupthen.com
• Snipreel: Clip YouTube videos so you can share just the best parts. Snipreel.com
• GreatApps: Helps you weed through the 1,000s of apps out there by featuring the best 25 at a time. greatapps.com
• “If This Then That” write “recipes” and tasks to automate actions between “channels” like Facebook, Twitter, Email, Dropbox, Evernote and more ifttt.com
• Thsrs Find shorter synonyms for longer words ironicsans.com/thsrs/
• Zamzar is an oldie but a goodie site that coverts computer files you upload into other formats; great for old WordPerfect docs you now need to access via MS Word zamzar.com
• Down for everyone or just me? Find out if a website is down www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com
• Ninite: Pick all the popular software you want to install right from one page www.ninite.com
• FacebookCheating: Read and share stories of cheating that happened via Facebook. Also access spying and therapeutic resources for online activity. facebookcheating.com
• Factory Reset Wiki: Find factory reset codes and procedures for all kinds of products. Factory-Reset.com
• Join.me is a free, yet robust screen sharing and conference call system that is extremely easy to set up and/or join. join.me
• TextMechanic allows you to manipulate and play with text in all sorts of different ways (for example, pick a random line of text) TextMechanic.com/Random-Line-Picker.html

Social media tools & resources

• Visual.ly: Generate a cartoon avatar and infographic for your Twitter account visual.ly/twitter
• Tips to surviving the zombie apocalypse (and other disasters) from the Centres for Disease Control blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse/
>MemoLane: emails you reminders of your social media past memolane.com
• Frequency.com is a video aggregator that provides a convenient platform to find and view informative and humorous videos in one place. www.frequency.com
• Twylah creates a visually great-looking website out of your tweets and the links they contained. www.twylah.com
• MyPermissions lets you examine and clean up all the permissions you’ve given social media apps to access your private data mypermissions.org

Law practice management

• HBS Elevator Pitch Builder The good folks at the Harvard Business School have created the on-line pitch builder to help you hone your, well, elevator pitch. Try it! www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/pitch
• Thinkstock: A huge supply of the best stock images thinkstock.com
• 99Designs is a new on-line graphics marketplace to have law firm logos and website graphics designed at extremely low rates, thanks to the winner-take-all nature of the marketplace. 99designs.com

Online privacy and dangers

• Google Privacy Tools: All the ways Google gives you control over the information you share and store with them: google.com/policies/privacy/tools/
• ScamTrends: Keep track of all the constant attemps to scam you by email, social media, phone, etc www.scamtrends.com
• AvoidAClaim This blog about law practice management and claims prevention also features warnings about the latest fraud attempts against lawyers www.avoidaclaim.com
• FCC Small Biz Cyber Planner: Information on how smaller companies can secure themselves against cyber crime www.fcc.gov/cyberplanner
• SecretSync is a great way to easily share proprietary, sensitive information using online synchronization utilities getsecretsync.com
• StartPage: A search engine that doesn’t collect your personal data startpage.com

Non-billable Time

• MapCrunch lets you randomly teleport anywhere in the world via Google Streetview Mapcrunch.com
• MyExWife’s Wedding Dress: Family lawyers will especially get a kick out of this site started by a man whose wife purposely left behind her wedding dress when they separated, and what he did with it to get even. myexwifesweddingdress.com
• VeryFunnyAds: Pretty self explanatory! VeryFunnyAds.com
• AbsolutelyMadness: collects the funniest pictures on the internet absolutelymadness.tumblr.com
• PhotoShop Disasters: A collection of the worst examples of bad Photoshop efforts PSDisasters.com
• Monk-e-Mail: In just a few minutes you can customize an animated message complete with your own voice to send a birthday greeting or other fun greeting. Hosted by CareerBuilder.com of all things, but why not? www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/default.aspx
• PoopSenders For friend or foe, res ipsa loquitor. www.poopsenders.com
• Craftastrophe:A collection of the tackiest examples of homemade crafts Craftastrophe.net
• WhySiriWhy? Amusing Siri quotes and awkward voice-text failures whysiriwhy.com
• AwkwardWorkplacePhotos.com. Go. Laugh. Get back to work! workplacephotos.com
• Devolve Me: Upload a photo of yourself (or someone else) and devolve it to see what you would look like 1.8 million years ago.www.open.ac.uk/darwin/devolve-me.php
• MultiPlayerPiano: Play the piano online with whoever else is on the site at the same time multiplayerpiano.com

If you liked these sites, you can see the sites that were featured in previous ABA TECSHOW 60 Sites in 60 Minutes presentations as well as the ABA TECSHOW 60 Sites in 60 Minutes Hall of Fame

ABA TECHSHOW: Defining Your Future in the Practice of Law

As Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2012, I am encourging lawyers and law firm staff to attend this year's conference. I wrote about ABA TECHSHOW here in my blog several weeks ago, and yesterday I wrote a guest post for the ABA TECHSHOW blog that explains more of my thinking that lawyers must pay attention to changing technology. No, not just about the latest laptop or SmartPhone, but the use of technology to redefine the delivery of legal services. Important changes that are currently taking place in the legal marketplace.

But don't just believe me. Read those who continue to influence my thinking: Jim Calloway's recent article on the future of law practice, market forces as reported by Richard Granat, and the writings of Richard Susskind, among others.

The legal profession is changing. And the best place to learn about those changes is ABA TECHSHOW 2012.

Join me in Chicago on March 29-31 to learn more and take action. It will be an investment of your time and money that I am positive you will not regret.

What is ABA TECHSHOW?

    For more than 25 years, ABA TECHSHOW has been the premier national conference for lawyers to share and learn about current and emerging technology for the legal profession.

    ABA TECHSHOW 2012 (March 29-31 in Chicago) comes at an important juncture in time where the confluence of societal, economic and technology trends are changing how we practice law and deliver legal services. Now, more than ever, ABA TECHSHOW 2012 is about your future in the legal profession.

    Although computer technology has been in law offices for over 30 years, it has finally achieved a tipping point. Lawyers now have more technology tools at their disposal than ever before: Affordable, reliable, and simple tools that can change the way you communicate with clients or transform your entire way of doing business.

    Lawyers can practice wherever it is most convenient, meet with clients via video from almost anywhere, remotely collaborate and draft documents in real-time, and market legal services any time, day or night. Lawyers can now deliver the services their clients want, yet in a manner that gives them the freedom to have the lifestyle they want.

    Does your firm have the right technology and do your lawyers and staff members have the necessary technology skills to compete in this new future?

    To help you, ABA TECHSHOW 2012 will offer more than 50 educational sessions across three days on the most important technology topics in our profession today: cloud computing, paperless offices, digital advertising, and iPads in the courtroom, to name just a few. All educational sessions are specifically developed for the legal profession by legal professionals. And, if you want to test-drive the latest legal products and services, ABA TECHSHOW hosts a huge exposition hall. You will be able to talk, touch, and learn how these technologies can benefit your firm.

    Don’t be nervous if this is your first ABA TECHSHOW. The Conference is designed for every lawyer and legal professional–from beginner to power user. No question is too basic. No question is too difficult to answer. There are several social events including the Taste of TECHSHOW dinners especially designed to extend the learning, sharing, and fun beyond the CLE sessions and expo hall. 

    And if that isn’t enough, ABA TECHSHOW 2012 is pleased to welcome lawyer, actor, economist, and political commentator, Ben Stein as our keynote speaker.

    Create your future by attending ABA TECHSHOW 2012 at the Hilton Chicago, March 29-31, 2012.

 

2011 Holiday Gift Guide for Lawyers

T’was the week of Thanksgiving and all through the land,

 the season of giving was almost at hand.

Many families with lawyers were full of despair,

not knowing what to buy, just coming up with air.

Then out of the East came a blog, bona fide,

the annual lawyer’s holiday gift guide.

For seven straight years it has brought peace and suggestions;

to families looking for answers to their toughest gift questions.

So here it is for all those in need,

Again, courtesy of MyBlog named Reid. 

    2011 is the Year of the Tablet. Any tablet. Well, almost any tablet. Although the iPad is the tablet atop most
Christmas lists, there are some very good tablets out there that deliver terrific bang for the buck:

• The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tops the list of the many Android-based full-size tablets. Starting at $500 at many retailers.
• Not getting enough attention is the new Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet. This is a business-class device that comes with a digital stylus that turns handwriting into text. Android-based, this tablet delivers some unique features starting at $500.
• Amazon’s tablet/e-Reader line-up is very good, and the Kindle Fire leads the way. The Fire is a 7-inch color tablet that is primarily an e-Reader but uses Android apps, has a unique Web browser and supports webmail too. The Fire is $199 while other models start under $100. 
• Overshadowed a bit by the Kindle Fire, don’t neglect the Nook Color from Barnes & Noble. This actually may be the best tablet value on the market today, starting at $249.
• There are other Android tablets from Sony, HTC, Motorola and more that may be good values, but avoid any larger tablets under $200 without doing thorough research.

    Bottom line? Tablets, including e-Readers, should be on everyone’s list this year.

Few parents and techies will be able to resist Goodnight iPad by, ahem, Ann Droyd. A clever and funny parody of our modern times, it is a perfect gift for that lawyer/parent on your list. I discovered this at Delphinium Home in Manhattan, but it is available at most on-line bookstores.

Steve Jobs has been called the Edison of our times, among other choice labels, but love him or hate him, he had an impact on American culture and world
technology that cannot be underestimated. His biography by Walter Isaacson is a must read. Out of deference to the late Mr. Jobs, give this via iTunes gift card to read on an iPad (or via Amazon gift card for the Kindle if you must)! 

Nothing quite says “Happy Holidays” better than gift of smoky, delicious bacon. In 2009 it was Nueske’s bacon, but this year it’s Bacon Jam. This amazing concoction can be made at home, but the folks at Skillet (in Seattle) have perfected this decadent condiment. Made mainly from rendered bacon, herbs, and onions, a spoonful of this goes with just about anything you can think of! Around $35 for three 7oz. jars from Skillet or Amazon. If that won’t float your lawyer’s boat, try the latest rage in flavored vodka—Bakon Vodka.  It makes for awesome Bloody Marys.

Speaking of alcohol--and you knew that subject was going to come up sooner or later--whiskey stones make a great gift for lawyers who enjoy single-malt scotch. Just chill these stone cubes, and then add two or three to a dram of your favorite scotch whiskey. They will lower the drinking temperature without diluting the golden nectar! Milled in Vermont by the oldest soapstone workshop in the U.S., a set of nine stones is under $20.

And for the more adventuresome lawyer in your life, consider this private scotch tasting party for up to 20 friends.  The tasting includes scotch, a real Master of Whiskey and authentic Scottish bagpiper to educate and entertain, and personalized bottles for all to take home. All of this can be had for $5,000; however, proceeds go to AIDS research so some of the purchase price may be tax deductible.

The Jambox Wireless Speaker connects to your smartphone, tablet or laptop via Bluetooth and delivers absolutely amazing sound for playing music, watching movies or using it as a speakerphone. Comes in several colors and is available from numerous retailers for under $200. Made by the people who bring you Jawbone Bluetooth headsets.

Take a close look at this—the Looxcie is an over-the-ear wireless video camera that records the world as you see it. Wear it to the kids' soccer games or to a holiday party. It can stream live to your social networks too.  Uses the Looxcie smartphone app to control the camera functions. Starts at $150 online and at electronics retailers.

They rule the day in many law firms nationwide, so why not get the Keurig
brewing system for home? For lawyers, a good caffeine, I mean, coffee maker is the gift that just keeps on giving. Even Starbucks and Dunkin Doughnuts are selling their own coffee k-cups for this machine! 

Set your iPad into the Atari Arcade, download Atari’s Greatest Hits from the iTunes App Store, and you’re ready to play video games the way they were meant to be played-with buttons and a joystick! $60 for the Arcade dock from numerous retailers including Apple; $15 for the full game app via iTunes.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without at least one remote control toy on the list. The hot RC toy this year is a robot that interprets your hand motions—when you punch, it punches! Light years ahead of the “Rock ‘em Sock ‘em” robots of our youth, these are sold in pairs for hours of great fun! A great gift for that up and coming associate!! From Hammacher Schlemmer.

I hadn’t heard of Pandora until recently, but judging by my wife’s reaction to the bracelet I recently gave her this will be a hit for that lady lawyer in your life.  This Copenhagen-based jewelry company has a brilliant new take on charm bracelets that has brought them quickly back in fashion. Bracelets start under $100, with individual charms from $35 to $700. (Note to husbands: It takes over a dozen charms to fill the bracelet so you don’t have to come up with a new gift idea for the next few years!)  

I’m not sure I believe the technology behind Energy Athletic golf shirts, but most golfers I know will gladly spend $70 to try to get extra yardage out of every swing.  

That golfer in your life who uses being a lawyer as an excuse to get off the golf course, will truly enjoy A Course Called Ireland: A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee.  This engaging and funny book by sportswriter Tom Coyne chronicles his recent 1,000-mile walk around Ireland to play 40+ golf courses (963 holes) while learning the history, culture, and people of this emerald isle. Leather-bound edition $80 from Orvis; Hardcover, paperback, electronic versions $8-20 from Amazon and most booksellers.

 

Few lawyers will be able to resist the Sonos wireless HiFi system that takes home music to new levels. Totally wireless, the system can be controlled from a smartphone or tablet computer, delivering superior sound to any or all rooms of your house. Streams music from your iPod or other music player; it also integrates with your existing sound system, or build it from scratch. Speakers and components starting at $300.

Both practical and historic, Heirloom Pens are made out of legacy wood from historic sites around the U.S., including Mulberry wood from the home of two signers of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.  Rare woods and unique stories are behind each handmade pen. $50 to over $200 per pen.

Is your favorite lawyer a know-it-all? Well, make her prove it by giving the IQ Test Gift Box, containing a 40-question IQ test and a return envelope to have the test graded. Soon thereafter your lawyer will receive a personalized certificate confirming his or her IQ. $20 from Vat 19.

For the lawyer who loves to cook, look no further than The Smoking Gun, a simple method to quickly and easily add real smoke flavor to food. The gun uses cool smoke technology to infuse any food—cheese, nuts, seafood, vegetables, and more—with a pleasing smoke flavor. $100 from Williams-Sonoma.

Recommended by a Kindle devotee, Amazon's Lighted Kindle Leather Cover protects this e-Reader, but incorporates a retractable LED reading light for those times when you need it, yet slips back into the cover when you don't. The cover and light are specially engineered to use a small amount power from the Kindle--no separate expensive batteries needed. Seven colors available. $50 from Amazon.

If nothing else seems to fit that hard-to-please lawyer, then why not lease them a farm? Well, not a whole farm! Rent Mother Nature Leases provides a down to earth gift that will keep giving all year through harvest time. The lawyer receives a lease certificate (that the lawyer cannot try to renegotiate) to one of the family farms in this sustainable agriculture network. They’ll do all the hard work of farming, and even send progress reports and a photo during the growing season; however, the real payoff is at harvest time when you are sent your share of the crops. From honey to pistachios to goat cheese, there are many types of farms to choose from.  Starting around $60.

Need more ideas? View my past guides for more ideas for any lawyer in your life! 

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!

 

ABA TECHSHOW 2012 Registration is Open!

Registrations are now being accepted for the 2012 edition of the ABA TECHSHOW. The conference will be held at the Hilton Chicago over 3 days starting March 29, 2012.  This event has always been about technology for lawyers, but now more than ever it is about the future of law practice. As chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2012, I posted the opening message today on the TECHSHOW blog sharing our vision for the conference this year. I hope you will join us for three days of education, innovation, and sharing of ideas for you to use to create your preferred future in the practice of law.

Even More 60 iPad/iPhone Apps in 60 Minutes

Several years ago, I created the 60 iPhone Apps in 60 Minutes seminar for the 2010 ABA TECHSHOW, based on the "60 Tips in 60 Minutes" format pioneered at that conference. I was joined that year by Jeff Richardson (iPhoneJD), and when we updated the session at the 2011 TECHSHOW, Tom Mighell (iPad4Lawyers) and Josh Barrett (TabletLegal) joined the faculty (along with the iPad).

We have now presented upated versions of the program to several on-line audiences of over 200 lawyers, most recently this past Wednesday. They audience has some great questions, so we thought we'd publish them across our blogs.

Question #1 from S.F. from Anchorage, AK:  What is the best way for lawyers to use Dropbox or a similar service with an iPhone or iPad, assuming the need to access client information occasionally?

Answer:  Dropbox is a useful service for sharing documents between multiple computers and between a computer and an iPhone and/or iPad.  Because Dropbox is run by a third party, however, you need to be conscious of security issues.  Jeff's solution is that he only uses Dropbox for non-confidential documents, such as copies of pleadings, depositions and exhibits.  For confidential attorney-client documents, Jeff keeps those documents in an app like GoodReader or Quickoffice that allows you to password-protect documents.

Tom also uses Dropbox, but understands that SpiderOak provides better security.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t integrate with as many iPad apps as Dropbox, which limits its utliity.  Tom also recommends GoodReader as a good app for downloading and accessing your Dropbox files - it is relatively simple to connect your Dropbox account to GoodReader, and start downloading files to your iPad.  Tom says "Whenever I download a new app, one of the first things I do is check to see whether it integrates with Dropbox - you may find you have a lot of apps that do so, and it may be easier to download into those apps directly from Dropbox, rather than into GoodReader."

Josh often uses the file manager built into LogMeIn Ignition to grab confidential client files left on the computer back at the office. The transfer from desktop to iPad is encrypted end-to-end and doesn't let the document sit on a cloud based service so the confidentiality concerns some raise about services like Dropbox don't apply. The key to using any cloud based service with your device is setting up a good workflow to help keep track of document revisions, versions and originals.

Reid uses the Dropbox-GoodReader combo, and also uses DropBox to transfer PDFs to the Apple iBooks app for reading. 

Alternate Calendar Apps

Question #2 from J.H. from San Francisco, CA: Does entering an event in Calvetica simultaneously make the entry in the iPhone Calendar app?

Answer:  Yes.  One of the nice features of third party calendar apps such as Calvetica, Easy Calendar or Agenda is that the all use the iPhone and iPad's built-in calendar database.  Thus, you can use one app to enter an event, another app to edit the event, another app to view the event, and they are all working from the same database. 

Question #3 from C.P. from Greenwood Village, CO:  Do the calendar apps interface with Microsoft Outlook calendars?

Question #4 from L.L. from Saint Louis, MO:  Do the calendar apps interface with MS Outlook?  We use an Exchange server to coordinate with our iPhones.

Answer:  Again, yes,  Because all iPhone and iPad calendar apps use the built-in calendar database, if you have your iPhone and iPad configured to synchronize with your office's Exchange server, you can add an event in a third-party app and then the change will be synced to Exchange and will show up in Outlook on your computer.

Stylus

Question #5 from C.McD. from Blue Bell, PA: What stylus do you like for Penultimate?

Question #6 from M.M. from Reno, NV:  What is the name of the suggested stylus?

Answer:  Jeff's current favorite stylus is the Kensington Virtuoso Stylus for Tablet which he reviewed on iPhone J.D. here.  Tom's current favorite stylus is the Adonit Jotpro Stylus.  If you go to the iPhone J.D. website and do a search at the top right for “stylus” you will find lots of reviews pointing out the advantages and shortcomings of many different options. Josh uses the MORE/REAL Stylus cap (http://uncrate.com/stuff/morereal-stylus-caps/) because it has the weight and balance of a regular pen. That said, Josh recommends waiting until version 2 is released with the faster tip. 

Accessing Online Legal Resources

Question #7 from: M.S. from Shawnee Mission, KS: Two general questions regarding the iPad.  First, do you have any suggestions on how to access electronic dockets and pleadings etc. in federal court?  I can access it through my browser on the iPad but cannot scroll within documents that are retrieved.  Do any apps help?  Second, and similarly, I cannot scroll down within the web browser when accessing Lexis on my iPad.  Do any apps help for this?

Answer: When you access PACER from an iPad, once you select a document from the docket, if you click the button to view a document you only see the first part of the first page and cannot scroll down.  However, there is a workaround.  Instead of clicking the button that says "view" click the button that says "download."  This will send a .zip file to your iPad, and your iPad will ask what app you want to open the zip file in.  One such app is GoodReader, an app that Jeff recommended. Josh recommends ReaddleDocs for the same functionality.  Either app will allow you to unzip a .zip file and view all of the PDF files contained in that file.

As for accessing Lexis on the iPad, Lexis is supposed to be updating Lexis.com so that it can be accessed from an iPad.  Moreover, before the end of this year, Lexis will be releasing a Lexis Advance app for the iPad.  For more information on the upcoming Lexis app, see this post from Jeff on iPhone J.D.

Voice transcription

Question #9: S.E. From Draper, UT: Can the Dragon Diction app be download to an iPad?

Answer:  Yes.  The Dragon Dictation app works on both the iPhone and iPad.

Remote access

Question #10 from R.H. from Milwaukee, WI:  Is there an app to allow my iPad to connect to my desktop remotely?  I use Time Matters.

Answer:  Yes, any of the remote access apps that we discussed today will let you do this — Citrix Receiver, LogMeIn Ignition or GoToMyPC.

 Question #11 from P.O. from Austin, TX: Is LogMeIn Igntion better than iTap RDP?

Question #12 from P.dB. from Stuart, FL: Do you recommend LogMeIn more than iTeleport? 

Answer:  None of the presenters have used the iTap RDP, but in Tom’s opinion, it looks like a good option.  It uses Windows’ Remote Desktop Protocol, which is a solid method for remotely accessing your computer.  Tom thinks that LogMeIn might be better for one reason:  ease of configuration.  With LogMeIn, it “just works,” and requires very little configuration.  It looks like the iTap RDP requires a little more work under the hood, which might limit the app’s appeal to more advanced users.  Further, with LogMeIn you can access your desktop from any computer using just a browser, with no configuration; with the Remote Desktop Protocol, you’d have to configure it on any computer you plan to use. 

Likewise, none of the presenters use iTeleport, which also looks like a solid remote desktop application.  However, like iTap, it does not appear that you can use iTeleport on regular computers to remotely access your desktop - LogMeIn’s universal capabilities give it an advantage here.

Reid’s office has a corporate GoToMyPC account, so he has to use their iPad app. He finds it works well on his iPad2, although sometimes a bit balky.

First generation iPad

Question #13 from J.G. from Pocatello, ID: Do most or all of the apps discussed work with the first generation iPad?

Answer:  Very few apps that work with the iPad require the iPad 2, although some do exist.  All of the apps that we discussed work on the original iPad and the iPad 2, although some of these apps are designed for the iPhone and therefore run on the iPad/iPad 2 in iPhone emulation mode.

Accessing Word documents

Question #14 from M.H. from Lubbock, TX: What is the best app to read and edit Microsoft Word documents?

Answer:  The most popular apps for reading and editing Word documents are Documents to Go, Quickoffice and Office2.  Jeff's current favorite is Documents to Go because it is the only app of the three that shows you footnotes and shows you redline edits (although it will not let you create footnotes or create redlines).  But these apps are updated frequently, so hopefully the other apps will add this feature soon.

Apps for transactional law

Question #15 from D.C. from Naperville, IL: I am a transactional lawyer, with a specialty in business law, estate planning, tax and some business litigation.  What are the apps you would consider important for a lawyer with that type of practice to have?

Answer:  As a transactional lawyer you deal with a lot of documents.  If those documents are in PDF format, GoodReader or PDF Expert are essential app's for managing and annotating those documents. Josh prefers PDF Expert because of the easy to use document signing too, the ability to reorder/move/delete pages from a PDF and the ability to fill PDF forms. You also need one of the Microsoft Office compatible app's like Documents to Go or QuickOffice. 

Josh recommends creating a folder on your Dropbox with your principal forms. This will give you access to your key drafting inspirations from anywhere.

If you use a Mac in the Office, also consider TextExpander Touch (with the desktop companion TextExpander) which allows you to expand text snippets into words, sentences or even paragraphs. With this app, Josh types "attfee1" and TextExpander types his preferred attorney fee clause. The snippet "simplemisc" expands into my preferred miscellaneous clauses for a basic contract that I can then edit. "engageltr" expands into the text I start with when drafting my engagement letter or email.  Note that iOS 5 will also provide a shortcut feature like this but it is unclear whether you can sync the shortcuts to a computer.

One key to making the iPad work well for transactional lawyers is to have some flexibility or be willing to try new things in your workflow. For example, Josh does lots of drafting in plain text on the iPad and only worries about formatting when back in front of a desktop computer. Even with the Word compatible apps mentioned here, they aren't WYSIWYG. You will still need to fine tune back at the office on your own or send to an assistant to format. Plain text is also necessary to take advantage of TextExpander since at this time the Word compatible apps do not support it but app's like Elements or Plaintext do support TextExpander.

Legal Podcast Pioneers Ambrogi and Williams Hit Six Year Mark!

Congratulations to Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams on the sixth anniversary of their landmark podcast program, Lawyer-2-Lawyer! Not only was their podcast among the first, they have been able to sustain the podcast by covering an amazing array of interesting topics and engage their audience each week for six years! They even had me as a guest a few years back!

Congratulations guys, and here's hoping for six more!

iPad Impact: Going Where No Lawyer Has Gone Before?

As I passed through airport security last Wednesday, and reached in the gray bin for my iPad as it rolled out the x-ray machine, I realized it was not mine but the traveler ahead of me. Moments later, as several new bins came rolling at me, the passenger behind me reached for my iPad, mistaking it for hers. That never happened with my laptop before! On my flight that day--and on many flights recently, there are quite a few more iPads in use than even just a few months ago. 

Just last week I shared an article on Google+ about the consumerization of enterprise IT by iPad users and smart phone users.  I also tweeted about an article sent to me by Susan Traylor of the Arizona Bar about a personal injury law firm handing out customized iPads to clients to facilitate communication and case collaboration.

Today, I picked up the August issue of Law Technology News that contains an article by Alabama trial lawyer, James Moncus III, about his firm's decision to use the iPad 2 and the TrialPad app in a high profile wrongful death suit of a police officer, instead of more mature and expensive trial technology. The articles details this decision and their use of the TrialPad app to help them win a $37.5 million verdict. 

Two weeks ago I served as faculty with Jeff Richardson, Josh Barrett, and Tom Mighell, on a ALI-ABA webcast, 60 iPhone/iPad Apps in 60 Minutes, that attracted over 200 lawyers to the on-line seminar. We have similar crowds when we do this live at the ABA TECHSHOW.

And there were countless lawyers toting and using iPads in Toronto last week at the ABA Annual Meeting.

In January 2010, I blogged about the iPad being a tipping point in legal technology. It fulfills the need caused by a confluence of economic, technological, and professional changes that are taking place in the world around us. However, the rapid adoption of the iPad as a serious legal tool has even surprised me. From client communication to trial presentation, from reading and marking up depositions on a plane flight to Skyping with a client halfway around the world, the iPad has changed the way we do business as lawyers. That trend will only accelerate: The iPad is allowing lawyers to be more nimble, mobile, responsive, and productive.

About the only thing holding lawyers back are the strictures imposed by IT professionals who are not keeping up with the innovation that is tablet computing. Yes, we have to be mindful of our professional responsibilities, but we also need to keep innovating to keep up with our clients and the ever-present demands to lower the costs of delivering legal services.