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TranscriptPad Updates to Version 2.0

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If you litigate, you deal with depositions. If you deal with depositions, you need TranscriptPad. The original was good. Version 2.0, available now, is even better.

TranscriptPad, like TrialPad, is the benchmark in iPad apps for litigators. I transitioned to a paperless office over 5 years ago, but one of the nagging complaints I had was the lack of a good paperless option for summarizing and annotating depositions. TranscriptPad fills that bill. It allows you to:

  • Import depositions and organize them by case file
  • Import exhibits as PDFs for viewing
  • Annotate depositions by custom case “issue codes”
  • Assign multiple issue codes to the same testimony
  • Highlight in multiple colors
  • Underline in multiple colors
  • Flag testimony with and without notes
  • Create reports organized by issue code, highlight, underline or other views
  • File integration with Dropbox, Transporter, Box and WebDAV
  • Jump to a particular page in the transcript
  • And many other features

All this costs just $89.99, a fraction of the cost for comparable PC-based applications. (I know, I know. You’re used to paying $4.99 for applications for your iPad. Well this isn’t a game you play to waste time; it is an application you’ll rely on to get real work done.)

If you are handling depositions, you should get TranscriptPad. (And by the way, if you are trying cases without TrialPad, it just may be malpractice.)


Insight Notes Brings Encrypted Notetaking To Your iPad

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We talk a lot about how encrypting your files is ethically and professionally critical, but the truth is that sometimes it is much easier to trade convenience for safety. Often, it is so much easier to bring your iPad to a meeting or a coffee shop rather than lugging around a laptop.

Insight Notes aims to make using your iPad a bit more secure by locally encrypting your notes and allowing (if you want to pay the extra $14.99 for cloud storage) you to back them up to a secure, encrypted server. It was designed for healthcare professionals to take notes in the field, but could work for attorneys as well.

Besides being encrypted, Insight Notes looks fancy. You can type, draw, or scan notes on the iPad and it will organize the records by date and client. It bulk exports notes (and keeps them encrypted while it does) and will put your note on letterhead with signature and contact info if you like.

Insight Notes is $9.99 in the App store. (Sorry, no Android version.)

Yes, You Can Touch Type on a Tablet!

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Typing fast is a critical skill for lawyers, and there is no reason to let an iPad’s touchscreen keyboard slow you down (much). In this video I am typing at about 65 wpm, or about 75% of how fast I can type on a regular keyboard. You can do it, too!

You can also touch type on other tablets with touchscreens, but the iPad’s touchscreen is more responsive, which is why you can type so fast.

The app I’m using in this video is Byword, my favorite text editor. But of course you can also use Microsoft Word, Pages, or whatever you prefer.

(via MostImportantTasks.com)

Yes, You Can Touch Type on a Tablet! was originally published on Lawyerist.

Apple: “it’s not technically feasible for us to respond to government warrants”

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Starting with iOS 8, according to Apple’s newly-updated privacy statement your photos, messages and attachments, email, contacts, call history, iTunes content, notes, and reminders are “placed under the protection of your passcode.” Apple cannot bypass your passcode, which means it does not really have anything to turn over to the government.

From the sound of it, this only applies to the information on your iPhone or iPad. However, Apply says 93% of the requests it gets from law enforcement are “device requests,” and most of those “come from an agency working on behalf of a customer who has requested assistance locating a stolen device.”

apple-requests

This is all good news, and it means that any client data you might have on an iPhone or iPad is pretty safe. As far as I can tell, however, it does not have much to do with information stored in the cloud. While that information may be safe on your device, the government (or a hacker) could potentially still get it from your cloud provider — even if that cloud provider is Apple.

(h/t Gizmodo)

Featured image: “Lock : Vector padlock icon flat design” from Shutterstock.

Apple: “it’s not technically feasible for us to respond to government warrants” was originally published on Lawyerist.com.

Trial Presentation with an iPad and Apple TV

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Using an iPad for trial presentation is not only more efficient and economical than traditional presentations, it is also drop-dead easy to set up. Each and every piece of evidence is just a tap away, which means no more lugging around blown-up foam board exhibits or fiddling with unreliable overhead projectors. Gone are the last minute phone calls to expensive print shops or the hiring of $1,200 a day litigation technology specialists.

As for setting up and presenting on an Apple TV, this article will teach you everything you need to know.

The Equipment

Although there are a countless number of reasons why you should use an iPad for trial presentation, simplicity is at the top. iPad trial presentation needs only three pieces of equipment: an iPad, an Apple TV, and an Adapter/Cable.

iPad

I recommend purchasing the iPad Air 2 for your trial presentation. It is fast, light, and extremely reliable. As for storage, you will want to shy away from the 16GB models and go with a more robust 64GB or 128GB. You do not want to run out of storage in the middle of preparing for trial.

Please note, however, that these are just recommendations. The first time I tried a case with an iPad, it was an iPad 2 with 16GB, and it worked just fine.

Apple TV

For a long time, the biggest impediment to using an Apple TV was a reliable Wi-Fi connection. Practically, this meant bringing in your own hotspot (and hoping for a strong signal) or relying on the court’s public and unsecured network — neither of which are ideal. Apple solved this problem with its most recent Apple TV (Model A1469) release by including Peer-to-Peer Airplay: a feature that eliminates the need for a Wi-Fi connection.

If you have an Apple TV and don’t know whether it will support Peer-to-Peer Airplay, the model number is located on the bottom. Of course, all hope is not lost if you have an Apple TV and it doesn’t support Peer-to-Peer Airplay; you will just have to make certain that you have access to a stable Wi-Fi network.

The Adapter/Cable

The Adapter/Cable is the one piece of equipment that may differ depending on the courtroom AV system. One end of the Adapter will plug into the back of the Apple TV and the other end will connect with the courtroom AV system, so knowing what is available in the courtroom is crucial.

The most prevalent connection in courtrooms across the country is the VGA connector. Based upon experience, VGA connection cables are generally located at each counsel table, the lectern, or at the clerk’s desk.

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Alternatively, if you are in a more up-to-date courtroom, you may plug directly into an HDMI port.

Displayport-to-HDMI-Adapter

Once you know what input the courtroom uses, you will be able to purchase the correct Adapter/Cable. If the court has a VGA connector, you will need to purchase an Adapter similar to this HDMI to VGA:

Kanex_ATV_Pro_HDMI_to_VGA_Adapter_with_Audio_Support_-_Apple_Store__U_S__If you are plugging into an HDMI connection, all that you will need is a HDMI cable.

In the event your courtroom has some other less common type of connector, just search the internet for an “HDMI to [unknown] adapter.” You will undoubtedly find what you need.

The Setup

Next is the equipment setup. This is where most lawyers get uncomfortable, and that is why this process should be done days or weeks in advance of walking into the courtroom. Use your office or home television to set everything up for the first time. If you want to go one step further, use the iPad and Apple TV to prep your witnesses so that both of you are comfortable with what to expect. Then, a day or so before trial opens, get access to the courtroom, so that you can setup and test your equipment; most judges appreciate this because it is one less headache to deal with on an already hectic day.

The first step in setting up your Apple TV is to plug the Adapter into the HDMI port on the back of the Apple TV.

 

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Here is what it will look like attached:

Attached Kanex_ATV_Pro_HDMI_to_VGA_Adapter_with_Audio_Support_-_Apple_Store__U_S__

After attaching the Adapter to the Apple TV, you will need to connect the court’s VGA connector to the Adapter.

arrow Kanex_ATV_Pro_HDMI_to_VGA_Adapter_with_Audio_Support_-_Apple_Store__U_S__

Of course, if all you need is an HDMI cable to plug into the court’s AV system, plug it directly into the HDMI on the back of the Apple TV.

Once the Apple TV is plugged into the court AV system, you will see the following Apple TV screen. This screen is different from the usual screen because there is no Wi-Fi connection.

applet-main-ui

Similarly, your iPad should not be connected to a Wi-Fi network; if it happens to find a Wi-Fi network that you have used in the past, go into Settings–>Wi-Fi and touch the active connection; the next screen will give you the option to Forget This Network, which is what you will select. Similarly, if you have an LTE enabled iPad, turn off the LTE. It is important to note that, even though your iPad is not connected to a Wi-Fi network, you do not want to disable Wi-Fi.

At this point, with the Apple TV Home screen showing on the monitor and the iPad disconnected from all Wi-Fi connections, you will be able to enable AirPlay by swiping up to reveal Control Center and selecting AirPlay.

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If you have an older Apple TV and can’t use Peer-to-Peer mode, all hope is not lost. You can still use an iPad and Apple TV for trial presentation. You just need to make certain that you have access to a reliable, secure Wi-Fi network, or a rock-stable Mi-Fi device. If this is the route for you, you simply have to make sure that you connect the Apple TV to the same network as your iPad. Once the Apple TV and iPad are on the same network, you will enable the Apple TV display in the same way as above.

Now, with your iPad connected to the Apple TV, you are ready to proceed with your presentation.

The Presentation

Choosing the right app for trial presentation is as important as getting the setup right. If you don’t know how to use the app or access the data efficiently, you will lose the benefit of this setup and return to using “ole reliable.”  There are three products in the App Store that merit consideration:

  1. TrialPad ($89.99)
  2. ExhibitView 5 (89.99)
  3. Trial Director (Free).

TrialPad is the trial presentation app that all other trial presentation apps are measured. It has been on the market the longest and likely has the greatest number of users. In addition to the most basic features such as Callout, Highlight, Redact and Laser Pointer, TrialPad allows the user to label evidence with exhibit stickers, clip videos, and present evidence in dual screen mode. This app is fantastic and should be at the top of your list.

ExhibitView 5 is a very good product that has many of the same features included with TrialPad. Perhaps one of its best features of ExhibitView 5 is the “last item used” indicator. In the long list of exhibits, ExhibitView 5 keeps the last item used highlighted, providing clear context to the user.

TrialDirector is also a compelling product, particularly since it is free. Although TrialDirector does not provide the user with as many tools and features as TrialPad or ExhibitView, this is a quality app to use in order to get comfortable with this new presentation system.

As for data transfer, all of these apps allow you to import your data through Dropbox and iTunes. Importing the data through Dropbox is drop-dead easy and allows for transfer without ever connecting a cable. Consistent with Apple’s design language, Airplay is enabled in these apps by pressing the familiar Airplay button and selecting Apple TV.

The Upshot

From preparation to presentation, the benefits of using an iPad and Apple TV for trial presentation are plenty. You can prep on the go because you can load all of your evidence on the iPad well in advance of announcing “Ready.” You have every exhibit available at the touch of your finger, thereby eliminating time spent searching for evidence stashed in a box, folder, or on the opposing counsel’s table. You can zoom-in, highlight, callout, or markup evidence in ways that have never before been available at the podium. You will be perceived by the jury as prepared, efficient, and knowledgable. If all that wasn’t enough, you will also save your client money.

Trial Presentation with an iPad and Apple TV was originally published on Lawyerist.com.

Every Legal App for iPhone and iPad

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iOS apps for lawyers abound, whether for case management, billing, or trial preparation. This page has every legal app for iOS that we could find in the App Store.

There are just a few exceptions. This does not include apps that have not been updated since 2011 and have few or no reviews in the App Store. Apps that are simply mobile versions of a legal publication aren’t here, either, since the app doesn’t do anything over and above the website. Finally, the App Store is full of applications that simply repackage freely available content, such as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Unless an app added some significant extras (such as the ability to annotate or cross reference) to that type of content, it’s not here.

The table below is searchable, and you can sort by each column. Use the comments to let us know if we missed an app.

NameCostDescription
Mobile TranscriptFree, but requires registration. Allows for review of deposition and court transcripts. Ability to highlight testimony, log billable time, and email selected highlights.
Court Days$0.99Calculates the number of court days or calendar days (or a combination of the two) before or after a given date. Can provide custom court holidays if jurisdiction is not in application's default database. Allows email of date calculations.
Legal EdgeFreeStream of legal articles and newsletters organized by industry, profession, and topic. Court filings of notable cases.
OpenRegsFreeContains text of the Federal Register, allowing recently issued rulemaking notices. Allows browsing by agency or comment periods. Ability to email regulations.
Time Master + Billing$9.99, and offers in-app purchases. Time tracking software allows for multiple running timers. Time entries by client with subcategories of projects and tasks. Set billing rates, use time rounding, track expenses, and create reports. Optional modules for invoicing, Quickbooks exports, and wireless sync.

PushLegalFree, but requires subscription to one or more deskbooksContains over 30 sets of federal and state rules and codes, inlcuding the Federal Search and Seizure Manual, Titles 8 and 18 of the U.S. Code, and state codes for Texas, California, Florida, New York, and Illinois. Each publication costs $1.99/month. Links to Google Scholar to allow review of related case law.
Statutes and Case Law Library by PushLegalFreeContains mobile deskbooks, covering the most frequently referenced federal, Texas, California, Florida, Delaware, and New York statutes. Each statute accompanied by leading cases.
HeinOnlineFree, but requires HeinOnline account and authentication. Research tool with law review articles and other databases. HeinOnline accounts require an institutional subscription from a school, library, or similar institution. Contains PDF versions only of law review articles.
AgileLawFree, but requires an AgileLaw account.Install this app on your iPad, hand the iPad to the deponent, and navigate through the deposition without ever using a printed exhibit again.
All LawFree, but offers in-app purchases.Access to federal rules and a legal dictionary for free, but payment required to get access to state law, patent examination procedures, CFRs, the Federal Register, Supreme Court cases, and U.S. Tax Court Opinions.
American Arbitration AssociationFreeAmerican Arbitration Association rules, codes, protocols, and contact information.
Information
AptorneyFreeLegal research and reference app that allows syncing with Dropbox and remembers specific search terms. In-app "purchases" are free but currently limited to court rules, codes of evidence, and statutory codes.
Black's Law Dictionary$54.99The official Blacks Law Dictionary, Ninth Edition, direct from Thomson Reuters. Provides hyperlinked cross-references for related terms, audio pronunciations, and bookmarking,
Bloomberg LawFree, but requires current paid Bloomberg subscriptionFollow news, litigation, and market information related to clients and prospects. Receive alerts for legal and news searches. Ability to share documents via email.

BriefCaseFree, with an in-app premium cost of $9.99 yearly. iPad app that creates automatic briefs of legal research as reader highlights so retyping isn't necessary. Organizes and annotates cases. Premium features allow export to Dropbox and printing.
CaseManager$19.99Case management software that allows mobile access and syncing of entire case file. Also includes calendar, task list, expense tracking, time tracking, and a ledger. Syncs with Dropbox.
Cite-Checker$2.99Guide to basic Bluebook citation with overview and plain English explanation of rules for federal and state cases, federal and state statutes, books, law review articles, and Restatements. Also contains guides to punctuation and quotations.
CLE MobileFree, but CLE courses delivered by the app cost varying amounts.Makes 4,500 CLE courses from West LegalEd available for download. Able to listen to audio content and submit completed courses for CLE credit. Not all state support mobile delivery of CLE courses.
ClioFree, but requires paid Clio subscription. Mobile access for Clio's cloud-based practice management system. Ability to track time and expenses, access cases, view contacts, access calendar, and upload documents.



Court Directory by Bloomberg$9.99Contact information, including websites, for federal, state, and territorial judges and clerks. Listings for over 2000 state courts, 200 federal courts, 16,000 judges, and 5,300 clerks.
CourtLinkFree, but requires a current Courtlink user ID/password from Lexis.Allows review of recent court docket activity. Ability to set up Alerts and Tracks on the CourtLink website and then monitor via the app.

Courtroom Objections$2.99Guide to common courtroom objections and responses. Ability to review by objection category (form of question or admissibility).


DkTFreeDkT overlays PACER with a custom mobile user interface and adds convenient features to PACER use.
Docket LawFreeAllows you to calculate event dates and deadlines based on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
eDepozeFreeCloud-based document management system with an iPad interface that allows you to use e-documents as your deposition exhibits.
eDiscovery Assistant$29.99Allows you access to all the information you need for eDiscovery from any location.
Exhibit A$14.99Exhibit storage and presentation software. Ability to highlight, mark, and call out sections of exhibits. Virtual laser pointer. Ability to import documents from Dropbox, iTunes, FTP, email, and wirelessly. Supports JPG, TIFF, GIF, and PNG documents and movies.
FastcaseFree, but requires registration. Legal research app containing federal and state cases and statutes. Searchable by citation, keyword, Boolean, or natural. Ability to save documents for use later.

Fed Courts$2.99Full text of federal rules of procedure and local rules for each federal court. Access to PACER and addresses of all federal courts.
FedCtRecords$9.99 and requires a current PACER account. Access to court records for any federal district court. Provides attorney information, party information, deadlines, case summaries, and docket information. Third party app, unaffiliated with PACER. PACER charges remain in effect and no upload abilities exist.

Job Sleuth$49.99Allows offline and fully searchable access to all the information in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and its companion publications (the SCO, the MPSMS, the Work Fields, Aptitudes, and Temperaments).
GAOFreeCongressional testimonies and decisions from the Government Accountability Office.
Lawyers.comFreeAccess to Martindale-Hubbell information about lawyers, including name, practice area, location and ratings. Ability to share lawyer profiles with contacts and save search history.
MyCaseFree, but requires paid MyCase subscription. Allows communication with clients, ability to check schedule, edit and view cases, time, billing, and invoicing. Email and calendar access. Add-on modules such as Quickbooks integration available for additional cost.
iWrite LegalFreeProvides writing tips and legal writing checklists.
iJuror$19.99Juror selection app. Allows attorney to tap seats to add juror information, drag and drop to choose and dismiss jurors, configure seating arrangements of up to 60 jurors, store all trials in one location, and email and print jury information.
iJury$14.99Juror selection app. Allows note-taking on jurors of interest, seat jurors via number or name, track peremptory strikes, and group scoring.

Immigration$24.99Full text of Immigration and Nationality Act and Eighth Code of Federal Regulations. Ability to search by keyword and navigate to subsections. Also contains full texts of Immigration Court and Board of Immigration Appeals Practice Manuals.
IntelliConnect MobileFree, but requires subscription to one or more Wolters Kluwer publicationsMobile access to IntelliConnect content such as federal and state taxes, legislative developments, and financial and estate plannint
iTimekeepFree for stand-alone timekeeping Timekeeping app designed to capture billing information on the go. Requires paid Bellefield Connect system to integrate with billing or practice management software.
Jury In A Hurry$49.99Allows you to enter juror data and then customize various aspects of the selection process such as weighting importance of certain questions, size of the pool, and number of strikes. Also provides a database of juror questions. Voice recognition capability allows dictation.
JuryPad$24.99Jury selection app with ability to rate jurors and view jury pool demographics. Customizable seating chart that allows you to tap to strike or seat jurors. Allows creation of voir dire templates and questions. Can share information as spreadsheet, text file, or database.


JuryStar$39.99Jury selection app. Drag and drop seating chart for jurors. Ability to load and save juror questions. Store juror demographics. Group ratings.
JuryTracker$4.99App that allows for quick notetaking - including use of gestures and emoticons - to track juror reaction and behavior during trial. Reports that sort by juror, party presenting, type of response, or chronologically can be saved for later review or emailed to others.
Law Dictionary and GuideFreeSearchable legal dictionary based on Black's Law Dictionary. Dictionary is available offline. Also contains searchable lawyer directory with GPS option.
LawStackFreeLegal library containing U.S. Constitution, Federal Rules of Civil, Criminal, and Appellate Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, and Federal Rules of Bankruptcy. Ability to download additional state codes as well.
Legal NewsanceFreeCovers current legal news, CLE program information, legal resources, forms, and employment opportunities.
Lexis AdvanceFree, but requires current paid Lexis subscription. Allows access to Lexis' primary and secondary source database and files and folders stored in Lexis. Also allows ability to Shepardize.
LiteLawFreeProvides secure, complete access to your existing time, billing, and document management system. LiteLaw is compatible with most SQL based case management applications, such as Client Profiles, Aderant Total Office, ProLaw, and TrialWorks.
M&A Tax ReportFreeMobile version of monthly review of regulations, court cases, IRS rulings, private letters, and M&A transactions.
Must Do Legal$4.99Lawyer-specific to-do list that also tracks billable time.
My Legal Projects$1.99Records details for legal research projects, including jurisdiction, key terms, relevant cases, statutes, client matters, and due dates. Each project saved individually and can be shared via email or Bluetooth. Can link directly to WestlawNext with WestlawNext paid subscription.
Picture It SettledFreeHelps litigants analyze positions and develop negotiation strategies. Also tracks dollar moves in negotiations and, using that information, assists in calculation of future offers.

Pocket Justice$.0.99U.S. Supreme Court information from the Oyez Project at Chicago-Kent School of Law. Plain-language abstracts of decisions, audio of oral arguments, transcripts, biographical information for all justices, and searchable opinions.

Rocket MatterFree, but requires a Rocket Matter subscription. Legal time and billing software for small to mid-size law firms. Ability to add contact data and calendar events, record billable activity, access trust account balances, and attach expenses to matters as you incur them.
RulebookFree, but offers in-app purchases.Free access to federal rules of evidence and U.S. Constitution. In-app purchases of materials such as Circuit rules and the Bluebook. Bluebook purchase is $39.99.
ShakeFree, but offers in-app purchases.Create, sign and send legally binding agreements in seconds.
Smart DocketsFreeLegal calendaring app. Ability to calculate dates and deadlines using up-to-date court rules. Results can be emailed or exported as calendar appointments.
TabLit$89.99Trial notebook app with ability to store examination outlines and checklists, evidentiary checklists, and case contacts. Allows for creation of internal cross-references.


The Congressional RecordFreeDaily edition of the Congressional Record, presented by the Library of Congress, Allows you to browse editions of the Record from January 1995 to present, do keyword searches, save, share, and print documents.
TranscriptPad$89.99Ability to review transcripts in text (not PDF) format, including color-coded designations, flagging critical sections, and ability to email and print.

TrialDirectorFreeEvidence management and presentation app, allowing for highlighting, callout, video, and side-by-side exhibits. Allows uploading of exhibits via Dropbox or iTunes or syncs with paid TrialDirector desktop software.
TrialEvidence$1.99Reference guide for getting evidence admitted by laying the proper foundation.
TrialPad$89.99Courtroom presentation tool for iPad. Ability to highlight text, create side-by-side document comparisons, edit and show video clips, add exhibit stickers to documents, and search document text.
TrialTouchFree, but requires paid DK Global subscription.Cloud-based storage solution and evidence presentation app that converts documents and video for courtroom presentation.
TrialWorksFree, but requires paid TrialWorks Case Management SoftwareProvides access to notes, docket, contacts, and documents that are stored in TrialWorks Case Management Software. Ability to review matter chronology and court dates and add new matters.

U.S. ConstitutionFreeProvided by the Library of Congress, app contains full text of the Constitution, clause-by-clause discussion, and discussion of relevant Supreme Court cases. Contains table of contents, table of cases, and index.
ViewabillFree for clients. Allows clients to access time entries from attorneys when attorneys sign up with Viewabill.
Westlaw Case NotebookFreeAllows review and annotation of transcripts in PTX e-transcript format. Word index to allow searches. No Westlaw Case Notebook subscription required, but is necessary to upload transcript to desktop version of Westlaw Case Notebook and retain annotations.
WestlawNextFree, but requires current paid WestlawNext subscription. Allows mobile access to databases in WestlawNext. Ability to search, KeyCite, save, highlight and share materials.

Wolfram Lawyer's Professional Assistant$4.99Reference tool with dictionary of legal terms, statutes of limitations for each US states, visa types, calendar and financial computations, demographics, damages computations, and real estate law.

Originally published 2014-06-16. Last updated 2015-07-20.

Every Legal App for iPhone and iPad was originally published on Lawyerist.com.

Weekend Project: Encrypt Your Phone and Tablet

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For the holiday weekend, an easy project most people will have done already. Encryption sounds like a hard thing, but it’s really easy. It’s so easy, in fact, that it’s negligent not to encrypt your devices.

Three taps and you’re done. It will take less than a minute to do it right now, and then you can feel productive all weekend.

Encrypting iPhones and iPads

To encrypt and iPhone or iPad, all you have to do is set an unlock code. iOS 8.0 and newer automatically encrypts the contents of your iPhone or iPad once you set a passcode. To do this, just go to the Settings app and tap Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode depending on your device. Then scroll down to Turn Passcode On, tap it, and follow the instructions.

Encrypting Android Devices

If you have an Android device running Android 2.3.4 or newer, make sure you have set up a passcode, then go to the Settings, tap Security, and then tap Encrypt phone/tablet. It may take some time to encrypt your Android device, so it might be best to start this when you won’t be using it for a while and you can leave it plugged in.

Living with Encrypted Devices

When I talk about encryption people usually want to know how if they will have to do something different in order to send attachments, or if it means their email is now encrypted.

Here’s the deal. Once you turn on encryption, you will be able to use your phone and tablet exactly as you do right now. You never have to think about the fact that you are using file encryption unless you want to (for example, if you want to feel good about how secure your devices are, which you are entitled to do after you encrypt your files). When you are logged on and using your device, it will automatically decrypt files on the fly as you need them. You will not have to do anything different in order to access your files or share them with other people.

And no, it does not mean your email will be encrypted.

Your files will only be unreadable to someone who tries to access them in an unauthorized way, like plugging your phone into a computer to scan its contents. When you log in to your phone or tablet as usual, you will be able to use it exactly as you do right now.

Weekend Project: Encrypt Your Phone and Tablet was originally published on Lawyerist.com.

Going Really Paperless with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil

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I’ve been operating a paperless office for nearly ten years, ever since I realized a couple of months into my solo practice that I did not want to fill my basement or garage with closed client files. My paperless workflow is simple: I scan all paper that comes into the office and keep most of it until I close a file, when all of the paper gets tossed.

But I have struggled to find a good system for managing my handwritten notes of phone calls, meetings, court appearances, etc. As I wrote on Lawyerist several years ago, taking notes is very important for keeping track of what information you have exchanged with clients and other parties, and it is critical for defending ethics and malpractice complaints.

What to Do with Your Notes

Some paperless lawyers may have shifted to taking notes on their computers but I prefer not to use a speaker phone all the time, and a laptop is cumbersome in meetings. Besides, some studies that show that your brain remembers more when you hand-write your notes.

So, what to do with all those pages of notes? Scanning notes after every phone call or meeting is inefficient because you have to name and save each note. I could scan them to the same file or create a notes file for each client but that, too, was tedious. So I would just stick the paper pages in a folder and scan them all at the end of a case before I trashed them. Relatively efficient, and it meant I didn’t have access to my notes when I was out of the office.

I also used the legal pads as a sort of reminder system to keep track of who had not called me back. This meant I would end up with several legal pads on my desk with notes of active matters. It was kind of a mess.

Then last summer I saw Paul Unger of Affinity Consulting use an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to take notes right on his iPad. A chorus of angels started singing in my head! Scales fell from my eyes! My note-taking woes would be solved!

Using the Apple Pencil to Take Notes

The transition to taking notes on a screen was seamless. As soon as I started using the Pencil, I was hooked and I have literally not written on a legal pad since. The key feature is that when you are using the Pencil, which is powered by a rechargeable battery, the iPad recognizes its tip instead of your hand. This means you can just rest your hand right on the screen while you are writing, just like you would on a piece of paper (particularly useful for us lefties). The tip of the Pencil is pressure-sensitive, so lines vary in thickness as you write. Writing on glass turns out to be not much different than writing on paper.

GoodNotes 4, an inexpensive app, is loaded with features that make electronic note-taking better than the old-fashioned way. If are a sloppy writer like me, the undo button will wipe away a word you’ll never be able to figure out later. The eraser lets you fix things elsewhere on the page. The “shapes” button will help you draw a box with straight lines or an oval. Of course, you can change colors, line thickness, etc. There’s also a tool that allows you to move blocks of handwriting around on the page, which is great for rearranging notes of calls with your non-linear clients. Your doodles will improve measurably and then you can move them out of your notes so your clients will never see them.

If you write neatly enough the app can translate your handwriting into type with a couple of clicks. I find this not as helpful as I might have thought—if my writing is neat enough for the program to read, then I can read it too. But that same functionality allows the app to search for a handwritten word within a particular file. That’s right, all your handwritten notes—stored as PDFs—are permanently word-searchable.

GoodNotes 4 automatically backs up your files as PDFs to Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and other programs. It will also back up files you haven’t named yet. It can search for file names within the app. You can import a Word document or PDF, take notes on the document, and then save it as a new PDF. Clients can sign their real signatures on your iPad, not just scrawl with their fingers. My only complaints about GoodNotes 4 is that it does not have an option for automatically numbering pages within a file and that the size of the thumbnails of your files cannot be adjusted.

Notability is another popular note-taking app. And Evernote and its alternatives, of course.

Choosing an iPad Pro

There are two sizes of iPad Pro: regular (the size of the original iPad), and full letter-page size (also known as Ginormous). I went with Ginormous. I’m glad I did, because more than 80% of the time I’m using it for taking notes and I like having the same full-size sheet of “paper” to work from that I’ve always been used to. But it’s a lot of screen space, and many apps don’t seem to know what to do with all that extra real estate.

The only downside for the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil is that the Pencil needs to be recharged periodically. You can stick it in the power jack for the iPad, but then you have this Pencil awkwardly sticking out from your iPad. I tend to use the very small, likely-to-get-lost-but-so-far-so-good power cord adapter. The only way to shut “off” the Pencil is to turn off the Bluetooth on the iPad, which I do at the end of the day so the batteries on both don’t run down. Recharging the Pencil is pretty fast and on a very busy note-taking day I might recharge it once in the afternoon.

… or Microsoft Surface?

In deference to Windows users, I need to acknowledge that I recently tried a client’s SurfacePro 4 with its powered stylus. The stylus is not as elegant as Apple’s (the Windows stylus looks and feels like an engineer’s mechanical pencil) but it is clearly more functional. The top of the stylus works as an eraser, it has a “right-click” button on it, and there is an embedded magnet that attaches it to the tablet. The contact with the screen is slightly different than on the iPad but you can achieve the same handwriting dexterity. Personally, the stylus alone would not motivate me to switch but it is a very good option for Windows users.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the iPad Pro has been out since the spring of 2015, few lawyers seem to be using it. It’s often a conversation piece when I show up to meetings with it. But this is the best piece of technology I’ve bought since I purchased an iPhone. Now I can say my practice is truly paperless.

Going Really Paperless with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil was originally published on Lawyerist.com.


TrialPad 4.0: Trial Presentation Made Easy

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I recently put TrialPad 4.0 through its paces during  a two-week trial — but not from the start. As in the past, I felt to overwhelmed to add figure out a new app to my trial prep to-do list.

So I started trial using Acrobat to display documents. I am very comfortable with Acrobat, and I knew I would not have to wonder about how to find a particular feature or function in the middle of trial.

After all, like most paperless lawyers, I use Acrobat on a daily basis. But by day two of what I knew would be a two-week trial, I was frustrated with the limitations of Acrobat, particularly the inability to do a call-out on the fly. This was hampering my ability to really emphasize key pieces of evidence.

A heavenly light should have descended.

I had a copy of TrialPad from Ian O’Flaherty, who developed it. Ian was kind enough to provide me with a code to download TrialPad at no cost. This is probably why I felt no need to use it, since I wasn’t invested in it. But now I had to get up and running overnight if I wanted to use something better than Acrobat during my trial. And I did get up and running overnight. I went back to my hotel room, loaded up the documents I knew I would be working with the next day, ran through the process of presenting and annotating, and then set back to prepare for the next day of trial.

With more than a little trepidation, I hooked my iPad up to my projector the next day at trial.

A heavenly light should have descended. I’m not kidding, TrialPad was nearly magical. To say that ease of use is built in is a vast understatement. Using TrialPad was simple and intuitive. I was calling out and highlighting key passages with ease like I had never experienced before. I have tried cases against trial teams with dedicated IT teams, and their process was so cumbersome and prone to error that I had sworn off dedicated trial presentation applications.

By day four of trial, my opposing counsel had switched to his iPad and TrialPad as well.

TrialPad brought all the features of the dedicated trial presentation programs that work (when they work) and more, and it was so simple to use that literally anyone could do it. By day four of trial, my opposing counsel had switched to his iPad and TrialPad as well.

Here are the features I found to be the most important.

Adding Files is Easy

TrialPad 4.0 allows you to add files via Dropbox, Box, and iCloud, using wi-fi or Bluetooth. You can import photos from the Photos app on your iPad, and you can also connect your iPad to your computer to add files in bulk via iTunes.

I used both iTunes and Dropbox to import files throughout the trial. My only complaint is that files added via Dropbox are not automatically updated when you make changes to the file on your computer. I understand that allowing continuous sync of files like this could lead to problems if multiple people are working on the files during the course of a trial, but for a solo like me it would be a huge convenience. Perhaps one solution would be to allow this to be toggled on or off as a setting.

That being said, one thing I found surprising was how quickly I could edit a document on my computer and re-upload it via Dropbox. All I needed was a wi-fi connection. I had to do this on numerous occasions on the fly, during lunch and other breaks.

Presentation Tools Are Simple, Easy to Use, and Great-Looking

Trial Pad has five presentation tools: Callout, Highlight, Pen, Redact and Laser.

I relied almost exclusively on the Callout and Highlight tools. A simple tap on the Callout tool icon allows you to draw a box around the selected text or portion of a document. That portion is immediately enlarged to nearly the full image, emphasizing the selected portion. It is the same process for Highlight. The only trouble was that, on a couple of occasions my fat finger made selecting a small portion of text troublesome. The solution was simple: use a stylus.

The Pen tool simply lets you draw on the document — whether you want to add text or circle a critical element. Redact works just like the Highlight and Callout tools but hides the selected text. And Laser simply “projects” a replica of a laser pointer so you can point things out without looking for your laser pointer.

Another really nice feature of TrialPad is the ability to project two documents side by side for comparison. This is also easy to do.

Presenting with a Projector or External Monitor

The courtroom I was working in had recently added a 50″ monitor I could have used. Instead, I opted to connect my iPad to my own projector via HDMI. As I expected, it was a simple matter of plug and play. No muss, no fuss.

Exhibit Stickers and Introducing Exhibits

I generally pre-mark my exhibits using Acrobat stamps, so I did not use the Exhibit Sticker feature of TrialPad this time — although I probably will use it in the future. It is simple and intuitive.

The feature for tracking evidence that had been admitted was a great addition to version 4.0, although figuring out how to do this in the midst of trial was one of the few things that was not entirely intuitive. To use either the Exhibit Sticker or Admitted feature, you tap and hold on the document image. A window will open allowing you to chose whether to mark the exhibit as admitted, rename the document, or assign and exhibit sticker. That explanation may have been in the quick start tutorial, but I missed it if it was.

Admitted documents get sorted into their own list so you can access them quickly.

The Key Documents Feature

One of the features I appreciated the most was the ability to mark an entire document or even just a page from a document as a key document. Like admitted documents, the key documents can be called up in their own list for quick access.

My particular trial had more than 10,000 pages of medical records and deposition testimony, so it was fairly document intensive (to say the least) and I gave the Key Documents feature quite a workout. One thing I’d love to see added, if possible, would be multiple sets of key documents so that you could pre-identify key documents to use with different witnesses. Instead, I found myself re-shuffling key documents before each day of trial in order to be ready for that day’s witnesses. The ability to do that in advance for multiple witnesses would be a great addition to the application.

Other Features

TrialPad also has the ability to display audio and video files. While I have not tried this live in trial, I can easily understand how this would be useful for short video clips, such as those you might use to impeach a witness. Given the size of most video deposition files, I would doubt that this would be a reasonable method for playing full video depositions.

The video display feature does have basic video editing options for capturing a frame or a video clip. Like other features, it is simple to use and designed so you can use it on the fly, if necessary.

The Bottom Line

Every iPad-toting trial lawyer should buy TrialPad and use it at your next trial or mediation. You won’t regret it.

Overall, TrialPad is an outstanding addition to a trial lawyer’s arsenal. It simply and elegantly duplicates the most often used features of many different trial presentation programs, at far less cost. A single license for Trial Director is $695. While Trial Director obviously does more, I seriously doubt that it does what TrialPad does with the same ease.

TrialPad is an absolute bargain at $89. And unlike Trial Director, there is no annual maintenance cost.

Every iPad-toting trial lawyer should buy TrialPad and use it at your next trial or mediation. You won’t regret it.

Summary

TrialPad is an outstanding addition to anyone’s trial arsenal. It simply and elegantly duplicates the most-used trial presentation features at far less cost than the competition.

Rating: 5 (out of 5)

TrialPad, reviewed by Todd Hendrickson on .

TrialPad 4.0: Trial Presentation Made Easy was originally published on Lawyerist.com.

Brydge+ with Speakers Bluetooth iPad Keyboard Review

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We have reviewed a lot of iPad keyboard cases. Here are some of them:

In the end, Randall picked the Logitech cases as the best. But I recently received a Brydge+ with Speakers to review. The Brydge+ is a full-size, all-aluminum Bluetooth keyboard that basically turns your iPad into a small laptop. Build quality is excellent, although you might notice that the lines on the Brydge+ make it look more like a MacBook Pro than an iPad.

Since I no longer have a full-sized iPad, I delegated the testing to my wife, who is a staff attorney for the educator’s union in Minnesota. Her offices uses Windows, but Jess almost never uses a regular computer when she isn’t at work, even for doing work. She has my old ThinkPad, but I bet she hasn’t powered it on more than twice in the last three months. Instead, she uses her iPad 2 for almost everything she does when she is not in her office.

Here is what she liked and didn’t like about the Brydge+ with Speakers.

First she says it is really great for typing. She really likes the keyboard as a keyboard. And battery life is great (without the speakers turned on, anyway). She’s charged it maybe once in the last month. If battery life is a concern, though, you will want to keep the speakers off (there is a hard switch for this, so it’s easy to keep them off until you need them). They are nice if you want to listen to a voicemail or play some music in the background, but they do drain the battery quite a lot faster.

Jess mainly attaches the keyboard when she is actually doing work (answering emails, taking it to meetings, and using the iPad more like a laptop). She especially liked it during a three-day conference, because she was able to keep up with her work without any major compromises.

And the weight of the keyboard means the iPad isn’t tippy. It stands up well, like a laptop ought to, instead of tipping over from the weight of the iPad like many lighter-weight keyboard covers have an annoying tendency to do.

On the negative side, Jess said the Brydge+ isn’t easy to get on and off of the iPad. She doesn’t like leaving it on all the time because she still likes to use her iPad as a tablet most of the time — for reading her favorite blogs, catching up on email, and other stuff. She doesn’t actually want a laptop all the time, after all. Just when she needs to get work done.

(When I mentioned the Logitech Ultrathin cover, she said “oh, I’d love one of those” because all you have to do is drop the iPad into a slot instead of maneuvering it into the grabber things on the Brydge+. Of course, the Logitech Ultrathin is less laptop-y, as well.)

It doesn’t actually protect the iPad very well, either, since it’s just a cover and not a case. And if you want to want to take the Brydge+ off of your iPad, you have no protection at all. It means you may want to carry a protective sleeve or a case with you, if you are worried about your iPad. But that means extra bulk, which seems silly when you are carrying an iPad.

All in all, Jess really likes the Brydge+ with Speakers. It lets her get more done with her iPad so she doesn’t need a laptop.

Summary

The Brydge+ with Speakers is a full-size, all-aluminum Bluetooth keyboard that basically turns your iPad into a small laptop.

Rating: 4 (out of 5)

Brydge+ with Speakers, reviewed by Sam Glover on .

Brydge+ with Speakers Bluetooth iPad Keyboard Review was originally published on Lawyerist.com.





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