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iPad at Work

By on October 26, 2011 in Lawyers Using iPad, Legal Workflows, Tips

One of the things I enjoy about writing TabletLegal is the reader interaction. I get all sorts of questions. Some of them very basic. Others quite complex. At the risk of becoming an iPad help desk, I try and answer all of them. Its fun and more often than not, I learn something new in helping out readers.

The questions are also an excellent reminder that my workflow and use case is just that – mine. Everyone uses technology differently. Everyone has different skill sets. While I try to cover a range of subjects, both advanced and basic, I’m still just blogging about my experiences and what is right in front of my nose that day or that week. The medium and my writing desires aren’t amenable to a comprehensive examination of iPad apps and techniques.

For that, someone would want a book…

And David Sparks’ iPad at Work is the book they would want.

David has significant credentials in tech nerddom (and I know he takes that as a compliment). David is the author of the excellent Mac/iOS blog, MacSparky, last year’s Mac at Work and co-host of the 5 by 5 podcast, MacPowerUsers.

David is also a practicing attorney. So while iPad at Work is not specific to the legal profession, nearly all of his 110,000 words would be helpful to most any iPad using lawyer. More than a roundup of apps, iPad at Work talks about how to use those apps to get things done. I actually think lawyers reading iPad at Work may get more out of it than the average reader as we can put ourselves in David’s shoes as he explains his workflows. David’s techniques become that much more relateable, understandable and easy to try.

While David was kind enough to send me a review copy of his book, I had previously purchased and read it on my Kindle. If you have room for a dead tree in your briefcase, I highly recommend the print version. The Kindle version simply doesn’t do the full color layout justice.

Congrats to David on his excellent work. iPad at Work is recommended reading.

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TabletLegal Favorites from 60 Apps in 60 Minutes

By on October 20, 2011 in Apps, Lawyers Using iPad, Tips

As I mentioned the other day, I recently co-presented another another 60 Apps in 60 Minutes CLE webcast along with co-presenters Jeff Richardson of iPhone JD, Reid Trauts of Reid My Blog! and Tom Mighell of iPad4Lawyers. Rather than posting the full 60 app list, I decided to list just my favorites and share a few words that might help you use the app better.

Word Processing. Compatibility with Microsoft Word is still king. From my past tests (general formatting, pleading formatting, business agreemetn formatting), only two of the four major contenders in this area are worthy of consideration. Your choice between the two really comes down to your workflow needs.

  • Documents to Go. A key differentiator of this app is its support for footnotes. It also has some decent bullet and numbered list options in the app. My main gripe is that the interface is unattractive and file management is a bit difficult.
  • QuickOffice. Where Documents to Go wanes, QuickOffice shines with an easy to use file manager.

My workflow doesn’t depend on footnotes. So, I prefer QuickOffice because the easy to use file manager saves me taps and I feel more comfortable saving and moving files. That said, if I needed bulleted list creation tools or footnote compatibility, Documents to Go would be the only way to go.

Calendars. Lawyers live by their calendars. While the calendar app built into the iPad is OK, developers have come up with some great alternatives. We covered to in the CLE and both are worth looking at.

Both of these universal apps offer navigation and event imput advantages (fewer taps) over the default Calendar app. I prefer the how the design Agenda is designed to be used with one thumb while holding your iPhone. I also think Agenda is faster than Calvetica when you have multiple calendars displayed (Home, Work, Kids, Soccer, etc.).

Here’s a tip. If you aren’t using multiple calendars to manage the different contexts of your life, consider giving it a go. At the very minimum, the different colors associated with your calendar gives you extra data about your day with just a glance (I know when there is a light blue blob in the middle of my afternoon, that means I am picking up the kids that day). Calendars can also be turned on and off for different views. For example, my wife and I share a couple calendars that appear on both of our iPads but my client related calendar is only visible on my devices.

PDF Tools. This area has really grown since the iPad was introduced. I think every iPad toting lawyer needs two PDF related tools : a PDF annotation app and a PDF creation app. My two favorites in these categories come from the same developer, Readdle:

  • PDF Expert. This annotation app recently stepped up to 3.0 with a bunch of new features that bring it on par with the features I use in my desktop PDF annotation application.
  • PDF Converter. While there are a number of apps that can create PDF from other file formats, this one does it simply through the “Open in…” button available in any app that uses files.

Whatever your preferred PDF annotation and creation combo, I think they must include the following features to meet a typical lawyer’s needs:

  • basic annotations include highlighting, strikethrough, underline and notes
  • integration with Dropbox
  • ability to act as wi-fi USB drive
  • interface for signing documents and managing frequently used signatures
  • rearrange, rotate, delete and insert pages
  • ability to create bookmarks and tables of contents
  • makes “flattened” PDFs so annotations can’t be changed
  • will generate an annotation summary
  • attractive and easy to use interface

I’ve closed business transactions with this combo of documents. Word files attached to an email were converted to PDF using PDF Converter. Once those new PDF files were opened in PDF Expert, the parties could review and sign the documents. With multiple contracts reaching into 100s of pages, I didn’t want to email the full document set. PDF Expert allowed me to extract the signature pages only from the various contracts and send them along via email.

Touch is Better than Mouse. Two productivity apps come to mind as amazing examples of how the touch interface is sometimes better than a mouse and keyboard.

  • Keynote. This presentation creation and delivery app is on another world compared to the PowerPoint compatible apps in the App Store. Tons of power just a few taps away.I think using your hands to manipulate text and images simply results in better designs and better presentations. I create all my presentations on Keynote for iPad even when I have my computer available. With a VGA or HDMI dongle and Keynote Remote on your iPhone, you are ready to present from any conference hall or courtroom.
  • iThoughts HD. Like Keynote, this mindmapping application allows you to get hands-on with your ideas. Your freeform mindmap can then be exported in a truckload of different formats – with more being added all the time – so you can continue working on your ideas in another mindmapping app or your favorite word processor.

Sometimes a mouse and keyboard is better, sometimes not so much.

A Few More. A couple more of my favorites from the 60 in 60 CLE.

  • JotNot. This iPhone app is like having a flatbed scanner in your pocket. Quickly convert paper to PDF files and then email to colleagues or upload to the service of your choice.
  • Reeder. My preferred RSS browsing app. The quick and clean interface lets you consume hundreds of your selected news articles in minutes.
  • LogMeIn Ignition. Pair this app with a free download to each of your computers and then travel in confidence knowing that all your Mac or PC files and applications are a tap away with this remote desktop client. I also like the file manager which allows transfer of confidential client files to your iPad from your work computer without using cloud services.
  • PlainText. A text editor for when you want to write. Save the formatting for when you are back at your desk and use apps like PlainText to write.
  • PhotoSync. Use this app to quickly move photos from one of your devices to another via wifi or bluetooth. Sync entire albums or just move a single picture from your phone to your iPad quickly and easily.

That’s it. Thanks to my co-presenters for another successful webcast!

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The Return of 60 Apps in 60 Minutes

By on October 19, 2011 in Apps, Lawyers Using iPad, Tips

About 10 days or so ago I had the pleasure of presenting another 60 Apps in 60 Minutes CLE webcast along with co-presenters Jeff Richardson of iPhone JD, Reid Trauts of Reid My Blog! and Tom Mighell of iPad4Lawyers. We took questions from webcast participants via email and jointly prepared responses. Those responses are below. Give them a look as you might find a tip or two for yourself.

The 60 apps in 60 minuts format is fun but jam-packed – almost too jam packed. Jeff, Tom and Reid each posted the full list of apps we discussed at their respective blogs. Rather than posting the same list, I decided to list just my favorites and share a few words about each focused on how to use the app better or how it might fit into your workflow. I’ll post that list in a couple days.

Answers to viewer questions:

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 and confidentiality 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 utility. 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. Jeff adds that, on the iPhone, the Apple iBooks is his favorite app for handling PDFs.

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.

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.  Josh uses the MORE/REAL Stylus cap 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. 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.

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.

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. Dictation is also built into iOS 5 but is only available on the iPhone 4S.

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 in our session 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 (and Josh agrees) that LogMeIn Ignition might be better for one reason: ease of configuration. With LogMeIn Ignition, 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 Ignition 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.

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.

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.

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 apps 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 apps 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 provides a shortcut feature like this but it is much more limited.

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 apps like Elements or PlainText do support TextExpander.

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Home Screen – TabletLegal

By on May 27, 2011 in Lawyers Using iPad

David Sparks (@macsparky) recently invited me to share my home screen over at his great blog, MacSparky, which was posted up today. I became aware of David’s work through he and Katie Floyd’s podcast, MacPowerUsers and have been a subscriber of both sites ever since. David is also a practicing lawyer so I find his perspective on workflows very relevant to the things I am thinking about and working on. If you don’t visit David’s work already, add him to your list!

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iPad 2 as Productivity Tool for Lawyers

By on May 10, 2011 in Lawyers Using iPad

Julio Ojeda-Zapata is a professional journalist and writer. He recently wrote the second installment of anongoing case study about using the iPad as a primary productivity tool while traveling. While Julio is not a lawyer, he discusses issues similar to what a mobile lawyer would face and concludes that the value of the iPad as a mobile productivity tool

has increased with the arrival of the iPad 2, which brings more power under the hood along with new capabilities that are relevant to those wanting to get real work done.

Julio doesn’t address Microsoft Word related issues in the depth most lawyers are probably interested in, but he does talk about how he tackles writing on the iPad.

(Via Minimal Mac)

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Lawyers Using iPads: David Sparks

By on March 25, 2011 in Lawyers Using iPad

One of the things I always find interesting is how different people put the iPad to work, especially in a legal practice. Today I’m very excited to share with you the iPad home screen of Mr. David Sparks, author of MacSparky and co-host of MacPowerUsers podcast. I understand that David has also been shaking off the dust over at MacSparky Screencasts with a soon to be released epic tour of the GTD program, OmniFocus. I asked David to give us a tour of his iPad home screen and talk a little bit about how he uses the iPad in his practice. David, take it away…

So about this iPad, I love it. It feels like technology from the future and I immediately incorporated it into my law practice.

Here is my home screen. On my iPad I keep the home screen with my “go to” apps. The second and third pages are a series of alphabetized folders with names like Reading, Calculators, Reference, and (of course) Games.

So here is a rundown of some of my favorite apps:

GoodReader

I was resistant to GoodReader at first. The UI felt clunky and (silly as it sounds) the icon looks terrible. However, they just keep making it faster, easier, and adding more features. I have folders for all of my active litigation and corporate matters. I annotate and bookmark documents on my computers or the iPad and move documents back and forth using Goodreader’s new syncing feature. Seamless.

Notesy

I have an ongoing fixation with text editors on my iPad. I am currently using this one because it is gorgeous, has great search features, and it syncs with my Simplenote folder on my Dropbox. I’ve got hundreds of text snippets I use in the practice and Simplenote/Dropbox/Notesy lets me share these between all my platforms: Mac OS X, Windows 7, and iOS.

iThoughtsHD

iThoughts is a great touch based mind mapping application. I use it all the time to organize thoughts before writing briefs and long letters. Best of all, it saves to OPML so you can use it with all sorts of other applications.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud based file system that lets you painlessly sync files between computing platforms. They have hooks to let iPad developers save and open files directly from your cloud storage and this is awesome. I think a Dropbox account should be mandatory for all iPad owners. I know some lawyers that run their whole file system off Dropbox.

There are a few applications that aren’t on my home screen but still useful to my legal practice.

PowerOne Financial Calculator

This is (in my opinion) the definitive financial calculator on the iPad. Also of interest to lawyers, it includes a date calculator so you can figure out exactly what 30 days from last Tuesday is.

Court Days Pro

Court Days Pro lets you set up rules for calculating calendar dates. Very useful.

LawBox

LawBox is a digital statute book that lets you purchase statutes from selected states.

Keynote

While iPad Keynote is not a replacement for the Mac Keynote (yet), it is still very useful in small groups. For big presentations, I still use the Mac. I like to use a remote to advance slides and looking down and swiping just doesn’t work for me.

Thanks for inviting me to TabletLegal Josh. I’m a big fan.

Thank you, David. I am looking forward to trading app stories with you at ABA Tech Show!

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Another Source for iPad Tips for Lawyers

By on March 22, 2011 in Lawyers Using iPad, Tips

One great resource for lawyer specific tips and chat regarding the iPad is the Macs in Law Office Google Group (MILO). MILO was started by Ben Stevens over at The Mac Lawyer and currently has over 2,900 members. Great way to get questions answered or hear about how others are using the iPad in their practice.

Don’t use a Mac in your practice? No problem. Consider setting up a filter in your mail client to sift out anything that doesn’t mention the iPad or select the option to only receive a digests of posts to the group. I’ll also try to share some of the tips I learn from the MILO forum here at TabletLegal from time to time.

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iPad in the Wild: Aaron Kelly

By on August 30, 2010 in Lawyers Using iPad

Great write up about how Akron Ohio solo attorney Aaron Kelly / Kelly Law Firm uses the iPad in his business, internet and bankruptcy, practice.

For me, the key selling point of the iPad is the device itself as it is lightweight (1.5 pounds), portable (fits inside briefcase pocket), easy to use (one button), and powerful.  I no longer have to carry my bulky laptop to court, as the iPad allows me to take my calendar, emails, and files with me.  For example, the other day while in Court I was able to take quick notes on the iPad and then immediately switch over to my calendar when the Judge asked for availability dates for hearings. No rummaging through your briefcase for pens and paper, or trying to decipher and transfer your handwritten notes.

Sound like Aaron and I have some favorite apps in common including GoodReader (iTunes Link) for file management and LogMeIn Ignition (iTunes link) for remote access. Aaron appears to use Pages (iTunes Link) for heavier word processing and Evernote (iTunes link) for note taking with clients. I don’t use either of these latter two apps heavily (though I do have both installed). The interesting piece to me is how there seems to be an app for everyone depending on your workflow. The best apps are the ones that work for you.

Best of luck to Aaron in his practice! How are you using the iPad in your practice. Drop me a line and let me know.

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iPad and Storytelling for Lawyers

By on February 7, 2010 in Lawyers Using iPad, Opinion

On his blog yesterday, marketing maven Seth Godin talks about his dream application for the iPad. He calls this talking pad “an interactive presentation tool for smart people.” He goes on to talk about a non-linear interface that would allow the “presenter” to jump around easily, access different types of media (documents, slides, web pages, video, audio) in presenting.

The iPad becomes a storytelling device and the presenter isn’t confined to a script. This is exactly what I had in mind a few days ago (though unsurprisingly, Seth’s description is much better) when I talked about being able to assemble and play “packages” of information on the iPad.

With an integrated file storage on board, I envision pdf, spreadsheets, photos, videos, text docs, presentation slides, etc. being assembled together into folders or containers of related information. I’d love to see a universal “player” application like QuickLook, perhaps with a CoverFlow style interface, to allow easy movement between, and display of, different file types.

The device gets out of the way and there is nothing between the presenter and the audience but the content and the story being told. In the legal context, I see lots of applications:

  • Advocate. Trials, arbitrations and mediations aren’t linear. Surprises happen. Good advocacy requires the ability to respond to surprises with arguments and evidence in context. With a tool like this, the lawyer can display the key elements of a case in a dynamic and flexible fashion: Play the 911 recording, display the key phrase from the document, run the security video, compare the competing marks, visibly calculate damages, etc. The lawyer becomes a storyteller.
  • Inform. Part of most any lawyer’s practice (certainly mine) involves explaining sometimes confusing (and dull) principles or consequences to clients and helping them make business decisions based on that information. Typical presentations often fail to aid client understanding because while the principles in these cases are often the same, the client’s needs and facts never are. A talking table would enable the lawyer to dynamically address client’s needs and questions in a visual and compelling way.
  • Market. When pitching to new clients, I’ve found nothing more genuine and meaningful than simply showing them how you work. Fill a marketing “package” with examples, highlights and comparable information so you can show and not simply tell a client how you will help them succeed or solve their problem.
  • Manage. I’m the leader of the business practice group at my firm. At our meetings, we cover a wide range of topics, big and small. I look forward to supplementing these meetings with a package of visual information corresponding to the content we cover: new cases, continuing education opportunities of interest, client materials, administrative notes, websites of interest and the like. At the end, I’d hope I can also zip the package into a pdf and e-mail it off to those interested in receiving the materials.

How could you use a visual storytelling device in your practice? Have ideas, go post them at the wiki that Seth set up about this conceptware and put your $.02 in. Maybe soon you’ll be holding it in your hands.

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