News, views and tips on litigation graphics, trial strategy and the law.

Upcoming Legal Tech Webinars: Tips for Attorneys to Use Databases & iPads for Litigation

February 27, 2024 by 1 Comment

iphone and ipadMorgan and I are hosting webinars on Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6, that we hope attorneys will find helpful for everyday practice and for trial.

The first is “Technology Tips for Using Databases to Understand, Develop and Control Your Case,” which I’m presenting for the Law Practice Management and Technology Section of the California State Bar. The other is “iPads and Trial Technology in Litigation and Trial Practice,” which Morgan is hosting here at Cogent Legal to launch a new series of webinars we’ll do in-house. Both are eligible for MCLE credit, and both will be archived and available to view afterward if you cannot make the date of the live presentations. This post will give you the info and links to register. [Read more...]

How to Use Your iPhone to Connect Your iPad for Wireless Presentations

January 29, 2024 by 1 Comment

iphone and ipadI recently discovered another way to easily set up your iPad for wireless presentation display. I’ve written before about how to set up a wireless display for an iPad, which describes how you must have a special WiFi device to make it all work (see prior post). Now I’d like to tell you about another way to create the WiFi connection and allow your iPad to have Internet access during a presentation.

Being able to make a presentation wirelessly is handy for use in court, in meeting rooms—really, anytime you want to use your iPad to present to an audience. Wireless presentation is better than hard-wiring because it allows you to walk around without being tied down and looks cleaner and more impressive. Also, the benefit of the system described below is that by using your iPhone, you eliminate the need for additional equipment. [Read more...]

How Tech and Outsourcing Are Altering the Legal Profession

September 27, 2023 by 2 Comments

USdistrictOregonA week ago, I was invited to Portland, Oregon, to present at the Federal District of Oregon Conference on “Innovations in Law: Science and Technology.” The conference explored the intersection of law and technology from many different angles. It utilized the Ignite method of presentation that involves each participant having six minutes and 20 slides, which are set on an automatic pace. The idea of the format is to “ignite” the audience on a subject. This meant that participants had to develop a very short presentation on their use of technology in the law, and time it well to a series of slides.

One overarching theme that came through strongly was that people are looking for better ways to interact with lawyers and technology, and one of the most interesting topics was the massive shift in our economy away from the law firm model, which apparently peaked in revenue in approximately 2004. While I was aware of this generally, I was not aware in detail of the explosive growth of non-traditional law and law support services, often centered around technology. In essence, a great deal of traditional law firm work is now being done by outside contractors, which is profoundly altering the legal profession. [Read more...]

iPhones and iPads, the Undisputed New Champions at Law Firms

November 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I remember distinctly the day I got my first-generation iPhone in 2007. I was the first in my law office to get one, and when I figured out how the phone’s email system worked with our internal system, then I realized I could have my assistant send documents to me so I could review them on the phone and forward them to others. The iPhone quickly became an indispensable part of my legal practice.

I thought of how my relationship to this device has evolved and strengthened over the five-year period while reading a recent post on iPhoneJD.com, “AmLaw 2012 Survey Shows Strong iPhone, iPad Support at the Most Profitable Law Firms.” It reported on the AmLaw study finding that in 2008 only 5% of the most profitable firms in the US supported the iPhone, which increased to 99% in 2012. This is a remarkable sea change in the legal field where Blackberrys (aka Crackberrys) had almost 100% of the market prior to 2007 in larger firms. [Read more...]

Why You Should Join the Growing Number of Attorneys Using iPads

July 24, 2023 by 7 Comments

I’ve been giving a number of presentations at law firms on the use of iPads for attorneys, with a focus on new apps for the courtroom and mediation. I generally start the presentation by asking how many attorneys own an iPad, with about one-third saying they do. Of that group, many say it’s mostly used by their kids for games, and they have not really started using it much for work. Part of the issue, say the attorneys, is that the IT people in their offices say either that an iPad cannot be supported by their network, or more simply (and perhaps honestly) that the IT people don’t really know how to support the iPad.

With this background, I found the comprehensive study released by the ABA on attorneys’ use of technology very interesting. Kevin O’Keefe summarized the study done by Jeff Richardson as follows:

  • In 2012, 33% of all attorneys report using a tablet for law-related tasks (more than double the 15% in 2011)
  • 91% of the 33%, or 30% of all attorneys, are using an iPad [Read more...]