I'm still on the fence on whether and when to get an iPad (and if so, whether to get the original or the 3G version) and I expect that many of you are in the same boat. Thus, I'm always intrigued to read about how other lawyers are using an iPad to do things that they couldn't do with an iPhone.
Peter Summeril is a plaintiff's attorney in Utah with the firm Hasenyager & Summerill, and he also runs the website MacLitigator. Summeril recently tried a case against a public golf course after his client's golf cart flipped in an area he alleged was steep, improperly banked and leaf covered. The jury found the city 70% at fault and found damages to be $361,661. But what really interested me about the trial is that he used an iPad to run his openings and closings, display admitted documents and display deposition transcripts during cross-examination. As Summeril describes on his MacLitigator website, the iPad worked so well that his laptop "sat somewhat despondent at counsel’s table" only used once for a quick search during trial.
If you are an attorney trying to decide whether to get an iPad, or an iPad owner trying to decide how it can be used at trial, be sure to read Summeril's great post.
As much as I would like to believe it was the iPad that won the trial, I suspect he won the trial with evidence and his skills as an advocate. 🙂
This quote carried more weight with me than most of the rest of the post:
“Trial technology should be transparent. This means that it should not appear to the jury as (1) overly flashy; or, (2) a complete headache and a distraction to the attorney. Apple has created a product which facilitates presentation of evidence without getting in the way and does so in a completely unassuming fashion.
The iPad sits low and is the perfect size to place next to a legal pad or other notes while at the podium.”
This may sounds trivial but my Latitude XT Tablet PC has always been a distraction to many in the Courtroom especially whenever I swivel the screen and start writing on it. I know this sounds stupid but it’s gotten to the point that I’m self conscious about using it and whenever I can I lean towards using the iPhone. I much rather have a low profile (yet powerful) piece of technology so I think I know why Mr. Summeril leads his post with that piece of information.
I’ve been leaning away from the iPad but Mr. Summeril’s post is making me take a second look especially after I check out what Keynote and PDFtoKeynote are all about.
Thanks for your post.
We’ve recently upgraded all of iPhone apps for state laws to be Apple universal binaries. (so they work on either the iPhone or the iPad) http://iphoneappsbymike.blogspot.com