From time to time, attorneys who read iPhone J.D. write to tell me
how they are using
their iPhone or iPad in their practice. I love to read these stories,
and with permission I like to share them here on iPhone J.D. I recently heard from K. Lindsay Rakers, a personal injury attorney with Hefner, Eberspacher & Tapella who practices in Missouri and Illinois. She tells me that she frequently finds herself traveling to meet with injured clients, potential clients and fact and expert witnesses, and with her iPad and iPhone she has everything that she needs without having to lug around a computer. She currently uses an iPhone 4 (and plans to upgrade to an iPhone 5 in the future) and the third generation iPad.
I asked Lindsay to share with iPhone J.D. readers the most useful apps on her iPhone and iPad. Here is what she told me:
-
Twitter/LinkedIn/Avvo – These apps allow me to connect with and keep in touch with other attorneys across the nation and also allows me to stay on top of personal injury news.
- Mr. Reader – The app allows you to select different RSS feeds relating to the topic areas you are interested in. When I have extra time, I can read the news clips and create my own original blogs.
- Dragon Dictation – I don’t always dictate but if I am on the road or away from my computer, I can easily dictate a letter or memo with this app, from my iPhone or iPad, and email it to my assistant.
- Scanner Pro – This app uses the camera feature to take a picture of a document and then save it as a PDF, just as if you had scanned it with a desktop scanner. [Jeff adds: here is my review.]
- Dropbox – I store many files in Dropbox so that I do not have to carry my computer everywhere or remember to put files on a flash drive.
- PDF Expert – This app allows me to move PDFs from Dropbox or other applications and highlight, sign or otherwise mark up the PDF document and then save or email it. [Jeff adds: here is my review.]
- Note Taker HD – There are several note taking apps out there but I think this one looks the best and is the most user friendly. [Jeff adds: I reviewed this app in 2011, but it has since been updated with a new interface. My current favorite app for taking notes is GoodNotes, but Note Taker HD is also an excellent app.]
- Google Earth – Because I represent a lot of car accident victims, having access to a 3D map has proven to be very useful when meeting with clients and experts.
- TrialPad – This app allows me to display evidence to a jury or other audience. It can work wirelessly with a TV or projector and is very user-friendly.
I asked Lindsay if she has tried using an Airport Express in a courtroom to create her own wireless network to use for TrialPad — the setup that California attorney David Sparks described in this post that I discussed this past Friday. She has not; she tells me that so far she has simply relied on the WiFi available in the courtroom, and that has worked well for her (although she emphasizes that she practiced first).
Thanks for sharing with us, Lindsay!
If you are willing to share your experiences using an iPhone or iPad in your law practice with other iPhone J.D. readers, I'd love to hear from you! And in case you missed them, here are the reports that I previously shared from other attorneys:
- Zane Cagle: 1/1/12
- Megan Erickson: 5/11/11
- Tom Freeland: 7/13/10
- Cliff Maier: 12/22/08
- Alfred Saikali: 5/4/11
- Mike Schneider: 4/28/09
- Clark Stewart: 7/22/10
