I received an email this week from Hon. Joseph C. Adams, a judge in York County, Pennsylvania, telling me about a fantastic CLE that took place on October 13, 2016 sponsored by the York County Bar Association. The first part of the hour was a mock trial that takes place in the Star Wars universe in which the Empire was prosecuting Han Solo for first degree murder: shooting Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina with a concealed blaster. Evan Kline acted as the prosecutor, and he used Keynote on both a Mac and an iPad. Edward Paskey represented Han Solo, and he used TrialPad on an iPad. The mock trial was very impressive and utilized many trial technology tactics that could be used in almost any kind of litigation. And if you are a Star Wars fan (like I am), there were lots of great jokes and references.
In the second part of the hour, Kline, Paskey and Judge Adams went behind-the-scenes to explain how the iPad (and Mac) were used to create the demonstrative exhibits and display them (and even annotate them) using Keynote and TrialPad along with an Apple TV.
Judge Adams posted on YouTube a video of the presentation, and the judge did a great job creating a video in which it is easy to see the slides. I seriously doubt that you can get CLE credit for watching YouTube, but I can tell you that if you watch this presentation, you will learn lots of great tips for using an iPad as a presentation tool. I really enjoyed watching it.
Here is a link to the video, and I’ve also embedded the video below. A big thumbs up to Kline, Paskey and Judge Adams for doing such a great job.
[UPDATE: As noted in a comment to this post by New Jersey attorney Victor Medina and in a tweet by Evan Kline, this presentation was based on an earlier presentation by Illinois attorney Mark Metzger at the 2015 MILOfest conference (which is now called MacTrackLegal). I’m glad to hear that Metzger was nice enough to give permission for someone else to use his original idea because I myself would love to give a presentation like this one day. Metzger: we’ll talk!]
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This article won the LitigationWorld Pick of the Week award on December 7, 2016. The editors of LitigationWorld, a free weekly email newsletter for litigators and others who work in litigation, give this award to one article every week that they feel is a must-read for this audience.
Thank you to Lit Software for sponsoring iPhone J.D. this month. This company produces three of the very best iPad apps designed for attorneys: TrialPad, TranscriptPad and DocReviewPad. TrialPad was first released in 2010 — the same year that the iPad itself debuted — and has seen numerous major updates over the years. Earlier this year, I reviewed TrialPad version 4.5. The app has since been updated to version 4.6, which adds a new bookmarks feature. This feature was a direct result of lawyer feedback, and lets you have multiple custom-named bookmarks to make it quick and easy to jump around within a document to specific pages of a document. Click here to see a short video of how the feature works. If you want to present evidence to a jury, judge, or other audience, the app gives you powerful tools for displaying and annotating documents, including the Callout tool that most jurors expect to see nowadays.
In my own litigation practice, I spend a lot of time working with deposition transcripts, such as preparing for a motion for summary judgment. Thus, TranscriptPad is the Lit Software app that I use the most. My last major review of the app was in November of 2014, and that review still gives you a solid overview of what the app can do. But the app has had many updates since then and is now even more powerful. Indeed, I hear that another update is planned before the end of the year Whether I am drafting a motion, or I am in a subsequent deposition and I want to quickly see all of the relevant testimony on a subject during prior depositions, TranscriptPad does exactly what I need. On several occasions, other attorneys have watched me use TranscriptPad and then remarked that they need to get an iPad. When an app is so useful that it is a reason for attorneys to buy an iPad, you know it is a good app.
DocReviewApp is the newest app from Lit Software, and I reviewed it in October of 2015. This is an app that you can use to review and annotate documents on your iPad, so this app is especially useful during the request for production of documents process. Just a few days ago, the company released version 1.5 of the app. This update adds the ability to add notes to each page (as opposed to just the whole document). These notes, like tags and issue codes, appear in beautifully formatted reports. Also, you can choose to include the notes when you export. For example, if you have notes on page 4 and 6 of a 10 page document, DocReviewPad will export a 12 page document with all your notes from page 4 on the fifth page, and your notes from page 6 on the seventh page. [UPDATE 12/1/16: In response to a question raised by an iPhone J.D. reader, Ian O’Flaherty, the head of Lit Software, gives more details on the new features in a comment to this post. So be sure to read the comments if you want more info. Thanks, Ian!]
All of Lit Software’s apps are already feature-rich, but the frequent updates mean that the apps continue to get even more powerful. Indeed, the company is always looking for good ideas for improving the apps, and encourages attorneys to send emails to support@litsoftware.com with any ideas that you have for useful additional features.
Thanks to Lit Software for sponsoring iPhone J.D. this month, and more importantly, a big thank you to Lit Software for creating software that allows us to use our iPads to be better attorneys.
[UPDATE: Lit Software is having a Cyber Monday sale today. If you get the Ultimate Litigation Package, which gives you all three apps, you pay $249.99, a savings of $60 compared to buying each app individually.]
When I walked into my office building yesterday morning, I was a little surprised to see that the halls had been fully decked. Garland with twinkling lights hung from the ceiling of the main corridor of the building, and red bows and decorated Christmas trees were everywhere. I’m sure that I am not alone in thinking that it just seems weird to see Christmas decorations before we have even had Thanksgiving.
If you feel the same way, then stop reading now, and come back to iPhone J.D. on Friday to read the rest of this post. And speaking of Black Friday, Apple has just announced that it will be having a sale that day; click here for more details.
For those of you who are ready to think about the most wonderful time of the year even before you eat your turkey and stuffing, then read on. Today’s post is about Apple’s Holiday commercials, because yesterday Apple released its new 2016 spot.
Before talking about the new ad, let’s talk briefly about the commercials that ran in the past. One of my favorites is the one called “Misunderstood” that run in 2013. Like many of Apple’s best ads, it tells a story, includes a twist, and brings a tear to your eye:
For a good collection of Apple ads from the past 30 years, you can look at this compilation video:
I love the Christmas-themed “I’m a Mac / I’m a PC” ads that appear around the 3:30 mark in the above video.
With that history providing some context, here is Apple’s ad for 2016. Like the other recent spots done by Apple, it doesn’t sell any particular Apple product (although there is an iPhone used) but instead the ad promotes the spirit of the holidays. But unlike prior years, this one features a character who I don’t think anyone associates with the Christmas holiday season. I won’t say more until you watch it so as to not ruin the surprise:
When I first saw this ad, called “Frankie’s Holiday,” I thought it was pretty bizarre. But the more that I think about it, the more I like it. It is certainly a memorable commercial, and it reminds me of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. And like the other great Apple holiday ads, it tells a story, includes a twist, and brings a tear to your eye.
What do you want first, the bad news or the good news? We’ll start with the bad news. Neal Boudette of the New York Times reports that last year saw the largest annual percentage increase in highway fatalities in 50 years, and 2016 looks to be even worse. A big cause of this statistic is folks looking at an iPhone and other mobile device when they should be driving. Let’s all be careful out there. The good news is that, unlike last week, there were lots of interesting iOS-related stories in the news this week. So let’s get started.
Legal technology consultant Brett Burney reviews PDFpen Scan+ as a way to take a PDF file that is already on your iPhone or iPad and then OCR it so that you can select text. I love using the GoodReader app to highlight words and sentences in a document, but that feature requires that the document be OCR’d. PDFpen Scan+ is a good app to accomplish that task.
Dan DeSilva of 9to5Mac describes a new feature in the Amazon app that I myself used last night. It is called the X-Ray feature. The idea is that if you have one or more Amazon boxes and you are not sure what is in the box, you use the app to scan the shipping label and the app shows you a picture of what you ordered. For example, if you have a bunch of Amazon boxes with Christmas presents in them and you want to make sure that you are opening the right one, this app makes it easy. It’s a simple trick but useful, and it was smart of Amazon to add this feature to their app.
One of the newest trends in hacking is for hackers to take over not your computer, but instead your devices in your home. Equipment such as security cameras which have tiny computers inside and can access the Internet can be hijacked by hackers to take part on massive distributed denial of service (DDos) attacks, and this very thing happened earlier this month. Dave Hamilton of The Mac Observer reports that devices which use Apple’s HomeKit can be far safer because of Apple’s strict security requirements for HomeKit (which, for example, prevents a hacker from sitting outside of your house and turning off or on your lights, air conditioning, etc.) But if those same devices have other holes outside of HomeKit, then you may not be completely safe. It’s a potentially big problem that device manufacturers need to be looking at.
Apple announced earlier this year that it was going to start to remove from the App Store older apps that had not been updated to work with current iPhones and iPads. Sarah Perez of TechCrunch reports that Apple has now started to do this, and 47,300 apps were removed last month.
Jason Snell of Six Colors reports on an update to the Google Photos app that lets you use the app to create a digital version of an old photograph. The app detects edges, straightens the image, rotates it to the correct orientation, and removes glare. Unfortunately, Snell reports that the quality is just OK, and not as good as what you can get with a flatbed scanner. But the app is free, and it is quick and easy to use.
Apple released a coffee table book this week called Designed by Apple in California which includes big, beautiful images of Apple products such as the iPhone created over the last 20 years. Like many art books of this genre, the book isn’t cheap; there is a $200 version, and a larger $300 version. Tony Chambers of Wallpaper interviewed Jonathan Ive, Apple’s Chief Design Officer, to discuss the book. Here are images of the book showing off the original iPhone and an Apple Watch:
Serenity Caldwell wrote an article for The Wirecutter identifying the best styluses for an iPad or other touchscreen device. Of course, if you have an iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil is by far the best option. But if you have another device, Caldwell has some other good picks.
Speaking of Apple saving you some money, Rene Ritchie of iMore reports that Apple is cutting the price of USB-C adapters now that the new MacBook Pro only uses USB-C. If you use a 12.9″ iPad Pro, this is nice because you can now save $6 on a USB-C to Lightning Cord (now $19 for 1m or $29 for 2m). Apple’s 29W USB-C power adapter itself is not discounted, so it will still cost you $49. As I explained in this post earlier this year, the combination of a 29W USB-C power adapter plus a Lightning to USB-C cord is the fastest way to charge a 12.9″ iPad Pro.
And finally, I normally only showcase interesting Apple commercials for iOS-related devices, but Apple released a really good commercial for the MacBook Pro yesterday called “Bulbs,” and it does have a minor connection to the iPhone. The commercial shows innovative ideas throughout the ages, and of course the iPhone is one of the good ideas shown (albeit briefly). The video is fast-paced and fun, and every time I watch it, I see something new:
On November 17, 2008, I started iPhone J.D. and published my first post, explaining why I found the iPhone a valuable tool in my law practice. That makes iPhone J.D. eight years old today. The iPhone has changed substantially in eight years, but today’s iPhone 7 is still unmistakably a descendant of the original iPhone released in 2007. And now, we have so many more iPhone-related devices, such as the iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and — hopefully any day now — the new AirPods. As the iPhone universe has grown, its appeal to attorneys has increased as well. As I reported just a few weeks ago, a record number of attorneys are now using an iPhone: about 68% of all attorneys in the United States.
Over the past eight years, I’ve written almost 1,500 posts on iPhone J.D., including reviews of over 300 apps, reviews of every major iOS device released by Apple (from the iPhone 3GS to the new iPhone 7 and all models of the iPad) and reviews of over 100 accessories. I’ve also tried to provide lots of tips and tricks for getting the most out of your iPhone and iPad, and discussed all of the tech news that I think that you might want to know about if you use an iPhone or iPad. If you haven’t checked out the iPhone J.D. Index recently, click the “Index to Prior Posts” link at the top of any page to get there. The index will direct you to lots of posts that are as useful today as they were when they were written, although there are others with only historical significance.
By far the best part of publishing iPhone J.D. has been the great feedback from readers like you. I’ve learned so much from talking to and reading notes from readers, and many of those interactions result in posts. Please keep the feedback coming!
As more and more attorneys use iPhones and iPads, site traffic has grown every year. I remember that at the end of the first year, I was amazed to see over 300,000 page views. The current count is over 7.5 million page views in eight years.
Popular posts this year. Every year on the birthday of iPhone J.D. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), I find it interesting to look back and see which posts over the prior 12 months were the most popular. The fact that these posts were so popular might reveal something about the topics that iPhone and iPad owners have been thinking about lately. Here, in order, are the top ten most viewed posts published in the last 12 months:
Review: iPad Pro — the largest iPad ever, with support for Apple Pencil. It comes as no surprise to me that this was the #1 post over the past year. The iPad Pro is a perfect tablet for attorneys. It is super fast and responsive. The Apple Pencil makes it easy to highlight and annotate exhibits, cases, Word documents, etc. And if you can learn to live with the hassle of carrying a larger device, the huge screen on the 12.9″ model is fantastic for lawyers working with documents. (And if you cannot get used to that size, there is still the 9.7″ model of the iPad Pro.) The iPad is such an amazing device for lawyers that you could make an argument that this website should be called iPadJD.com.
Review: Fisher Chrome Clip — clip that works on Apple Pencil. Support for the Apple Pencil is one of my favorite features of the iPad Pro, and I am constantly talking to other attorneys who feel the same way. Thus, there were quite a few posts in the Top 10 this year that concern the Pencil. I’ve been using this inexpensive clip on my Apple Pencil nonstop since I wrote this review, and I can’t imagine not having a clip on my Apple Pencil.
Review: L/XL Sport Band — Apple Watch band for larger wrists. I am seeing more and more people wearing an Apple Watch, and it reminds me of the early years of the iPhone when I slowly but surely started to see more and more attorneys using that device. I love that it is so easy to swap bands on an Apple Watch. The XL size of the Sport Band that I reviewed last December is still one of my favorite bands for my Apple Watch.
Review: Apple Pencil Magnet by Moxiware — attach your Apple Pencil to your iPad Pro (guest review by Darrell Phillips). For the first time ever, a guest post on iPhone J.D. made the Top 10 list. I hope that this happens every year going forward. I love hearing about apps and accessories that other lawyers find useful. If you ever find that there is something that you especially enjoy using on or with your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, I encourage you to reach out to me about writing a guest post.
Review: Apple’s 29W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C to Lightning Cable — fast charging for 12.9″ iPad Pro. This one almost counts as two posts. When I first wrote the post in March of this year, it got a decent amount of attention because using the USB-C power adapter is a great way to charge a 12.9″ iPad Pro more quickly. But then just a few weeks ago, Apple released its new MacBook Pro, a laptop computer that only has USB-C ports on it. As a result, lots of people searched for posts about a USB-C to Lightning Cable that could be used to connect an iPhone or iPad to a new MacBook Pro, and thus once again this became a popular post. As a result of this post becoming popular twice in one year, it ranks as #5 on this year’s list.
Review: Scanner Pro 7 by Readdle — the best way to scan documents using an iPhone. There were only two iOS apps that made the Top 10 list this year, and they come it at #7 and #8 on the list. Scanner Pro has been around for a long time, and Readdle is a fantastic developer. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Scanner Pro 7 is a really fantastic app. I love that I can use the powerful Scanner Pro app and the impressive camera on my iPhone 7 to take really nice scans of documents without having to locate a full-size scanner. The quality is not quite as good as what you can get with a full-size scanner, but for most tasks it is more than good enough.
Word for iOS updates — Draw on an iPad, contextual commands on an iPhone. Microsoft Word is one of the most useful apps on my iPhone and iPad. I use it almost every single day. In this post, I talked about this incredibly useful app being updated to support the Apple Pencil that so many of us love so much — a great combination of software and hardware.
Create a PDF of an email on an iPhone 6s. This is another example of a post that describes a simple tip, but simple doesn’t mean inconsequential; I still use this tip regularly to make PDF versions of emails and other documents.
Review: Field Muzetto by WaterField Designs — messenger bag for iPad Pro. After many years of the iPad staying the same size, Apple finally released a larger iPad when it introduced the 12.9″ iPad Pro last year. That meant that many long-time iPad users had to buy new iPad accessories, such as cases and bags. The Field Muzetto is a really nice device, but I ended up preferring the Tom Bihn Ristretto, and I still use the Ristretto every single day.
Visitors to iPhone J.D. Ever year, I use this post to share some information on iPhone J.D. visitors, to the extent that I can figure it out using the tools at my disposal. Don’t worry, I’m not spying on you … although who knows what the NSA or FBI might be doing. But I can use Google Analytics to get some basic information on iPhone J.D. readers.
During the past 12 months, a record 60% of readers visited iPhone J.D from an iOS device, which includes about 18% from an iPad and about 42% from an iPhone. About 22% used Windows, which is what I use in my law office. About 12% used a Mac, which is what I use at home. Almost all of the other visitors (about 4.8%) used Android, which is higher than you might have expected given the nature of this website, but remember that (1) every year lots of folks switch from Android to iOS, and (2) some of the third party accessories that I have reviewed can also be used with an Android device, and even some iOS apps have a version available for Android. So everyone is welcome here, even those using Android.
About 62% of iPhone J.D. visitors are in the U.S., but the site also gets a huge number of visitors from the U.K., Canada and Australia. Looking at the cities of iPhone J.D. readers, New York has been #1 every single year except for last year, when there were a few hundred more visitors from London. New York is back on top again this year:
New York
London
Los Angeles
Chicago
Sydney
Houston
Melbourne
Dallas
Washington, D.C.
San Francisco
Dallas appears on the list for the first time since 2012. Toronto was on the list last year, but this year was just barely squeezed out by San Francisco. New Orleans, where I live and practice law, hasn’t been in the top ten since this website’s second birthday, but this year proudly sits at the #25 spot, right above Calgary. (Come to think of it it, it’s not often that you see New Orleans and Calgary mentioned in the same sentence.)
Most importantly as I start the ninth year of iPhone J.D., thanks to all of you for reading and offering comments and encouragement along the way. I look forward to another year of writing about the world of iOS hardware and software that is of interest to attorneys, and I hope to hear from many of you during the coming year.
I wear my Apple Watch every day, so it is nice to have different watch bands for different occasions. I bought my first Apple Watch with a leather band, but I rarely wear that one anymore because I far prefer wearing the Milanese Loop during the day — a band that looks great and feels really good. (My review.) At night, when working out, and on the weekends, I like wearing a Sport Band, especially once the larger XL size came out. (My review.) In March of 2016, Apple introduced a new band called the Woven Nylon band. It costs the same as the Sport Band ($49.00) and those two are the least expensive watch bands sold by Apple. I’ve been curious about the Nylon Band for many months now, and my family bought me one for my birthday earlier this month. I’ve now been wearing it almost every day for over a week to put it through its paces. I like this band a lot because it is so comfortable. I had expected to find that this band is even better than the Sport Band for exercising, but I actually found just the opposite. Here are my thoughts on this band.
The look
Apple describes the Woven Nylon band as follows: “Every Woven Nylon band is made from more than 500 threads woven together in a unique, colorful pattern. Monofilaments connect four layers of the weave to create a single durable band with a comfortable, fabric-like feel.” The buckle is made of stainless steel.
The band has a wavy weave pattern. It currently comes in seven color combinations. For five of them, the first listed color is the accent, and the second listed color is the main color: Light Pink/Midnight Blue, Yellow/Light Gray, Space Orange/Anthracite, Toasted Coffee/Caramel, Navy/Tahoe. (These colors were all added by Apple in September of 2016.) Apple also continues to sell the Woven Nylon in Pearl, Blue and Black. Because Apple changes those colors from time to time, you are reading this post in 2017 or later, I suspect that the available colors will have changed. I have the Navy/Tahoe Blue Model, and it looks like this:
Here is a closer view, which allows you to better see the weave. (As always, you can click on a picture to see a larger version.)
I think that the Woven Nylon band looks nice. None of the colors have that super-bright look that some of the Sport Band colors do, which makes this band somewhat less casual than the Sport Band. Having said that, my personal opinion is that Woven Nylon band is still a little too casual for work. My law firm has an office casual dress code, so I usually only wear a suit when I am going to court, visiting clients, etc. I wore my Woven Nylon band on six days when I wasn’t wearing a suit and instead wore just a long-sleeve button-down shirt with slacks, I often felt that the Woven Nylon band was just a little too casual — close, but not quite there. And for the one day last week that I wore a suit, I switched to the Milanese Loop because I just couldn’t imagine wearing this band with a coat and tie.
But of course, fashion works in different ways for different people, so maybe this look is formal enough for you. I do occasionally see attorneys wearing a stripped NATO-style nylon watch band with traditional watches, so I suppose this look can work for some people. Also, I have seen some people online claim that the Black version of the Woven Nylon band looks more formal. Perhaps that one would look more appropriate with more formal clothes, but I’m not sure.
The feel
I expected the band to feel like a piece of cloth. It doesn’t. It’s thicker and stiffer than that, although perhaps the stiffness will wear off after a few months of use.
Even so, it is incredibly comfortable to wear, and it is arguably the most comfortable band that Apple makes. It feels really good against my skin. It is also very light. If you are a looking for a band that you barely notice when wearing it, I think that this is the best one that Apple offers.
Length
Apple says that the 42mm version of the Woven Nylon band that I have fits 145-215mm wrists. (For 38mm watches, the Woven Nylon band fits wrists 125-195mm.) The Woven Nylon band is just a tiny bit longer than the L size of the Sport Band which is made for wrists up to 210mm, and not nearly as long as the XL size which is made for wrists up to 245mm. In this picture, the black band at top is the XL size Sport Band, the bright blue band is the L size Sport Band, then you see the Woven Nylon band, and finally you see the white M size Sport Band.
As you can see, the holes on the Woven Nylon band extend just a tiny bit farther than the L size Sport Band, but not much. I have a larger wrist; using a measuring tape from my wife’s sewing kit, I measure it right at 210mm. When I wear a L size Sport Band, I use the very last hole. (That’s why I prefer the XL size Sport Band, as I explained in this post.) But with the Woven Nylon band, I can use the second-to-last hole for the same fit.
Using one of the last holes on the Woven Nylon band is much better than the using one of the last holes on a Sport Band because with very little of the band left over to tuck using the pin-and-tuck enclosure of the Sport Band, that band can pop open, especially if you accidentally pull it or if it gets caught on something. The Woven Nylon band uses a buckle, and while I don’t like that so little of the band is left over to tuck when I use the second-to-last hole, it is definitely secure and I have zero concern that it will disconnect and cause my watch will fall off of my wrist. Having said that, if there was an XL version of the Woven Nylon band, I would definitely prefer it.
Exercise
If you are like me, you aim to get your 30 minutes worth of green exercise circles on your Apple Watch every day. When you work out, you are going to sweat. I find that the Sport Band works great for exercise, but I thought that the Woven Nylon band might be even better because I had read some reviews in which folks praised the Woven Nylon band for breathing more when you sweat.
I have never had a problem with the Sport Band when exercising. Sweat has never caused it to feel itchy or anything. But with the Woven Nylon band, I find that there are two minor annoyances when I work out.
First, for the first five minutes or so of a workout, I find that it slips up my arm a little. Once I start to sweat enough, the band stays in place and this is no longer a problem. But it is a tiny bit annoying for the watch to move. Also, I wonder if that movement affects the accuracy of the readings by the sensors on the bottom.
Second, after I finish working out, I notice that the Woven Nylon band has absorbed sweat, which makes it a little damp. Indeed, the band is water resistant so it is okay for it to get wet, but if you go swimming with it or get caught in a big rainstorm, it is going to take a while to dry. With a Sport Band, you can just wipe off the water with a towel and then it is dry.
So maybe the Woven Nylon band breathes more than the Sport Band. And if you find that the Sport Band makes you uncomfortable or itchy when you work out (a complaint I have heard some make before), then perhaps the Woven Nylon band might work better for you. But my preference is to use the Sport Band when I am perspiring.
Conclusion
I expected this to be a great band for exercise, and that didn’t turn out to be true for me. I prefer the Sport Band for exercise, and the Sport Band also seems to make the most sense if you are going to get wet. And because I consider the Woven Nylon band to be somewhat casual, now that this post is written and my testing period is over, I am going to return to wearing my Milanese Loop for work every day — especially when I am wearing a suit. But for weekends and other times when I want to wear a more casual and incredibly comfortable watch band, the Woven Nylon band is fantastic. I really like this band, and if you use an Apple Watch and don’t currently have a Woven Nylon band, I encourage you to check it out. At only $50, it isn’t too expensive to get as a second band for your Apple Watch, and that is a good price for someone to give it to you as a gift (how I got mine) or for you to give one to the Apple Watch wearer in your life.
Last week, I shared a story from Austin appellate attorney Todd Smith about how he uses an iPad for appellate arguments. One of the responses that I received was from Scott Bassett, a family law appellate attorney in Michigan. Scott has practiced law for 35 years, and during that time has briefed and argued many appeals. He has also taught at three law schools: Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, FL, the University of Michigan Law School, and Wayne State University Law School in Detroit.
Scott uses Windows in his law practice (as do I) and Scott’s first Apple device was the iPad 2 in 2011. He has since upgraded to a refurbished 4th gen iPad with Verizon 3, and he often uses it as a second screen for his Microsoft Surface Book using the Duet Display app. Although Scott had been a long-time Android user, a few weeks ago he bought his first iPhone, an iPhone 7 Plus.
Scott reached out to share with me and iPhone J.D. readers how he is using his iPad in his appellate practice:
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I also use an iPad to prepare for and deliver appeal oral arguments. But not exclusively. I will explain that below.
When I use my iPad for oral argument, I use the Oral Argument app by TabLit Apps. You reviewed it on June 14, 2012. You were underwhelmed. I actually like the app, but would not do any of the prep work and editing on the iPad itself. Instead, I get all of my notes, arguments, and pop-up boxes into the app by syncing it from the browser interface on my PC. I am not sure if that feature was available when you reviewed the app four years ago.
[UPDATE 11/15/16 from Jeff: The Oral Argument app is no longer available in the App Store. The developer tells me that the app was pulled because it was never updated for iOS 10 and therefore is not 100% functional. But the developer is considering an update to the app, so perhaps the app will return in the future.]
Using the browser interface (I go to the Oral Argument web site and log in with my account credentials), I can quickly copy and paste case law quotes, statutes, notes, and arguments from my briefs directly into the app. When I am done, I open the app on my iPad and click the sync button. My entire argument from the web interface is then available on my iPad. I also have the briefs and other key documents loaded into the iAnnotate app on my iPad for quick tab-based access. I have always preferred iAnnotate to GoodReader and other PDF reader/annotation apps on the iPad.
I have also experimented with two other devices for use at the podium during appeal arguments. They are the Sony Digital Paper (think giant Kindle) and the detached screen of my Microsoft Surface Book laptop. Both provide larger displays than my 4th generation iPad. But neither has an app equivalent to Oral Argument. On the Surface Book, I use the very decent DrawBoard PDF app. It also offers a tabbed interface to access all open PDFs. There is a full range of annotation options that work with the very good Surface Pen (which is equivalent to the iPad Pro’s Pencil).
The Sony Digital Paper can pre-load multiple PDFs with a tab-based interface for relatively quick access. Because it is a e-ink screen, it is not particularly fast to respond to page turn commands or switching between documents. Slow screen refresh is its primary flaw for use “live” at the podium. I have done it, but the slow page refresh rate causes some additional anxiety. However, for reading large volumes of transcripts and trial court file materials away from court, there is no better device. No backlighting, therefore little or no eyestrain.
Each of these three devices has advantages and disadvantages for use at appeal arguments. I am not sure which I prefer, but perhaps I “voted with my feet” by using the iPad with the Oral Argument app at my last two appeal arguments. I may try to borrow the larger iPad Pro from someone and give it a try. It may have the right combination of features to be a long-term solution.
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Thanks for sharing, Scott! Although we both use our iPads for appellate arguments, we do so in very different ways. You should consider upgrading your 4th generation iPad to a new iPad Pro, which is much more powerful. Given your experience with other large tablet devices, I think that you would make good use of the 12.9″ model, which is what I use. I think you would also like using an Apple Pencil, since you already enjoy using the Surface Pro pen.
If any of you are willing to share your own experiences using an iPhone or iPad in your law practice with other iPhone J.D. readers, I’d love to hear from you. And no, you don’t have to be an appellate attorney! In case you missed any of them, here are stories that I previously shared from other attorneys:
There were some minor iPhone-related stories in the news this week, but frankly nothing of real consequence worth linking to today. We all know why. The U.S. presidential election dominated the news this week, and I know that many folks are still trying to come to terms with the surprising result as they work through the stages towards acceptance.
One of the people to try to get us there is Apple CEO Tim Cook. Only a few months ago, Donald Trump was calling for a boycott of Apple because of the company’s position on privacy, and Trump accused Cook of “looking to do a big number, probably to show how liberal he is.” And as the first openly-gay CEO on the Fortune 500 list, Cook is likely one of many who are worried about Mike Pence’s long-time opposition to gay rights and his arguments for public funding of conversion therapy. Considering how deeply personal this must be for Cook, I was even more impressed by the letter that he sent to Apple employees on Wednesday evening. Technology reporter John Paczkowski of BuzzFeed published a copy of the letter, and I’ve pasted it below. It is well-written and offers good advice.
Team,
I’ve heard from many of you today about the presidential election. In a political contest where the candidates were so different and each received a similar number of popular votes, it’s inevitable that the aftermath leaves many of you with strong feelings.
We have a very diverse team of employees, including supporters of each of the candidates. Regardless of which candidate each of us supported as individuals, the only way to move forward is to move forward together. I recall something Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said 50 years ago: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” This advice is timeless, and a reminder that we only do great work and improve the world by moving forward.
While there is discussion today about uncertainties ahead, you can be confident that Apple’s North Star hasn’t changed. Our products connect people everywhere, and they provide the tools for our customers to do great things to improve their lives and the world at large. Our company is open to all, and we celebrate the diversity of our team here in the United States and around the world — regardless of what they look like, where they come from, how they worship or who they love.
I’ve always looked at Apple as one big family and I encourage you to reach out to your co-workers if they are feeling anxious.
I love to share stories on iPhone J.D. about how attorneys use an iPhone or iPad in their law practice. Today’s story comes from D. Todd Smith, an attorney in Austin, Texas. Todd is the founder and managing partner of Smith Law Group, a Texas civil appellate boutique, where he focuses on handling appeals, presenting legal issues to trial courts, and helping trial lawyers preserve error. When Todd left a large firm ten years ago, he set out to create a practice that capitalized on technology to level the playing field and operate with maximum efficiency. He uses a Mac, an iPhone 6 Plus (he is about to upgrade to the iPhone 7 Plus), an iPad Pro 12.9″ (the same model I use), and an Apple Pencil. He has been using an iPad in his law practice for about four years. Todd writes about his appellate practice on his blog, Texas Appellate Law.
Todd read my recent post about how I use my iPad Pro to prepare for appellate oral arguments, and was nice enough to share his own experiences using an iPad Pro to argue a federal appeal on his blog. Todd gave me permission to reprint his recent post for iPhone J.D. readers. Take it away, Todd!
Reviewing and marking up the appellate briefs and record is an essential component of argument preparation. For me, that once involved having hard work copies made from master versions in a physical file that sat on a shelf or in a cabinet somewhere in my office. We’re talking about an awful lot of paper to keep up with and store. Now that Texas appellate courts have joined the Fifth Circuit as all-electronic, it’s easier than ever for me to forego paper and maintain everything in digital form. I use PDF Expert and Dropbox to sync files between my MacBook Pro and my iPad. Instead of paper work copies, I create an “OA” folder in Dropbox using this structure…
…which, in PDF Expert, looks like this:
I use a combination of PDF Expert on my iPad and Adobe Acrobat on my MacBook (connected to two 27″ Thunderbolt monitors when I’m in the office) to display the briefs, record, and important cases I’ve downloaded from Westlaw. With PDF Expert’s handy two-way sync feature, annotations I make on my iPad (using the Apple Pencil) will show up on my MacBook and vice-versa. This gives me the ultimate flexibility to prepare wherever I am using the device most convenient for me at the time and capture my analysis in one place.
Mind Maps
I recently started using a mind-mapping app called iThoughts. Mind-mapping is a great tool for organizing complex concepts and visualizing how they fit together. Much like PDF Expert, iThoughts will two-way sync between the iPad and MacBook through Dropbox, the only caveat being that you have to purchase both the iOS and Mac versions of the app to access a file on both devices. When you come to appreciate the power of mind-mapping, though, the investment is well worth it.
To give you a better idea what I’m talking about, here’s a simplified version of the map I made when gearing up for this week’s argument (with all my mental impressions removed, of course):
Argument Outline
So far, I’ve stuck to my old habit of preparing an argument outline in Microsoft Word. As shown above, I save the document in the OA folder and convert the final version to PDF. This still seems a bit archaic; I can envision using iThoughts to outline my arguments instead. I think that would work very well when viewed on the big monitors in the office, but with my aging eyes, it could be somewhat challenging when relying on the relatively small iPad Pro screen.
At the Lectern
Unlike Jeff, I have fully transitioned to using the iPad at the lectern in place of all paper except perhaps a legal pad and a few key documents. My former practice was to double-side print my outline and put it in a small notebook, which allowed me to see two pages at a time while speaking and was often helpful if I needed to jar my memory. My new approach allows me to make changes until the very last minute, pull up the final outline in PDF Expert, manipulate the image size, and move between pages using finger gestures. These advantages help offset the fact that, practically speaking, the most I can view on the iPad is one page at a time.
Despite some initial trepidation, the new approach has worked well for me so far. The only complication I’ve experienced is that the Fifth Circuit does not allow use of electronic devices in the gallery. That makes reviewing my outline when I’m second or third in line for argument a bit more challenging. However, I’ve acquainted myself with the notification system in the attorney lounges, which keeps me informed about when I need to enter the courtroom for my case and thus allows me to go over the outline in “game conditions” while I’m waiting to be called.
I waited a long time for Apple to release the big iPad Pro. When I bought one, I knew it would become an integral part of my practice. I look forward to refining my argument-preparation process and discovering new ways to use this wonderful technological tool.
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Thank you so much, Todd, for sharing this great post with us!
If you are willing to share your own 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 any of them, here are stories that I previously shared from other attorneys:
This article won the LitigationWorld Pick of the Week award on November 10, 2016. The editors of LitigationWorld, a free weekly email newsletter for litigators and others who work in litigation, give this award to one article every week that they feel is a must-read for this audience.
How is Apple doing in the smartphone industry? Here is an interesting statistic. Patrick Seitz of Investor’s Business Daily reports that, according to analyst Tim Long, Apple accounted for 103.6% of the profit in the smartphone industry in the third quarter. How does a company get more than 100% of the profit? It’s because other vendors lost money in the quarter. Thus, Apple alone had more smartphone profit than the industry netted overall. And now, the news of note from the past week:
My favorite password manager app is 1Password. It is fast, has tons of features, is built-in to many other apps, and works on all of my devices (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch). But if you want a less expensive option with fewer features, Ian Paul reports for Macworld that LastPass has expanded its free app such that if you just want the basic features, LastPass may give you want you need for free. Whatever app you use, I strongly encourage you to use something. Yes, there is a learning curve at first, but once you get past that you will have both greater security and greater convenience.
For those interested in using Apple’s HomeKit technology to control their home using an iPhone and other devices, iHome has released a 5-in-1 SmartMonitor which senses motion, humidity, temperature, sound and light. As reported by Mike Wuerthele of AppleInsider, this $80 device can help you turn on a fan when the temperature rises, turn on a light when motion is detected, etc.
If you only need to detect motion, Wuerthele reports that Elgato announced the $50 Eve Motion.
Brooke Lea Foster of the New York Times reports on how an iPhone can cause problems in a relationship when one person spends too much time paying attention to their device instead of paying attention to … ah … just a second … hmm … OK, I’m done. Just had to respond to an email there. What was I saying? Oh yeah, don’t let a smartphone get in the way of paying attention to others.
The Apple Watch Nike+ is now available for sale. It is just like the Series 2 aluminum Apple Watch, but has a special Nike band, special Nike watch faces, and special Nike+ complications. Christian Zibreg of iDownloadBlog tried one out and posted this review.
Abdel Ibrahim of WatchAware reports that the new watchOS 3.1 improves battery life for folks using a (new) Series 1 or Series 2 Apple Watch. I’ve noticed this with my 42mm Series 2 Apple Watch. Even after a very long day, I now often have 50% to 60% power remaining when I got to bed.
And finally, a $149 device called CMRA was announced this week. It is an Apple Watch band that adds two HD camera to the watch, so that you can take photos and videos of what you are seeing, and also take photos and videos of yourself. I have some serious questions about this product; I find it hard to imagine that any time that you might use this it wouldn’t be easier to just use your iPhone. Cella Lao Rousseau of iMore came up with some reasons that this product might be awesome or awful. But it is certainly an interesting idea for a product. Here is a fun video that shows it off:
It comes as no surprise to me that this was the #1 post over the past year. The iPad Pro is a perfect tablet for attorneys. It is super fast and responsive. The Apple Pencil makes it easy to highlight and annotate exhibits, cases, Word documents, etc. And if you can learn to live with the hassle of carrying a larger device, the huge screen on the 12.9″ model is fantastic for lawyers working with documents. (And if you cannot get used to that size, there is still the 9.7″ model of the iPad Pro.) The iPad is such an amazing device for lawyers that you could make an argument that this website should be called 
There were only two iOS apps that made the Top 10 list this year, and they come it at #7 and #8 on the list. Scanner Pro has been around for a long time, and Readdle is a fantastic developer. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Scanner Pro 7 is a really fantastic app. I love that I can use the powerful Scanner Pro app and the impressive camera on my iPhone 7 to take really nice scans of documents without having to locate a full-size scanner. The quality is not quite as good as what you can get with a full-size scanner, but for most tasks it is more than good enough.
New York
