Over nine years ago, I reviewed an app created by Houston attorney Anthony Shorter called Courtroom Objections. Shorter reached out to me to tell me that he had recently updated his app, and it has been so long since I mentioned the app on iPhone J.D. that I thought it was time for another look.
The purpose of the app is to provide you with a quick guide to making and responding to objections in court. The app includes a list of common objections and responses. I think that the app would be most useful for those who are relatively new litigators, but any attorney who tries cases could use this app.
The app divides objections into two categories. If you tap the first button at the bottom, the app lists admissibility objections. Tap the second button to list objections to form.
When you tap on any objection, the app first gives you an example of words that you could use to make the objection. Next, the app explains the objection.
Finally, the app lets you see the text and number for the rule of evidence associated with that objection. Of course, this varies depending upon the state or federal jurisdiction in which you are trying a case, so the bottom of the app has buttons that you can use to select a jurisdiction. Currently, the app has the rules of evidence for the following jurisdictions: Federal, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MD, MA, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TX, UT, WI.
If you ever want to scroll a list of all of the objections (to both admissibility and form), at the bottom of any page dedicated to a rule there is a big button called All Rules. Tap it and you can select any jurisdiction and any type of objection to see the rule.
Although I like the interface of this app better than the version I reviewed nine years ago, there is room for improvement. The buttons for jurisdictions at the bottom of the app are very tiny. It would be nice if there was a way that you could only display the jurisdictions that pertain to you. (For example, I'm licensed in Louisiana and Florida so I'd like to see those two and federal, but I'll probably never have a reason to view the other states.) And it seems that the All Rules button should be an option from the main screen (such as a third button at the bottom), not a feature that you can only access by first going to some other rule.
Nevertheless, the app is quick and simple to use, which I like. If you find yourself preparing to make an objection, you could quickly scroll through the list of admissibility or form objections to remind you of the objection that you need to make. Even if the app only helps you to make a few objections, that's more than enough to justify the $3 price tag.
Click here to get Courtroom Objections ($2.99): 
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This article won the LitigationWorld Pick of the Week award on October 31, 2019. 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.
