Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog describes the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision this week in the Apple v. Pepper case. The Court reversed the dismissal of an antitrust lawsuit in which the plaintiffs allege that Apple should be required to allow users to buy apps from places other than Apple’s own App Store. I’m not an antitrust lawyer so I cannot comment on decision itself, and I realize that this is just a preliminary so we are still far from a decision on the merits in the case. Nevertheless, if the plaintiffs are successful, it could mean that Apple will have to significantly change the way that you load apps into an iPhone and iPad, so it is worth watching this lawsuit. And now, the other news of note from the past week:
Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post tested Apple’s new Beats Powerbeats Pro against the Apple Airpods and the Bose SoundSport Free in terms of which is best for head banging, with the help of Sammy Hagar, former Van Halen singer. I think Fowler expected the Beats product to come out on top, but the AirPods seemed to be the favorite.
Yesterday in my review of the Anker Powerline+ USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable, I mentioned the $350 Anker Powerhouse 200 portable battery. Phil Nickinson of iMore reviewed that battery this week, noting that it can quick charge an iPhone 12 times over.
[UPDATE: For my latest post on Anker cables dated August 19, 2020, click here.]
Now that I am using the iPad Pro 12.9″ (third generation), I need to update some of my Lightning accessories to USB-C accessories. I already have a USB-C to USB-C cord that I use with Apple’s USB-C power adapter for fast charging of the iPad Pro. (I have the $49 29W power adapter, which I reviewed back in 2016, but Apple now sells a 30W USB-C power adapter which you can get for $43 on Amazon.) But sometimes I find myself in a CLE, a meeting, etc. where I am too far from an outlet on a wall to use a power adapter but I still want to provide power to my iPad Pro. All of the portable battery chargers that I own use normal USB, not USB-C, so I had no way to connect my iPad Pro. I needed a USB to USB-C cable.
I like the Anker Powerline+ and Powerline+ II series because these cords have nylon braiding, which makes it pretty much impossible for the cord to get tangled. Also, they hold up to bending very well, and the nylon protects the cords. The “II” versions are slightly more durable, as I showed in this comparison, but both are very good. Anker doesn’t currently sell a Powerline+ II version of a USB to USB-C cable, so I didn’t have to decide whether or not to pay slightly more for a “II” series when I was shopping for this cord.
Anker sells two versions of its Powerline+ USB to USB-C cable. One version supports USB 2.0 speeds and costs $9.99 on Amazon. The other version supports USB 3.0 speeds and costs $10.99 on Amazon. I am primarily using this cord just to provide power, so the data speed difference doesn’t matter. But because the price difference is so minor, I figured that I might as well get the faster cord. USB 2.0 supports up to 480 megabits per second, whereas USB 3.0 is 10x faster at 5 gigabits per second. You can usually tell if a computer or other device supports the faster USB 3.0 speed because the “tongue” portion of the USB port is often blue, but this is not always the case; I have a new iMac at home which supports USB 3.0 speed but the ports are just white, not blue. With the USB 3.0 version of this cord, if I ever need to use this cord to transfer data, I can potentially take advantage of a 10x speed increase for only $1 more.
Keep in mind that if you want the fastest data transfer with the third generation iPad Pro, you’ll need to use a USB-C to USB-C cord that supports USB 3.1 gen 2; that can give you transfers at 10 gigabits per second. But if all you have is a traditional USB port with 3.0 speeds, 5 gigabits per second is as fast as you can go. (Similarly, a Lightning connector goes up to 5 gigabits per second.)
Anker sells both a black and red version of this cord. I decided to go for the red version because most of the cords that I currently carry around with my iPad are either white or black. This is my only USB to USB-C cord, and the red color will let it stand out from my other cords.
The cord includes a built-in strap with a hook-and-loop Velcro-type fastener. With this strap, it is easy to wrap the cord into a circle for storing it.
Note that while I am primarily using this cord to charge my iPad Pro, USB-A to USB-C cords do not support the newer Power Delivery (PD) protocol, which means that they do not provide quick charging. You need a USB-C to USB-C cord that supports PD for the fastest charging of an iPad Pro. And along with that cord you need a portable battery which supports USB-C and 30W output, such as this $130 unit by Anker (or go crazy and get the $350 Anker Powerhouse 200). I don’t currently own one of those, and I am always finding USB-A power sources that I might want to use. Moreover, I’ve found that normal USB power charging seems to be sufficient for ensuring that my iPad Pro has enough power for heavy use during a long day.
I’ve been very happy with this purchase. It allows my new iPad Pro to bridge the gap to older accessories that only support the traditional USB Type-A port. Over time as I get more USB-C accessories, this cord will become less necessary. Even so, USB has been around for over 20 years, so I suspect that a USB to USB-C cord will remain useful for a very long time.
If you are looking for a good way to connect the USB-C port on your iPad Pro with accessories that only support a traditional USB connector, this Anker cord is a great solution.
Yesterday, Apple released an update to the operating system for the iPhone and iPad: iOS 12.3. Apple also updated its operating systems for the Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Mac. The main new feature for the iPhone and iPad is support for Apple’s new Apple TV app, but even if you don’t planning on using that app, I encourage you to update all of your devices to take advantage of numerous security updates that are included with this update.
The primary new feature is an update to the TV app on iOS. Like before, you can use this app to find and watch video that you have purchased or transferred to your library from elsewhere like a computer. But now the TV app tries to provide personalized recommendations of what you would enjoy watching next based upon your viewing history and other preferences.
Additionally, the app now supports Apple’s new Channels feature which allows you to subscribe to subscription services from within the app. For now, these channels include Comedy Central Now, EPIX, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz, PBS Living, Acorn TV, Sundance Now, Smithsonian, Lifetime Movie Club, UMC, MTVHits, CuriosityStream, and Tastemade, but Apple hopes to add more in the future. If you already subscribe to one of these services, you can also use the TV app, but if you start a subscription within the TV app you get the added ability to download a show and watch it offline. Some services currently allow you to do this, but many such as HBO do not. (You can cancel a current stand-alone subscription and then start a new subscription from within the app if you want to take advantage of this.). It looks like you can try any channel for free for 7 days, which might be more than enough time to binge watch one or more good shows on a channel before you have to start paying.
For services not currently part Apple’s new Channels service such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, you continue to use their individual iOS apps just like before.
If you have a new smart television set that supports AirPlay 2, with iOS 12.3 you can easily share content from your iPhone or iPad to the TV — something that previously could only be done if you had an Apple TV hardware box attached to the TV.
If you update your Apple Watch to watchOS 5.2.1, you will also get security updates. Additionally, there is now a new version of the Pride watch face showing bands of color. If you tap a band or shake your wrist as you wake up the watch screen, the bands will appear to move around with a ripple effect.
I suspect that there are additional, more minor improvements to the new versions of iOS and watchOS, but I haven’t yet discovered anything else that is interesting.
Apple will show off the next major version of iOS at its WWDC developer conference next month, and I expect that the next major version of iOS (iOS 13?) will come out this Fall. Thus, while Apple may update iOS 12 over the next few months to provide security updates, this is probably the last of the new features that Apple will add to iOS 12.
I sure am glad that iPhone J.D. is devoted to legal mobile technology, not politics, because then I would have to discuss another depressing week of news in this Friday post such as a potential Constitutional crisis. So let’s go to the other extreme and start with a story that is just too cute for words. Stephen Messenger of The Dodo reports that a woman who was looking for the beluga whale in Norway that some thought to be a Russian “spy whale” leaned out from a dock to pet the whale when her iPhone slipped out of her pocket into the waters around Hammerfest, Norway. But the beluga whale came to the rescue, retrieving the dropped iPhone and bringing it back to her. This story sounds a little hard to believe, but the story includes a video from Instagram showing exactly that — the whale bringing back the iPhone, almost like a dog retrieving a stick in a game of fetch. Let’s just say that I hope that this story is true because that video makes me smile. And now, the other news of note from the past week:
Glenn Fleishmann of Fast Company explains how you might be able to avoid using passwords at all by instead using your iPhone to authenticate yourself, a new authentication approach being authored by MobielIron — a mobile device management product used by many law firms.
One such external keyboard that you might use is the Brydge Pro 12.9 keyboard, which Jason Snell of Six Colors reviewed (and really likes).
Chance Miller of 9to5Mac reports that the OLED screen on the Apple Watch Series 4 was named one of the “Displays of the Year” by the Society for Information Display. It is certainly one of the top reasons that I love my Apple Watch.
Apple has done an amazing job restoring the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C., to turn it into an Apple Store which will open this weekend. Michael Steeber of 9to5Mac has a bunch of pictures showing it off.
Apple’s Beats division has released the Powerbeats Pro. They are wireless earbuds like AirPods, but they sound better, last longer, come with different sized rubber tips so they are more likely to fit your ears than AirPods, and they have an over-the-ear design that makes them much more secure in your ears during vigorous workouts (not that I have ever had my own AirPods fall out of my ears,). They are also more expensive at $249. Jason Cross of Macworld posted this review.
And finally, here is a great drone video by Duncan Sinfield showing Apple’s new Apple Park campus. You can see a rainbow stage in the middle, which Apple created for a special event it is planning for May 16 (described by Mikey Campbell in this article for Apple Insider.) The building and the campus look amazing.
I’m always interested to learn about how judges are using iPads, not only because I use my own iPad so much, but also because I often think about the way that a judge and law clerk will read my brief when I am making decisions on how to make my brief more persuasive. Last week, I attended a CLE sponsored by the New Orleans chapter of the Federal Bar Association. It was a “meet the bench” event featuring three of the newest members of the U.S. Fifth Circuit — Hon. James C. Ho, Hon. Kurt D. Engelhardt, and Hon. Andrew S. Oldham — who were interviewed by Hon. Edith Brown Clement.
When the presentation allowed for questions from the audience, I asked the judges whether they prefer to read briefs in paper, on the computer, or on an iPad, and whether that led them to have any preferences on how the brief is written, such as whether they prefer to see cites in the text or in the footnotes. All four judges said that they were big fans of the impressive use of technology at the Fifth Circuit. For example, after a lawyer e-files a brief, the court adds hyperlinks to the PDF version of the brief so that a judge or law clerk can tap on a record cite to instantly see that part of the record or tap on a case cite to read the legal opinion. Two of the judges answered my question by saying that their preference was to read briefs on the iPad, and both of them remarked that it is nice to be able to just take home an iPad without any other paper and still have everything that the judge needs to work on an appeal. The other two judges said that they prefer to read on paper but that their law clerks made extensive use of the digital versions of briefs.
In a post earlier this week on Above the Law, Massachusetts attorney Robert Ambrogi argues that the duty of technological competence that the ABA added to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct in 2012 should apply to judges as well. In my experience, I’m already seeing more and more judges taking advantage of technology, whether it be courtroom technology in trial courts or judges at all levels using iPads and other tech as a part of their workflows. The interest in technology that these four Fifth Circuit judges displayed is consistent with this.
It was nice to see the enthusiasm of the judges as they talked about how the iPad is used, but they had so much to say on that topic that they never got around to answering the second part of my question — which I found somewhat amusing because when I present an oral argument to Fifth Circuit judges I am very conscious of fully answering the questions that the judges ask me. Having said that, in the past, I’ve heard other federal Fifth Circuit appellate judges and law clerks say that they either have no preference on citation format or they prefer cites in the text so that they can take advantage of the hyperlink function to immediately view the record or jump to the applicable part of a case without having to first scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to find the cite in the footnote. And for that reason, that’s how I prefer to write my own federal appellate briefs. I still use footnotes if I want to make a less important point that doesn’t belong in the text, but I try to keep them to a minimum.
Thank you to AgileBits, the developer of 1Password, for sponsoring iPhone J.D. this month. There are many software products for lawyers which are helpful to a law practice, but there are only a few which I consider essential. A good password manager is definitely one of those essential products, and 1Password is my favorite. It works incredibly well on every platform that I use including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, PC, and Mac. And it helps me to keep my confidential information confidential. Here are the reasons that I always encourage other attorneys to use 1Password.
Passwords
The core feature of the app is to store your usernames and password. You need to use sophisticated, unique passwords for every service to protect yourself, and — for services related to the practice of law — to protect your clients. We are constantly hearing about hackers getting access to systems, and if you don’t have a strong password, you may be the next victim. And if your passwords are not different for each website and service, then hackers who exploit a security flaw on one website might be able to get your password from one website and use it on other websites. This is not a theoretical concern; it has actually happened, many times, and surely you have read news articles about incidents like this. But there is no way to remember all of those strong, unique passwords without keeping them a secure location that is easily accessible to you.
Not only does 1Password create secure passwords for you and store all of your passwords in a secure app, it can also automatically enter your username and password on your PC, Mac, iPhone and iPad. On a Mac/PC, you tap a keystroke to call up 1Password (control \ or command \) and then you type your single master password, the only password that you need to remember. On an iPhone/iPad, you need to type your single master password every time you restart the device, but after that you can have the app just use Face ID or Touch ID. After you authenticate yourself on your computer or mobile device, 1Password can automatically enter your username/password.
I love using 1Password to generate passwords for me. You can change the parameters such as length, and you can also have the app create password using words (such as hooves-bullber-jeweller) instead of random characters (such as 6yaKjprFM[3eP).
The app also works with two-factor authentication, allowing you to store a one-time password which expires after a short period of time. Better yet, the app will automatically help you enter that one-time password both on iOS and on a Mac/PC. For example, on my PC and Mac, 1Password will enter my username and password on the login screen, and then when I get to the next screen to enter the one-time password, 1Password has already copied it to my clipboard so I just paste it and move on.
The app also automatically remembers your previously used passwords, so if you think you changed your password but need to go back to the old one for some reason, the app has you covered.
You can also tag your passwords. That way, if you have a number of passwords associated with an activity, a person, an event, etc., use the same tag on every entry, and then you can just tap the Tags button at the bottom of the app to see all of the entries associated with that tag.
Ever since iOS 12 was released in late 2018, 1Password works infinitely better with the iPhone and iPad because supported apps like Safari can use the 1Password extension. For example, you can use Safari to go to a website, use your face or fingerprint to authenticate, and then 1Password enters your username and password without you having to even leave the Safari app.
Sharing passwords
There are times when you might want to share specific passwords with specific people. You and your spouse may share a bank or Netflix account. You may want to share your court login information with a paralegal or secretary. 1Password gives you many options for doing so. I myself use the family plan, which I described in this post from 2017. 1Password allows you to create different vaults. Most of my passwords are in my own private vault, but my wife and I share many passwords in a shared vault, and we even have a family vault that my son can use for passwords that we share with him.
There are also multiple plans the work best for companies, such as 1Password Business plan that gives you the option to have guest accounts and allows you to create different vault for clients, projects, or departments and set permission levels at scale. The Enterprise plan gives your company even more flexibility.
Secure storage for other information
What about all of the other information in your life that you want to store in a secure fashion? 1Password works with many categories of information, not just logins/passwords.
I use the Secure Notes feature to store confidential information that I want to keep protected even if someone else has temporary access to my iPhone, such as medical information. If you are trying to settle a lawsuit, this would be a perfect, secure place to track demands, offers, and settlement authority. You can either store just a bunch of text (like the built-in Notes app) or you can create sections and sub-sections. For example, I have a secure note associated with my car. The first section is called vehicle info, and it has a sub-section for the VIN, the Make, the Model, and the License Plate. The second section is called Purchase info and it has the date, the salesman who helped me, and other purchase info. The third section has the roadside assistance information that I received with my car, including all of the associated phone numbers, contract number, and benefits.
The app also stores credit card information. I don’t like letting websites store my credit card information because that just increases the chance of a hacker getting my credit card information if they hack that website. But I also don’t want to have to manually type my credit card number and other information every time I visit such a website. 1Password stores the information for all of my credit cards and knows how to enter it automatically on many websites. Thus, I get the convenience of having my credit card information entered automatically without the security risk of the website storing my credit card information.
The app can also store passport information (including a copy of your passport), social security numbers, membership information for organizations and clubs, wireless router information, secure documents, and more. You can also use 1Password to store a confidential photograph that you don’t want to keep in your normal camera roll.
Conclusion
Usually in life, making something more secure means making it more cumbersome to use because you have to take the time to use a key, type a code, etc. However, because 1Password is so well designed and can automatically enter your username and password after you quickly authenticate yourself with your master password, or your Face, or your fingerprint, the app allow you to increase security while also increasing ease of use. And with the fantastic sharing features and the ability to store lots of different kinds of confidential information, 1Password is one of those rare apps that I use every day.
While a good password manager is useful for everyone, it is especially important for attorneys. Clients pay us and trust us to keep confidential information private, and the rules of professional conduct mandate that we do so. Whether you are using 1Password to store that confidential information or you use 1Password to store the username/password that you use to access that confidential information, 1Password plays a vital role in the security process.
My hope is that I am preaching to the choir and that you already use this app. But if you are an attorney not yet using 1Password, AgileBits is offering iPhone J.D. readers a $100 credit when you click here and sign up for the business plan. Try out 1Password to see what you think, but I strongly suspect that once you start using the app, it will be one of those rare apps that you use every day.
I’ve been attending a conference in New Orleans this week, and I’ve been using my iPad to take notes in the GoodNotes app. I use the screenshot feature on my iPad to take a picture of a part of the agenda (title, speakers, etc.), I paste that into GoodNotes, and then below that I write my notes. Jonny Evans of Computerworld discussed six note-taking apps for the iPad this week. His favorite is MyScript Nebo because it has handwriting recognition, but as Evans notes, GoodNotes has this feature as well. I don’t have fabulous handwriting, but GoodNotes does an amazing job of reading my handwriting so that I can perform searches of the words I wrote. And now, the news of note from the past week:
I missed this last month, but in a recent episode of the Digital Detectives podcast (which is transcribed at that link, if you would rather read than listen), Virginia attorney Sharon Nelson and her husband, security expert John Simek, talk about digital forensics on mobile devices with Brett Burney, who publishes Apps in Law.
California attorney David Sparks discusses Cardiobot, an Apple Watch app that gives you better metrics on your heart.
Sparks also discusses CalZones, an iPhone app which helps you to manager different times in different time zones.
Alfred Ng of CNet reports that the DHS allowed border agents to conduct warrantless searches on over 33,000 devices in 2018 and they would share some information on the devices with other government agencies. As I have explained in the past, there are some procedures available to attorneys to protect confidential attorney-client information, but this is still an issue for many attorneys.
Here is a tip for folks who live in Louisiana. I’ve previously reviewed LA Wallet, an app that allows you to store an official driver’s license on your iPhone, so you can drive your car even if you left your purse or wallet at home. According to an AP article, the app is free this month to encourage more people to check out the service. I encourage you to check it out if you haven’t done so already.
Overcast is my favorite app for listening to podcasts on the iPhone, and it was enhanced this week to give you the ability to share a clip from a podcast up to one minute in length. The developer, Marco Arment, explains the update in this post. This is a great way for you to share something interesting you heard with other folks.
Ryan Christoffel of MacStories reviews the HomeRun app for the Apple Watch, an app which allows you to control HomeKit devices. I use this app on my watch almost every day. The app was recently updated to let you present different complications on your watch face based upon the time of day.
Buster Hein of Cult of Mac reports that a man in Taiwan somehow swallowed an AirPod while he was sleeping. When it finally came out (of the other end of his body), it still worked. Although this is an interesting story, I caution you that if you click the link you will see a picture of the AirPod immediately after it was retrieved … which is a little gross.
If you are still using an iPad 2, you should know that, as reported by Tim Hardwick of MacRumors, Apple has added that device to its vintage and obsolete products list. If you upgrade from an iPad 2 to a new iPad Pro, words cannot even describe how much better your new device will be.
And finally, if you are starting to make travel plans, Apple created a video showing you how you can use several features of the iPad Pro when doing so:
Yesterday, Apple released the results for its 2019 fiscal second quarter (which ran from December 30, 2018 to March 30, 2019) and held a call with analysts to discuss the results. Apple’s first fiscal quarter is the one with all of the holiday sales, so Q2 is usually not a particular impressive quarter for Apple, although one year ago Apple posted its best Q2 ever, with revenue of $61.1 billion. This time, the revenue was $58 billion, which was within the guidance of $55 to $59 billion that Apple had predicted three months ago in its Q1 earnings call. If you want to get all of the nitty gritty details, you can download the audio from the announcement conference call from iTunes, or you can read a rough transcript of the call prepared by Seeking Alpha. Jason Snell of Six Colors also prepared a transcript. Apple’s official press release is here. As always, I’m not as interested in the financial details as I am the statements of Apple executives during the call that are of interest to iPhone and iPad users. Here are the items that stood out to me.
Apple stopped releasing specific sales numbers for the iPhone, iPad, etc. six months ago, so it is no longer possible to get an exact sense of whether iPhone sales are up or down, but you can still get some sense from revenue, which Apple does still announce. iPhone revenue was down 17% compared to a year ago, so obviously they must have been selling fewer iPhones; it is hard to imagine that decrease came only from selling less expensive models. But Apple is hopeful that iPhone sales will increase again. For example, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that of business buyers who said that they plan to purchase a smartphone in April, May, or June, 81% of them say that they plan to purchase iPhones.
Although over half of Apple’s revenue comes from the iPhone, this past quarter the iPad did particularly well. Revenue was $4.9 billion, up 22% compared to a year ago, which was Apple’s highest iPad revenue growth rate in six years. Apple CEO Tim Cook attributed this increase to the iPad Pro.
Apple Pay transaction volume has more than doubled from last year.
Maestri said that Apple’s wearables business — which includes the Apple Watch but I’m not sure what else, perhaps AirPods? — grew almost 50%.
Speaking of AirPods, Cook said that they are nothing less than a cultural phenomenon, and Maestri said that Apple is working hard to catch up with customer demand.
Surprising nobody, Cook said that the App Store “is definitely a business that is big and getting bigger.”
Here in New Orleans, Jazz Fest started yesterday. It is one of my favorite traditions in New Orleans, and it is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. (I’m right there with you, Jazz Fest.) The music, food, and art are always fantastic, and I do so much walking around that my Apple Watch typically records some of my highest step counts of the year. I’m looking forward to seeing the Indigo Girls on Sunday, a group I’ve been following since I was in college at Emory in the late 1980s and used to see them perform on campus, but most of the best music at Jazz Fest comes from local artists. And now, the recent news of note:
I’ve been using the second-generation AirPods for a month now, and they continue to be fantastic. The speed increase as I switch the connection between my iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and iMac is noticeable, and it has everything that I loved about my first-generation AirPods (before the batteries started to wear out after two years of very heavy use). If you are interested in getting AirPods but want to save $20, Amazon is currently selling the new AirPods for $140 instead of the normal $160. That’s the same model without the charging case that I use, which I reviewed earlier this month.
Farhad Manjoo of the New York Times discusses an app called RecUp and another app called Descript. Using these apps and his AirPods he is able to dictate an article as he walks around. I’m not sure that I ever see myself dictating a brief as I fold the laundry, but it is interesting that I could do so.
A post on the TripIt blog by Angela Feher describes how the TripIt app for Apple Watch now has updated complications that can tell you information such as the gate you need to go to without having to even open up the TripIt app.
Lief Johnson of Macworld discusses why you should get an Apple Pencil even if you don’t draw. I almost never draw with my Apple Pencil (especially if you don’t count doodling in the margins), but I use it extensively for taking notes, highlighting cases, and annotating briefs filed by my opponent.
Mark Linsangan of AppleInsider discusses the reasons that you might consider getting the Logitech Crayon instead of the second generation Apple Pencil.
One reason not mentioned in that article is that the Logitech Crayon won’t stop you from unlocking your car. Chance Miller of 9to5Mac reports that if you are charging a second-generation Apple Pencil on an iPad Pro, it might interfere with using a key fob to unlock your car. When I read this article, my first thought was that this had never happened to me, but then I realized that I always store my Apple Pencil in a separate compartment of my Tom Bihn Ristretto messenger bag and not connected to my iPad Pro, so the Pencil is never charging when I apporach my car with my messenger bag on my shoulder.
And finally, Apple released an amazing one-minute film called Don’t Mess with Mother, which includes some truly phenomenal video of animals and nature taken on an iPhone XS. I can’t imagine taking a video this good with any device, let alone an iPhone. There is also a behind-the-scenes video which features a shark biting the iPhone as the photographer is taking the video. Here is the film:
Although there are many ways to use Safari on your iPhone or iPad to search for statutory law, using free sources provided by many states or using legal research services such as Westlaw, Lexis, or Fastcase, it is often nice to have the relevant law downloaded to your device. That way you can browse and search through the text of the law even if you don’t have Internet access, plus you don’t have to waste time searching online for what you want. An app like this is so obviously useful for lawyers that one of the very first reviews I posted on iPhone J.D. back in 2008 was of an app called Constitution by Clint Bagwell, which is still available and can be used to read the U.S. Constitution on your iPhone. I’ve reviewed many similar apps over the years such as LawStack, an app I reviewed back in 2010. Nine years later, the app is still being developed and improved, and it remains a great option for keeping the most relevant law on your device.
The app
The interface of this app has improved quite a bit since 2010. It now has a clean design, and all of the features are pretty obvious — except perhaps for the switcher tab which I discuss below.
At the Home level of the app, you see a list of all of the sources of law that you have downloaded to the app. Some are free, others require a subscription, as discussed below.
Tap a source of law to see the top-level outline of the laws, and tap on any entry to move further into the outline.
The left and right arrows are useful as you are browsing. For example, in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, when you are at the view that lists the rules, you can tap those arrow to go to the next or previous title without having to first go back to the prior screen.
Tap on a statute or rule to see the text of the rule.
You can scroll through the rule. You can select text to copy it or share it. You can use the arrows to browse back and forth. You can even highlight the text in yellow.
Using the settings feature in the app on the iPhone, you can change the size of the text in rules and statutes. On the iPad, you can either use settings, or there is enough space at the bottom to also show a font size icon that you can tap.
Tap the share button at the bottom middle to see many options such as adding a bookmark to a particular rule or statute, removing all highlights in the rule or statute, or emailing a copy of the rule or statute.
Search
If you are looking at a specific rule or statute, you can tap the search icon at the top right to search just that particular rule or statute. Otherwise, tapping the search icon will let you search the entire body of law you are working in, such as the entire Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. You can search the full text or just titles, and as you type, the app will helpfully suggest keywords and show you the number of matches — a great way to see if there is a different version of the word that might also be relevant. For example, in this example, I entered the search word “appeal” but the app also suggests that I consider searching for similar words like appealable.
Bookmarks Etc.
If you tap the bookmark icon at the bottom of the screen you can see a list of rules or statutes that you bookmarked within a specific body of law. Or you can look at a list of everything that you highlighted in that body of law or the items within that body of law that you viewed most recently.
Switcher Tab
Most of the time that you use this app, you stay within one body of law at a time. However, the app gives you a way to switch between law from two different bodies of law: the switcher tab. When you are viewing one rule or statute, you can tap the switcher icon at the bottom right and then tap the plus sign. The app then brings you directly to the Home screen so that you can select a different source of law. When you find the rule or statute in that source, you can follow the same steps to add it to the Switcher Tab. Once you have added items, you can go to the Switcher Tab view to see all of the laws that you have placed there. Just tap the one that you want. This feature makes it incredibly fast to switch between two laws such as a federal rule and a state court rule, or a federal statute and a provision of the U.S. Constitution.
Cost
Some sources of law in the app are free, such as the U.S. Constitution and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. But most sources must be purchased, and the app offers an annual subscription. The price varies depending upon the law. For example, if you practice in Louisiana like I do, you can purchase the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure for $11.99 or the Louisiana Revised Statutes for $29.99. For the U.S. Code and the Code of Federal Regulations, you need to purchase each title separately, and many of them appear to cost $29.99 although I also see that some titles are free. It looks like you can download most or all titles for free for the first seven days.
With the subscription model, you need to pay every year, but as a result, the developer has a financial incentive to take the time to update the content as laws change. If you have a team of 10 or more users, you can also get a discount by purchasing a team license. Check out the LawStack website for more information.
The developer of LawStack also offers stand-alone apps containing many of the bodies of law available from within LawStack, but by using the main LawStack app you can keep multiple sources of law in a single app, plus the LawStack app has an updated interface, so the app that I’m reviewing here is the version that I recommend.
Conclusion
LawStack isn’t the only app that gives you the ability to download law to your iOS device. For example, as I mentioned last month, Casemaker told me at ABA TECHSHOW this year that its Rulebook app is about to be updated. But LawStack is fast and easy to use and the company has a very long track record of updating the app. Fortunately, it is easy to determine if LawStack is right for you because the app itself is free, there are many useful free titles such as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and you can download free previews of other titles. If you like the idea of having the law at your fingertips on your iPhone or iPad, you should check out LawStack.
