The iPad goes to court
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
Apple’s earnings for the fourth quarter 2011 beat expectations by $7 billion—thanks in no small part to the success of the iPad, now available in its most innovative version yet. In the last three months of the year, the company sold 15.4 million of the power-packed tablets—up 38 percent from the previous quarter. And more and more often, iPads aren’t just playing around. They’re going to work—and to court.
We think it’s a great time to take a closer look at how the iPad can enhance your practice of law.
Serving clients better
As always, our iPad fascination focuses on how the technology interfaces with our products to serve clients better—with depositions, legal videos, video synchronization, digital exhibits and more. We’re discovering that there’s a role for the iPad at almost every step in the process—from prepping for depositions, participating in the deposition process, reviewing and annotating completed depositions, and, ultimately, presenting evidence to the jury at trial.
We were intrigued when we heard about TrialPad, the iPad jury presentation app ($89.95). With an iPad, Wi-Fi and the tiny wireless AppleTV Airplay to “mirror” your iPad screen onto a TV monitor, you can present wirelessly to the jury—so you’re free to walk around without being tethered to the podium. Hmm….
We tested how well TrialPad would work with our deposition products. We liked it so much that we’re tempted to use TrialPad, Apple TV and Airplay to present the latest court reporting technologies to our clients.
Getting set up for security
First things first, we tested the iPad2 3G with IOS.5 and the latest TrialPad update, version 3.0.35. For an extra layer of protection, we went into the iPad’s Settings and set up a four-digit passcode and set the passcode lock to lock the unit and erase its content after 10 unsuccessful login attempts.
We also took advantage of the free registration for iCloud available for iPad 2. (Settings> General>iCloud) so we can use iCloud’s GPS to locate the iPad if it goes missing. We also chose to have our iPad content stored in iCloud.
Easy to load and organize
Using TrialPad, we created a case file that looked just like a manila folder and started importing materials, including our Hahn & Bowersock presentation—created with Keynote.
Our sample case materials—transcript, video, synched video clip, photos and X-ray—were all stored in GoodReader. From there, we moved them into Dropbox and then into TrialPad. The app gives you four ways to import documents, photos and videos: Dropbox, iPhoto, email or file sharing in iTunes. (To run our synched legal videos on TrialPad, we exported them as MPEG files, then converted them to the MP4 format to play on the iPad.)
TrialPad lets you mark photos or transcripts with colored highlighters, call out and highlight block sections of transcripts or documents, and compare and contrast documents side by side. You can save your annotations for jury review by pressing the fire/hot docs button. You can also make and save video clips with just a few steps. There’s a multicolored laser pointer to guide viewers through your presentation and a whiteboard for hand-drawn diagrams.
To present on Trialpad, you simply swipe, tap, zoom in and zoom out with your fingers—no keyboard needed!
Once you’ve loaded case materials into your TrialPad case folder, you can mirror the content wirelessly to a HD TV screen through Apple TV Airplay using the output mode. Blank and freeze options keep you from accidentally displaying a document and let you hide screens you might not want the jury to see.
The TrialPad website features videos with step-by-step instructions and an excellent FAQ section with answers to how-to questions.
From small screen to big screen
With the small and sleek Apple TV Airplay ($99), a Wi-Fi connection and a high-definition TV with HDMI input, you can wirelessly display the content of your iPad screen on the TV monitor for viewing. The Apple TV AirPlay only takes minutes to set up. Tap the Airplay icon and toggle your mirror option to On, and you’re sharing your iPad content with the jury. (We’ve created a presentation that walks you step by step through the Apple TV Airplay set-up process. Let us know if you’d like a copy.)
Long days call for a battery boost
The iPad 2 has solid battery life—10 hours under good conditions—but open apps, 3G use, frequent checking of email and screen brightness can all take a toll. If you’re facing a long deposition or court appearance, you’ll feel safer with an extra battery boost.
We experimented with two options:
The wireless rechargeable New Trent IMP1000 external battery pack and charger ($76.95) gives the iPad an extra 19 hours of battery life. It’s sleek and tiny enough to fit in your pocket with the added advantage of being able to charge your iPhone 4,Blackberry and several other smartphones.
We also tested and loved the HyperJuice Stand ($129.95) that delivers an extra 16 hours of battery life and doubles as a convenient iPad stand. (Its built-in pass-through battery means it can power your device and recharge it at the same time.) The HyperJuice holds your iPad at an 18-degree or 45-degree angle—vertical or horizontal—for convenient support in the office, on the plane or in court for hands-free viewing.
So much more to come
Innovative legal, medical, aviation and business apps take center stage every day—and the urge to embrace the iPad as a research and discovery tool is irresistible! With a little creativity, the iPad is adding real efficiencies to the deposition and trial process. Stay tuned!
If you’d like to learn more about the products in this post, please take advantage of our iPad demos—by webinar or in person. Contact clientservices@hahnbowersock.com for details.
And as a disclaimer, Hahn & Bowersock has no financial interest in any of the products mentioned—we just love sharing ideas about new technology and how it can help you!
