April 17, 2010
Should Lawyers Be Using the iPad?
Whether lawyers should be using the iPad is a question raised by Apple's recent release of its newest gadget. I must confess that I am an iPhone user, and that I am intrigued by the possibilities of the iPad. The iPad fits into the category of devices generally occupied by "netbook" computers: smaller, lighter and more portable laptop computers. The iPad is arguably meant to supplant or dominate the netbook marketplace.
From my experience with recent travels to Alabama for a legal case in which I was involved, the idea of a carrying around a smaller laptop is appealing. Lugging a standard laptop computer through airport security and onto an airplane is not a fun process. Having a smaller laptop device would make travel easier. The extended battery life of the iPad (about 10 hours) also makes the iPad attractive for long flights or for sitting in an airport.
However, one of the major advantages of the iPad appears to be the cost. While the cost of the hardware is relatively reasonable, the cost of the 3G data plan is about half of what it might cost on a regular netbook. Most significantly, an iPad user can simply use the 3G network on a monthly basis, without being locked into a long-term contract. Thus, if an attorney had a case or a transaction in a distant city and simply needed 3G access for a period of a month or two, the iPad could be a great option.
Laptops and smartphones used to be seen as unnecessary for lawyers; today they're practically a necessity. Will iPads and netbooks also become viewed as a necessity for lawyer and law firm productivity?
I welcome your comments.
Comments on Should Lawyers Be Using the iPad? »
I see the iPad as a great toy and time burner for those extended delays in the airport and general travel, but I can't see myself doing any meaningful work on the device. I can't use it to draft court documents because my templates are stored on my computer and it doesn't have a USB port to connect to an external hard drive that might contain the templates. Perhaps I could use it to email clients? But I can already do that efficiently from my phone.
The only thing I can see it being useful for in a law office would be web research on the go, but I think even that would be severely crippled if I couldn't cut/paste/save into a Word document.
I like the way you are thinking and I think that lawyers could use a device like this to make their practice more efficient, but this simply isn't the device. Perhaps Microsoft's Courier is a device to watch, but we won't know if it will meet our needs until it is actually released.
You make some good points about limitations with the iPad. Most lawyers are PC and Word users. The lack of a USB port is unfortunate, and I hope that Apple will remedy that in the next version. Rather than separating itself from the PC world, Apple would be smart to make the iPad more compatible with PC users. For example, I use a PC at work, but I have become very attached to my iPhone as my smartphone. We'll see if iPads/netbooks catch on more with lawyers.
Although the iPad may not be the best device for creating content (such as legal documents), I believe it has great potential for editing and viewing content. As more lawyers move their content into the "cloud", an iPad can be a great tool for accessing that content - especially when traveling or working off-site.
Bentley - do you know of any attorneys using iPads in their legal practice?
I don't personally know of any attorneys using iPads yet in their legal practice, but that is consistent with lawyers being late adopters. My guess is that more lawyers will take the plunge this Fall and during the subsequent Holiday Season.
Steve, a lawyer in Utah recently successfully used the iPad for a four-day jury trial: http://www.maclitigator.com/2010/04/24/ipad-at-trial/comment-page-1/#comment-11126