Attorneys love their smartphones! According to the 2015 American Bar Association Legal Technology Survey Report, the mobile device most used by attorneys is the smartphone, with tablets coming in third (for those of you wondering, laptops are number two). In the legal industry, mobile devices have quickly become the go-to platform for communication between attorneys, their litigation team, and their clients.
Technology has pushed attorneys to re-evaluate the way they practice law. Forced to find ways to increase efficiency and be more productive, while still producing top-notch results, are issues all attorneys face and mobile technology is the solution. Smartphones and tablets are much more than tools for back and forth communication or checking email. In fact, with all the applications on the market, these devices provide attorneys with their own little “on the go” office.
Sorting through the thousands of apps on the market can be quite a task on its own. That’s why we have put together a little cheat sheet of the top twelve mobile apps all attorneys should be using to boost their productivity and get the most out of their mobile devices.
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ezPDF Reader: PDF Reader, Annotator & Form Filler –ezPDF Reader is a great tool for attorneys who find themselves constantly reviewing PDF documents. This app allows you to view a PDF as if you were viewing it on a standard computer, make annotations or notes, and easily fill out forms. |
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Evernote Scannable –For those using iPhones or iPads, Evernote Scannable is a great tool for eliminating all the clutter caused by paper copies. You use the camera on your mobile device to scan important documents. Scannable captures the image and then automatically rotates, crops and adjusts it. Once scanned you can share the image with others or save it to be viewed at a later time. Download: iOS |
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Chrome Remote Desktop –There are times when you might be out of the office and you need to access a document that is stored on the computer at your home or office. Chrome Remote Desktop provides you secure access to those files no matter where you are. |
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Tripit –Whether it be for depositions or client meetings, attorneys find themselves traveling quite a bit. Tripit keeps all those travel plans in one place and creates a master itinerary so you aren’t stuck searching through all your emails to find travel information. It also keeps your travel plans and calendar in sync. |
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Feedly –Keeping up with the latest news on the internet is time consuming. With the Feedly mobile app all of the important news you need is brought to you in one easy to follow stream. Feedly lets you organize all your favorite publications, podcasts and YouTube channels into collections and receive updates when new stories and videos are published. |
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Fastcase –The Fastcase mobile app is a free legal research application that puts the American Law Library in the palm of any attorney’s hand. It contains cases and statutes from all 50 states and from the federal government. You can search by citation, keyword (in Boolean or natural language), or browse statute collections. Information at your fingertips! |
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Dropbox –Dropbox is by far the most popular app for file storage and sharing. Dropbox is an online storage locker for all your files, documents, photos and other data. With Dropbox, your documents can be quickly accessed from anywhere and by anyone you give permission to. |
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SignMyPad –Gone are the days of printing out documents, then searching for a scanner or fax machine to send the document back. SignMyPad allows attorneys to sign important documents right on their mobile device and quickly send off the official document. |
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Asana –Asana is an app that makes communication and collaboration between attorneys and their legal teams hassle-free. From tasks and projects to conversations and notifications, Asana enables teams to move work from start to finish. Each user gets their own mailbox which organizes and updates information based on tags in real-time. |
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iTimeKeep –In the legal industry everything is based off of time. Being able to properly track and record the time spent on a particular task is key for attorneys, especially those who are always on the go. iTimeKeep allows you to record your billable hours in less time than it takes to send a text message and integrates directly with most billing systems. |
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iAnnotate –Similar to ezPDF Reader, iAnnotate is an iOS only app that allows attorneys to easily read, annotate, and share documents using their iPad. Built-in tools like the pencil, highlighter, note, shapes, and stamp can be used to make comments and take notes, which can later be shared to a variety of cloud-based document storage platforms like iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Box. Download: iOS |
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Picture It Settled –Picture It Settled is probably one of the most beneficial apps on this list. It helps litigants analyze their positions in a case and develop successful negotiation strategies. Picture It Settled uses predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and deep data to predict the course and outcome of a negotiation, down to the time and amount of the settlement. |
We could go on forever with different mobile apps attorneys can use to boost productivity. It seems like there are a never-ending list of tools available, but the ones listed above seem to be the most popular amongst litigation professionals. Is there an app that you use on a daily basis that we didn’t list? Please share some of your favorites with us; we would love to hear about them and share them with the community.