Legal Search Marketing

Posts Tagged ‘iphone’

The Fastcase iPhone app has been selected by the American Association of Law Libraries as 2010 New Product of the Year.  This is the app that lets you do full case law and statute research for free on your phone.

The award recognizes new legal information products that enhance or improve existing law library services or procedures. It will be presented during the AALL’s annual meeting in Denver later this month.

According to Fastcase’s press release announcing the award, an iPad version will be released at the AALL meeting and versions for the Android and Blackberry are in the works.  – From the Law Sites Blog

The Fastcase App for your iPhone

Have you ever found yourself in a courtroom hallway preparing for oral argument and wishing that you could search for a few more cases? Would you like to be able to log some legal research time during your subway or bus commute? How about double-checking a statute provision before walking into a client meeting or a settlement negotiation? Now you can.

Fastcase for the iPhone is the largest free law library on the iPhone and it uses smart search technology from Fastcase’s fully-featured Web-based legal research application, which allows you to sort the most relevant results to the top of the list, customize and re-sort search results, and integrate citation analysis tools right into the results list.

This application is free, but you will need to register an account so that you can save favorites and your own customized search history. There are tons of customizable features, so the more you use the Fastcase App, the better it fits you!

An article in this months Iphone Life talks about how lawyers are starting to switch to the Iphone from the Blackberry in growing numbers. I think that trend will continue because the Iphone is very useful, especially because of all the Apps available.   Over time, you will see many apps geared specifically for lawyers.

From Iphone Life….

For years, mobile communication in the American law firm has been based primarily on the BlackBerry, but the tide may slowly be turning to the iPhone. The much-buzzed-about Apple device has gathered legions of devoted fans, including attorneys who appreciate the phone’s Web browsing capabilities and ever-expanding catalog of apps. And with online communities of iPhone-centric lawyers forming around blogs like iPhone J.D. and The Mac Lawyer, it’s easy for novice iPhone users to learn how to use their new devices in a professional capacity.

A former BlackBerry user myself, I switched to the iPhone last year when my company, West LegalEdcenter, began to develop an app that delivers continuing legal education (CLE) to iPhone and iPod touch users. Though I’m just beginning to explore the variety of functionalities and apps the iPhone offers, I’m taking advantage of new discoveries every day. My job frequently takes me on the road, and staying in close touch with my colleagues back at the office is a snap. In addition, the travel and restaurant apps come in handy when I’m headed to an unfamiliar city.

Why is the legal industry taking a closer look at the iPhone these days? Four attorneys recently shared their perspectives with me, and their positive experiences with the device won’t come as a surprise to any iPhone fan.

An all-in-one solution

Like professionals across the business world, attorneys appreciate the wide range of utilities that the iPhone offers. The device gives users the ability to combine the functionalities of phones, computers, GPS systems, calendars, MP3 players, digital cameras and other vital business tools in an easy-to-use format.

“I think that people find iPhones a little easier to use as a multipurpose device,” Keyes said. “It’s good for productivity, but it’s also fun.”

Many iPhone converts cite the device’s superior Web browsing ability as a clear differentiator between the iPhone and the BlackBerry.

“The Web browser is infinitely better for quick research on the go,” said Nilan, who also frequently e-mails herself cases to review outside the office.

For Della Rocca, the freedom to leave her computer at the office each night lightens her load, both literally and figuratively.

“I always feel connected with it. I feel like I’m not a slave to my desk or my laptop,” Della Rocca said. “I never thought I’d be that into a phone, but it’s given me a level of confidence that no other phone has ever given me.”

And when she has to be at the office while her family is at play, Della Rocca can feel like she’s part of the action through the photo and video files her husband sends her.

“I never feel out of the loop. It’s the best thing ever for a lawyer,” she added.

Read Full Article

I use the Iphone and love it and it seems like more and more legal professionals are using the Iphone.    The Iphone has many great features for lawyers and there are more and more apps geared towards the legal industry. I will be reviewing some of the best apps for lawyers over the next month.  The Iphone 4 just  came out and people are loving it, time to upgrade again!

IPHONE 4 REVIEWS ARE IN and they are all Great!

• Joshua Topolsky of Engadget has an incredibly well-written review, full of details, facts, pictures and videos.  And he loves the iPhone 4, concluding:  “We’re not going to beat around the bush — in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package. Yes, there are still pain points that we want to see Apple fix, and yes, there are some amazing alternatives to the iPhone 4 out there. But when it comes to the total package — fit and finish in both software and hardware, performance, app selection, and all of the little details that make a device like this what it is — we think it’s the cream of the current crop.”  If you only read one review, read this one.
• Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal writes that the iPhone 4 is a “big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the smartphone wars.”  He criticizes the AT&T network, but otherwise concludes that “Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class.”
• David Pogue of the New York Times writes that the iPhone 4 is “amazing” and that it “feels solid and Lexus-like.”
• Ed Baig of USA Today writes that the iPhone 4 “demonstrates once again why Apple’s handset is the one to beat.”

OTHER IPHONE 4 NEWS

• Jenna Wortham of the New York Times writes about people waiting in line for an iPhone 4 yesterday.
• You can download the iPhone 4 user guide (243 pages) in PDF format here.
• Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun Times discusses iOS 4, as does Roy Forchgott of the New York Times.
• iSmashPhone looks at the Best 64 Features of iOS 4.