Barnes and Noble practice

Ok, so this is not genius, but here I am in Barnes and Noble with my iPad and a cup of coffee practicing law. Even though I could do the exact same thing with my MacBook, it's so much easier to carry around the iPad thanks to size and weight. And since I just came from court and the jail, I did not have to stuff my briefcase with a clunky laptops along with my files. Even now, I am writing this entry with the on- screen keyboard!

iPads do not and should not replace a laptop or computer, but it does make using one of those far less common. How easy is it, you ask? Right here, I can access my RocketMatter account to bill and work on client files, read most recent case developments, all with a device the size of a small magazine. Ate keyboard on-screen functionality is a little funky. For some reason it does not like where my thumb wants to tap for space bar strokes, but otherwise is great. I simply refuse to buy an external keyboard because that pretty much takes it out of the portable realm. That being said, I really don't think you need it, though. I am maybe a few strokes slower, but that's a small price to pay for the extreme portability.

Ialsoam starting to use a stylus for handwriting. It could be me, but writing with a finger tip just looks horrible. I have poor handwriting to begin with, so I bought the JustMobile Alupen to help. Wat I like about this piece of kit is the weight. The light styluses need pressure to maintain a written line, but the weight of the Alupen means I can write normally and don't lose contact. Some same it's clunky, but at six feet and about 210 lbs., the size is just right for my hand.

More shortly...

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.

My new iPad!

So, this Christmas I was fortunate enough to have a family member that decided I should get an iPad.  I must admit that when these tablets came out I didn't really understand the concept.  I have an iPod Touch, and an iPhone, and the iPad is just one of those things only bigger, right?

Well, it only occurred to me recently how much more practical size alone can make this device.  With the iPad, I can actually pull a document up and read it without having to zoom and bring it right up to my face.

My first week with the iPad has proven successful.  There are a number of iPad-specific blogs dedicated to lawyers (to my surprise) that informed me on some of the must-have apps for use in and out of the courtroom.  Here's a run-down on how I have started to use this amazing piece of equipment:

Tuesday:  I had a Motions calendar to attend in criminal court, with two cases on the docket.  Using GoodReader for iPad ($4.99) I was able to import the court calendar as a pdf and write on the document with the integrated tools of the app.  I can now save my markups, email them, or toss them, all without using a piece of paper OR wasting ink.  Also in use on Monday was Penultimate ($0.99), which is a legal pad app more akin to Moleskine notebooks.  You can write with your finger or stylus just as a notepad, and also save or email whole notebooks or single pages.

Wednesday:  I subscribe to Rocket Matter law practice management, which is a fantastic cloud-based program.  With the iPad, I don't need to lug around my Macbook to access my client files.  With the iPad, I can access full page websites and actually see them without zoom.  It made my Starbucks run at lunch a bit more productive.

Thursday:  Using Wunderlist HD (free), I am able to sync my to-do lists across all my devices.  The app works for iPad and the iPhone, but it's all just so much better to use with the bigger screen.  That late-night brainstorming session I had last night with the iPad has paid off because now I don't have to remember what genius idea I had at 2:00 am!

So far, so good.  I'll keep you posted on my quest to print less paper and keep my files slim and trim.

JD

John D. Duncan is president of J.D. Duncan, PC, founding partner of Prater, Duncan & Craig, LLC in Newnan, Georgia, and is Esquire by Day.  You can find him at www.jdduncanlaw.com, or follow him on twitter and Facebook.