Quick Tech Tip

I attended a breakfast meeting for small firms at the ABA Forum on Franchising a couple of years ago and my table’s topic was technology. I have always thought of myself as relatively savvy on technology issues, but I was startled at how little I knew about some of the concepts that were discussed at that table. It made me realize that many lawyers are totally fascinated with technological advances to the practice of law. One of the reasons for this is that new technology means you get to buy new stuff, frequently cool new stuff with an intriguing gadget type quality.

With all of that in mind, I was sent an article by Suzane Smith of the online publication Court Reporter Schools, entitled “Top 20 iPhone Apps for Busy Attorneys.”

I have an iPhone and I find it enormously useful in my day to day activities, including my law practice. I keep my calendar, contacts and email on it. I recently started using a free Voice Memo application (‘app”) which is extremely useful for keeping track of stray thoughts or even dictating a letter. I have not tried any of the other apps mentioned, but I will undoubtedly end up using some of them. The key to the iPhone is harnessing its usefulness while maintaining one’s focus, so that I do not find myself trying to review a document, while simultaneously reading my email, instant messaging my son, texting my daughter, listening to music and playing Blackjack.