You Ask, I Answer About Using Tablets

I love receiving questions from my readers. Heres a copy of an email I received:

 I am an attorney located in [some big city], and I found your website while researching ways to use a Tablet to help make our office more paper-less.  I have been using a Tablet in court now for about 2 weeks as part of a test to show that this can be done efficiently and effectively (mainly Docs to Go to pull up docs and PDFs and to take notes of discussions with prosecutors).

In my office, I am in the Traffic/Criminal department, so I am in court a lot defending small criminal matters and traffic citations. So far I like the ease in which I have been able to use it, but I know I am only scratching the surface of what can be done. You had mentioned in a previous post about how you use your Tablet to run dispositions, and use it effectively in court. I am curious what apps you do use on a daily basis that you find most helpful, both in and out of court.

Also, what have you found to be the negatives about using technology like this? Have you had any worries regarding lost data from a crash, etc?

I look forward to hearing from you.

And here is my response:

Dear Big City Android Attorney:

Thanks for reading this blog. Im glad youre using your tablet. I think as you use it more, youre going to find a simple love for the quick access to information.

Its hard to pin-point some absolute must have in or out of court apps. You might check out my favorite apps of 2011 for some ideas. Id say my two most important apps are Dropbox and RepliGo Reader. I suppose, if I claimed any app as my dual-purpose favorites, these two qualify. I dont enter court without moving all of the documents Ill need into my Dropbox folder.

I also depend heavily on my navigation app (I prefer the native app, but Waze is slowly winning me over).

For note taking, I like Evernote, which is popular with a lot of attorneys, and PenSupremacy for Tablets. One caveat with PenSupremacy is the fact that it requires a verification from Google that youve purchased the app. Very stupid, and certainly makes the app useless if you dont have an internet connection for the verification process.

Many attorneys love Evernote, and try to use it much like Dropbox. I dont understand this I never got into using Evernote for more than a note-taking (I love it for trial, depo, or hearing preparation), but Ive heard of attorneys dumping large amounts of data and information for storage and use. One of my colleagues here in Oklahoma, Shawn Roberts, wrote a great post on his blog about how he uses Evernote. Very must read. One thing he mentions, that I havent done, is to use Evernote to take pictures of medical records and prescriptions. I think an extension is to take pictures of your stuff for insurance.

When it comes to documents, I use Documents to Go (dont forget to purchase the full app). However, I store most of the documents I create on my tablet in Google Docs, since it syncs across platforms. Unfortunately, both apps suck have their drawbacks when youre talking document creation on an Android tablet or smartphone. Dont worry though, either app will be okay in a pinch.

While Im on the topic of Google Docs, a lot of people are concerned about cloud computing, especially in terms of security.  One of the biggest questions I get is, Is my stuff safe? This is certainly a valid and worthwhile concern, especially considering a lawyers ethical obligations. In my opinion (you should check with your bar association) any company that offers the following, meets the ethical obligation standard: 128 or higher encryption, https access, multiple-site storage, redundant data backup, and 24/7 technical support (even if its in India). Heck, their security and backup measures are probably 20 times greater than your own. The thing Im most leery about is putting everything to the cloud, then having the company go belly-up. Though, I think for now, its a pretty safe bet Google isnt going anywhere anytime soon.

As for my concerns with data crashes or the like, theyre minimal. Since Im fairly well-prepared when I go to a court hearing or other matter, I can often act on the fly if I cant access my data. The biggest problem for me, because I sync everything into my Dropbox account, has been being able to quickly retrieve the documents when I get to court. One advantage Documents to Go has over Dropbox, is that the application syncs all documents directly to your mobile device. This can be a storage nightmare, but with 32 gb microSD cards, Id be surprised if you tapped out. DTG is the must-do method if you wont have WiFi or tethering access.

I will mention that one of the biggest hassles of any document method is getting stuff back into your main file folder on your server or online when youre done. I havent found an efficient or easy method for doing this, other than to physically transfer the file back. If you do, Id love to hear about it.

By the way, heres a reminder about transferring files: never cut and paste your original folder onto your tablet. You must always move your files using copy and paste. Your tablet is an extension of your paperless file folder system, not the system. I once heard of an attorney who would store files on multiple microSD cards, for security. The attorney didnt have copies of the original files anywhere but the multiple microSD cards. Not only is this the most inefficient way of storing files, its (in my opinion) a violation of Rule 1.15.

After all that, I hope Ive at least touched on some of your broadest concerns, and given you somewhat sensible solutions. I recommend that you check out my site, explore the posts, and if you want more input, feel free to send me an email [jeff at thedroidlawyer.com]. I also appreciate your input on Android and ways youre using Android devices in your law firm.

Sincerely,

Jeff Taylor, The Droid Lawyer

If youre wondering about something Android-related, or youd like to guest post, please let me know.