Attorneys and those involved in trial law know that even as we pack our bags for vacation, we’re never really  completely away from the office.  We promise not to take work with us and to leave home any files, work laptops and personal scanners, (? on the scanner - as if I’m the only one…).

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Of course, the  cell phone has to come along regardless of the trip’s reason. (Defiantly, however,  set on No Volume, No Vibrate.)  There.  All squared away and reaching for the (first) mojito!   The quiet hum of the bar blender whirling up your drink, the soft windchimes of clinking glasses, and the luxuriously relaxed laughter all around you conspire to lull your senses into  peaceful quietude.  Your are far, far away from your office phone’s  endless, vision-impairing rows of blinking lights; each flash representing an anxious client,partner or charity request.  You’re in your own mental playroom -  forgotten for the moment is your home office’s conquest of your personal entertainment room and the neuron-numbing paperwork skyscraper on your desk.  (That this paperwork is on a screen doesn’t make it any less voluminous. People presume that via digital distortion of the laws of physics, you can now simply do more of it.)

All settled in until that subconscious sideways glance at your iPhone occurs.   The URGENT icon won’t stop blinking.  (Why did you look?? You knew that would happen sooner or later.)  Well now that your smart phone has become the  root of your peace’s destruction, so it shall serve as its savior.  Through your cell phone,  you need to be able to access:  archived law, existing case-law,   your own files at home/the office, mobile content storage,  time tracking and billing.  (Re: the last, if you are going to be swayed from your fun, picking up a good-sized retainer or two is not an insufferable salve.)  No problem.  We’ve got you covered.

5 top apps for attorneys and those involved in trial law:

1. LawStack:  Awesome legal library for attorneys on the go.  LS can be downloaded from the App Store.  It comes pre-loaded with the following:  (although you can add along at will):

• US Constitution
• Federal Rules of Federal of Civil Procedure
• Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure
• Federal Rules of Evidence
• Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure
• Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure

2. Black’s Law Dictionary.     Clear, concise and accurate.   For those reasons, Black’s Law Dictionary remains the most cited legal dictionary in print.  (Available now on iPhones, shortly in app version for Blackberrys and Droids.)

3. DropBox and LogMeIn.  With over 175 million users worldwide, Dropbox has long been the universal standard for mobile content storage and sharing.  Combined with  LogMeIn, (which I originally misread years ago as lo mein), a program that remotely accesses your office computer(s) and allows you to open, modify and email any files you may need, this virtual office combo is all you need re: content access. (Given how well they work in tandem, we generally presume that most people d/l both.  Hence, our single app categorization.)

4. Time Clock – Time Tracker.  Self-explanatory.

5. Quickoffice.   Word docs, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations at your fingerprints.  Create, edit, send.

Put the mojito on hold for a moment and return the call.  Hear out the caller, make your decision and email your retainer acceptance (we are optimistic, not jaded!).

Bet the drink glass is still frosted…

BNI Operatives: Street smart; web savvy and a step ahead.

As always, stay safe.

Related articles

• Remote Computer Access with LogMeIn (jakeludington.com)
• Giveaway: Five Copies ‘LogMeIn Ignition’ Remote Desktop App for iOS (intomobile.com)

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