As we noted in Part One of this post, iPads have become ubiquitous in courtrooms and depositions since lawyers use them for everything from keeping organized to presenting evidence. Since 2011, when BullsEye first surveyed some of the most popular apps for trial, the number of litigation-related apps has grown significantly.
When we recently decided to take another look at the best apps for trial lawyers, our list grew to 40. In Part One of this post, we covered apps for reviewing transcripts, conducting on-the-fly legal research, strategizing about settlement, and accessing dockets. In Part Two, we continue our look at 40 essential apps for trial lawyers.
Trial Presentation Apps
ExhibitView ($89.99). This app lets you organize and annotate exhibits and then present them wirelessly. Presentation tools include call-out features, highlight options, freehand pen tool, a laser pointer tool, and complete control of your output to a TV or projection device. Additional features include screenshot saving, creating alias names, and importing and exporting projects. For more functionality, there is a PC version of ExhibitView ($498, which includes the iPad app) in which you can prepare your exhibits and then transfer them to your iPad.
Keynote ($9.99). Although not designed specifically for trials, Apple’s Keynote is a popular presentation app among lawyers in the courtroom and elsewhere. You can use it to view, edit, and design presentations created in either Keynote ’09 or Microsoft PowerPoint. It allows video mirroring so that you can present on an HDTV while seeing a presenter view on your iPad that shows your slides and notes.
TrialDirector (free). This app enables you to create case folders on your iPad and then add exhibits, including video, through a Dropbox or iTunes account. Once you have added these exhibits, you can use the app to annotate and present them. If you have the TrialDirector 6 desktop application, which sells for an annual license of $695, you can prepare exhibits there and then export them to this app for presentation at trial.
TrialPad ($89.99). TrialPad is generally considered the leader among trial presentation apps. While it is also the priciest of these apps, it is comparable in its capabilities to far more expensive desktop applications. With TrialPad, you can highlight, annotate, redact, and zoom in on documents as you present them. You can also view and compare documents side-by-side, view and edit video, mark up an exhibit with annotations and call-outs and then save the mark-ups for your closing, and project wirelessly.
TrialTouch (free). TrialTouch provides on-the-go access to case materials including photographs, illustrations, 3D animations, medical imagery, video, and documents. It requires an account with the trial-graphics company DK Global.
Jury Selection and Monitoring Apps
iJuror ($29.99). This jury-selection app lets you record information about jurors, assign scores to jurors, assign color codes to jurors for visual reference, view juror demographics, and configure seating charts to match the courtroom. Information can be shared among multiple devices by exporting and importing via Dropbox. Information can also be shared via Bluetooth with someone else who is using iJuror.
iJury ($14.99). This app uses jurors’ responses to voir dire questions to assign them a score as negative or positive for your case. You start by creating a case profile and adding members of the jury pool. As they respond to the jury questionnaire, you tap a button to indicate whether each response is positive or negative to your case. The app records these responses and creates an overall grade.
JuryDuty ($39.99). Similar to other jury-selection apps, JuryDuty lets you add information and notes about each juror, prepare topics and questions for voir dire, create seating charts, and share information among members of your trial team via Bluetooth.
Jury Notepad ($4.99). From the same company that developed iJuror, Jury Notepad is designed specifically for creating, keeping, and organizing notes about jurors. It has a simpler interface that makes it easier to use on iPhones, but it can also be used on an iPad.
JuryPad ($24.99). This app is designed to make it easy for you to record, arrange, evaluate, and use juror information as well as create, edit, and reuse voir dire questions. A unique feature of JuryPad is its ability to take you on a “virtual tour” of jurors’ neighborhoods.
JuryStar ($39.99). Developed by a trial lawyer for use in selecting juries, JuryStar lets you enter and record voir dire questions and juror responses and demographic information. It uses color codes to help you rate jurors and make decisions about which jurors to strike.
Date Calculator Apps
Court Days Pro ($2.99). This is a legal calendaring app for the iPad and iPhone. It gives you the ability to calculate dates and deadlines based on a customizable database of court rules and statutes. Once you set a trigger event, the app displays a list of corresponding dates and deadlines. Dates appear within the app and can also be added to your device’s native calendar app.
DocketLaw (free). This app lets you calculate event dates and deadlines for free based on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. For additional monthly fees, you can add subscriptions to rules-based calendars for specific state and federal courts. The cost varies by state and court. By way of example, you can add all New York courts for a monthly fee of $49.95.
Smart Dockets (free). Calculate dates and deadlines directly on your mobile device using court rules. Choose your court rule set, determine the trigger event, and enter the trigger date to calculate deadlines automatically.
Trial Preparation Apps
Courtroom Objections ($2.99). This app is a quick, simple guide to common courtroom objections and responses.
eDepoze (free). This app allows you to present deposition exhibits using an iPad. Users are able to introduce, mark, and share exhibits in real time, and the app allows participants to review and annotate their personal copies. The app is free, but use of the system must be purchased through a network of resellers, most of which are court reporting companies.
iTestimony ($9.99). Use this app to keep track of witness information and notes before and during trial and depositions. Assign avatars to each witness for easier identification. Information about witnesses can be shared with others by email.
TabLit: Trial Notebook ($89.99). This app is designed to enable a lawyer to walk into court with nothing but an iPad. It includes case documents, examination outlines, examination checklists, evidentiary checklists, case contacts, and other features.
E-Discovery Apps
eDiscovery Assistant ($29.99). This app is intended to provide access to key e-discovery information. As purchased, it includes access to the FRCP for e-discovery, pilot projects, key case digests identified by the editors, sample checklists and templates, a resources database, and a glossary of terms. For an additional monthly subscription of $15.99, you can also get access to all state and U.S. district court e-discovery rules, more than 3,000 digests of e-discovery decisions, and more than 50 checklists and templates.
E-Discovery Project Calculator (free). This free app lets you calculate and estimate the size of your e-discovery project. This tool will estimate document and page count based on the size of the job. It will also calculate the time and cost required to complete the project.
