Time is money may be a cliché but there is a lot of truth to it. Clients want things done quickly and they want fees reduced. With smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi and the coming of 4G we all can work smarter and faster while we are on the move.
So we asked our top LexisPSL lawyers and tech savvy developers to nominate the ‘must have Apps’ for lawyers. The list shows a clear distinction between Apps that deliver content and productivity tools that enable a user to create, work with and store content.
So here is the list. We have ranked the Apps in alphabetical order. You might be using some of them already. You might think there should be others on the list. If you do, let us know.
We should say up front that we have included a couple of our own. We think that is fair as they designed to be essential to lawyers.
Dropbox
If you are fed up with emailing yourself a file then download Dropbox. You can put files, photos and anything else you care to think of in Dropbox. You can access them wherever you are and share with others.
Evernote
Evernote is built on a simple idea: remember everything. With so many things happening throughout the day this is the ideal App to control and manage your information.
Flipboard
If you want to keep all your work documents and information on Dropbox and Evernote and would like to stay in touch with family and friends while on the move, Flipboard is for you. It describes itself as a social news magazine and that is what it is.
Goodreader
Goodreader comes highly recommended as a robust PDF reader.
Halsbury’s Legal Terms
Halsbury’s Legal Terms is named after Lord Halsbury. Halsbury’s laws are the authority on the law. It gives you everything you need in legal terms.
News360
A news aggregator that allows you to keep up to date with the news you need to know.
Nexis News
Nexis news search is, in our view, the ultimate news database. Whether you like to keep up with the latest news or want detailed information about a sector or company, Nexis is the App for you.
QuickofficeHD
This is ideal for editing Office documents when you are away from the office. This is a perfect companion for Goodreader and Evernote.
Soundnote
If you need to take notes in meetings, lectures, and interviews then Soundnote is worth having. It tracks what you type and draw while recording audio, so you'll never worry about missing an important detail. During playback, just tap a word: SoundNote will jump right to the proper time in the audio.
Wunderlist
Once you have made your notes, downloaded your documents, read what you needed and organised everything you might need a to do list. Wunderlist helps you manage your tasks so that you are on control of your workflow.
An honorable mention to…
It was tough compiling the list. We would love to have put in the BBC and FT Apps so that you have the news at your fingertips but it was felt other Apps had the edge in terms of managing workload. We were also tempted to include LinkedIn and Twitter but News360 won out because it can do the job of keeping you up to date with the news and works well with Flipboard.
Our lawyers highlighted that many of their peers may have hesitation about storing data in the cloud. Different firms (and indeed their clients) have different approaches to this, and we suggest lawyers check with their IT departments to understand which of the apps fits best with the firm’s approach.
While not on the list, it is worth noting that the Find my iPhone App allows remote tracking, locking and wiping of lost phones and would be a worthy addition for those lawyers that have iPhones.
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