The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/163881
lessons learned Power to the Practice: Supporting Attorneys' Mobile Tools by Charles Collins of Ward and Smith, P.A. Gone are the days of IT dictating the technology used within the firm. The tide has turned, and today's attorneys are now dictating to IT the tools they wish to leverage. At Ward and Smith, P.A., our attorneys have brought the use of mobile technology to the forefront. Based in North Carolina, we have approximately 90 attorneys located in five offices throughout the state. Our attorneys have paved the way toward a bring your own device (BYOD) environment. The firm hosts a mix of Android and Apple users with a few BlackBerry holdouts. The overwhelming majority now carry Apple devices — either an iPhone, iPad or, in some cases, both. We manage these devices utilizing Good Technology's mobile device management (MDM) solution. We began the process by offering the Good for Enterprise app as our mobile email client and followed that with an app offered by our document management system (DMS) provider, NetDocuments, and a mobile time-entry solution called iTimeKeep. Who knew we'd have such a positive response to these changes? On the Road (Show) In early February, we took a big step in supporting these devices by creating a roadshow for our attorneys. This event highlighted the many ways attorneys could best leverage mobile devices in their practices. Our focus was primarily on the iPad, but we also covered information for iPhone and Android devices. The goal was to showcase mobile apps we felt both enhanced and complemented the attorneys' day-to-day work. The hour-long presentation was designed to not only showcase these apps, but also to demonstrate how effectively the iPad can be used as a presentation tool. 116 Peer to Peer The entire presentation was run through wirelessly networked iPads using Apple TV and Apple's AirPlay feature. The Apple TV was connected to either a projector or wall-mounted television via HDMI. This allowed us to demonstrate the effectiveness of the iPad as a method for presenting slides, images, video and individual apps — all without being tethered to a projector. The team was able to walk around the room and seamlessly switch the presentation from one presenter's iPad to the next. Our goal was to provide a valid use case. This process also served as a great visual for the attorneys in attendance, allowing them to see how this technology could be applied in client meetings and in court. The presentation began with an overview of the three apps we already supported and then moved into a categorized selection of apps identified as best for our attorneys. We wanted to provide enough information to both inspire and motivate their thinking about what can be accomplished when leveraging mobile devices. We took a structured approach that covered: • How to transfer data to a device, and what to do next • How the iPad can be leveraged in meetings and in trial • Using the iPad for research, reference, education and news • Security and the cloud • iPad accessories • Apps that, while not made for the legal world, could benefit an attorney's work and personal life We highlighted individual apps during the presentation and demonstrated them live from an iPad. We tied each demonstration around use cases that attorneys could relate to and understand.