Even attorneys are signing up.

Since time immemorial (or at least since the advent of computers), PCs have ruled the law office technology world. As iPhones and iPads have become more popular, Apple products have begun encroaching on the PC’s long-standing dominance of the workplace.

But who would’ve thought that Apple would actually be taking over, even in the technophobic realm of law?

A new legal survey shows just how much attorneys love their Macs. Let’s look at the results, and maybe find some gift ideas for the holidays….

Clio, a legal software company, surveyed 763 attorneys [FN1] in their “2011 Macs in Law Survey.” The results, which came out at the end of last week, were a bit surprising.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Sixty-one percent of respondents said they use iPhones; only 13 percent used Android phones. Sorry, Google.
• Fifty-two percent of respondents said their offices use Apple computers. Of those, 25 percent have been using Macs for less than a year.
• Barely half of respondents said their offices currently use iPads, but 70 percent are considering purchasing iPads next year. (In the 2010 survey, 40 percent — a significantly smaller group — planned on buying iPads for their office.)
• 76.5 percent of law students said that when they graduate, they plan on choosing a Mac platform for their office. Nice going, young’uns.
• Forty-six percent of respondents said they chose Apple hardware over PC options because the technology was more reliable and secure. Usability was next at 33.8 percent. Familiarity due to home use of Apple/Mac products was 9.8 percent.

So if you are still scrambling for the last-minute Christmas gift for your favorite lawyer buddy, the stats don’t lie! Maybe lawyers are more tech savvy than they appear to be. Besides, who doesn’t want to be cool like Stephen Colbert?

[FN1] Three-quarters of respondents were small firm lawyers. Law students and attorneys at bigger firms also participated.

2011 Macs in Law Survey [Clio]
2011 Apple in Law Firms Survey Shows Clear Momentum for Apple iPad and iPhone as well as “the Cloud” [Clio - Official Press Release]

Christopher Danzig is a writer in Oakland, California. He covers legal technology and the West Coast for Above the Law. Follow Chris on Twitter @chrisdanzig or email him at cdanziggmail.com. You can read more of his work at chrisdanzig.com.