Today's Tech: A Litigation Attorney And His Apple Watch

Want to streamline your digital life and increase your productivity in the process? Get an Apple Watch.

I received my Apple Watch in April and have been wearing it daily ever since. I’ve already written about my initial impressions and, long story short, am convinced that the Apple Watch is the gateway drug to wearables for the public in general and for lawyers.

Just because that’s my conclusion doesn’t mean everyone agrees, and I wanted to get another take on the Apple Watch and on its utility for lawyers. The only problem: the Apple Watch is currently in short supply and not many people have access to it. So I was thrilled when I read that one of my favorite tech-savvy lawyers, Jeff Richardson, had received his Watch at the same time I did. So of course I immediately reached out to Jeff to get his impressions for this column.

If you’re not already familiar with Jeff from his well-read blog iPhoneJD, he’s a New Orleans lawyer and is a partner at Adams and Reese LLP. He handles appellate litigation and represents defendants in class actions and complex litigation.

According to Jeff, the Apple Watch is a diamond in the rough. “I look at my Apple Watch and am reminded of the minimal functionality the iPhone had in 2007. But then in 2008 the App Store opened and there were lots of general apps at first and then legal apps followed,” he explains. “Back then, the iPhone was so much bigger and slower and now it’s a completely different phone and has come so far. So it’s really exciting to think about what the Apple Watch will be 3 years, 5 years, and even 8 years from now — what it will be and what it will control.”

Jeff describes the Apple Watch as an assistant to your iPhone and believes that one of the primary benefits to using it is to streamline your digital life, while increasing your productivity in the process. “Technology blogger John Moltz compared the Apple Watch to an assistant for your iPhone and I thought that was a really good analogy. In many ways the Apple Watch isn’t doing anything the iPhone can’t do on it’s own. But it taps me on the wrist about things that matter most that I might otherwise miss on my iPhone. Right now the Watch enhances what I can do but as it changes over time it may replace some functions of the iPhone like the Activity and Workout apps.”

For Jeff, the Watch as it now exists offers three main benefits. First, there’s the watch face and the information that is immediately accessible by glancing at it: “I can lift my wrist and see the information I need at that time. Sometimes it’s as simple as the time, the weather, or my next appointment. I have a watch face that includes upcoming meetings and it’s so much faster to look at my wrist than pulling out my iPhone.”

Another feature he really appreciates is the notifications: “Of course I get notifications on my iPhone but I always have it set to silent, so when I’m out and about I feel it or hear it and then pull the phone out. But it’s much faster to have a simple tap on my wrist and lift it up and see the notification instantly. For example, on my way back from lunch today I got a notice and saw that my wife texted me. And to reply it’s super fast to key in a reply button and post a canned reply. And the Watch is incredibly good at voice detection. It’s so simple to tap my wrist once or twice and dictate a quick reply to a text and I’m done.”

Finally, he finds Watch apps to be useful but not in the way he’d expected prior to getting the Watch: “I assumed I’d be using the Watch apps a lot since I’m always using them on the iPhone.  I think one of the reasons I don’t use Apple Watch apps as often is because the developers don’t yet have access to full aspects of development. Also it’s easier to use the iPhone for many functions with its bigger screen and increased power. But that doesn’t mean I don’t use a few apps a lot of the time. For example, I love to listen to podcasts and there’s an app I used called Overcast that I use often.”

Sponsored

According to Jeff, it’s important for lawyers to stay on top of changes in technology and to be curious about new technology tools such as the Watch. “I’ve always believed that lawyers who know how to take advantage of technology have an edge over those who don’t. When I started practicing 20 years ago, there were lawyers who didn’t use email and those of us who did had an edge. When the Blackberry came out, those of us using them were on the ball when responding to client queries. And, when the iPad came out, because it’s light and small it’s easier to use in court since you can walk around with it instead of being hidden behind a laptop,” he says. “And I believe that lawyers who take advantage of the Watch and learn how to use it will have an edge. How it will help is still somewhat of an unknown but one example might be that when another lawyer from your firm who is also in the courtroom can ‘tap’ you on the wrist to get your attention and share something important about the matter you’re appearing on.”

Jeff’s parting thoughts on the Watch revolve around the need for lawyers to make time to learn about new technology tools: “The comments to ABA Model Rule 1.1 were recently modified to require lawyers to stay abreast of changes in technology and that rule applies here. For lawyers seeking to incorporate new technology into their practices, my main advice is to do your research, something that is true for any big purchase, whether it’s technology or a car. Be aware of what’s going on and read articles and blog posts. By doing so, you’ll know that today is not the day to buy Google Glass but it is time to buy the Apple Watch — something you wouldn’t otherwise know unless you took the time to read what others have found and think about how it fits into your everyday life and practice.”

So that’s how one lawyer uses Apple Watch in his practice. As always, if you or an attorney you know is using technology in a creative or unusual way in your law firm, drop me an email at niki.black@mycase.com. I’m always looking for new attorneys — or judges — to feature in this column.


Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and the Legal Technology Evangelist at MyCase, web-based law practice management software. She’s been blogging since 2005, has written a weekly column for the Daily Record since 2007, is the author of Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York. She’s easily distracted by the potential of bright and shiny tech gadgets, along with good food and wine. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikiblack and she can be reached atniki.black@mycase.com.

Sponsored

CRM Banner