Today's Tech: How A Biglaw Attorney Uses Apple Watch
Learn how one firm has been incorporating the Apple Watch into its day-to-day practice.
In my last column, I wrote about how attorneys at the oldest and second largest law firm in Arizona, Fennemore Craig, were incorporating wearable technology into their practices. My original plan, as stated in my prior post, was to write a three-part series on how the firm is using different types of technology. But after interviewing two partners with the firm, Marc Lamber and James Goodnow, I’ve decided to turn this into a four-part series since they are using different cutting-edge technologies in such interesting and forward-thinking ways in their injury law practice group.
In today’s column, you’ll learn how Marc and James have been incorporating the Apple Watch into their day-to-day practice and in future columns, I’ll discuss how they’re using 3-D printing and the iPad in unusual ways.
The Apple Watch
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At the outset of our discussion about the Apple Watch, James acknowledged that the Watch “hasn’t changed the world, but in the short time that it’s been available, it’s already made it better.”
According to James, they pre-ordered the Watch as soon as it was released last April because they believed it had the potential to improve their practice. Since then, they’ve been using the Watch in three different ways: 1) to improve client communication, 2) to increase internal health and wellness within the firm, and 3) to increase general business convenience and efficiencies.
Client communication
James explains that the Watch helps to improve client communication and strengthen their relationships with their clients. “We launched a pilot program where we loan a Watch to clients. We’ve provided the Watch to six catastrophically injured clients of ours who are double or quadruple amputees. Phones can be difficult, if not impossible for them to use and the Watch makes it easier for them to communicate with us, which is a huge benefit.”
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His firm has also provided Watches to other clients, as well, since the streamlined notification system for the Watch ensures that the attorneys receive important client communications, thus improving their client relationships. “We also give Watches to business clients and they’re using them in a general business sense in addition to using them to communicate with lawyers at our firm.” He explains, “By giving clients Watches, it helps to generate stronger relationships with clients and prospective clients.”
According to James, this strategy has many benefits: “Not only are our clients able to use it for their own purposes, it also gives them some reassurance that we’re accessible and available to them. One of the biggest complaints clients often have about their legal representation is that their lawyer wasn’t available to them. The Watch solves this problem since my clients know that I’ve added them to my VIP list on my Watch. So they know that their email or text message is filtered to my Watch and I see it right away. This sends that sends a message to our clients that they’re important and that we’re readily accessible to them.”
Internal health and wellness
James’s firm uses wearable technology, including the Apple Watch, to encourage team members to lead a healthier, less stressful lifestyle, with the end goal being happier, more productive attorneys. “We work in stressful environment with lots of deadlines and the Watch helps us to get the stress levels under control. After all, if we’re stressed we’re not performing at our best levels. Wearables like the Watch help us to do that. That’s why everyone on our team has a Android, Watch, or Fitbit. One reason we use the different types of wearable technology is to see which performs best for each person,” he explains.
“The heart rate monitor function lets us see where our stress levels are. If someone notices that their heart rate is going up, we’re trying to implement strategies and techniques — such as deep breathing or providing Bose noise reducing headphones to staff members who work in the open office areas — to put them in a relaxing state of mind and try to bring their heart rate down. Will using the Watch like this change the world? Probably not, but the incremental improvements we’re seeing are worth it.”
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Business convenience and efficiencies
According to James, another reason the firm has provided the Watch to its lawyers is because it provides an efficient method to streamline the delivery of important information to team members: “The alerts on the Watch include only the most essential information, thus allowing you to focus on what’s important. This keeps you productive since you’re not distracted by non-essential reminders and alerts.”
The haptic touch feature has also come in handy in order to unobtrusively get the attention of a team member who is in the middle of a meeting or deposition. “Most lawyers spend a portion of their day in meetings and we all know how rude it can appear when someone is typing away or tapping on their phone. But the haptic tap is more discreet so that’s why we use digital touch tapping as an internal alert mechanism,” he says. “So we have a protocol that if I get a digital touch, two taps it means I have an important email that requires my attention. Three taps means something is happening that I should be aware of, and 10 taps means something big is going on that requires my immediate attention.”
James cautions that it’s important to implement technology carefully and avoid getting caught up in the rush to use new technologies in your practice just because you can. “If you’re not careful, you run the risk of blindly implementing technology in ways that cause you to always be in be in a reactive mode. This can sometimes prevent you from being as thoughtful as you could be about the work you’re doing. So it’s important to constantly remind ourselves that we must set aside time to think and should always ensure that we’re using technology in ways that help us to be creative while also making the most of our time.”
So that’s how one law firm is using the Apple Watch as part of their litigation practice. Check back in two weeks to learn about more ways that this firm is innovating with technology, including 3-D printing and the iPad.
And, 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 [email protected]. 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 at[email protected].
