De-stress

Your stitched eyebrows, frown lines, and neck-aches need a break! The Law Library is once again offering a mini de-stress station (located in front of the "Reserve Room") to help you veg out. Coloring books, Play-doh, and neck massagers are all available. Please be courteous though, and return all items to the de-stress station so your fellow Law Scholars can ease those brows, and turn frowns upside down.

Also, we have some featured study aids at the same display. But, if what you're looking for is nowhere to be found, come to the circulation desk and we'll be happy to connect you with what you need.

Good luck on finals all!

The Hammer, The Gorilla, and YOU

Robert "Tito" Meyer billboard via duhaime.org

It's getting to be that time as we close in on graduation where the big question is on the tip of everyone's tongue... It's the cause of many a sleepless night, sweaty palms… the key decision that will be all important to your future… what will YOUR lawyer nickname be?  What reputable esquire worth their weight in affidavits is going to hire someone with the nickname "The Quarter Pounder?" Or worse yet, no nickname at all.

Additionally, and maybe (probably) more practically speaking, marketing you and your skills is more important than your sweet new moniker. Lucky for you USD Law Scholars, the McKusick Law Library can help guide you to your best sobriquet AND suggest resources for supporting and running a law practice. From navigating specializations, to interviewing, to developing leadership skills, we have you covered. Some suggested reads:

Reinventing the Practice of Law by Luz Herrera
The Lawyer as Leader, by Dr. Artika R Tyner
Advice for the Lawlorn by Ann M. Israel
Tomorrow's Lawyer: an Introduction to Your Future by Richard Susskind
Thrive: A New Lawyer's Guide to Law Firm Practice by Desiree Moore

All of these titles plus more can be found in our Career Resources Collection, which we've moved out of the reserve room and onto the main floor, to the left of the computers. We can suggest and help you locate other titles of interest too, and would be happy to serve as a sounding board for all your potential nicknames!

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part VII: Trial Evidence Prep and Presentation

PowerPoint and KeyNote are popular go-tos for presentations, but there are other, more courtroom oriented ways of presenting your case.

ExhibitView: Useful for organizing case exhibits and presentations. ExhibitView enables users to organize, create sub folders, take notes and create white boards. Presentation tools include call-out features, highlighting, a freehand pen tool, laser pointer, and control of your output to TV or projection device. Additionally, there is a PC version! This is particularly nice, for creating presentations on your PC and saving to an iPad come trial time.

TrialDirector: With TrialDirector you can create a case folder, add exhibits to your case through OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, WebDAV or iTunes, and interact with evidence using annotation and presentation tools. As with ExhibitView, tools include call-out, freehand writing, highlighting, and laser pointer. For being FREE, it's a really powerful app and comparable to some of pricier apps that do the same thing.

TrialPad: TrialPad, obviously works very similarly to TrialDirector and ExhibitView; call-out sections of documents, highlight text, compare documents side-by-side, edit and show video clips, add exhibit stickers to documents, and search document text. File formats supported include PDF, JPG, PNG, TIF, TXT, and all audio/video formats that are supported by iPad. You can import multiple files at once, keeping file and folder structures intact, via Box, Dropbox, Citrix ShareFile, Transporter, WebDAV.

Timeline 3D: Different from the above apps, this one focuses on timelines. Enter events and images, movies, or PDFs, then Timeline 3D does the rest for you. Notes, weblinks, and tags can also be added to timelines. There's a variety of backgrounds or styles to choose from, and timelines can be exported to PowerPoint and Keynote.

And that, wraps it up! I hope that this was helpful, if even just a little. Please, feel free to borrow an iPad from us and give these apps a whirl.


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part VI: The Jury

Gentlemen of the Jury by John Morgan

Darlings of USD,

Jury selection apps - they make collecting juror information and jury selection a little more organized.

iJuror: It has an intuitive, simple interface. You can navigate your jury either by seating arrangement or name. Adding and dismissing jurors is as easy as "dragging-and-dropping," because that's exactly what you do; drag, and then drop. iJuror allows you to share and email information with colleagues, add notes throughout the trial, and store all your trials in one location.

iJury: Provides you with metrics (graphs) based on how you score each jurors questionnaire responses and demographic information. This can alert you to potential gender, race, wealth bias to help you pick your best jury.

JuryTracker: This is where we deviate from jury selection to jury observation. JuryTracker uses gestures and emoticons to streamline note taking observations. Typed notes can also be added to the report. All notes are time stamped so they can be cross referenced with the transcript to better understand what jurors were reacting to. JuryTracker includes reports that can be saved for later review, or emailed. Reports include juror responses sorted by juror, by party presenting, by type of response and in chronological order.

I don't need to preach to you about the importance of preparation, but as a friendly reminder - keep them tech skills sharp. Learning about and using apps like these can only help as technology in the courtroom changes.

In our next, and final installment of the iPad apps for lawyers series we'll talk about evidence preparation and presentation. Move over PowerPoint!


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part V: Research Tools

USD Law Library circa 1934

Because for the rest of forever, you'll be doing research, here are some mobile options for your information gathering needs. 

LexisAdvance: If you've already got a subscription with LexisAdvance, you'll probably want the app as well. As always, you can annotate and highlight to your hearts content, but you can also work online or remotely, and sync documents with your other devices. You'll also have access to Shepard's through this app, ensuring "good law" research on the go.


WestlawNext: Basically the same thing as LexisAdvance, but with WestlawNext. (You'll also need to have an account with Westlaw already to use this app.)

LawStack: A FREE LEGAL LIBRARY! LawStack comes with the U.S. Constitution, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. However, should you want even more resources, they offer an embedded collection of  the Code of Federal Regulations, United States Code, and multiple codes from individual states as well. It provides offline access to downloaded doc.s, highlighting capabilities, and "killer full-text search" (their words not mine).

LawLibe: Brought to you by the Legal Information Institute [LII] at Cornell Law School, this app is also a legal library like LawStack. It's free and fully offline. It comes loaded with the U.S. Constitution, and then you can pick and choose what other references to add. One drawback for this app (which is currently being worked on) is that it has limited state code offerings, with only California, New York, and Texas being available thus far.

Fastcase: Is a searchable library of cases and statutes from all 50 U.S. States. One of the features they highlight and that I particularly appreciate is that you can search effectively in Boolean keyword, in natural language, and by citation. It's free, and updated daily.

Fed Courts: Full text of all of the federal rules of procedure and the local rules for every federal court in the country and provides access to PACER. Not a lot of bells, whistles, and features; just basic access to information.




Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part IV: Depositions

Law Scholars,

Deposition of George Rheims from the National Archive

It's time to get down to brass tacks. Below is a modest compilation of deposition apps, and some of their features. As always, if you know of, or are using something you can (or cannot) recommend, please share.

TranscriptPad: Automatically organizes by deponent name and date, making it easy to locate a transcript. Import and highlight, notate, markup, and review transcripts. And you can send along entire case reviews to other TranscriptPad users in PDF, TXT and Excel.

Westlaw Case Notebook Portable E-Transcript: This is a fairly popular app, though it's been a while since its last update, which is needless to say, the cause of some complaint. This app is most useful for those who are using Westlaw Case Notebook, but it would be handy should a .ptx file come your way - immediate access to transcripts without needing access to a PC.

eDepoze:Though eDepoze can do some limited doc review, it really is made specifically for depositions. Users can mark and share exhibits in real time, and those being shared with can review, annotate, and save their own personal copies to their private accounts. You can also chat with team member through eDepoze and view live feed transcription from the court reporter.

iCVNet: Is a bare-bones app for viewing transcription from the court reporter in real-time. There is the ability to mark and highlight within the transcript, but as far as I could tell, no way to annotate. Attorney's gain access to it via a secure WiFi network that is password protected and controlled by the court reporter.

And here's a thing I know nothing about: edepo. If you by chance request and receive an invite, tell us how it is.


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part III: Reading & Reviewing Files

Alright guys! This is the last of the "these apps are good for everyone not just lawyers," posts. Today/tonight, whenever it is that you are reading this, we will review reviewing files.


Read & Review

How I've forgotten to mention we have this in our collection, I do not know

PDFExpert 5: Read, annotate, edit, merge, sign, and fill out PDFs not only with relative ease, but the site says it will in fact be a "joy" to do all these things using their app. One of its more intriguing features is that PDFExpert 5 enables you to review and edit PDFs with in a mode not entirely unlike MS Word, and its preview mode allows you to see the final version of an edited document.

GoodReader: Touted as THE FIRST app every lawyer should get according to americanbar.org/younglawyer. It supports PDF, TXT, MS Office .doc, ppt, .xls, HTML, ZIP and RAR archives, and audio/video. It is capable of a lot of really cool functions, and has gotten rave reviews. Check out their website for more details, otherwise I'm gonna start sounding like a salesman.

EzPDF:  This basically has all the bells and whistles, cogs and pulleys, that the others have, but this app is the only one bragging about embedded multimedia in PDFs (or maybe I'm just not that observant, and all of them do this). Anyhow, this reader is good not only for regular plain old boring non-moving PDFs, but is great for things like children's books, PDF multimedia EBooks, and other jewels of information that include instructional, animated video.

And this my friends, wraps up the basic useful apps. Next time, we are going to dive into the world of deposition apps! Until then, keep on truckin' but take a break once in a while. . . it's good for ya'!
 
Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part II: Saving & Retrieving Files

Greetings and Salutations, Law Scholars,

Edison's Electric Pen. Fun facts here and here.

Last we met, we looked at handy note taking apps. This time around, we'll be talking about utilizing apps to save and retrieve these documents in their various formats.

Dropbox: I think DropBox has been a "go to" for a while now; you can save any file format, share it easily with all your other devices no matter the operating system, and your files are available on your devices even when you're offline. It's simple and intuitive, plus 2GB storage = Free.

SpiderOak: While similar to Dropbox, the most notable difference is that it has "Zero Knowledge Privacy." All files and their meta-data are encrypted with your password before it is even saved. The password you use is never stored on their servers, thereby making it impossible for SpiderOak or anyone else to decrypt your information. To quote the website, "To us, your files are simply containers of encrypted data."

Box: Super easy to use, great for sharing, but not as inter-operable as Dropbox, and the prices are not competitive for the amount of storage you get when compared to Dropbox or SpiderOak. However, for a personal account, you can get 10 GB of free storage. Not too shabby!

Microsoft OneDrive: If you do everything from managing your calendar, email, report, and records using the Microsoft Office suite, OneDrive if for nothing else but sheer convenience. It also offers more 5GB of free storage while Dropbox offers only 2GB, and SpiderOak only offering free trials

Clearly, I am glossing over a lot of information and doing some serious name-brand-dropping. Hopefully though, this opens you up to some resources and options to help you discover what will work best for your current needs, and perhaps the future ones too.



Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

iPad Apps for Lawyers - Part I: Note Taking

Token Picture of a Dude Using an iPad that isn't an iPad, Bein' All Productive with His Cup of Black Coffee

Dear Readers,

The McKusick Law Library has iPads available to borrow. "Why would I borrow an iPad?" you may or may not be questioning. Well - I'm glad you asked. This is the first in a series of blog posts about iPads, their apps, and how lawyers are using them in their practice.

Firstly, libraries are more than book repositories. They are information centers with the goal of helping you succeed in your endeavors. Information comes in many formats, and to meet our changing needs, librarians want to make as many of these formats as available as is possible.

Enter the iPad as information source and tool.

After scouring other blogs, LibGuides, app stores, presentations, and papers, I have compiled a humble list that I encourage you to add to, because heavens knows I haven't used them all; there's like a trillion of those things!

EverNote: Jot down handwritten notes or typed, take snapshots, and record; everything from lectures, to meetings, to business cards, to clipped web articles organized in one place. Notes and reminders are easily navigable on the device or your desktop when the device is synchronized to the desktop.

OneNote: Works much like EverNote, but is wholly integrated into the Microsoft Office suite.

UPad: Great for those who prefer handwritten notes to typed ones. Word on the street is that its closer to the real thing than other apps for handwriting.

AudioNote: It's super cool. Look back at synced notes and audio recording! At the same time! So if you can't remember why you jotted something down, you'll have the audio to help jump your memory. Of course you can also go back and note or highlight your notes and share them as well.

Scanner Pro by Readdle:  Remember these things? They're basically obsolete now because your phone is a scanner.

Come back next time when we discuss apps for saving these doc.s you keep making.


Be Aware: While the apps discussed in this series are helpful tools, they are in no way meant to replace official law sources. Please, rely on your McKusick Law Library or certified government websites for reference.

Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards

Because sometimes it is easier to be impatient and restless than it is to relax, we here at the Law Library are attempting to persuade you to de-stress. As you enter the main floor of the library, to your left you will find agents of mass de-stressation (mass relaxation? Doesn't matter, bad dad-joke either way). Color away your frustrations with crayons - go ahead, it's okay to color an entire page in red crayon. Squeeze and shape Play-doh into fun shapes that you may vanquish them with a satisfying"splat." Get in a preemptive strike against head and neck pains with a quick massage (the tag on the neck massager says no longer than 20 minutes . . . so, do what you will with that information).

In any case, please take advantage of this opportunity to take a break - they're important too. And please be mindful of your colleagues stresses as well - return the de-stressors that others may de-stress.