Legal Affairs: Technology: New iPad app makes client information easily portable; Attorneys have case info at their fingertips

By Tony Ogden The Daily Record Newswire BOSTON, MA -- Thanks to a new iPad app, lawyers can now safely bring all their client information with them wherever they go. iClient for Attorneys is the latest addition to the iPad-equipped lawyer's repertoire. Created by Front9 Technologies' Scott Falbo, the designer behind the popular app iJuror, iClient is designed to allow all lawyers -- from solos to large firm attorneys and everyone in between -- quick access to all of their client information. The app works similarly to pen-and-paper journals or spreadsheet applications, allowing you to create listings for clients, fill in everything from contact information to case details, attach documents and then check off what's done and what needs to be done. The app is searchable, which makes finding a given piece of information quick and easy, and it can be protected with a password for security. "iClient is a way for attorneys to manage their clients and take that information with them wherever they go, "said Falbo, who is based in Amherst, N.Y. "With a lot of existing solutions you're tied to a computer. With pen-and-paper, you're prone to losing information and it's hard to look through. The [iPad] itself is a new way of thinking about storing and keeping your information with you." Early adopters of the app have been vocal in their support and quick to offer suggestions. "When you're in court and you want to know the date something occurred or a case number, the factual information is at your fingertips, as opposed to having to open up various other programs," noted J. Michael Ranson, a Charleston, W.Va. lawyer who uses iClient. "My favorite thing about it is easy access to information. You can go in and get all the information from one succinct source." According to Ranson, being able to access esoteric case information instantly is quickly becoming a necessity in court. "It used to be you'd bring a big box of files down to court and we'd have to take a recess to answer questions," said Ranson. "Nowadays, the judge expects you to know the answer in 15 seconds." iClient can be purchased from the iTunes store for $39.99. Falbo is considering developing versions for Blackberry Playbook and Android tablets. It is currently in version 1.2. A planned new version will permit filesharing from one iPad to another via Bluetooth and allow lawyers to upload client information from Excel, after first converting to CSV files, Falbo said. Published: Tue, Mar 29, 2011