.KEYWORD palmlaw
.FLYINGHEAD INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
.TITLE Palm’s strategy for the legal marketplace
.FEATURE
.SPOTLIGHT FIGALT cover.gif
.SUMMARY In this issue of PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition, we’re putting the focus on the legal market. We’ve been hearing that Palm is doing some big things in this important enterprise space. Our own Steve Niles has gone inside Palm to speak exclusively with Palm’s market experts and find out more about how handheld devices can integrate into your legal enterprise.
.AUTHOR Steve Niles
In this issue of PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition, we’re putting the focus on the legal market. I’ve been hearing that Palm is doing some big things in this important enterprise space, so in order to get the inside scoop, I spoke with Erika Mobley, Market Development Manager at Palm, who also happens to be a former copyright attorney.
Of the over four million attorneys in the United States, approximately 30% already use some kind of PDA in their day-to-day business. Of that group, around 83% report using a Palm device. The market for Palm devices among legal professionals is huge, and, according to Mobley, that makes a lot of sense. Not only do the demands of the legal profession fit nicely with the kinds of benefits a Palm computer can provide, but let’s face it, attorneys tend to be a rather affluent group. Mobley notes a lot of lawyers ask her what’s the most expensive Palm device they can possibly own, because that’s the one they want.
In order to reach out to this vast market even further, Palm wants to highlight some of the amazing resources currently available to legal professionals equipped with a Palm computer. Towards these ends, Mobley introduced me to a number of interesting products and services that I’ll share with you here.
.H1 Westlaw Wireless
West Group’s Westlaw Wireless application provides mobile access to Westlaw, an online business and legal research tool at http://www.westlaw.com. We’re covering this application extensively elsewhere in this issue of PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition, but in brief, Westlaw Wireless allows you to retrieve the synopsis and headnotes of a case on Westlaw, retrieve KeyCite full history (a KeyCite is sort of like the Dewey Decimal System for court cases), negative history, or citations to a case, or retrieve an attorney profile from the West Legal Directory. You can find it at http://www.westlaw.com/wireless. An example of the application’s Find a Case feature is pictured in Figure A.
.FIG A With the Find a Case option you can obtain a synopsis of a case and/or headnotes.
West Group also offers a number of valuable ebooks you can view on your Palm device, such as Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Bankruptcy Code, and Federal Bankruptcy Rules.
.H1 LEXIS-NEXIS Wireless service
Not to be outdone, Lexis-Nexis, a West Group competitor, is working on the LEXIS-NEXIS Wireless service (at http://www.lexis-nexis.com/mvp/wireless/). At the moment, the company has launched a pilot program, comprised of 500 participants who will use and evaluate the software. Their feedback will naturally impact future product developments and prioritization.
Once the software is finally made available to the public, it will allow you to download the complete text of a case or statute. You’ll also be able to Shepardize opposing counsel’s citations in real-time. You lawyers in the audience probably already know what this means, but I had to do a little research on that one. In the early 1870’s, a guy by the name of Frank Shepard came up with a method for extracting the discussion of principles of law in court opinions and also of tracking the history of these opinions. He then indexed this information for the benefit of legal researchers. To Shepardize a case or other legal authority means to use Shepard’s Citations to analyze the current value of a case or other legal authority as precedent.
Once LEXIS-NEXIS Wireless service is up and running, you’ll be able to do that instantly from any location.
.H1 Martindale-Hubbell Wireless Lawyer Locater
The Martindale-Hubbell Wireless Lawyer Locater is a PQA (Palm Query Application) that enables Palm VII handhelds or any other Palm device equipped with a modem to search the Martindale-Hubbell Online Legal Directory at http://www.martindale.com. This Web clipping application was developed by XNOW.com and is found at http://www.xnow.com/xlegal.html.
The Martindale-Hubbell Online Legal Directory is already used in law libraries, law firm offices, and corporate legal departments, but now you can use it sitting in the back of a cab or while sipping an espresso at your favorite coffee house. The Law Directory consists of more than 900,000 lawyer and law firm listings and is organized by city and state, country, and province. It features cross-references and indexes to lawyers and law firms by area of practice and alphabetical listing. There are also special Canadian and International editions available.
.H1 Timesolv
Elite.com’s Timesolv service allows you to track time and expenses and generate invoices using your wirelessly enabled Palm device. If you’re already a Timesolv member, the PQA provides free wireless access using your current login information. If you’re not registered with Timesolv, you can get signed up at http://www.elite.com. You can find the application at http://www.elite.com/services/timesolv/webclipping.jsp.
Timesolv makes use of rigorous security features, and they still apply even if you’re using the Web clipping application. Your data is two-way encrypted for protection and automatically backed up several times a day.
Here’s a rundown of its features and functions:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Time entry by project allows you to enter all the information you need to track your billable and non-billable time;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Expense entry by project allows you to choose your expense code and enter quantity, notes, and other relevant information;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET You can view recent time and expense entries;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET You can view project status, including budgeted amount, billed amount, worked amount, unpaid balance, and start and end dates for each of your projects.
.END_LIST
.H1 MPRE Review 2.0
MPRE Review 2.0 is a free application from the Practicing Law Institute. This is an ideal application for law students, as it provides a simulated MPRE (Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam). It’s available at http://www.pdajd.com/vertical/products/plimpre.xml, and it’s pictured in Figure B.
.FIG B Get some practice and some quick tutoring with MPRE Review 2.0.
This 100-question exam simulator is great practice and offers important feedback to anyone about to take the real MPRE Exam. The program includes 100 MPRE multiple-choice questions, allows you to store custom notes with each question, has full-text search, and provides in-depth explanations for each answer.
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.H1 Into the future
Applications like these represent only the beginning of what Palm has in store for legal professionals. Mobley acknowledges that there are still needs to be met. For example, Palm wants to encourage the creation of more specialized legal solutions, targeting specific segments of the legal community. Mobley envisions a whole host of applications, each designed for a particular field–criminal lawyers, corporate lawyers, bankruptcy lawyers, civil rights lawyers, malpractice lawyers, etc. Along the same lines, regional issues like state law and State Bar solutions need to be addressed. Mobley would also like to see an application developed in conjunction with the American Bar Association.
Finally, an important matter that needs to be addressed in any enterprise is security. What happens when a Palm device loaded with sensitive case materials gets lost? A number of security applications are already available, one of which is being reviewed in this issue of PalmPower’s Enterprise Edition. However, there’s still progress to be made in this extremely important arena.
For lawyers, judges, law students, etc., Palm computing already has a lot to offer, but as you can see, Palm isn’t content to rest on its laurels. The company has its eye planted firmly on the future, and that translates into increased benefits for you.
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.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on Westlaw, visit http://www.westlaw.com.
For more information on Westlaw Wireless, visit http://www.westlaw.com/wireless.
For more information on LEXIS-NEXIS Wireless service, visit http://www.lexis-nexis.com/mvp/wireless/.
For more information on how to Shepardize, visit http://www.lectlaw.com/files/lwr17.htm.
For more information on the Martindale-Hubbell Online Legal Directory, visit http://www.martindale.com.
For more information on the Martindale-Hubbell Online Legal Directory Web clipping application, visit http://www.xnow.com/xlegal.html.
For more information on Timesolv, visit http://www.elite.com.
For more information on the Timesolv Web clipping application, visit http://www.elite.com/services/timesolv/webclipping.jsp.
For more information on MPRE Review 2.0, visit http://www.pdajd.com/vertical/products/plimpre.xml.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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.BIO
.DISCUSS http://powerboards.zatz.com/cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ee6ef5f
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