Fast, Convenient and Mobile

Yesterday at Slaw I posted about some legal research apps.  Today I want to tell you how I use my iPad for mobile research.  For me, it is about two things.  Being prepared and carrying convenience.

I download things that I know I will likely need and I don’t carry paper, or a laptop.  What kind of things do I mean?

• I have a current copy of the Rules of Court in PDF in iBooks sorted into a “legislation” folder [note that it is UP TO ME to make sure this is current]
• I also have a PDF copy of the topic of whatever it is that I am ‘going’ out to talk about
  • for me this is survey data, reports, minutes, memos, or presentations and their notes
  • if I was a lawyer if might be a searchable PDF copy of an affidavit of records with bookmarks on the key elements that I want to address in a Questioning; it might be a document with hyperlinks to web sources of material if Internet access was assured; it might be multiple drafts of an  agreement
• I have my Irwin Law eBook of Ted Tjaden’s
• I have my CCH Rapid Finder
• a bunch of Ukulele music

Just in case, I have a Quicklaw App, the WiseLII app, and quick links in my iPad browser to LexisNexis Quicklaw, WestlawNext Canada, CanLII, the Alberta Queen’s Printer public website, Justice Canada Laws, LegisINFO and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta sites.

Perhaps my mobile habits relate to the fact that I also have access to my desktop from my iPad (and phone) thanks to the cleverness and capability of the fine Information Technology folks that I am lucky to work with.  There is also a special security feature in the form of a mobile device management tool that would allow a remote scrub of my device if lost or stolen and an extraction of the work related material in the (unlikely) event that I part ways with my employer.

What legal research do you DO with your mobile device?