IPad apps for lawyers

Two tech-savvy ISBA members, one a litigator and the other a transactional lawyer, describe some of their favorite iPad apps in the April Illinois Bar Journal. One top pick is TranscriptPad.

True to its name, TranscriptPad is designed to enable a litigator like Naperville lawyer Bryan Sims -- or anyone else, for that matter -- to work with transcripts. "I love this app," Sims says. "I use it all the time."

Because many apps are free and few cost more than $10, "people are going to think it's outrageously expensive at $90," says Sims, a member of the ISBA's Committee on Legal Technology. "But for what it does, that's a great price."

It's perfect for reading, annotating, and coding transcripts, he says. "If you just want to read your transcript, it's got a little play button, and you can let your transcript scroll by if you like. You can speed it up or slow it down."

Another nice feature: color codes you can use to indicate specific issues you're dealing with, Sims says. "It's simple to color code an area that you want to mark. You can also highlight text in different colors. You can underline. You can flag something [and] make a little note. You can search for words throughout your transcript," he says.

Get more app recommendations from Sims and fellow Legal Tech committee member Alan Press in the April Journal.