The Trial Practice Tips Weblog

Building a Mobile Law Library with an iPad

Here are two posts about using an iPad to build and store a mobile law library--

"Build a Mobile Law Library with GoodReader," by Rob Dean at WALKINGOFFICE, who gives you step-by-step instructions plus real-life examples; and,

"Additional Thoughts about Carrying a Law Library on your iPad," by Josh Barrett at Tablet Legal, which suggests alternatives to the GoodReader app, plus some other tweaks.

Related post at Trial Practice Tips: "Update on Free Fastcase App."

Tips for Better Legal Writing

My three articles on legal writing, all originally published in the Illinois Bar Journal, continue to get a steady stream of Google-fueled web traffic.

I've reposted these three articles on my personal website. Follow the links to--

"Five Steps Towards Persuasive Writing,"

"Improve Your Legal Writing with Five Simple Rules," and

"First Drafts Made Easy."

Hundreds of other legal-writing tips can be found here at Trial Practice Tips in the "Legal Writing" category.

Cross-Examining with a Facebook Page

Here's a self-explanatory quote from Boudwin v. General Ins. Co. of America, 2011 WL 4433578 (La. App. Ct. Sept. 14, 2011)--

On cross examination, however, Lee acknowledged several entries from his Facebook page where he reported frequently “working out” and also playing sports such as basketball, tennis, “ultimate Frisbee,” and softball, sometimes engaging in multiple sessions of sporting activities in a single day. He further acknowledged that he wrote on his Facebook page that he had participated in a softball tournament in the month before trial, which happened to be two days before his final visit with. Dr. Cenac. When asked if he had informed Dr. Cenac of any of injuries he had sustained while playing sports, he stated that he told Dr. Cenac that he stayed “active,” but that he was “not inclined” to tell Dr. Cenac that he was playing on softball teams.

Read commentary about the case, and further examples of social media tripping up litigants, at Goldman's Observations.

Related post at Trial Practice Tips: "Facebook and Discovery, an Update."

A New iPad Book for Lawyers

Title: iPad in One Hour for Lawyers, by Tom Mighell.

For information about the print and ebook versions, see the short review by Ernest Svenson.

Says Svenson, "Every lawyer who gets an iPad for the first time should get this book."

Direct Examination: Put the Witness at Ease

As J. Patrick Hazel writes--

Unless the witness is a professional testifier, terror is likely the witness's dominant emotion. Ask a few questions to ease that feeling. Ask things that cannot be challenged by the opposing lawyer and the jury. "Where do you live?" "Where do you work?" "Are you married?" "Do you have any children?" "Where do your children go to school" are a few such questions. Even if the witness goofs in answering these questions, no one else will know.

Source: "Direct Examination," by J. Patrick Hazel, in The Litigation Manual: Trial.

Related post: "Another Book to Think About: The Litigation Manual: First Supplement."

Federal Rules for the iPhone and iPad, cheap

Jeff Richardson of iPhone J.D. recommends a $1 app by Matt Miller containing the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Or you can consider the free LawStack app.

About the Author of this Website

You can find biographical information about me, Evan Schaeffer, the author of the Trial Practice Tips Weblog, by following the link my personal website. 

My personal website, EvanSchaeffer.com, contains a brief overview of my career as a lawyer and a writer. It also includes many of my publications, both law-related writing and fiction, satire, and commentary.