Comments on: Courtroom Technology or the Lack of it

By: Pam Parker

Pam Parker — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 08:09:27 +0000

I'm in agreement with Gordon. It's a little bit fear, but the fear is of losing material because you don't know how to use the technology, or fear that you'll pick the wrong electronic system.
Small firms that don't have tech people on staff are least likely to switch to digital devises and systems. Because even though paper may be less efficient, it's still more efficient than having the attorneys read computer manuals for days on end.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:40:29 +0000

A lot of places you could not take any kind of gadget into the building with you, much less the courtroom.
I've taken paper printouts of my calendar to courts where I have to leave my Treo in the car.
You can maybe use electronic display when trying to hypnotize the jury, but at the end of the day the judge and the clerk require paper filings (for the record), so why bother going digital on a motion?

By: Chuck Newton

Chuck Newton — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:56:12 +0000

I would be afraid of that iPhone. How much change can a person take.

By: Gordon Firemark

Gordon Firemark — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:36:47 +0000

I think it's less about fear of change, than about fear of the time it will take to learn the new systems, etc.
I just recently embarked on the switch from PC to Mac. The Mac is very easy to use, but the changeover has had a significant learning curve. Merely getting the machine to sync with my palm treo, for example, took a significant investment of my time. (which would otherwise have been billable time)
For a lawyer who's busy, or who's expected by a firm to bill a minimum number of hours, making this investment represents a challenge.
When all is said and done, I'm sure I'll see a productivity gain, but in the meantime, i'll be in a loss position for a while.
If you're rushing from court, to meeting, to office, etc., paper and pen may still be the most efficient means of recording your notes, time, communications with others, etc., At least until the use of technology becomes second nature…

By: Bill Wilson

Bill Wilson — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:40:35 +0000

Around my legal community, there are a handful who use PDAs and another handful from big firms who use smart phones. Beyond that, a laptop in a courtroom is virtually unheard of in state court.
In our local bankruptcy court, there are a couple of attorneys who maintain their files on a laptop, as does our Ch. 13 Trustee and her staff attorneys.
As to the whys of this turtle's pace to adopt more technology, my guess is most attorneys feel computers in the office is sufficient.