Trial Pad

There has been so much fuss about the third generation iPad these days that I decided to read about it a little. Interestingly enough, I came across an application (app) that was created for lawyers to be used in trial as a tool for presenting evidence. The app is called Trial Pad. I was curious; what was this exactly? According to the website, Trial Pad “is a powerful legal document management and presentation tool developed for the legal profession for use in a trial, hearing, or ADR setting. Using TrialPad you can organize, manage, annotate, and store your documents and video while leveraging the portability of your iPad. TrialPad was designed by professional trial consultants who have helped lawyers present at trial for more than a decade. Unlike PDF readers, it lets you create separate case folders, organize and sort important documents, and dynamically annotate and present them via its flexible output options. TrialPad's plug and play simplicity, and intuitive user interface, literally puts your next presentation into your hands.” (http://www.trialpad.com)

Another writer describes it as “a form of presentation software that displays evidence (or other documents) and allows lawyers to seamlessly cycle between different parts, as well as easily annotate (highlight, sticky notes, etc). It connects directly from your iPad to the standard projection software available in most courtrooms, enabling lawyers to easily review, annotate, and scroll through digital files directly before the jury. Think of it like a Powerpoint that’s much easier to annotate before a group and doesn’t require the forced linearity of the presentation.” (http://lawwithanapple.com)

This is interesting because it does away with so much of the hassle of having to physically produce so many pieces of documentary evidence in court during trial. It also seems like a better way to manage cases, and to present evidence in a clear and organized manner. Of course, so many issues begin to creep up the moment we introduce pieces of evidence in digital form. And unfortunately, although this sort of technology seems like a great way to handle the hundreds of cases that lawyers deal with on a daily basis, I really think that we are hardly prepared to welcome it in the Philippine context.

Joni R. Gomez, Blog Entry # 12