Independence Day - July 4th
John Callis/Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
2nd Jury Finds in BNSF's Favor
In a similar suit in Fort Worth last year, jurors rejected a lawsuit filed by a woman who had sued BNSF for at least $6 million. Linda Faust never worked at the Somerville plant but said she got cancer after 15 years of washing her husband's chemical-tainted clothes and boots.
During closing arguments Thursday Doug Poole, attorney for BNSF, pointed to reports from government regulatory agencies that found no unsafe conditions at the plant. Poole told jurors that the case was "long on sympathy, short on science, short on truth."
Although two juries have sided with BNSF Railway Co. in separate lawsuits claiming a plant's chemicals caused cancer, dozens of similar lawsuits will go forward, Jared Woodfill, attorney for the plaintiffs said Friday.
John Callis - Developer/CEO
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Blue Shield of California Wins Directed Verdict
Can you describe the case for us?
Plaintiffs sued Blue Shield of California for breach of contract and bad faith, contending that Blue Shield rescinded their individual health care service plan for improperly, after it discovered material misrepresentations and omissions on the application they submitted for coverage. In 2004, Blue Shield prevailed on summary judgment, but the California Court of Appeal reversed, finding triable issues of facts on whether Blue Shield had "completed medical underwriting" during the application process, and whether plaintiffs intentionally mislead Blue Shield during the application process. On May 28, 2009, the court entered directed verdict in favor of Blue Shield, based in part on plaintiffs' stipulation that they had intentionally misled Blue Shield on the application and that its underwriting process was sound.
What was the biggest legal challenge for you in this case?
The Court of Appeal's opinion addressed for the first time California's "postclaims underwriting" statute, Cal. Health & Saf. Code Section 1389.3, but left open the question of what health plans must do in order to "complete medical underwriting" under the statute. Medical underwriting is sophisticated and complex process, so our challenge was to explain that process to the jury in a cogent and meaningful way.
What was your client's approach to technology in trial?
Blue Shield recognizes the value of litigation and trial technology, and encourages its counsel to take advantage of state of the art resources that are available, provided that counsel is comfortable using the technology. Lawyering comes first, then technology.
How was the court room configured and how did it help you present your case? All courts in the Orange County Superior Court are equipped with a document camera, DVD player, projector, screen and sound system, with feeds to each side of the counsel table. The courtroom was rather small, and therefore everything was presented only on the projector screen, which was sufficient. Real Time feeds were available to counsel and the judge. I used DepoSmart to import and annotate the daily transcripts.
What materials did you present? Primarily exhibits?
My entire opening was created and presented using Keynote (although it could just as easily been done using PowerPoint). Over the years, I have have focused on creating presentations that convey authenticity and credibility, with the goal of capturing the audience's attention and fostering recall, which I believed we accomplished in this trial. The evidence presented at trial consisted primarily of documentary evidence and deposition testimony, which is easily presented using TrialSmart.
What did opposing counsel use at trial?
Opposing counsel also used a mac, but did not have TrialSmart. I showed him how to present his exhibits simply by connecting his mac to the projector, and dragging the exhibits over.
What suggestions do you have for people using technology at trial? Unless you are going to rely on third party vendors to handle all of your technology, it is imperative that you have at least a basic level of comfort with the technology before using it. Trial is an intense environment, and if things go wrong, most judges will not allow you to waste the jury's time while you troubleshoot. In the end, the simpler, the better.
What advantages do you have over your competition as a result of the way you employ technology in your practice?
I consider the mac software that I use (Keynote, Circus Ponies' "NoteBook," Clarity Legal Software's DepoSmart and TrialSmart,) invaluable "tools of my trade." Each tool can provide a competitive edge, provided they are used correctly.
Congratulations to John LeBlanc on his win. You can email John here.
John Callis - Developer/CEO
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Holiday - Memorial Day
John Callis - Developer/CEO
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
DepoSmart™ Gets New Features and Bug Fixes
There were a few bugs I squashed. To date, the 2009 version has been nearly bug free. I also improved the error reporting component of all the titles in the Clarity family.
Please contact Clarity Legal using the Support tab on the website should you have any questions.
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
FTC Lawyer, John Robertson, wins $1.4 Billion Merger Case with TrialSmart™
Mr. Roberston recently emailed me with the good news:
Dear John Callis - I don't know if you heard, but we won our $1.4 billion merger case against CCC in federal district court in Washington, DC. I used TrialSmart™ and a MacBook Pro throughout the 9-day hearing, and easily controlled the evidence better than the two law firms that opposed us with three assistants and what looked like Sanction™. I didn't use an assistant. I just took the laptop to the podium and called up the documents. Thanks for all your help."
I later followed up with Mr. Robertson about some of the technical aspects of his trial and here are his responses below:
1. Can you give a brief description of the case?
CCC attempted to merge with Mitchell; both companies are software companies that sell estimatics and total loss software for automobile repair. The merger was a $1.4 billion deal and would have taken the market from three competitors to two. To stop the merger, based on the theory that it would lead to higher prices for the software, the FTC sued in federal court in D.C. After a 9-day hearing, the district court entered an injunction stopping the deal. This was the first mergercase that the FTC had won in federal court in seven years.
2. How was the court room configured and how did it help you present your case?
The court was electronic, with LCD screens on counsel tables, the witness box, and the judge's bench. There were two plasma screens for the dozens of spectators. The computers could be connected at the podium. But the other side had to extend the line from there to the other side of the courtroom, where they had three litigation support people running Sanction™. We used two macs: one was connected at the podium, and the other was at counsel's table (connected by wifi together, so that one could run the podium machine remotely without cables running all over the floor). I used a Macbook Pro with Apple's free remote for Keynote™ (same as PowerPoint). For TrialSmart™, I used a USB Apple mouse. I think a wired mouse is better than a bluetooth one. It was an easy setup for us. The other side (using Sanction and Windows) seemed to spend a great deal of time adjusting the screen and computers. I just plugged in an started presenting.
3. What case materials did you present? Primarily exhibits?
We presented several hundred exhibits via TrialSmart™. For opening and closing, I used Keynote™ (like PowerPoint™) but created most of the slides using TrialSmart™. For closing, I also used three boards. I believe that using a few boards is good, so that one doesn't have "death by PowerPoint." For cross-examination, I did pre-make dozens of call-out boxes in TrialSmart™ß and put them in Groups. This works great, once you figure it out.
4. What was the technical setup you used at trial (laptops, external drives, etc.)?
We had over 2,000 exhibits, but used about 400 at the hearing. We used two MacBook Pros connected by WiFi (the podium computer, which was connected to the court system, sent out the WiFi signal, and the computer at counsel table just logged in; the neat thing about this is that the remote machine can see both screens of the home computer on the one remote laptop). We used machines that had no extraneous software on them, so that we had plenty of room for the exhibits on the machines. Didn't need an external hard drive.
5. What did opposing counse use at trial?
Three people with Sanction™ with Windows. Didn't seem to work that well.
6. What suggestions do you have for people using technology at trial?
Keep it simple. You don't need a "team" of people running the technology. I ran it myself, and it was simple.
7. What advantages do you have over your competition as a result of the way you employ technology in your practice?
Because TrialSmart™ is simple, and the Mac is fool proof, I had the flexibility to move around through the exhibits -- without having to rely on a team ofdummies trying to guess what I wanted. We did a better job with exhibits, while the other side a great deal of money having their team sit there with two tables and three people trying to get up on the screen what the lawyers wanted. They had trouble. We had no problems.
8. What trends do you see in courtroom technology?
The key is to keep it simple. 95% of what you do is call-out boxes and a few arrows. Dep videos may be useful in some cases, but not that useful in most cases. The truth is that real depos are boring. So, I would focus on making the call-out boxes work and use a small handful of boards. I went to TrialSmart™ because: (i) it was simple; and (ii) by using the Mac, I felt secure that the machine would always work and not crash.
John Robertson
Chief Trial Counsel
Federal Trade Commission
Mr. Robertson provided Clarity Legal with the News release from the FCC as well as the Opinion which I have linked to below:
FTC Granted Preliminary Injunction Preventing CCC’s Merger With Mitchell
CCC Opinion
Congratulations to John Robertson on his win!
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Bundler's New Look and Feel
Many of the changes that reporters have requested over the past year have been included in this version. This new version will also work closely with the new version of DepoSmart Viewer, the free viewer that attorneys and clients can use to view Clarity Legal transcripts.
There were a few requests for changes I have made to the viewer, primarily regarding printing and as a result of those requests I have improved the printing feaures for DepoSmart Viewer. Bundler users can now print up to 20 different items in the 3 header or footer sections of each page, these are listed here: Case Name, Client Matter, Transcript Name, Transcript Date, Current Date, Volume, Status, Transcript ID, First Name Last Name, Last Name First Name, Title, Reporter, Reporter Firm, Reporter URL, Reporter ID, Reporter Email, Reporter Phone, and Signature ID.
I order to help users switch from the competition, I will be offering Bunldler™ free for the remainder of 2009.
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Clarity Helps with CASA
Kudos to the people at Gilchrist Construction who provided the fish fryers and the staff to man the machines. They did a wonderful job. My only regret is that I didn't get any catfish.
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
New Office Address
Clarity Legal Software LLC
201 Johnston Street Suite 501
Alexandria, La 71301
Thanks,
John Callis
Developer
Clarity Legal LLC
Alexandria, Louisiana
Skype Released for the iPhone
This is truly a remarkable feat. This is the first Skype powered device for the iPhone and is available for free at the Apple store.
Skype’s voice over IP (VOIP) technology allows users to make phone calls over the Web. The application allows users to make free Skype-to-Skype calls from any Wi-Fi zone to other Skype users worldwide, as well as make calls to landlines and mobile phone at low rates.
The app uses Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS or EDGE (whichever is available) to sign into Skype, update a contact list, maintain and update presence and also send and receive instant messages.
Thanks,
John Callis
Developer
Clarity Legal LLC
Alexandria, Louisiana
Apple Market Share nears 10%, Linux Users Growing, Windows Dips
In fact, back in January of 2009, Apple nearly reached the 10% mark but fell a just shy in February only to regain some of what it lost in March. As it stands today, Apple controls by conservative estimates, 9.77% of the market and Linux now controls .90% of market. The two combine for nearly 11% of the market now. The trend shows no signs of slowing despite a tough economy.
A closer look at the Linux market share shows that Linux has grown nearly 30% in one year, from .68% to nearly .90%. Linux market share has grown an astounding 80% in a 2 year period. I have constantly told users that Linux was going to continue to grow. There are new Linux versions that are truly great such as Ubuntu. The interfaces are easy to understand and the operating is easy to use, free, and simple to install. It will be just a matter of time before firms start to adopt the Linux environment and run virtualization software.
I feel like a sage. To meet the growing number of users in the Linux market, I released a Linux version of DepoSmart and the DepoSmart Viewer to the Linux market in February. Future titles will be available in Linux going forward.
Also, similar to what I did last year on this blog, I will post some of Clarity's internal numbers from the website to show who is visiting the site. Check back in a few days
Thanks,
John Callis
Developer
Clarity Legal LLC
Alexandria, Louisiana
Bundler™ 2009 to be released soon
The new version will be available in three varieties - Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux (Ubuntu).
After two years of listening intently to reporters, the changes most reporters requested fell into 3 categories:
1. Improved Importing
2. Additional Options for Exporting
3. Easier to Export Linked Transcripts
As a result of these requests from reporters and firms, several changes have been made to make it easier to export transcripts from Bundler. This new version will also work closely with the new version of DepoSmart Viewer, the free viewer that attorneys and clients can use to view Clarity Legal transcripts.
There were a few requests for changes I have made to the viewer, primarily regarding printing and as a result of those requests I have improved the printing feaures for DepoSmart Viewer. DepoSmart Viewer is now available on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux (Ubuntu).
I order to help users switch from the competition, I will be offering Bunldler™ free for the remainder of 2009. So, if you are a reporter and you'd like to move away from the current package you are using this is a good time to make the switch.
Thanks,
John Callis
Developer
Clarity Legal LLC
Alexandria, Louisiana
Latham Cuts 190 Associates and 250 Staff
The latest firm to make cuts is Latham & Watkins with offices in New York and Los Angeles. All those affected are being offered severance packages of six months pay, capped at $100,000, and six months medical coverage.
In addition to the layoffs, Latham is deferring the start date for the class of 2009 to mid-December. It also is offering all those in the incoming class the option to further defer start dates to October 2010. The firm will pay those who select this option $75,000; it is encouraging those lawyers to engage in volunteer or community service projects.
Below is a list of firms that have laid off lawyers recently and the percentage of layoffs vs. total lawyers:
Latham & Wilkins - 190 lawyers laid off or 10.8% of workforce
Orrick - 140 lawyers laid off or 19.9% of workforce
O'Melveny & Myers - 90 lawyers laid off or 9.5% of workforce
Holland & Knight - 70 lawyers laid off or 15.1% of workforce
McDermott Will - 60 lawyser laid off or 10.6% of workforce
Bryan Cave - 58 lawyers laid off or 11.2% of workforce
Cooley Godward - 52 laywers laid off or 13% of workforce
Wilson Sonsini - 45 lawyers laid off or 10.1% of workforce
Goodwin Procter - 36 lawyers laid off or 7.4% of workforce
Roskauer Rose - 35 lawyers laid off or 6.4% of workforce
Arent Fox - 13 lawyers laid off
Winthrop Shaw Pttman - 55 lawyers laid off
This does not include staff numbers for secretaries, paralegals, or litigation support staff that were laid off in the last few weeks.
As companies look at the uncertain future of the companies they represent due to the economic downturn, law firms are being prudent and responding to client demand over the long term.
Microsoft to Open Retail Stores
Buried in a late-in-the-day press release, Microsoft will now open stores in the US and compete with Apple directly.
The world's largest software company is faced with doing whatever it can to make Windows 7 a success, even if it has to open a store in every mall in America.
To read more about Microsoft's new retail endeavors, click here.
Last time Microsoft ventured into retail was in San Francisco in 1999 and the store closed in 2001. PCWorld considers the move risky.
We'll have to wait and see.
DepoSmart Viewer Updated - Other Titles Coming
The viewer is a free application that allows users that have received a Clarity Legal transcript (*.clt) open the transcript, search, and print in multiple formats. Users can print single, condensed, or word indices.
To see what DepoSmart looks like in action visit the DepoSmart Viewer page and view some video tutorials that cover the basic functions.
To give the Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux-Ubuntu version of DepoSmart Viewer a test drive visit the Download page.
Clarity Legal will be updating TrialSmart and Bundler in the upcoming weeks. Check back daily for updates.
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
DepoSmart Updated - Linux Version Now Available - A First for the Legal Industry
The three titles that Clarity is proud to have ported to Linux are DepoSmart, DepoSmart Viewer, and Bundler. Over the last two years, Clarity Legal has been improving each product and this year Clarity Legal decided to release these existing products to the quickly growing Linux environment.
To see what DepoSmart looks like in Mac OS X, Windows Vista, and Linux - Ubuntu, see the screenshots below:
For those of you who might not be aware of Linux, it has been around for years and is rapidly growing into the desktop environment. Linux is a free operating system that is stable, easy to use, and very powerful. As companies look to reduce software costs, Linux is a natural choice. Most servers at major corporations run Linux because of the stability and scalability. Linux comes in many varieties and one choice is Ubuntu, a free and open source operating system, available at . During development of DepoSmart, Clarity Legal used the virtualization software, VMWare, to run Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux/Ubuntu simultaneously to test each operating system's capabilities.
With the latest release of DepoSmart 2009, Clarity Legal software is now available in 100% of the legal world's possible operating system choices - Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. This is an accomplishment no other company has yet to match, and we are proud of what has been accomplished in two short years in business.
To give the Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux-Ubuntu version of DepoSmart a test drive visit the Download page.
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
TrialSmart 2009 - Features List
TrialSmart 2009 will be released in soon. Last week I released DepoSmart and I hope everyone is enjoying DepoSmart's new features and functionality. I have made many new changes to TrialSmart which will make it the strongest version yet.
Here is a partial list of features for TrialSmart 2009:
1. Present items without the use of a second monitor. In the past you had to be connected to a second monitor, in TrialSmart 2009 that is no longer the case. So you can prepare presentations without being connected to a second monitor as well as present items in this fashion.
2. Improved image rotation.
3. Import jpg, tiff (single and multiple), bmp, and gif images and convert those images to PDF for display in TrialSmart. Prior versions of TrialSmart only allowed the user to display PDF images.
4. Preview items in a smaller presentation window to see how the look before displaying. This allows you to organize items before you display them to a jury.
5. Choose preset "panes" to display images (left, center, right) or choose "rogue" display mode similar to TrialSmart 2007-7008.
6. Improved transcript text importing
7. Improved saving of exhibit annotations or layers for easy retrieval. Unlike our competitors who only allow a specific number of annotations per images, the number of layers you add to an image are unlimited. An image can have as few as 1 annotation layer or 1000s of annotation layers.
8. Improved pdf exhibit functionality
9. Integration with DepoSmart. Users can export DepoSmart cases to TrialSmart with a single click, allowing all video clips to be imported into TrialSmart instantaneously.
10. Improved impeachment functionality making it easier to find pertinent synchronized video testimony and present it in secons.
11. Saved user windows - wherever you last opened the application, it will appear there again. Perfect for users with large screens or those running dual monitors.
12. Move annotation layers up or down in Presentation groups using drag and drop.
13. Added pdf text search capability for extracting text from all searchable pdf files.
14. Import and Export synchronized transcripts to Clarity Legal's Transcript format *.clt.
15. Convert imported transcrit files to pdf files.
16. View search hits before running reports.
17. Preview transcripts before printing.
18. Print just certain page ranges.
19. Print transcripts full page format or condensed.
20. Add remarks or notes to exhibit pages or exhibit groups for later retrieval.
21. Improved Annotation Coloring - all issues are now colored. The user can toggle this on or off.
22. Optional question and answer bolding.
23. Revised word index - you can now click on the page and line of a word in the index and instantly go to that location in the transcript.
24. Perform quick searches from the TrialSmart toolbar.
25. Easily toggle between transcripts, exhibits, and presentation groups using a easy-to-use drop down menu.
26. Updated Clarity SQL Server to handle replication/synchronization.
An additional 28 other program enhancements have been added to TrialSmart for a total of nearly 55 new features. I look forward to hearing your feedback on these new features.
I will update everyone on the new features of DocSmart in the upcoming few weeks. Now that DepoSmart has been released, and TrialSmart is next to be released, DocSmart is on deck. DocSmart is Clarity Legal's new document management system for the Mac OS X environment.
The upgrade fee for TrialSmart is $49 and that gets you a minimum of 4 yearly updates.
Thanks,
John Callis
Developer
Clarity Legal Software LLC
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Holiday - Martin Luther
John Callis - Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Ubuntu takes on Microsoft in a full-frontal assault
1.Roughly half of Google's 20,000 employees run a version of Ubuntu. With this crowd of early adopters standing behind Ubuntu, a crowd with a massive profit machine behind them, anything can happen;
2. IDC estimates that 11 percent of American businesses have systems based on Ubuntu, with even broader penetration likely in Europe and elsewhere;
3. Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is approaching $30 million in annual revenue, which may seem like a gnat on Microsoft's bison-esque backside, but this revenue represents multi-million dollar commitments from Dell, IBM, and other large parties with an interest in unshackling themselves from Microsoft. In other words, the nature of the revenue is more telling than the amount;
4. Ubuntu commands the fealty of tens of thousands of unpaid volunteers globally, despite Canonical only employing 200 or so employees. Ubuntu has leverage well beyond its means.
For the full CNET article click here.
John Callis
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Real Time Deposition Explained
Esquire Purchases Verdict Systems
Congratulations to both companies on their new merger.
For the full Hobart West press release click here.
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Happy Holidays from Clarity Legal!
Clarity Legal will be closed for business January 1st and 2nd.
John Callis/Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Happy Holidays from Clarity Legal!
Clarity Legal will be closed for business December 24th and 25th.
John Callis/Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
New DepoSmart Features
1. Replication aka Synchronization - you can replicate cases offline and to the server. Perfect for traveling attorneys who head out on the road, do some work on a case, and want to synchronize it back to the server yet keep other member's work intact.
2. Deposition hyper linking - YES!!, you can now click on those nice blue hyper linked words in a transcript and open a corresponding exhibit.
3. Auto Flag words - flagged words will appear colored throughout the transcript. So, as you read a transcript you will be reminded of certain words.
4. Hot keys for every major program function.
5. Toggle "Annotation Mode" for easy click and drag annotation creation.
6. Update transcript - ability to update a current transcript with text file. Perfect for those times when you need to update a draft transcript.
7. Saved user windows - wherever you last opened the application, it will appear there again. Perfect for users with 30'inch screens.
8. Create hot marks or personal reminders and attach them to pertinent lines of testimony.
9. Toggle hot marks, flags, annotations, and exhibit links.
10. Organize issues by importance.
11. Cut, copy, and paste annotations from one location to another for quicker transcript digesting.
12. View search hits before running reports.
13. Preview transcripts before printing.
14. Print just certain page ranges.
15. Print transcripts with color annotations.
16. Issue Palette - detachable window that allows the user to toggle pertinent issues and speeds up annotation creation.
17. Improved Annotation Coloring - all issues are now colored. The user can toggle this on or off.
18. Optional question and answer bolding.
19. Revised word index - you can now click on the page and line of a word in the index and instantly go to that location in the transcript.
20. Perform quick searches from the DepoSmart toolbar.
21. Manage case or transcript exhibits from a single interface.
22. Dramatically improved transcript importing now available in one import option. DepoSmart recognizes the transcript type you are importing and imports the deposition.
23. Windows Vista and Linux-Ubuntu are now supported.
24. View annotation issues in the status bar of the main program interface.
25. Customizable toolbar window - works on all platforms (Mac, Windows, and Linux)
26. Updated Clarity SQL Server to handle replication/synchronization.
27. Updated real time deposition features.
An additional 32 other program enhancements have been added to DepoSmart for a total of nearly 60 new features. I look forward to hearing your feedback on these new features.
I will update everyone on the new features of TrialSmart as well as DocSmart, my new document management software, as we get closer to the new year. I've been working on all 3 major titles for over 8 months and there are substantial improvements to usability and performance. TrialSmart, like DepoSmart, has major new features. I will post an update to everyone the week of the 29th regarding the new features of TrialSmart.
John Callis/Developer
Clarity Legal
www.claritylegalsoftware.com
Alexandria, La
Low Price Apple Notebook Coming Next Year
The new notebook will compete in the growing "netbook" category, an analyst said today.
More information can be found here .
Happy Thanksgiving
John Callis
CEO/Developer Clarity Legal LLC
California Faces Budget Crisis - Responds by Replacing Court Reporting with Electronic Reporting
In contrast, electronic court reporting involves using video and or audio devices to record the statements and testimony delivered in the courtroom. Depending on the system used, a monitor may be assigned to oversee the proper functioning of the equipment and provide replays of statements upon request of the judge, though some systems are available that can be used without a monitor. Following a proceeding, typed transcripts can be created by transcription services for use by court staff, attorneys, or in any subsequent appeal. However, the actual recordings created during the proceeding can also be used in a manner similar to a transcript, and the sales of these recordings can generate the court additional revenue.
Electronic Reporting a Well–Established, Cost–Effective Practice. Electronic court reporting is in widespread use in many state and Federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Moreover, electronic court reporting was demonstrated to be cost–effective in a multiyear pilot study carried out in California courts between 1991 and 1994. Chapter 373, Statutes of 1986 (AB 825, Harris), enacted a four–year demonstration project to assess the costs, benefits, and acceptability of using audio and video reporting of the record except in criminal or juvenile proceedings. The project found significant savings of $28,000 per courtroom per year in using audio reporting, and $42,000 per courtroom per year using video, as compared to using a court reporter. For a more complete discussion of electronic court reporting, its use in other states, and the results of the Judicial Council study, please see the Analysis of the California 2003–04 Budget Bill (page D–22).
Electronic Court Reporting May Help Address Short Supply of Court Reporters. A persistent problem facing the courts is the short supply of certified shorthand reporters, who, by statute, are the only individuals qualified to make transcripts of most trial court proceedings. In 2005, the Judicial Council released the findings of its Reporting of the Record Taskforce. The taskforce indicated, based on comments from trial court officials, that the pool of court reporters has been dwindling since the mid–1990s and is insufficient to meet their needs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it can take anywhere from two to three years to become proficient in court reporting techniques. By statute, an individual can only become a certified shorthand reporter if he or she passes an examination administered by the Court Reporters Board of California. Eligibility for the exam is limited to those who have some experience, or have passed the state hearing reporters examination, or those who have past certification from one of several different sources. The number of people passing the exam has declined since the mid–1990s. In November 1995, a high of 309 individuals successfully passed the examination required to become a certified shorthand reporter, while in October 2007 only 38 achieved passing scores. The dwindling supply of reporters is compounded, as is pointed out in the report, by the fact that those passing the exam may choose to seek work outside of the courts in professions like closed captioning, deposition reporting, or in providing translation services to the hearing–impaired.
In contrast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that electronic court reporters usually learn their skills on the job. There is currently no certification requirement for electronic court reporters in California. As a result of these factors, the pool of eligible candidates for electronic court reporting would likely be both larger and more easily expanded than the pool of eligible candidates for court reporting.
Electronic Court Reporting Could Save the State Millions Annually. Based upon our past review of other states and the pilot project mentioned above, we believe that electronic reporting is a reliable and cost–effective alternative to the system of court reporting currently used in California’s trial courts. Our inflation–adjusted analysis of the pilot study indicates that, if electronic court reporting had been operational in 2006, the state would have saved nearly $89 million on trial court operations. This represents an estimated savings of nearly 60 percent for reporting activities. Even greater savings may now be possible with more modern technology that has become available since the California pilot projects. According to estimates from the 9th Circuit Court of Florida, the cost of providing all 20 Florida circuit courts with court reporters is around $36 million, but would be only $5 million if those courts used electronic reporting—a potential savings of 86 percent.
Legislative Option. To both address the shortfall in the supply of court reporters and reduce state costs for trial court operations, we recommend that the Legislature consider the option of directing the courts to begin now to implement electronic court reporting in California courtrooms.
In order to allow transition time, one approach would be to direct that 20 percent of courtrooms in California switch to electronic court reporting on an annual basis. After factoring in the estimated one–time costs of the equipment, our analysis indicates that this may result in nearly $13 million in savings during 2008–09. By 2010–11, annual savings from the switchover to electronic reporting could reach $53 million. If electronic court reporting were fully operational in all California courtrooms we estimate that savings could reach $111 million on an annual basis. This option would require a statutory change.
More information can be found here .
Law Firms Feel Strain of Layoffs and Cutbacks - NY Times
In downturns of years past, law firms exploited corporate failures and bitter, protracted lawsuits to keep busy and keep billing. But in this still-unfolding crisis, the embittered and the bankrupt have been relatively slow to appear, at least in court.
Law firms in turn are feeling the strain. Thelen and Heller Ehrman, two firms whose deep San Francisco roots extend back decades, have collapsed outright, in part because of the business slowdown. Each firm left several hundred lawyers out in the cold. Many others, including Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and Katten Muchin Rosenman, two Chicago firms ranked among the nation’s hundred most profitable by American Lawyer magazine, and the international giant Clifford Chance have jettisoned dozens of associates.
To read the full article by Jonathan Glater from the New York Times click here .
Utah court reporters giving way to technology - Salt Lake Tribune
To read the full article by Stephen Hunt from the Salt Lake Tribune click here .
Formatting for Transcripts
This is a good question. The first part of the answer I tell them is that the Mac OS X and Linux operating systems can open the same type of files that PCs can with the exception of a few proprietary formats. Macs are no different than PCs or Linux operating systems when it comes to opening non-proprietary formats. The lowest "life-form" format is ascii text format. Ascii is a common format that all court reporters should be able to provide. You shouldn't receive anything in Word or Word Perfect format if you can help it. On Mac the application you should use to open and edit text files is TextEdit located in your Applications folder. On Linux there are several varieties of text viewers you can use that come bundled with the operating system. Below is the format for ascii files that should be followed. This will ensure easy and painless importing.
ASCII File Format
1. Page Numbers on all pages
2. ASCII page breaks on all pages
3. Line numbering on all lines of a transcript. (For reporters choosing to suppress line numbering on printed caption and/or other starting pages should create ASCII file with line numbering on all pages.) 4. No timestamps in the file
5. No running headers or footers on numbered transcript lines. If using a header on line 1, remove the header and leave the line blank. Having a running header interferes with accurate searching.
6. Multiple volumes of a witness should have continued pagination
7. Consistent exhibit references to facilitate exhibit linking (Exhibit 1 not Exhibit No. 1)
8. Header and Footer information should not appear on the same line as page numbers
9. For transcripts that are in page image format, all page numbers should be at least 45 spaces from the left
Email me or contact me using the Support tab if you have any questions. - John Callis, Developer
Apple's Fourth-Quarter Net Rises 26% on Record Sales of IPhone, Macs
The record sales has help Apple and CEO, Steve Jobs, take sales from RIM (Research in Motion, which produces the Blackberry hand-held devices popular in business. On the news of record sales, Apple stock rose yearly 10% in extended trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
Apple Inc. and most computer makers have been sliding recently on concerns U.S. consumers will spend less as jobs become scarcer and house prices drop. The record sales last quarter of Apple laptops, desktops, and iPhones is a stong sign Apple could weather the downturn in the economy in the near future.
For more information regarding Apple's Fourth-Quarter Profits, visit Connie Guglielmo's article at Bloomberg.com
Making Paralegal Jobs Easier? - Pros and Cons of Deposition Summaries
To read the full article by Mary Girsh-Bock click here .
Apple Grabs More Market Share
Well, it appears (yet again) more and more people are choosing reliability, ease of use, and easier integration more than ever.
In recent browser and OS marketshare statistics from Net Applications, Apple has grabbed another .5% (in 1 month) and shows no signs of slowing. Along with the stunning popularity of the new iPhone, younger users are switching and using Macs more than ever.
In seminars I show people how using Macs can give them double the power of a Windows based machine. PC legal software providers have understood this which would explain why the PC makers of legal applications haven't developed any Mac alternatives to their applications - you can just run then natively on a Mac. Why waste the time and money. Unless you can generate the same application on a different OS using the same code, why waste the time. Apple does it for you. Just run your Windows app on a Mac.
Apple now has 6.25% of the market share and combine that with Firefox's growing userbase it will a matter of time before Microsoft starts to fret. In 1 year, Microsoft has lost 6.5% of the their browser base. Combine this will Google's dominance in the search Market, we are definately seeing a shift in how people think.
Below are links to the Browser numbers.
Microsoft Losing Browser Wars
Next, Apple and Linux are knocking away at Microsoft's Operating System dominance also. Apple has grabbed nearly 3% of the computer market worldwide and Linux will be at 1% of the worldwide market within a year. Combined, Microsoft has lost 2% of the market share in 1 year for computers worldwide. Apple could gain more market share if last months numbers continue. Apple gained .5% in 1 month from Apple, dropping Microsoft's numbers by .5%. If 1 years worth of numbers are any indication, then Apple and Linux should have 11-13% of the OS market within a year.
Below are links to the OS numbers.
Apple Makes Big Gains in OS Share
One thing to note, Windows Vista made remarkable strides in new adopters. Windows XP is dropping about 1% a month in Windows OS market share. Windows 2000 users are also dropping in numbers each month as it appears businesses are choosing Vista over XP or Windows 2000.
Below are links to the Windows Version numbers.
Windows Vista Makes Gains over XP, 2000
The numbers are interesting, I hope you find them interesting also.
Check back soon, Clarity LS is near to releasing major upgrades to all product lines. If you are an existing customer you can upgrade your software title for as little as $49 per license. In addition, we will also be releasing a couple of new new applications that we hope users will find easy to use and will benefit their practice.
John - Developer/CEO Clarity Legal LLC Alexandria, La
Rezko Found Guilty
In a crushing blow to Gov. Blagojevich and a potentially damaging one to presidential hopeful Barack Obama, Tony Rezko -- a fund-raiser for the two men and an ex-gubernatorial confidant -- was convicted of far-reaching corruption Wednesday.
The verdict quickly raised questions about whether the state's chief executive will be the next target of federal prosecutors.
Chicago Sun-Times
Bundler™ To Get Major Upgrade
Drag and Drop Exhibits
Ability to add Multiple exhibits to a transcript line
Streamline Bundle Process
Improved Printing
Improved Transcript Editor
Bolded Q and A pairs
RTF Text Import
Improved overall interface
New Full Release Versions for Mac OS X, and Linux
Improved help file and new video tutorials
...dozens of other features
Current users will get this upgrade for free by clicking "Upgrade Now" next time they launch the application. New users can purchase a license for $249. There are no signup fees when purchasing a license of Bundler.
Clarity Legal LLC
Law.com Article Discusses TrialSmart
Law.Com Article
Clarity Legal LLC
Gates: New "Windows 7" may come 'in the next year'
The new operating system will ship in consumer and business versions, and in 32 and 64 bit varieties and could include a subscription model to compliment Windows. Gates did not provide specifics.
On Thursday, Microsoft declined to extend a lifeline to Windows XP, saying that only a limited number of machines sold in the future will be sold with the XP system. Vista has been marred by delays, yet Microsoft has stepped up efforts to push adoption of Vista by business, which has been slow to adopt the new OS, relying instead to use Windows XP.
You can read more about the Windows "7" release here, here, and here.
Clarity Legal LLC
Sampling Shows Growing Linux Market Share
Although a small percentage, the growing number of Linux users is great news. I understand the number doesn't look strong compared to the 76% of Windows users worldwide, however, it appears many of the barriers to Linux adoption are being removed and people are using free operating system. Market share has increased consecutively over the last 18 months.
Combine this with a growing share of other free applications such as FireFox (34%) and the slow adoption of Windows Vista and growing number of Mac OS X users, I believe the days are coming when we will have 3 solid operating systems to choose from for the business world.
If it comes down to cost, most businesses would choose Linux because it's free. There is already a strong movement to provide free case information.
To view the current web stats go here - W3 Web Counter Statistics
In an aside, Carl Malamud, who is a leading force in getting government data online, and creating public works for the Internet for the last 2 years has been publishing full text of legal opinions dating back to 1880. O'Reilly Radar discusses his efforts here. BTW - Notice the Mac keyboard in the image inset.
Carl, who has an excellent track record of success making government information freely accessible (EDGAR, Patents, Smithsonia, CSPAN, Congressional Hearings) has joined Cornell, and Hyperlaw to archive the data for public use. Make no mistake about it, free case law will happen and new avenues for digesting cases will come online sooner than later challenging Westlaw Publishing.
Carl, in 1998, forced the federal government to make the nation's patent and trademark database freely available. See the related articles here and here and also here.
Clarity Legal LLC
Karl Rove loves his iPhone
CNN Money - Fortune
Way to Go Charlie!
Salon Article/Photo of Charlie's Nice Shiner
Ziff Davis Files for Bankruptcy
Associated Press Article
PC vs Mac - ABA Journal Article
ABA Journal Article
TrialSmart Upgrade to Preview at MIT 2
Several of the new features have been requested by users, others are upgrades to an already easy and elegant interface. Some of the new features include:
1. Ability to connect to and import Indata TimeCoder (*.mdb) and Sanction (*.mdb) files.
2. Add preset or custom annotation markers and animate and move the markers in real-time.
3. Add custom movement and animation to documents and markers for Keynote type presentations.
4. Movable transcript synching window.
5. Background presentation image is now customizable.
6. Simpler and more elegant presentation presentation window.
7. Set transparency and color of annotation layers in realtime.
8. Simplified grouping routines for easier layering of saved exhibits.
9. Faster pdf indexing.
10. Improved monitor refreshing, display capabilies to compensate for various projector resolutions.
11. Detachable annotation toolbox for use in annotating, highlighting, and marking.
12. Improved video playback and video group playback.
There are dozens of other time saving and ease-of-use features that will be featured during Clarity Legal's session on the afternoon of March 1st.
For more information about the conference you can preview hotel and registration information here
BlackBerry email service goes down
To date RIM's blackberry had about 12 million subscribers.
This is the third such major outage in a a year.
Low Power and High Speed A Powerful Combination - CNET
Flash memory is gaining as a replacement for hard drives in ultra-thin, ultra-small notebooks such as the MacBook Air and Asus Eee PC. Why? Flash uses less power, generates less heat, and has faster access times than hard drives. The Air, for example, offers a 64GB flash-based SSD as an option while the Eee PC is sold standard with flash storage.
There is a big catch, though. High-capacity SSDs are expensive. Prohibitively so. The flash drive in the pricier $3,098 Air is the main culprit in the gaping $1,300 price difference with the lower-cost hard-drive model ($1,799).
Web Outage Hits Indian Outsourcing Firms
India was not the only country trying to cope with the problem Thursday - users were hit across a wide swath of Asia and the Middle East, from Bangladesh in the east to Egypt in the west.
At Clarity Legal, we think it's important to always inquire about where services and support for products come from. Clarity Legal has always maintained a policy of not outsourcing any development, services, or support to India.
All support services and support stay in the United States.
To read a related CBS News article regarding the Indian internet outage click here
IBM Accelerates Desktop Customer Choice With Support for Ubuntu
"Today's announcements show the growing importance of openness and choice in the computing environments of our customers and partners," said Jeff Smith, vice president of open source and Linux in IBM Software Group. "IBM's market insight shows that collaboration is key to driving innovation in day-to-day business. These offerings combine IBM's strengths in collaboration, SOA, and Web 2.0 with our partners' strengths in open operating environments."
To read the full CNNMoney.com article click here
Adobe and Clarity Legal to Present at MIT 2
Date:Friday February 29, 2008 (afternoon) and Saturday March 1, 2008 (all day)
Location: Embassy Suites Outdoor World At DFW Hotel, Grapevine, Texas.
Travel: Recommend that you fly into Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport if possible. Dallas Love field is approx twenty minutes away if you want to rent a car or pay for a cab.
Cost: $150 for the Seminar and Meals [covers a per person charge for use of meeting rooms at hotel, refreshment breaks, dinner Friday evening (speaker presentation during dinner), lunch Saturday (presentation during lunch), and high speed internet connection in the seminar meeting room.] The $150 seminar fee must be paid by February 8 so they can adjust the seminar facilities to larger space if needed. You should send a check to Foreman, Lewis & Hutchison, 611 S Main, Ste 700, Grapevine, Texas 76051 or call 817-336-5533 and ask for Kristy to pay by credit card.
Accommodations: Attendees are eligible for a discounted suite at the rate of $124 per night for Friday and Saturday night. Reservations can be made online or by calling 972-724-2600 and asking for the MacLaw rate. Accommodations include a breakfast buffet and a cocktail reception. In-room internet is an additional charge. The Hotel has a complementary airport shuttle. The discount rate for hotel rooms will remain available until February 8th, pending availability.
Continuing Legal Education Credits - The seminar has received approval for CLE credit from the State Bar of Texas (with reciprocity available in other states per their rules). Similar accreditation will be applied for this year.
Clarity Legal Adds PDF Import as Transcript Option
This new feature allows Clarity Legal users to import PDF files in the same manner as they would a normal legal transcript file. This new features also allows the pdf file to be indexed using Clarity Legal index and searching features.
Existing users can begin using this new feature by choosing the "Update Now" feature when opening any Clarity Legal title. Demo users can try this new feature by downloading a demonstration version of Bundler™ , DepoSmart™ , DepoSmart™ Viewer, or TrialSmart™ .
To download a demonstration version of Bundler™ , DepoSmart™ , DepoSmart™ Viewer, or TrialSmart™ visit our download page.
Word of Mouth Carries Clarity Legal in 2007
Each product had a wonderful first year, so we thought we'd share some interesting facts about 2007:
First, 20.2% of all users in the last quarter of 2007 visited Clarity Legal using keywords from a search engine. This means that just over 20% of users visiting Clarity Legal.com used either Bundler, DepoSmart, TrialSmart, or Clarity Legal as a search term to find us. This is amazing since all of the traffic was generated via word of mouth or through internet channels. We attribute this increased traffic to the need for new legal software that is easier to use, more cost friendly, and cross-platform.
US page views accounted for 82% of web traffic, with the remaining users coming from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Second, web logs show that the types of users visiting Clarity Legal.com are nearly 50/50, with Mac users having a slight edge over Windows users at 56%.
Third, the total number of page views this year at Clarity Legal was 784,209. Each user averaged approximately 6.7 page views. The most popular content was the free video tutorials we offered. We currently have 87 free video tutorials at our website. The amount of traffic we received for the tutorials caused us to expand our internet bandwidth twice because they had become so popular. We plan on expanding our free video tutorials in 2008.
As a side note...
In 2007 Clarity became the first company to offer true cross-platform legal software to both Windows and Apple Mac OS X environments. In 2008 we are expanding our software into a new platform, Linux (Ubuntu). DepoSmart, our flagship product for attorneys and law firms, will be the first to reach the Ubuntu (Linux) platform. In a recent article, "Three Fearless Predictions", the Economist.com predicts that Ubuntu Linux will grow remarkably over the next few years.
When firms are used to buying $1,000 office PCs running Vista Business Edition and loading each with a $200 copy of Microsoft Office, the attractions of a sub-$500 computer using a free operating system like Linux and a free productivity suite like OpenOffice suddenly become very compelling.
And that’s not counting the $20,000 or more needed for Microsoft’s Exchange and SharePoint server software. Again, Linux provides such server software for free.
Pundits agree: neither Microsoft nor Apple can compete at the new price points being plumbed by companies looking to cut costs...
Our view is that we don't particulurly care which platform you use, but if you want an alternative, you have choices.
Fourth, those users that visited our site and used our new support ticketing system, rated their support experience at 4.7 out of 5. Clarity Legal implemented the new automated ticketing system in October, and we're proud of the response we've received. Any customer can post a question or support issue to our website. Using our Support Tracking system, they receive a ticket number that we can track until completion.Thanks for the wonderful year, and we look forward to seeing you in 2008.
Clarity Legal.com
Dell adds Ubuntu 7.10 to its lineup
Dell announced on Tuesday via its corporate blog that it has begun installing Ubuntu 7.10, aka Gutsy Gibbon, and LinDVD on its Dell consumer Linux PCs in the US and will also make it available on the Inspiron 530 in England, France and Germany later this week.
Dell began offering consumer systems running Ubuntu in May. Ubuntu’s Gutsy Gibson has been available since October.
The OEM has been testing the code for several weeks and is ready to launch.
“We believe Ubuntu 7.10 is a solid step forward for both Linux enthusiasts as well as the mainstream consumer market,” wrote Daniel Judd, Product Group Strategist on the Dell2Dell blog on Tuesday. “The answer is simple. With any operating system, we take gold code and take the time to do extensive testing on our systems to make sure that customers have as few issues as possible.”
The Dell product manager cited “cool” 3-D visual effects, easier desktop search for applications and the “ability to quickly switch between users and easily share a system with family members” as key new features of Ubuntu’s 7.10 release. He also cited two Dell developed innovations — pre-installation of Flash and improved recovery options — as other significant enhancements for Gutsy Gibbon on Dell consumer PCs.Judd also one key request was the ability to watch DVD movies from the Dell Linux desktop. “We totally agree and that’s why we now include built-in DVD movie playback with all Ubuntu 7.10 systems.The experience we wanted is simple — when you put a movie in, it plays. It is easy enough for a child and an example of the steps we are taking to make Ubuntu as enjoyable as possible.
Dell also promotes on its blog site a discussion between a Dell engineer and Mark Shuttleworth, CEO and Founder of Ubuntu. As part of that, Shuttleworth discussed the next version of Ubuntu due in April 2008 that will provide client support for three years and server support for five years, as well as enhanced integration with Windows networks.
ZDnet e-mailed Dell to inquire about its progress with Ubuntu before the blog posted on Tuesday but the company offered no comment.
Changes and Updated Software Titles Coming January 2008
Also in January, Clarity will release a new cross-platform database application for beta testing by select users. We'll start with testing by Apple Mac OS X users, but Windows users will be invited to test. This new software title will have the following features:
- SQL database backend capable of holding millions of records
- Server component available (like all of our apps)
- Customizable database and fields
- Import Outlook .PST files
- Code database records and connect images to each record
- Batch print images
- Batch print bates labels on images
- Search imported .PDF documents for specific text
- Full integration with DepoSmart™ and TrialSmart™
- Record notification window that tracks changes to any record
- Clarity Legal
Streetcars Roll Again in New Orleans
Click here for the news link.
25% of UK Firms Looking for Outside Capital
Click here for the news article.
Two Million Copies of Leopard Sold in First Weekend
Apple Profits Soar 67%
Read the Information Week article.
Apple Comes to Its Senses
Sascha Seagan of PCMagazine, discusses that whether you're an iPhone user or not, this is good news for you and your handheld. Click here for the link.
Windows Vista Continues to Lag
Vista is a resource-hungry operating system. Its minimum hardware requirements of an 800 MHz processor, 512 Mbytes of memory and a 20-Gbyte hard prove the point. If you want to upgrade your existing system with Vista, chances are it will not handle the minimum requirements. We own 2 Windows machines here at Clarity Legal and despite Microsoft claiming that both systems met the minimum requirements for upgrading, neither worked well at all with Vista and we had to revert back to Windows XP. Upgrading to Vista can lessen a system's performance by as much as 58 percent, depending on what's being processed.
Second, most law firms are hesitant to spend money on new technology. Vista isn't cheap. Partners would rather take the profits than spend it on technology. Trust us, regardless of firm...most law firms are behind current advances in technology by at least 3 years. Court reporting firms are even further behind.
For more information about other issues with Windows Vista and whether you should upgrade, read Robert Vamosi's Article from CNET on the new path for Windows Vista.Data protection: Clarity for data laws
This is an interesting article that revolves around human vs. computerized capturing of data.
Read the Jake Hardy and Clive Freedman article.
Apple offers $100 credit to iPhone owners
"If you always wait for the next price cut or to buy the new improved model, you'll never buy any technology product because there is always something better and less expensive on the horizon," Jobs said. "The good news is that if you buy products from companies that support them well, like Apple tries to do, you will receive years of useful and satisfying service from them even as newer models are introduced." - Steve Jobs
If you haven't bought an iPhone yet we recommend you to do so. They are wonderful devices and well worth the price. The difference between an Apple product and one from the competitors is that you can hand an iPod or an iPhone or even an iBook to your 75-year-old grandfather and in 15 minutes he's figured out how to use it. If you hand someone a Blackberry they would look at you as if you were asking them to pilot Apollo 12 to the moon. Features add complexity and without simplicity they are useless to all but those with Asperger's Syndrome.Our prediction is that they will sell 10 million models in the first 12 months. At current pace the iPhone will have between 20-25% of the US phone market by the year 2009. Current models place the iPhone at 2% of the phone market after just 3 months since release.
Link
Join Clarity Legal at CLVS in St.Louis
Hotel Link
New Orleans' New Arrivals: Young, educated, and infused with hope
"I believe in the power of place," she said. "I think history incorporates itself not only in the architecture, but also the atmosphere of different cities, and in New Orleans you definitely feel that atmosphere and you can feel the history. And I think that's what drew me closer to New Orleans."
Click here to read more.Judicious Use of PowerPoint Urged
CNN - "Make Your Next Computer an iMac" - 8.2 Rating
We recently presented and had a booth at the NCRA convention in Dallas, and people stopped by all day to look at our 24 inch iMacs running Apple and Windows software at the same time.
Check out this article by CNN - Link
UK - In the eyes of the law, women are equal to men in the workplace. In reality, they still lag behind.
Link
"Hello, I'm a Lawyer with a Mac"
Link
(UK) Legal Watchdogs for fairer insurance policies
The proposed policies would make it harder for insurance companies to refuse to pay because someone failed to disclose information if the refusal was fair and reasonable.
Read the TimesOnline article.
iPhone buyers have no regrets
In one of the first such studies, 90% of 200 owners said they were "extremely" or "very" satisfied with their phone. And 85% said they are "extremely" or "very" likely to recommend the device to others, says the online survey conducted and paid for by market researcher Interpret of Santa Monica, Calif. The firm surveyed 1,000 cellphone users July 6-10.
Clarity Legal will announce integration with the iPhone's Safari browser soon. Check back to our website periodically in the next few months.
See the USA today article here.
Free Legal Aid Helps Texas Flood Victims
TimesRecordNews.com article "Legal aid can help"
Clarity Legal Releases Synch Service, Server Applications
Sending a transcript and the audio can be done directly from any software title.
The sending of the transcript is free and the files are sent securely to a registered user's online account at Clarity Legal. Once your files are synched you can then download them securely from our website and load them into Bundler™, DepoSmart™, or TrialSmart™.For more information regarding this new service click here.
Paper Prototyping
“Paper Prototyping”
http://www.paperprototyping.com/
The speech by John was excellent and helpful to most that attended. Apple has always developed great looking interfaces that were easy to use.
Supreme Court Adopts New Standard on Patent Litigation
TrialSmart™ (Universal Binary) Released
(Partial List)
- PDF Text Searching
- Saved Annotation Layers
- Resizable Video Player
- Expanded Video Clip and Group Reports
- Easier to Use Interface
- Fast PDF Exhibit Import
- Exclusive Dual Monitor Support
- Elegant Presentation Window Interface
- Saved Annotation Layers for Easy Retrieval
- Online Help System
- Mac-Intel Optimization for Faster Importing, Video Clip Creation, and Exhibit Display
TrialSmart is priced at $299 per single user license.
Blog is Open...
We are primarily using this blog to post tutorials, as well as industry news and topics related to the legal field. However, we will occasionally post topics related to other subjects. All information is kept in chronological order, and the content is generally unfiltered. Basically, a blog is a hierarchy of text, images, media objects, and data that can be viewed in an HTML browser. The topics are posted by Clarity Legal, and then others respond to the topic of their choice. Usually, a blog is not treated as a monologue, but as a conversation.
The overall purpose of this blog is to provide instructive ways to help current and potential customers learn our products in an open environment.
We also welcome the submission of posts requests.