Will lawyers replace the laptop on the tablet?
Starting two years ago, the development of mobile applications for lawyers, we still did not know where to “get” this area.
In addition to the issue of readiness to use the tablet, the willingness of a lawyer to work in the “clouds” was also unclear.
But, since we initially planned the project as a commercial business application, first of all we met a potential consumer.
Lawyers, like programmers, are different. Lawyers, judges, legal advisers, prosecutors are all lawyers. But despite the variety of specializations, there are common features of the profession inherent in all legal professionals. According to our observations there are three main features:
Before the mobile revolution, all of these needs perfectly satisfied offline legal systems. Being installed in the office, they coped with the first two tasks, and on the laptop - with all three.
Why is there a tablet, and especially a smartphone? Do they have prospects?
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We will share our thoughts on the basis of our own experience in this field. So, Ukrainian mobile legislation is ipLex. Implemented in two projects:
ipLex. Laws is a free application for smartphones and tablets. Containing immediately and the program and the base of the basic legislation. Updated by completely overwriting the regular version once a month. Works under iOS, Android, WP8. Available since 2012.
ipLex.Profi is a client application for desktops, tablets and smartphones. Associated with the full regulatory framework via the Internet. Works under MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. This is a commercial version of a paid subscription. Available since 2013.
To date, we are seeing such a dynamic of users (there are about 300 thousand certified lawyers in Ukraine, about half of them work in the specialty):
* These are estimated indicators obtained by us as a result of surveys and indirect information. They characterize orders of numbers and trends rather than accurate data.
So, the numbers show that the vast majority of practicing lawyers work with traditional offline legal systems, but at the same time, many have supplemented their arsenal with free “pocket” applications on smartphones and tablets. Note that ipLex.Laws is also an offline application.
It should be noted the emerging recession of the offline systems market. This can be influenced by several factors: the deterioration of the economic situation in the country, the availability of free Internet resources, and, finally, the obsolescence of traditional technologies. After all, the databases of regulatory, judicial, analytical information contain tens of millions of documents. To squeeze them into a laptop and update it daily, developers have to sacrifice either the amount of information or the quality of searches or reliability of work. And users are beginning to give preference to online resources.
Some of these users purchase a commercial version of ipLex.Profi. Arguments “for”: cross-platform, work on the smartphone-tablet-desktop, synchronization of personal databases, significant savings of effort and money. Restraining factor - always need the Internet. But this group of users, as a rule, combines analytical work on the desktop, with a quick solution of problems “on the go” using a smartphone or tablet.
CONCLUSION №1: Lawyers will not give up laptops, but are additionally ready to use tablets and smartphones.
CONCLUSION # 2: Lawyers are not yet ready to work fully online, but they are already actively looking into the clouds.
And, finally, photos of the working day with comments from one of our advanced law users:
In addition to the issue of readiness to use the tablet, the willingness of a lawyer to work in the “clouds” was also unclear.
But, since we initially planned the project as a commercial business application, first of all we met a potential consumer.
Lawyers, like programmers, are different. Lawyers, judges, legal advisers, prosecutors are all lawyers. But despite the variety of specializations, there are common features of the profession inherent in all legal professionals. According to our observations there are three main features:
- constant reference to legislative acts, which means high demands on the quality and relevance of texts in regulatory frameworks;
- generation of own documents: procedural, administrative, contractual, etc. What a comfortable text editor is required for, as well as a database of analytical, practical, reference materials, a system for analyzing judicial practice;
- rather mobile nature of the activity: courts, state institutions, business trips, meetings with colleagues, clients, opponents. Therefore, it is very desirable access to information outside the office.
Before the mobile revolution, all of these needs perfectly satisfied offline legal systems. Being installed in the office, they coped with the first two tasks, and on the laptop - with all three.
Why is there a tablet, and especially a smartphone? Do they have prospects?
')
We will share our thoughts on the basis of our own experience in this field. So, Ukrainian mobile legislation is ipLex. Implemented in two projects:
ipLex. Laws is a free application for smartphones and tablets. Containing immediately and the program and the base of the basic legislation. Updated by completely overwriting the regular version once a month. Works under iOS, Android, WP8. Available since 2012.
ipLex.Profi is a client application for desktops, tablets and smartphones. Associated with the full regulatory framework via the Internet. Works under MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. This is a commercial version of a paid subscription. Available since 2013.
To date, we are seeing such a dynamic of users (there are about 300 thousand certified lawyers in Ukraine, about half of them work in the specialty):
| amount
users | Regulatory
legal framework | Creature
of documents | Conditions
access | Subscription fee
per month | Other
expenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offline
systems 2011 150 thousand * 2012 145 thousand * 2013 140 thousand * | full or
partial | comfortable | in the office
or on your a laptop | $ 50-100 | accompaniment
waiting for bases 20 hours / month * |
| ipLex.Laws
2012 30 thousand 2013 130 thousand | only
codes and basic laws | not | any
tablet or smartphone | - | - |
| ipLex.Profi
2013 4 thousand | full | desktop
comfortable the tablet- partially | need
the Internet | $ 20-30 | Mobile
the Internet $ 10 / month |
* These are estimated indicators obtained by us as a result of surveys and indirect information. They characterize orders of numbers and trends rather than accurate data.
So, the numbers show that the vast majority of practicing lawyers work with traditional offline legal systems, but at the same time, many have supplemented their arsenal with free “pocket” applications on smartphones and tablets. Note that ipLex.Laws is also an offline application.
It should be noted the emerging recession of the offline systems market. This can be influenced by several factors: the deterioration of the economic situation in the country, the availability of free Internet resources, and, finally, the obsolescence of traditional technologies. After all, the databases of regulatory, judicial, analytical information contain tens of millions of documents. To squeeze them into a laptop and update it daily, developers have to sacrifice either the amount of information or the quality of searches or reliability of work. And users are beginning to give preference to online resources.
Some of these users purchase a commercial version of ipLex.Profi. Arguments “for”: cross-platform, work on the smartphone-tablet-desktop, synchronization of personal databases, significant savings of effort and money. Restraining factor - always need the Internet. But this group of users, as a rule, combines analytical work on the desktop, with a quick solution of problems “on the go” using a smartphone or tablet.
CONCLUSION №1: Lawyers will not give up laptops, but are additionally ready to use tablets and smartphones.
CONCLUSION # 2: Lawyers are not yet ready to work fully online, but they are already actively looking into the clouds.
And, finally, photos of the working day with comments from one of our advanced law users:
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/203594/
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