I work in the IT Dept. for a law firm. Currently we have many different Blackberry models in use, going back to 957 up to the latest models. I wanted to see what other users in the legal community have deployed on Blackberries. Currently, the only 3rd party app we use is Metamessage. Any comments, suggestions welcome. I am particulary interested in an office app like Eworks and also a time billing software that integrates with CMS.
I work in a law firm also. We primarily use a 6230, but there are some 7230s and 7290s out there too. We are looking into METAmessage right now. Can you give us any suggestions or pointers for it? Please feel free to email me at
This isn't very law-specific, but I would recommend PocketDay. Having your appointments and to-dos displayed up front is very useful, particularly if you're synched up with the firm calendaring app, and having your unread mail, missed calls, and world time clock on the same page is an added bonus.
Aside from apps, something of great service to attorneys are links to hypertext rules of court, appellate decisions, and things of that ilk. Obvious, I know, but still something that sometimes gets overlooked.
Our law firm uses 7290's and 7100's, depending on lawyer preference. We find that the use of basic email, pin, and Blackberry Messenger does the trick for us. We of course use our calendar and tasks functions extensively, and find the wireless sync to be indispensible. A bummer is that we've not been able to devise a common master calendar. We each have to work with individual calendars. Our 5 unit office is connected through Mailstreet, and we get great service from them. We use bbSpell to keep us looking smart and professional when communicating with our clients, courts, or other lawyers by email.
I find it extremely useful to give directions to my office workers through emails at all hours of the day or night, so that the work getting done is not dependent on the vagaries of my memory and verbal (often vague) instructions. When our office gets going in the morning and our staff fires up their computers, voila, everything we've thought of during the evening is there in their inbox to work on. Same during the day, when we fire out instructions and directives by email.
I keep track of my billable time by simply noting it in an email and shipping it to my secretary for notation as the work is done. The billing software cited above is unknown to me, and too complicated, I fear.
I find Blackberry Messenger to be a great way of being in touch with my colleagues without the inconvenience, hassle, and disruption of a phone call. It still astounds me that we can circulate 50 page briefs and cases through email attachments on a hand unit.
Overall our Berry system gives us an edge over our clueless competitors still stuck with their StarTacs.
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In addition to the general benefits of looking professional offered by bbSpell (thanks for mentioning us guinda35), bbSpell also includes a legal dictionary.
I just flip open my blackberry solutions guide thingy and turn to the appropriate section when people ask about mobile software for a specific industry... I think the guide is available online somewhere too.
guinda35, I agree on all counts...though I suspect it would take more than bbSpell for me to look smart and professional in my e-mails.
Most of the BB-equipped attorneys I know have adopted a similar system (e.g., e-mailing time to themselves or their secretary) -- low-tech in the sense that specialized apps are not used, but still well ahead of the game overall.
Law firm applications
