Shortly after the launch of Apple’s iPad, I wondered (on Twitter) if lawyers were using them. Steven Butler (aka @DisabilityGuy) responded enthusiastically, “I have an iPad and I am already using it in my practice. Working great for reviewing client files.” Of course, I had to talk to him.

Butler is a Social Security Disability lawyer with Linarducci & Butler, PA in Delaware, and he’s clearly an early adopter when it comes to technology. Before the iPad, he tried using a tablet PC, but without a multi-touch screen, it “felt unnatural because you have to rely on a stylus.” The iPad’s stylus-free approach “feels like the right way to do things,” Butler told me, “It requires no learning curve; it’s so simple.”

A Perfect Fit

The iPad is perfect for Butler because the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides all claim files electronically, in TIFF format.  He uses an application from Atlasware to convert the huge SSA TIFF files (many are up to 1,500 pages long) into a single PDF for each matter. Before this paperless approach, files could easily occupy multiple binders, which was unwieldy and not very environmentally friendly. Now, Butler uploads the single PDFs to Google Docs and imports them on to his iPad with the GoodReader app.

Armed with his iPad and GoodReader, Butler has entire case files at his fingertips. GoodReader also features easy bookmarking of PDFs, making navigation of the long documents much easier. In addition to client files, he has also downloaded some SSA rules and administrative law judge rulings on his device, giving him quick and easy access to key legal authority.

When it comes to accessories, Butler uses Apple’s iPad case and the Bluetooth keyboard. A case is a must-have, and Apple’s is a nice one. Its tactile feel helps prevent the somewhat smooth iPad from sliding out of your hands, and its design allows you to prop the iPad at a comfortable viewing angle. The keyboard is handy for data input, making it much faster than the touch-screen keyboard, but Butler does not yet use it at SSA hearings. This is because of the one big negative of the iPad: no multi-tasking. This shortcoming prevents Butler from using it to take notes at hearings because it is impossible to flip between GoodReader, for viewing PDFs, and a separate note-taking app without closing one of them.  Of course, Apple has announced that multi-tasking will be coming to the iPad in the 4.0 software release this fall.

Butler’s tech gear:

• iPad (WiFi-only 64 GB)
• iPhone 3GS
• 13″ MacBook Pro

Some of Butler’s other favorite iPad apps:

• Zinio (magazine reader)
• ABC Player
• Twittelator (although he likes the iPhone version of this app better than the iPad version)
• Dragon Dictation
• Log Me In
• Evernote
• Sundry Notes

You can find Steven Butler on the web here:

• Twitter – http://twitter.com/DisabilityGuy
• LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebutlerdelaware
• Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/SteveButler
• Website – http://delawaredisability.com/
• Podcast – http://delawaredisability.com/ssdweekly/
• Blog – http://delawaredisability.com/blog/
• Personal Blog – http://stevenbutler.com/

Thanks to Steven for chatting about the ways he uses his … iPad4Legal.

Look for more posts highlighting the ways your fellow legal professionals use their iPads.

Do you use an iPad at work? Want to tells us about it? Leave a comment below or contact us.

An excerpt of this post was also published on the LawyerKM blog.