One of the chief stumbling blocks for attorneys implementing information technology has been the lack of  a high tech replacement for the humble legal pad.   Most attorneys do a considerable amount of work in the field. Unobtrusive and ubiquitous, the legal pad can be used  under  virtually any circumstances, from a client interview to the courtroom.

On the down side, one has to deal with the notes after they are written and often the information written on them must be re-entered in multiple calendars, paper files, and documents. Not only is this duplication time consuming, but there are inevitable errors in transcription that can lead to real headaches for the practitioner. In the heat of battle, our writing is often deficient, and we later have to guess what he have written. If erroneous, the results can be embarrassing at best, and career-threatening at worst.

The advent of the notebook pc was a step in the right direction, providing a portable system  that allows typing information  into a variety of programs, from simple word processors to calendars and contact managers. Entire law practice management systems have been developed, such as Amicus Attorney, that integrate virtually every task a lawyer does into one program.

However, the notebook PC has its limitations. One can hardly use it in all the circumstances that an attorney uses a legal pad. One cannot  realistically stand in a courtroom and address judge or jury holding a notebook computer  typing notes on the keys. For one thing, one couldn't write standing up and be mobile at the same time, as with the legal pad.  The reality is that the notebook computer is of only limited usefulness in the field. It thus cannot replace the legal pad.

But let's imagine what such a replacement would be. It would be a full powered computer like a notebook, and run all the software that you use on your desktop computer or notebook computer. But unlike a notebook it would have a screen that one could look down on, like a legal pad.  It would not require typing on a keyboard or using a mouse, and  would allow you to write directly on the screen.  It would be able to accurately translate your handwriting into printed text and input the text into any program you desired.

It would be small enough and light enough to comfortably be held in one hand. It would have full data communication facilities, including wired and wireless networking, so that it could be connected to your office network when you return to your office to seamlessly update your firms master database. Such a device would not only replace the standard legal pad, but would vastly outperform it.