LexisNexis
7 Aug 2012
New Australian legal technology set to revolutionise legal research
Nearly 50 per cent of Australian legal professionals are using mobile devices for legal research, with this trend expected to grow by 16% in the next six months, according to recent research by LexisNexis Pacific (www.lexisnexis.com.au).
To meet the needs of these increasingly mobile legal professionals, LexisNexis Pacific has developed LexisNexis© Red™, the world's first mobile digital referencing tool designed specifically for the needs of legal practitioners.
Developed locally in close partnership with a range of legal practitioners from across Australia and New Zealand, the LexisNexis Red app allows lawyers and legislators to carry and instantly access the most up-to-date legal research and reference materials via their iPad, whether they are online or offline.
With access to legal content and the need for referencing at the core of lawyers' mobile device usage, LexisNexis Red is set to revolutionise the way lawyers work, both in and out of the office. For those Australian lawyers currently using mobile devices to conduct research in the courtroom and on the move, the majority use mobile devices to reference legislation (88 per cent), followed by citing cases (74 per cent), capturing their own notes (58 per cent) and accessing commentary (17 per cent), according to the LexisNexis study.
New mobile technologies, tablet devices and increased connectivity are significantly altering the day-to-day workflows of every legal professional
This world-first technology features advanced search, referencing and annotation functionality using hyperlinked indices, dynamic tables of contents, bookmarking and recent history, providing access a substantial proportion of our looseleaf titles, with eBooks and additional content to be released later this year.
In addition, looseleaf content is updated automatically, ensuring information is current and correct, as well as reducing significant filing and tracking time for legal librarians and practice managers.
According to Tyson Wienker, Executive Director of Strategy, Content and Business Development at LexisNexis Pacific, the Australian legal industry is in the midst of rapid change.
"New mobile technologies, tablet devices and increased connectivity are significantly altering the day-to-day workflows of every legal professional," Mr Wienker said.
NSW Police Prosecutors first to roll out cutting-edge digital referencing tool for all in-court prosecutors.
"These technologies are re-shaping the legal landscape by providing a range of new opportunities for improved collaboration tools, productivity applications, legal research and referencing."
"The key insight from our clients is that 'lawyers don't always read — they reference'. When practitioners access information, they highlight and make notes, and they expect to access those annotations quickly and effectively in high pressure situations. LexisNexis Red has been specifically created to facilitate this activity and the user interface has been designed to make this as quick, seamless and efficient as possible," Mr Wienker added.
The NSW Police Force, who worked closely with LexisNexis in developing the technology, will issue all of its 280 dedicated in-court police prosecutors in with iPads installed with LexisNexis Red. Police Prosecutions Commander, Chief Superintendent Tony Trichter, said the technology will lead the legal profession into a more efficient and environmentally-sustainable future.
"Mobile phones, laptops and tablet devices have enabled unprecedented connectivity, and an expectation that we can access relevant information anywhere and anytime," Chief Superintendent Trichter said.
"We worked with LexisNexis to develop the application, which will revolutionise the way we access law resources in the courtroom and dramatically reduce the number of heavy paper-based resources we will need to lug around."
Current conservative estimates indicate police prosecutors could potentially save the State hundreds of thousands of dollars by replacing hard-copy resources with LexisNexis Red and harnessing the potential of the iPad.
The application will also allow legal practitioners to keep up-to-date with amendments to the law.
"Our law books are currently updated every two years, but LexisNexis Red will update and reflect changes to the law within 72 hours."
"Once content is downloaded, it is accessible on the iPad independent of internet access, ensuring the quality of service provided by police prosecutions will be consistent across the state.
"For legal practitioners, the ability to access accurate law resources, quickly, and easily is imperative, and NSW Police Prosecutions is leading the way with LexisNexis Red," Superintendent Trichter added.
Media Contacts
Rebecca Whalen
Public Relations & Social Media Manager, LexisNexis Pacific
Tel: +61 2 9282 2681
Email: rebecca.whalen@lexisnexis.com.au
Andrew Rowe
Chief Marketing Officer, LexisNexis Pacific
Tel: +61 2 9422 2049
Email: andrew.rowe@lexisnexis.com.au