“If I could give this app more than five stars, I would. Not sure how any app can top this.” About.com – 2/15/2010
About.com has published a great review of Fastcase for the iPhone today:
“From the moment I downloaded Fastcase, I’ve been playing with all the different features, and I can’t find a flaw in one of them; not only is this app easy to figure out and use, it also delivers accurate results fast.”
Fastcase’s free iPhone app has been very well received (and frequently downloaded on iTunes), and the About.com review gives the app 5+ stars:
If I could give this app more than five stars, I would. . . . I’m not sure how any app can top this.
“Every single lawyer using an iPhone should download the Fastcase app. . . . [A] compelling reason for any attorney not using an iPhone to purchase one today.” – iPhone J.D., 2/1/2010
Great review of the new Fastcase iPhone app by Jeff Richardson on iPhone J.D., the definitive blog for lawyers who use the iPhone:
I will start this review with what probably belongs in my conclusion: Every single lawyer using an iPhone should download the Fastcase app. Moreover, the availability of the free Fastcase app is a compelling reason for any attorney not using an iPhone to purchase one today. This app is that useful.
iPhone J.D. does a very thorough review of the application’s features, and highlights some of the unique values compared to other applications in the market.
[U]nless and until we see something good and free from Westlaw, Lexis or Google, Fastcase will clearly be the research app of choice for all attorneys with iPhones. Congratulations . . . [the] team at Fastcase for creating an incredibly useful app that every lawyer should get immediately.
We’re gratified by the enthusiastic response, both in downloads and great reviews! If you’d like to download the app, just click this link. Happy searching!
The Reviews Are In . . .
The response to Fastcase for the iPhone has been overwhelming. Thank you to all who downloaded (and reviewed) the app. Here is a round-up of recent reviews and press:
“I give Fastcase’s app a hearty two-thumbs up for both effective implementation and the surefire “kick-in-the-pants” this free tool will bring to this somewhat archaic, top-heavy industry. Run. Don’t walk.” – Martha Sperry of Advocate’s Studio. Read the full review here.
“[U]nless and until we see something good and free from Westlaw, Lexis or Google, Fastcase will clearly be the research app of choice for all attorneys with iPhones.” - Jeff Richardson of iPhone J.D. Read the full review here.
“When you’re setting the standard for mobile legal research, you can afford to cut a few corners. Fortunately for us, Fastcase cut few, if any. The Fastcase iPhone app is an extremely solid app which probably won’t be dethroned as the king of mobile legal research anytime soon.” - Joshua Auriemma of Legal Geekery. Here the full review here.
Fastcase Releases First Legal Research App for iPhone
New App Allows Smarter Research Anywhere, Anytime, For Free
Washington, DC — (January 29, 2010) – Legal publisher Fastcase announced today the release of the world’s first mobile legal research app, now available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch from Apple’s App Store.
Fastcase is the largest law library on the iPhone, with free download of the app, and free searching of Fastcase’s comprehensive national law library of cases and statutes.
The app uses the same next-generation legal research engine as Fastcase’s acclaimed Web-based platform. Fastcase for the iPhone users can search the comprehensive Fastcase legal research database with keyword (or “Boolean”) search in addition to citation lookup for cases and statutes. The app also supports “browsing” statutes in outline view.
“The future of legal research is mobile devices – ubiquitous computing and access anywhere.” said Ed Walters, CEO of Fastcase. “The mobile platform is what’s next for legal research, and Fastcase is going to be a major player in this emerging market.”
Experts agree that this is an important development. Legal blogger Robert Ambrogi says “I was impressed. The app is easy to use and produces lightning-fast results. . . . For legal research on the go, at any time, and for zero cost, this is a must-have for any lawyer with an iPhone.” (review: http://bit.ly/9YlQTB)
Law professor James B. Levy of the Legal Writing Professor Blog thinks the development so significant, he asks: “Will it be long before students are required to purchase iPhones for law school in addition to, or instead of, laptops?” (review: http://bit.ly/beE5L1)
Fastcase for the iPhone is available starting today in the iTunes store (search for Fastcase), or you can find more information at www.fastcase.com/iPhone.
Challenging the Big Two in Legal Research – In Propria Persona 1/26/2010
Good post this morning by Kristopher Nelson discussing competitive pressure in the legal research marketplace, with a nice tip of the hat to Fastcase:
I don’t think I could, in good conscience, charge a client for legal research done entirely in Lexis or Westlaw at this point, without first starting out with free (or lower cost, at least) options like Google Scholar or Fastcase. The cost difference is staggering, and I would feel unethical to charge a client for the cost of exploratory research using the big two (but not for using them to Shephardize, for example, for which a paid service is simply required).