30% of attorneys using an iPad

30% of attorneys in the U.S. are using an iPad per the 2012 ABA Tech Survey performed by the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center. Lawyers are seeing real value in the iPad, it’s not only lighter than a laptop, but also a more efficient and organized way to receive and review news and information.

New Orleans Attorney, Jeff Richardson (@jeffrichardson), summarized the findings of the ABA survey in his post, “2012 ABA Tech Survey reveals surge in lawyer iPhone, iPad use.”

• In 2012, 33% of all attorneys report using a tablet for law-related tasks (More than double the 15% in 2011)
• 91% of the 33%, or 30% of all attorneys, are using an iPad

Lawyers are embracing the iPad for many of the same reasons people of other professions are, to perform simple day to day tasks.

• 80% are regularly using an iPad to read e-mail and use the Internet
• Over 50% regularly use their iPads to work with their contacts and calendars
• Roughly a third use iPad research apps
• 21% of lawyers regularly create documents with their iPads, 29% do so occasionally

Lawyers aren’t relying on their law firms to buy them an iPad, 86% of attorneys using tablets purchased their own device.

Richardson expects we will see an even greater jump in the number of attorneys using an iPad in next year’s 2013 report, stating that, “the ABA data was collected during the first few months of 2012, but I know a bunch of attorneys who purchased their first iPad during the last few weeks.”