Become a Glasshole Today Only! (And How It'll Help Your Practice)
There are a lot of reasons not to buy a Google Glass (available today only), besides the incomprehensible price of $1,500. For example:
- You'll be called a "Glasshole" repeatedly;
- You'll be barred from certain restaurants and other establishments;
- You may be ticketed for DWG (Driving While Glass'd);
- Random angry people may assault you;
- The Terms of Use are incredibly restrictive;
- Google has had more privacy issues than we can link to;
But hey, it's not all bad. You get to look like Geordi La Forge! Plus, a few lawyers that took part in the exclusive testing of the product have had their own ideas on how the devices could help their practice.
Mitch Jackson's Premonitions
Orange County trial lawyer Mitch Jackson is a huge fan of Google Glass, giving it a 12 out of 10 after his first weekend with the device. Since then, he's written a number of posts about how the device might come in handy for a trial attorney.
When it come to jury selection, tools like facial recognition and enhanced records databases could help to sniff out omissions during voir dire:
Using your touchpad placed on top of the lectern, you select "social" to switch from the current database to "Glass Social Summary" that displays an easy to read summary of Ms. Jones latest social media and blog posts.
As you ask your questions, you are immediately made aware of the fact that this juror's cousin is a cardiologist at UCLA Medical Center. When Ms. Jones answers your original question [whether anyone in her family is a doctor] with a "no", you then follow up with "how about extended family members?" Ms. Jones smiles and happily reports that her cousin is a doctor at UCLA.
Or lies, using automated background checks:
Your automatic Google Glass "index" conflict search reveals that in truth, Mr. Green has been arrested and convicted several times for driving under the influence. Once in California, and once in Nevada.
And this useful idea for training associates, from his "How This Trial Lawyer Will Use Google Glass in 2015 (or sooner):"
Just before the clerk calls our case, I command Glass to "go live" and a real time audio and video feed displays back at the office and private Youtube, Google Hangout, and Spreecast channels so that the new associates can watch the law and motion and oral argument from our various offices across the U.S. A private link is also shared with the clients so they can watch the procedure poolside from their hotel in the Bahamas where they are vacationing.
During oral argument, my partner, who is also watching the real time video feed, shares several text notes that I am able to read in Glass and incorporate into my presentation.
Fennemore Craig: 'Glass Action'
Fennemore Craig, a personal injury firm in Phoenix, Arizona, has a pilot program called "Glass Action" (kudos on the hilariously cheesy name) where clients wear a Glass to document how their injury has affected their daily lives. It's a pretty elegant solution (it beats strapping a camera to a client's head), and the first-person view likely resonates with jurors a lot more than a verbal narrative.
In another experiment, the firm is conducting mock trials with Glass-equipped jurors to see what attracts their attention, reports Business Insider.
Changed Your Mind Yet?
Over the last 563 words, I've gone from mocking Google Glass to reluctantly seeing possible uses for the device. How about you, dear readers? Tweet us your ideas @FindLawLP for how you'd use Google Glass to improve your service to clients.
Related Resources:
- It's Time to Stop Hating Google Glass (Slate)
- Does Google Privacy Policy Compromise Attorney-Client Privilege? (FindLaw's Technologist Blog)
- No Expectation of Privacy If You Use Gmail, Google Says (FindLaw's Technologist Blog)