This is a list of selected smart phone apps which are useful for legal practitioners. Please remember that this is a guide only – prices and features are subject to change, and none of these apps should be understood to replace official sources of information.
The apps below can be found by searching Google Play (Android devices), BlackBerry World (BlackBerry) or the App Store (iPhones and iPads).
U.K. Legal Apps
Appfever This developer offers a variety of free legislation apps for Android devices, including the full text of several acts from the UK.
Court Search This app provides access to detailed information about every Court in England and Wales, including addresses, maps, directions and parking and contact details. Available for iOS, Android and Blackberry devices. £1.99
iLegal Legislation This app for iPhone and iPad provides access to the revised text of most primary legislation enacted in the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The legislation provided by the app is sourced directly from the National Archives and stored offline on your device. The initial seven day trial is free, after which the annual subscription is £49.99. A lifetime subscription is £149.99.
Law Revision (Undergraduate Content from Oxford University Press) An app for iPhone and iPad which provides legal information for students across a range of fields including Commercial Law, EU Law and Employment Law. Individual subjects can be bought with an in-app purchase for £2.49. A small amount of content is available for free.
Law Sauce This app is a legal e-resource locator, designed to help users quickly find the right online resource for a specific law report series, legal journal, or piece of legislation, and covers both free and subscription sites. Available for both iOS and Android devices. £1.95
European Legal Apps
Electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB) A free app that provides access to the Acts of the Oireachtas, Statutory Instruments and Legislation Directory and is produced by the Office of the Attorney General. Available for both iOS and Android devices.
Eurojargon – EU Glossary An app for iPhones and iPads which provides definitions of EU terms and acronyms, along with links to websites and related materials. £1.49
Europe Media Monitor This free app developed by the European Commission monitoring thousands of news sources in over 70 languages and provides a unique and independent viewpoint of what is being reported in the world right now. Available for both iOS and Android devices.
Legal Tribune Online A free app for accessing the German news magazine. Available for both iOS and Android devices.
SmartLeges This developer offers a series of free apps that provide access to constitutions and codes from Spain, France, Italy, and the UK. Available for both iOS and Android devices.
U.S. Legal Apps
ABA Journal Daily News A free app for iPhone and iPad which provides summaries of the latest legal news, analysis, and in-depth articles from the journal of the American Bar Association.
Black's Law Dictionary The 9th edition of the American legal dictionary for iPhone and iPad, with cross-references and audio pronunciations. $54.99
BigInto Law A free app for iPhone and iPad that sources information on chosen fields. Describes itself as “an app designed by lawyers, for lawyers that scans thousands of legal news sites, curating and organizing the articles that matter to you.”
The Congressional Record This app provides free access to the daily edition of the Congressional Record for iPhone and iPad. Developed by the Library of Congress using data provided by the Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Office of the Secretary of the Senate, and the Government Printing Office.
Statutes and Case Law Library A virtual library of more than 30 books, covering the most frequently referenced federal, Texas, California, Florida, Delaware, and New York statutes. Free 30 day trial, followed by a paid monthly subscription of $0.99 per book. Available for iOS, Android and Blackberry devices.
USC Provides access to the United States Code in a format designed specifically for iPads.
U.S. Constitution: Analysis and Interpretation Developed by the Library of Congress, this free app for iPhone and iPad provides a mobile version of the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, a comprehensive analytical legal treatise prepared by attorneys of the Congressional Research Service at the direction of the United States Senate.
General Research
BBC News Provides free access to current news from the BBC with “BBC News Channel streamed live, social features and personalisation so you can re-order the news categories to suit your interests.” Available for iOS, Android and Blackberry devices.
Dropbox An online electronic storage system for sharing and saving files securely across multiple machines. Anything you save using Dropbox will automatically show up on all your linked computers, mobile phones, and the Dropbox website. Allows for sharing links or folders between multiple users. Free for 2GB, with paid plans for more storage.
Legal Viewer A PDF viewer designed to support the review of hyperlinked PDFs on the iPad. Allows you to read, copy text, and annotate documents in PDF format. $4.99
Oxford English Dictionaries Quick Search Provides free access to content from the Oxford Dictionary of English and New Oxford American Dictionary. Available for iOS and Android devices.
Subscriptions
Many subscription services to legal journals, law reports, or other databases offer free apps that make subscribed content available through a mobile device. It is worth checking to see if this option is available for any of your personal subscriptions.