Stanford Law Students Go Wireless

Palm, Inc. and West Group are working with Stanford University's Law School on a six-month wireless handheld experiment. A group of 50 faculty and students are being given a Palm VIIx and wireless access to Westlaw, the legal research service.

"This program is part of our strategy to bring the power and convenience of handheld computing to colleges and universities -- especially those offering research-intensive programs such as law,'' said Mike Lorion, Palm's vice president of education markets. "We expect this initiative will serve as a model for universities that want to provide their students simple, quick, fun and smart ways to communicate and learn remotely.''

The program was conceived by Mitch Davis, chief information officer and associate dean for Information Systems at the Law School, and is part of the school's overall wireless initiative.

West Group is also providing six eBook titles that will give students remote access to frequently used legal information. The company also is including training and additional funding for the program. West Group and other software companies -- PDA Verticals, Ury Fischer Esq., NearSpace, Town Compass and Elite.com -- are providing legal, Stanford-specific and time-and-billing software.

Students and faculty chosen to participate in the program paid $100 (for the cost of the keyboard) and received a Palm VIIx wireless handheld, a portable keyboard, downloadable software, and six months' worth of wireless access. The initiative incorporates a three-month training program and a number of focus groups. Law students, who secure summer jobs in law firms, for example, will discuss their use of the technology upon returning to school in the fall. Upon completion of the program, the participants will be allowed to keep the products, but will pay for ongoing wireless access.

"The legal profession as a whole is embracing wireless technology because access to the latest legal information anytime is such an obvious advantage,'' said Davis. "This initiative is an excellent opportunity to help students become conversant with the technology, use it in school and carry it forward in their professional lives.''

"As the leading legal technology innovator, West Group will continue to rapidly expand our wireless technology offerings while contributing our significant knowledge and experience to worthwhile programs such as this initiative,'' said Rick Dow, vice president of strategic marketing, West Group. ``West is committed to partner with other technology and education leaders like Palm and Stanford University Law School to bring law students the tools that will prepare them for successful legal careers.''

More Stories Like This...

Treo Disappoints in Warranty Reliability Report
Specific Verizon Centro 1.03 ROM Update Details Named
Apple Nearly Bought Palm in 1997
Programmer Planning Replacement DGOS Operating System
Aceeca Meazura Handheld ROM Update
iPhone Outsells the BlackBerry Last Quarter
More articles about General News