Legal Commentary

John Cleaves, supervisor of practice support in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins, practices what he preaches in his November article in Law Technology News, "Build Your Own App."

His JuryTracker app just debuted in Apple's App Store. It helps trial teams observe and report juror behavior in a consistent, clear, and concise manner, says Cleaves, a member of LTN's editorial advisory board.

It cleverly uses emoticons to evaluate each juror's emotional reactions to what's going on in the courtroom (witness testimony, attorney presentations, judge pronouncements). A second set of graphics track whether a juror is taking notes, paying attention, making eye contact, fidgeting, or checking his or her watch.

The beauty of the app is its clean, simple layout -- there are buttons to categorize a juror as a "follower" or "leader," and a box to jot notes. TrialTimer monitors the time each party spends (handy when the court limits the time for presentations).

The word I keep returning to is clever. So much so that I won't be surprised if we see a "Law & Order Los Angeles" attorney wielding one in a 2011 episode.

The cost: $9.99. Don't fire your jury consultants quite yet, but that's less than the cost of a mediocre burger, fries, and a coke at most courthouse cafeterias.

Want more Cleaves? Check out this LTN Video, where he mentors new IT staff on trial team support in the courtroom.