Bailey
CHARLESTON -- Tired of always carrying around law books full of rules and procedures, a Charleston attorney created a new way to have the information on hand by creating applications for the iPhone.
Robert Bailey created the four apps for the iPhone because he said he carries his with him all the time.
"I got sick of always carrying the law books around with me, or if I was in someone else's office, we would have to dig for their book," Bailey said. "With the iPhone app, it is a lot easier and not as much of a hassle."
Bailey created an app for the United States federal rules of procedure, the West Virginia state rules of procedure, the local federal rules for West Virginia and the Fourth Circuit and the West Virginia family law rules of procedure. The apps range from free to $7.99.
"I created the apps partly for my own use," Bailey said. "But, I put them out there for everyone to use so they can benefit everyone."
The apps are Bailey's first attempt at creating iPhone apps.
"I'm hoping people go easy on me since these are the first apps I've ever made," Bailey said. "But, I hope if someone finds a bug or something they will tell me."
Bailey said the reason three of the four apps are free is because it will be a lot of work to keep them all up to date.
"There are more than 2,000 rules total in all four apps," Bailey said. "I intend to keep the apps up to date and that will take a lot of work and time."
Bailey was a computer programmer for 15 years before he became a lawyer.
"I was always interested in law, but I got into a debate with my old college roommate years ago about something legal-related and he said we should go to law school," Bailey said. "So, I did and here I am."
Each of the four apps features offline access to all of the rules of procedure and constitutions, the ability to search for a particular phrase or work and the ability to e-mail a formatted copy of any rule, as well as many other features.
To buy the apps, search the iTunes Store from your computer or the app store from your iPhone or iPod Touch for "Mobrary." A short demo of the apps can be seen by visiting www.youtube.com and searching for "Mobrary."
For more information, questions, ideas on new features, or suggestions, Bailey can be reached at rob@baileyhudson.com.