BATAVIA, OH (May 21, 2014) – “Curiouser and curiouser”– taken from Through the Looking-Glass novel published in 1871, seems a fitting quote today for Google Glass. UC Clermont’s Paralegal Technology Program has teamed up with SpliceNet – a longstanding Cincinnati based leader in legal technology consulting – in a research project to explore uses for Google Glass by the legal community.
Developed by Google — Google Glass is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format.
“UC Clermont’s Paralegal Technology Program is committed to teaching students job ready skills for the law office. This involves not only procedural and substantive law, but also technology,” said Page Beetem, associate professor of legal studies. When looking into the Google Glass Explorer Program, Beetem realized the untapped potential of such technology in the legal field. So she set out to get a pair of the Glasses and get her paralegal students real life experience with them.
In comes SpliceNet, owned by UC alums David Myers and James Gast. SpliceNet has long been a supporter of the UC Clermont Paralegal Program. SpliceNet helped sponsor the purchase of a pair of Google Glasses. As part of the research project, UC Clermont students will have the opportunity to use Google Glasses and develop ways that the Glasses can be used to the benefit of the legal community. SpliceNet will have the benefit of those ideas to share with their customers. SpliceNet customers will also be able to use the Google Glass themselves to explore how they might use them.
How will the glasses be used? “The opportunities are endless. Imagine live streaming video to your expert in California, while you depose the opposing expert in Cincinnati. Your expert has a first person point of view, and can feed you questions. It is like having your expert there, without the expense” said Beetem, who has 15 years legal experience. “With Glass, personal injury attorneys will be able to give jurors a firsthand perspective of the daily struggles that their injured clients go through.” As Google Glass becomes more socially acceptable they have amazing trial implications as well from jury selection to presentation of evidence.
Students will be working with SpliceNet to share innovative ideas to be shared with the legal community. “Google Glass has the potential to change certain aspects of the practice of law. We’re excited to see the innovative ways UC students and our Customers use them. We think the potential is so strong that SpliceNet invested in an additional two pair of Google Glass for a Round Table forum and Loaner program” said James Gast, President of SpliceNet, Inc. and Legal Tech Guru.
David Myers, Vice President of SpliceNet, Inc., attorney, Legal Tech and Cloud expert says “the creative thoughts are already coming quickly. These UC Clermont students are the future of the legal profession. Armed with technology like Google Glass, and a healthy dose of imagination, they will create a sea change in the field. I am extremely excited to collaborate with this cutting-edge program.”
To learn more about the project or to be involved in the Google Glass Round Table, contact James Gast at jgast@splice.net or 513-252-0212. Want to know more about the UC Clermont College Legal Studies program, contact Page Beetem at page.beetem@uc.edu or visit www.ucclermont.edu