How I taught myself JavaScript and created the doc review app I’ve always wanted to use

By Adam J Schwartz

When I was trying to figure out a better way to learn Spanish, I never thought it would lead to building a brand new way to get through my doc review 10x faster. But here we are. Back during the pandemic in 2020, I was about a year into learning Spanish when I found myself confined to my house with Spanish classes temporarily canceled. Seeking an app to aid my Spanish vocabulary learning while the school adapted to online classes, I couldn’t find an app that perfectly fit my needs. This impasse prompted me to embark on a new project: learning JavaScript and building my own Spanish-English vocabulary app.

Two years later, I had built the vocab app of my dreams. Though I had created the app solely for my own use, I decided to also release it for free in the App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/palabras/id1641142628). To my delight, others started downloading and using it. This realization sparked an idea: what other apps in my life needed a makeover?

I realized that document review was the aspect of my life most in need of an application overhaul. As a solo practitioner with a robust freelance practice through Montage, I’m constantly cycling through different doc review projects. Unfortunately, document review apps are often clunky, overly complicated, and cost-prohibitive for anything other than the largest cases. Even if it’s not strictly a formal “doc review,” I frequently find myself reviewing hundreds of documents simultaneously. I wanted an easy way to organize them without resorting to Acrobat and risking computer crashes due to memory issues.

Inspired by these thoughts, I decided to build that tool. And that’s how DocumentReview.Law was born.

This new app—though significantly more complex than my original Spanish vocabulary app!—shared many essential components: databases, a JavaScript-based interface (and other coding languages), and a clean, distraction-free design. After a year, I finally completed a functional prototype of my document review app. It addressed several crucial aspects for me. First, all documents were stored on the user’s computer, eliminating the need for third-party data storage. Additionally, the interface was straightforward and devoid of unnecessary features that overpromise and underdeliver, eliminating the need for technical support staff. My guiding mantra was, “It should be easy enough for a lawyer to use it.”

I introduced a new feature I’ve always desired in a document review tool, which I call “pinned documents.” Pinned documents appear in a list in the sidebar, and users can easily flip between them. This feature allows for tracking documents without the need for specific tags. However, users can also apply custom, color-coded tags to pinned documents. Furthermore, I added another feature I’ve always wanted—a way to preserve my work product, specifically the document tagging. With this app, users can download a spreadsheet that retains all the tagging information from their review, enabling easy future reference or sharing with others, even if they’re not subscribed to DocumentReview.Law.

Then, I beta tested the app with my own documents. I utilized it for document discovery and identification for production, but I also used it when drafting a summary judgment motion, where I had extensive evidentiary documents and deposition excerpts. I used it when I had a few pleadings that I wanted to compare and easily flip between, and I used it when I had about a dozen cases to read and cross-reference, which I had converted to PDFs. It was particularly convenient for quickly viewing any set of documents simultaneously without the need to open them individually in Acrobat.

Finally, in September 2024, when I was confident in the app’s fundamental design and usefulness, I assembled a team of developers to transform the app from a personal project into a professional document review tool. The week I brought the team on was a humbling experience. I had created a temporary website for the project, and I was proud of the website’s design and functionality. But when I saw the results from the team’s work on the tool and the website, I truly understood the distinction between amateur and professional work. The team has done an exceptional job, and together we’ve created a spectacular and meticulously crafted document review tool.

Now, I want to make the app accessible to everyone, particularly lawyers. (Does anyone else do document review? If you do and aren’t in the legal field, please let me know!) If you’re a Montage freelance attorney interested in understanding how DocumentReview.Law can benefit your practice, please reach out to me at [email protected]. I’d be delighted to extend the website’s offer of a 30-day free trial period up to an expansive 6-month free trial period reserved exclusively for my fellow who are current freelancers with Montage Legal Group as of the publication date of this post, and this offer is valid for one year from the publication date. I hope you’ll consider giving us a try. The link is in the name: DocumentReview.Law.