Seeing helps believing: 3D graphics and animation emerge as key courtroom tool

Nationwide, litigators finding themselves involved in increasingly complex litigation are seeking resources to gain a competitive edge in the courtroom. The latest high-tech tool in the toolbox is three-dimensional (3D) graphics and animation. The technology is akin to virtual crime reproductions frequently seen on the long-running TV series, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”

Near-lifelike 3D graphics and animations have been used in the courtroom dating back to the mid-1990s. As the technology has evolved in sophistication and capabilities, it also has become more popular, readily available and cost-efficient. In fact, the use of graphics and animations helped attorneys for Cross County Collaborative in the 100-day trial in their efforts to educate jurors. The jury decided in favor of the attorneys’ client, defeating Metro in November 2007.

Since roughly 70 percent of all people are visual learners (rather than audio learners), more litigators are taking the advanced “show and tell” approach to case presentation, using computer-driven animation to illustrate complex information in interesting and understandable ways. Intricate cases and complex accounts are much easier for judges and jurors to comprehend – and retain – when they can see the story as it is being explained.

Further, judges and jurors are “hardwired” to be receptive to the approach in this Digital Age, an era filled with high-definition (HD) television, computer monitors, smartphones, mp3 players, e-readers and other devices. Plus courtroom infrastructure now includes the technology needed to share the images and animations, such as HD projectors, large projection screens, monitors and DVD/multimedia players.

The 3D technologies are especially useful in certain, highly-visual practice areas, including personal injury, transportation, medical malpractice, product liability and patent infringement. And broadly speaking, there are six scenarios when animation and 3D graphics can prove particularly pivotal. They are …

  • in highly-complex, technical cases,
  • when time, motion or speed need to be slowed,
  • when expert testimony is difficult to visualize,
  • when alternative theories need to be compared,
  • when it is not feasible to recreate events, and
  • when a clear, visual timeline needs to be established.

Animated trial technology can reconstruct accidents, travel through a home or facility, interactively present charts, graphs and timelines, or even “tour” what happens inside the human body – down to the cellular level – to enhance understanding. In addition to adding an element of sophistication to courtroom presentations, the tools also are beneficial for attorneys during pre-trial, arbitration, mediation, settlement talks and focus groups.

An animator is needed to produce high-quality 3D graphics and animations. And plenty of support material must be submitted at the project’s start. Examples of items used to develop the 3D graphics and animations are witness and/or expert testimony; police reports; schematics; architectural drawings and blueprints; photographs; maps and satellite images; and/or computer-aided drafting (CAD) documents.

Computer-generated 3D graphics and animations are created using a three-step process: modeling; layout and animation; and rendering.

Modeling is the process by which an object’s shape (length, width and depth) is formed. Typically, 3D models are originated on a computer by an animation artist using a variety of 3D modeling tools, or the model is scanned into a computer by using actual objects.

Layout and animation places a 3D model within a scene and motion is applied. The scene helps define the spatial relationships among multiple objects within one scene, including location and size. The model becomes an animation once it is defined how a form moves through space, deforms and interacts with other forms over a set period of time. Movement is added to the model through various methods, such as applying concepts drawn from physics and mathematics to determine direction, speed and rotation; defining the “start” and “end” frames and then building the necessary transitions; and recording actual movement and applying it to the computer-generated model (a common technology used in filmmaking, video games and sports television).

Rendering adds the element of reality to 3D graphics and animations. Light and shadow are applied to each form in a process called transport. Another process, called scattering, simulates the effects of light interacting with each surface type. The rendering then is completed using 3D computer graphics software.

Fees for the emerging technology are wide-ranging, based primarily on project complexity. However, cost and time efficiencies can be achieved by supplying the artist with as much support material as possible at the very beginning. Services are billed hourly, and estimates are always provided at project start. A 3D graphic typically requires one to eight hours for development. The creation of a 3D animation can range from 10 to 80 hours or more. However, each 3D project is unique and may require more or fewer hours than the typical hourly ranges. For each, it’s good to plan ahead since it will take at least two weeks for final project delivery.

The next time litigators face the challenge of simplifying a highly complex incident or accident, 3D graphics and animation technology might provide a practical option to ensure all case participants, the judge and jury are able to develop a complete understanding of the facts of the case. The extra investment to “show and tell” a story may prove to be the tipping point for a case to be awarded in a client’s favor or serve as a practical defense against another litigation team’s use of these powerful communication and presentation tools.

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Meet Carole!

Not many people land – and love – their careers as easily as Carole Bartkowicz. As a high school student, she discovered court reporting while sifting through career catalogs in the counselor’s office,searching for a job that could pay her college tuition. “I had to go home and watch ‘Perry Mason’ to learn what reporting even was,” laughs Bartkowicz today.

More than four decades later Bartkowicz remains an active court reporter, and she manages the PohlmanUSA office in Chicago, Ill. Why stay in the profession so long?  Bartkowicz explains, “There are very few reporters – not even 50,000 in the entire country. It’s special, like a small club!”  She also notes that her career is flexible and family-friendly, and she is constantly learning something new. “Over the years I have learned a variety of odd things, like how to wire a refrigerator and repair a roller coaster,” says the registered professional reporter (RPR), certified shorthand reporter (CSR) and certified manager of reporting services (CMRS).

Born and raised in the Windy City, Bartkowicz trained as a court reporter at MacCormac College. After reportingforMcCorkle for 26 years, she ventured out with a colleague to open Diane-Carole Reporting in downtown Chicago. “It was simply time to make a change,” Bartkowicz recalls. “And I can be an adrenaline junkie. I love solving problems on the fly, and building our own agency was a rewarding challenge.” She managed the work quality of every reporter, as well as developed personal client relationships.

Bartkowicz sold Diane-Carole to PohlmanUSA in 2009 after her partner retired. While the transition presented typical challenges, she is pleased with how well the firms have melded to ensure seamless client service.

Master of Changing Technology

Shortly after Bartkowicz embarked on her career in the late 60s, industry experts insisted that voice-to-print technology would render the profession extinct. And despite almost a half-century of technological advancements, Bartkowicz says, “Today’s voice recognition software still is nothing compared to the speed and accuracy of court reporters.”  She foresees a need for reporters for decades to come.

And she has witnessed first-hand the innovation of other industry technologies, such as video conferencing and the electronic transfer of case documents. “The whole reporting process has sped up significantly,” says Bartkowicz, who loves mastering the latest in reporting technologies. “There is a greater immediacy for information, plus, we are better equipped to handle national cases.”

At the Forefront of Professional Ethics

In addition to her role with PohlmanUSA, Bartkowicz is in the midst of serving a four-year appointed term on the Committee On Professional Ethics (COPE) within the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). To date, there are 41 public opinions written on the ethical behavior standards for court reporters. However, the opinions are ever-changing, and Bartkowicz works alongside her COPE colleagues to review and revise each opinion, be it annually or in an emergency situation.

Bartkowicz has always been interested in ethics standards, though. Long before her appointment to COPE, she co-authored the code of ethics for reporters in Illinois in the early 90s. Her long-tenured involvement with ethical behavior has led to continual calls that still flow directly to Bartkowicz from reporters across the county seeking advice on how to handle delicate ethical situations.

Her highly-sought expertise was also just tapped by the Journal of Court Reporting, where she authored an article titled “Getting That Call from the Other Agency” that outlines a reporter’s responsibility to get a transcript out, without regard to the circumstances under which they left another reporting agency. It also covers the responsibilities of the requesting agency to inform the reporter of the backwrite order and payment.

A Leader in the Industry

Bartkowicz received the 1998 Distinguished Service Award from the Illinois Court Reporters Association (ILCRA), an organization she co-founded in 1976 as the Illinois Shorthand Reporters Association. She also sits on the Certified Shorthand Reporters licensing board and participates in creating and dictating the licensing exams. 

Outside of court reporting, Bartkowicz has a unique lifelong hobby – showing American Saddlebred horses. She owns one horse now named Champagne Caramac, and she buys and sells every two or three years. The equine enthusiast shows on the A-Circuit, primarily in Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. She’s the immediate past president of Mid-America Horse Show Association – a group of more than 400 individuals, and she helps organizes three horse shows each year as the chairman of the horse show committee.

And just in case you’re ordering her a pizza someday, remember: Bartkowicz cannot stand anchovies!

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Real Time MPEG Encoding Replaces ASAP with NOW

Real Time MPEG Encoding replaces ASAP with NOW Published on: June 02, 2011 PohlmanUSA Court Reporting now has the unique capability to encode depositions to MPEG-1 format in REAL TIME during depositions. Attorneys can now leave a deposition with an MPEG-1 DVD in hand and start planning their presentation.

For any law firm using trial presentation software in court or at mediation, the video format required is MPEG-1. An MPEG-1 video format is a compressed file that can be imported into trial presentation software and then edited for playback. However, the video would normally need to undergo a potentially lengthy encoding process to transform it from either a tape format or MPEG-2 DVD format to the editable MPEG-1 format.

With PohlmanUSA Court Reporting’s new technology, you can now have the MPEG-1 video file in hand within minutes of the conclusion of the deposition. The attorney can take the video back to his office and transfer the MPEG onto his presentation laptop.

Taking the deposition in another state? PohlmanUSA Court Reporting can transfer the MPEG-1 file to your trial tech team via the internet allowing them to start working on your presentation right away! You need the deposition synchronized with the transcript? No problem. Once the transcript is completed, we will sync the deposition and then email the appropriate sync file(s).

Let PohlmanUSA Court Reporting eliminate another headache for you. Call us toll free at 1-877-421-0099 to request more information.

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Vicki Pohlman of PohlmanUSA Selected to 2011 Enterprising Women of the Year

Only St. Louisan Honored by Annual Enterprising Women Award

Vicki Pohlman, founder and chief executive officer of PohlmanUSA Court Reporting has been named a 2011 Enterprising Women of the Year by Enterprising Women magazine. Pohlman is the only business owner in St. Louis to receive the award – and one of just two selected from Missouri. She will be honored March 11, 2011 in Boca Raton, Fla.

In its ninth year, the annual Enterprising Women program recognizes top female entrepreneurs in North America. Recipients must lead a fast-growth business, actively mentor/support fellow women entrepreneurs and be recognized as a leader in the community.

Founded in 2000, Enterprising Women is the only women-owned magazine in the U.S. published exclusively for women business owners. More is online at www.enterprisingwomen.com.

PohlmanUSA is Women Business Enterprise (WBE)-certified.

Read the announcement by the St. Louis Business Journal at: Booked for Boca.

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Depos, On-the-Go

The time and money legal practitioners can save by using video conferencing to “attend” out-of-town meetings and depositions, makes the service very popular these days. But did you know the technology is going mobile? At PohlmanUSA Court Reporting, we have launched a new portable video conferencing litigation support service!

Like its traditional counterpart, portable conferencing allows multiple parties to communicate real time using a simultaneous, two-way video and audio transmission. This next generation of conferencing allows a video meeting to take place anywhere an internet connection is available – connecting up to four locations.

The process is simple. A PohlmanUSA specialist will visit the site of the deposition – be it across town or across the country – to set up the mobile video conferencing equipment that will record and stream the session live over the internet. Then all participants must do is simply join the conference from any internet protocol (IP)-capable location, equipped with video conferencing technology. For convenience, PohlmanUSA offers IP-enabled conference rooms in both St. Louis and Chicago – or we can find you one in any another city.

Significant time and cost savings are possible using portable video conferencing because, like traditional conferencing, the cost of travel and lodging is spared. With refundable plane tickets typically costing more than $300, plus daily hotel and car rental costing about $150 and $75 respectively, high-tech video conferencing can cut travel costs by more than $500 a day.

Other benefits are lower environmental impact (less travel) and the preservation of a key analytical tool – the ability of the attorney to see the physical reaction of a subject to a given question. Is the answer the whole truth or just a fraction of the truth? Another benefit unique to the portable format is the ability to interview critically ill and end-of-life witnesses from the comfort of their homes, nixing the need to travel to a location equipped with the conferencing technology.

Legal practitioners take note: advanced video conferencing is ready to go anywhere the internet can!

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PohlmanUSA First Court Reporting Agency in St. Louis to Earn Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification

St. Louis-Based PohlmanUSA Court Reporting

Becomes First Court Reporting Agency in St. Louis, Mo. to Earn Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification.

ST. LOUIS – St. Louis, Mo.-based litigation support firm PohlmanUSA Court Reporting has become the first court reporting agency in St. Louis to earn Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

PohlmanUSA completed a rigorous 10-month application process for WBE certification. “Obtaining this certification is a celebration of the accomplishments of our female leadership,” says Vicki Pohlman, founder and chief executive officer of PohlmanUSA. “Our industry taps into high-level technology, which is often led by men. We are pleased to be unique.”

Founded in 1997, WBENC is the largest third-party certifier in the U.S. of businesses owned, controlled and operated by women. The non-profit organization partners with 14 regional organizations to provide its national standard of certification. More information is online at www.wbenc.org.
Founded in 1990, PohlmanUSA employs more than 80 with offices in St. Louis, Mo. and Chicago, Ill. The firm provides law offices across the country with court reporting and litigation support services, including transcripts, real time reporting, exhibit scanning, word indices, interpreters, videoconferencing, telephonic depositions, video production, advanced trial presentations and a proprietary, online case management program called MyCase.

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The Video Conferencing Question: To IP, or Not IP?

Legal practitioners have turned to PohlmanUSA Court Reporting of St. Louis, Mo. for cutting-edge video technology since the firm first added the service in 2002. It allows case participants to attend out-of-town depositions and meetings without spending the time or adding the expenses of travel and lodging. All parties communicate real time using a simultaneous, two-way video and audio transmission.

With such rapid advances in related technologies, the question is no longer whether to tap into video conferencing – it’s what technology to use.

Two different technologies – internet protocol (IP) or integrated services digital network (ISDN) – can be used to video conference. The principal difference is that IP video conferencing transmits voice and video via the internet while ISDN uses regular telephone lines to convey the information.

So the question is: to IP, or not IP? The pros and cons of each:

Since IP video conferencing transmits data over the internet, there are no long distance telephone charges. The technology is easier to access, and is monitored regularly by information technology (IT) personnel. Its larger bandwidth offers faster call transmission, and there is tighter data security. The downside is some older video conferencing systems are not IP-capable. Plus, the large data transmission may slow down an entire data network.

The reliance of ISDN video conferencing on ordinary telephone lines results in higher clarity and reliability than an IP solution. Additionally, the information bypasses data networks, eliminating a network overload. However, ISDN operates on a limited bandwidth, and additional line installations may be required. Plus, the status of an ISDN network is only monitored when calls are in progress, meaning a failed network could go unnoticed until it is time to place a call.

For faster connection and to avoid long distance charges, PohlmanUSA typically seeks to set up an IP-to-IP connection. What happens if some parties are not equipped to handle IP technology? No bid deal. PohlmanUSA simply arranges a “bridge” to connect it with an ISDN system. One bridge can connect up to four sites.

When ISDN service is “bridged” to an IP connection, the party using ISDN technology must initiate the conferencing call to the party/parties using IP, which means that long distance charges will apply for the out-going call. Prices for all services vary by city.

The ease, convenience and cost savings of video conferencing is making it an increasingly popular business solution for law firms across the nation. In 2009, the PohlmanUSA saw revenue related to video/ telephonic conferencing rise by 25 percent over 2008. So far in 2010, revenues for the service are up another 133 percent over 2009.

The company provides the service on a total turn-key basis. As the situation dictates, it will find a suitable facility (anywhere in the U.S.), locate and set up the equipment, schedule all parties and then invoice them for the session as mutually agreed.

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Sorry, Kermit. PohlmanUSA Finds Being Green Is Easy

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While being green caused Kermit the Frog considerable angst on Sesame Street, the Green Team at PohlmanUSA Court Reporting is finding that it’s actually quite fulfilling! That’s because the St. Louis litigation support firm recently became the first court reporting agency in the U.S to earn Green Business certification from the Green Business Bureau (GBB).

Earlier this year, PohlmanUSA decided the time was right to identify and adopt more environmentally conscious business practices – a challenge that led it to pursue the rigorous certification program established by the national group of business and environmental professionals. “Every one of us feels responsible for the environment in which we all live, work and play,” says Tracy Bianco, Chief Operating Officer and Green Team leader. “Promoting sustainable solutions throughout the office is our way of contributing to the health of the planet.”

To get a good start, Bianco’s Green Team gathered to craft a sustainability vision statement. It reads: “Being Green is about values, attitude, choices and changing your way of thinking. It requires developing an attitude toward sustainability and practices that can be incorporated into our everyday lives. We are a company based on values that reflect an environmental ethic and social conscience.”

The Green Team then got down to the nitty-gritty – assessing what PohlmanUSA needed to do to earn eco-friendly recognition and altering various internal practices pertaining to recycling, office supply usage, employee dress code and billing. Major action steps included:

  • Electronically delivering transcripts.
  • Establishing procedures in support of a new office supply re-use center.
  • Printing double-sided.
  • Donating/selling unneeded office furniture and equipment.
  • Relaxing its dress code to allow attire that doesn’t require dry cleaning.
  • Establishing a paperless billing program.
  • Using recycled or remanufactured toner cartridges.
  • Using filtered tap water in lieu of bottled water.
  • Formalizing an office-wide program to recycle copy paper, colored paper, envelopes, magazines, catalogues and cardboard.

Now that PohlmanUSA is green certified, Bianco is making sure it stays that way. She continues to work with a St. Louis-based, GBB-affiliated eco-consultant who is helping keep her abreast of new green policies and practices. “Being a green company does take effort. It is a dynamic pursuit,” she adds. “But at the end of the day, our associates find it very worthwhile.”

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Telephonic Deposition Soars in 2009 as Firms Seek Savings

PohlmanUSA Court Reporting says the use of telephonic depositions by law firms skyrocketed in 2009.

The trend reflects the impact that the recession has had on law firms, heightening the efforts of legal practitioners to deliver quality services quickly at the lowest cost possible. With attorney headcount in the U.S. declining four percent between 2008 and 2009 according to the 32nd annual survey by the National Law Journal, telephonic depositions are one way to enhance value.

Litigators and case participants use the technology set-up to “attend” an out-of-town deposition via a telephone conference call rather than face-to-face. This deposition technology generates significant savings by eliminating travel time and associated expenses including transportation, lodging and food. PohlmanUSA provides the service on a turn-key basis. It secures properly equipped conference space, schedules the deposition and invoices participants for facility use, further streamlining internal administration for its law clients.

“While nothing substitutes a live deposition appearance, advanced conferencing capabilities are the next best thing when traveling is not practical or economical,” says Patrick Stufflebeam, associate of HeplerBroom LLC. “Saving our clients money is always appreciated, and the availability of telephonic deposition services has expanded our capacity to fully participate in depositions at a greatly reduced cost.”

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PohlmanUSA Deploys High-Tech Litigation Support Services to Generate Cost and Time Savings

Law firms of all sizes are feeling the recession. In its recently released 32nd annual survey, the National Law Journal (NLJ) reports that attorney headcount across the nation’s top 250 law firms declined four percent (5,259 attorneys) year-to-year. The decline is the largest reported by the NLJ since it began collecting data in 1978.

Rescuing the law firms that seek cost-effective solutions to save time and reduce expense is St. Louis, Mo.-based PohlmanUSA Court Reporting.

PohlmanUSA eases the workload of litigators, paralegals and legal assistants, increases productivity, and saves time and money with sophisticated court reporting technology and services, including its proprietary online case management program, MyCase. And with a network of trusted peers and vendors, the firm offers a coast-to-coast reach.

Below is a run-down of PohlmanUSA’s popular time and money saving litigation support services tapped by litigators and paralegals every day:

MyCase, PohlmanUSA’s proprietary, online self-help case management program, was launched in August 2009. Housed on www.pohlmanusa.com, the innovative service allows 24/7 access to full deposition transcripts, an interactive deposition calendar, service scheduling, deposition e-alerts, live chat and more. Attorneys and paralegals working at the eleventh hour have unlimited access to case materials traditionally only available during regular office hours. In fact, in its first four months of operation, MyCase was used to instantly access, order and receive 111 documents after hours. More than 2,100 total documents were accessed in the same timeframe (through Dec. 10, 2009). The service also offers an online portal for organizing hundreds of documents for multiple active cases.

Interactive realtime translation streams deposition testimony realtime on the internet, text only. PohlmanUSA users have instant access to watch the deposition, flag sections of testimony and build a case as it happens. Additionally, the deposition text is instantly searchable by word and phrase online, providing a rough transcript for case development immediately at completion of the deposition. To-date, more than 160 clients have used the service.

Video synchronization merges a written transcript with the video deposition. DepoView video synchronization software plays a deposition video simultaneously with its text scrolling on the side. The service can quickly search an entire deposition by word and/or phrase, and snippets of video are easily clipped for cost-effective trial and settlement preparation. First available in 2004, use of video synchronization technology has soared 400 percent since 2007 at PohlmanUSA.

Telephonic depositions/video conferencing allows litigators and case participants to attend out-of-town depositions without spending the time and incurring expenses associated with travel. PohlmanUSA coordinates scheduling, equipment, billing and online registration, alleviating timely phone calls and streams of emails to secure attendance. In 2009 alone, the firm noticed a 25 percent increase in its telephonic and video conferencing service.

Need a conference room for that deposition? In addition to PohlmanUSA’s use of cutting-edge technology to save time and money, the firm takes on the hassle of scheduling conference rooms nationwide for its clients … even on a moment’s notice! It is the only known court reporting or litigation support agency that offers this first-class service. In 2009, PohlmanUSA scheduled 215 rooms in 120 different cities, handling all the legwork, equipment reservations and billing. 

PohlmanUSA’s mastery of time- and cost-saving litigation support services has enabled the firm to nearly double its staff to more than 80 in the past two years. In 2009, the agency acquired two court reporting agencies – Diane-Carole Reporting of Chicago, Illinois and Kriegshauser Reporting & Video of St. Louis, Missouri.

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