Presenting your case in a trial is all about telling a story. Your ability to communicate and tell your story can influence the outcome you receive for your client. Trial presentation technology can help you tell a better story and ensure that you make a lasting impression upon your audience. Whether you are a big firm, small firm, even solo practitioner, this valuable technology is well within your reach.

Simplify and Organize Your Presentation

Trial presentation technology is software that can be used to simplify and organize your trial presentation process and provide information in a way that is easily digestible by jurors and judges. There are several ways trial technology should be incorporated into your next case.

• This technology can be used with PowerPoint presentations in opening statements.
• It can be used to pull up any page of any exhibit at any time.
• You can use video for witness impeachment.
• Timelines can be created that allow you to pull up relevant documents, show the important text, then go back to the timeline and continue presenting your case.

Incorporate Presentation Technologies Into Your Courtroom Strategy
When you began your legal career, you likely learned to present your case without the assistance of technology. You are familiar with using large amounts of paper exhibits and graphics printed on large boards. You have hauled all of this into the courtroom with every trial. Trial presentation technology can diminish your need for those notebooks and boxes, and can enhance your existing courtroom strategies. With a little practice, you can learn to use the new technologies in your presentation in a way that suits you and your existing process. There is no need to relearn your strategies, only a need to become more familiar with the technology available to you and how it can make your case better.

Hold Their Attention

It is no secret that attention spans have gotten shorter since the advent of the internet, smartphones and tablets. Statistics gathered by Statistic Brain show the average attention span today is 8.25 seconds. This means you only have a few seconds to make a point before you start to lose your juror’s attention.

Viewing documents on monitors will feel comfortable for your jury and help them engage as you present your case. They can see the document as you refer to it during your questioning of witnesses. Jurors are familiar with this combination of audio and visual information and expect information in the courtroom to come to them in the same way.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics/

Make Your Case More Memorable

Studies also suggest that we have difficulty retaining auditory messages compared to visual messages.

This means, you need to both show and tell your jurors the points you want them to remember. If you present your information to the judge or jury using visual monitor displays, they are far more likely to retain the information at the time of deliberation. You can also emphasize specific parts of an exhibit with highlighting or enlarging text that you want your jury to remember.  With your trial technician, you can have this prepared ahead of trial, as well as add more highlighting and enlargement while the trial is in session. Your jurors will have a much better chance of remembering key facts in your case during deliberation.

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0089914

Seamlessly Work With Documents

Once your exhibits and graphics are organized digitally, a trial technician can bring up the documents you need when you need them. With paper, if you suddenly need to use documents out of order, you have to comb through your documents to find the right exhibit. Trial technology can help you streamline this process and present your case more efficiently. Your trial technician can find exactly what you need when you need it, and bring it up immediately on the screen for the judge or jury. They can do this quickly because they are very familiar with the software and how to use it to present information.

Tell a Better Story

Trial technology can help you make a good case better. If your case involves complex issues, you will need to be able to concisely explain those points in a way that your judge or jury will understand. Your jurors are not experts, but they may need to hear and digest technical issues. To help in that process, trial technology allows you to create charts and graphs that will simplify concepts. You can also create timelines that allow you to show your case chronologically and present specific documents along the timeline.

Seeing is Believing

When it comes to testimony, seeing is believing.  Using video depositions allow you to play back portions of a witness’s testimony. Video allows your jury can see the demeanor of your witness as they testify. This conveys information that will not be found in a written-only transcript.  You may be able use video clips to emphasize testimony or even to impeach a witness.

If you are ready to get started with Trial Presentation Technology, there are some things you need to know.

You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself

You can now work with court reporting firms who offer trial services using trial technology software. They can work with you and your staff during trial preparation to obtain the documents you need to present, as well as help you take video depositions and create courtroom graphics. During the trial, your technician will be working beside you. All you need to do is present your case just as you would with paper documents. Your trial technician will call up the documents and video clips when you need them to effectively present your case.

You Don’t Need To Learn New Software Programs

Your trial services provider will be using powerful presentation software. Your technician will know the software well and will be efficient and adept at using it to help you present your case. You and your staff do not need to learn the software. Working with the trial technician, you will be able to benefit from this powerful software without going through extensive training.

You Don’t Have To Set Up or Troubleshoot Equipment

Trial technicians can also work with the court to ensure the right equipment is available and in working order. If the right equipment is not available in your jurisdiction, the technology firm can often provide what you need. In the courtroom, if something goes wrong with equipment, your trial technician is very familiar with the equipment and will be able to troubleshoot any issues that might arise.

Give Trial Presentation Technology a Try

A good way to get started with trial technology is to try it out on a small case. Most attorneys, once they have tried the services and worked with a trial technician, see the benefits. They see how easy it can be to present a seamless presentation. By trying trial presentation technology on a small case first, you will be familiar with the services when a large case comes along, and can use it to gain the advantage for you and your client.

To learn more about what the PohlmanUSA trial services team can assist with visit http://pohlmanusa.com/our-services/trial-support-services/ 

A little contest is always fun at PohlmanUSA. Most recently the employees were split into teams to see which group could collect the most items for the annual school drive.  Depending on the item donated it was worth different points, such as backpacks were worth 10 points and binders were worth 5 points. The winning team consisted of members of the production, scheduling, sales, accounting, and billing departments. They won by only 29 points with a collective company-wide donation of 1,252 items. To announce the winners Louie from the St. Louis Blues made a special visit to the office.

Congrats to the winning team and thank you to all the employees who donated to such a needed cause.

Congratulations to our very own Traci Mertens, RDR, CRR, CRC. Traci traveled to Las Vegas for the annual NCRA Convention & Expo and conquered both the Realtime and Speed Contest.  She holds the nationally recognized professional certifications of Registered Diplomate Reporter, Certified Realtime Reporter, and Certified Realtime Captioner. Traci used these skills to compete in the 2017 NCRA speed and realtime contests against court reporters from across the nation.  She placed 7th overall in each contest. The Speed Contest consists of three legs: literary at 220 wpm, legal opinion at 230 wpm, and testimony at 280 wpm. Contestants have a total of 90 minutes per leg for transcription. The Realtime Contest consists of two legs: literary at 200 wpm and testimony at 225 wpm.

Traci has worked as a reporter in the St. Louis area for nearly 30 years and she travels frequently to provide transcription for multiparty case depositions as well as for arbitrations. The experience of our reporters and staff provide for a seamless, positive experience from notice of deposition through trial. We work with the best and that is not by chance. We interview and pick the reporters that we want representing us coast to coast. Then we match your need with the reporter best suited, providing our clients the outcome and service they deserve.

We are so proud to work with each of our 500 + nationwide and international reporters and are especially excited that Traci got to show all of NCRA her skills.

To learn what services our court reporters provide check us out at http://pohlmanusa.com/our-services/court-reporting/ or book one of our court reporters for your next deposition, arbitration, or trial at http://pohlmanusa.com/schedule-a-service/.

Pohlman Reporting, a prominent national court reporting agency with international reach providing technology-driven court reporting services, announces Amicus Court Reporters, a premier provider of court reporting and related services in the Chicago area, has been acquired by Pohlman Reporting Company LLC.

The acquisition of Amicus enhances Pohlman’s footprint in Chicago and augments the court reporter and videography teams for the greater Chicagoland area and beyond. Amicus headquarters includes state-of-the-art focus group facilities for trial research, increasing the extensive litigation support services Pohlman already offers its clients.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, with offices in Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan, Pohlman Reporting has provided court reporting and litigation services throughout the United States and internationally for over 27 years. To better serve their clients, Pohlman opened a Chicago location in 2009. Also headquartered in the Chicago Loop, Amicus has been providing professional court reporting services to clients in and around Chicago as well as coast to coast and internationally for almost three decades.

“Expanding with Amicus Court Reporters, Inc. enhances Pohlman Reporting Company LLC resources throughout the greater Chicago region, enabling us to better serve the court reporting needs of our clients with the same quality and service they have been receiving. It also provides us the opportunity to provide loyal Amicus clients the advanced services Pohlman clients have grown accustomed to, including records retrieval. In combining the dedication to high standards of quality, ethics, and accuracy both agencies possess, Pohlman remains committed to providing technology-driven services to clients no matter where they have a need,” says Deborah J. Walters, Pohlman Reporting Company LLC President and CEO.

Clients of Amicus may be wondering, “How does this impact our service?”

Diana Karge, Managing Partner of Amicus, stated, “We have found Pohlman’s staff, court reporters, and technology to be top-notch. Their client-first mindset and culture is the same as ours. We have worked very hard to ensure a seamless transition for our clients, reporters, and staff moving forward. The integrity, service, scheduling, delivery, billing, staff, email addresses, phone numbers, and office location will remain. The only aspect that will be different for our clients is the expanded services, resources, and enhanced technology from Pohlman. We look forward to working with the Pohlman team and are excited for the opportunity to work with their clients and to bring their infrastructure to our clients.”

“If you are a client of Amicus and have any questions or thoughts about this, please do not hesitate to reach out to me to discuss this further,” Diana Karge stated.

Pohlman Reporting provides court reporting, legal videography, trial services, and records collection services to law firms and legal corporate departments worldwide. Additionally, Pohlman Reporting provides stenography services for arbitrations and captioning services for meetings, corporate events, and performances.

Meghan Levinson is the Scheduling Manager at PohlmanUSA Court Reporting and Litigation Services. Meghan joined PohlmanUSA in May 2008 and served in the role of Assistant Scheduling Manager for 7 years. In her current role as Scheduling Manager, her duties include scheduling court reporters and videographers for nationwide depositions while ensuring the company adheres to the individual state guidelines governing the court reporting profession. She strives to continuously improve client communication and exceed client expectations.

Meghan says of her role, “I love working with our clients nationwide and helping to create a seamless scheduling experience.  My goal is to ensure that each client knows that their needs are met and that Pohlman is there for them every step of the way.”

Meghan earned her Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Meghan is also active in the Missouri Court Reporters Association.

Meghan grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and lived in Los Angeles for five years prior to moving to St. Louis. When she’s not scheduling depositions, Meghan enjoys watching Jeopardy!, proofreading, and spending time with her family.

To learn more about Meghan or the services that her team schedules go to pohlmanusa.com/our-services/.