Courtroom Presentation, Litigation Software : Charles Perez : Trial Presentation Blog

Due to the nature of our litigation support servces here at Video Resources I've had the opportunity to test out a variety of courtroom presentation software; The two most popular (in constant use) being Adobe Acrobat Professional and Microsoft's PowerPoint.

These two excellent programs embody what I consider the "base" technology for what has developed into today's advanced presentation software like CT Summation, Visionary, Trial Director and Trial Max. The latter named programs have taken the "basics" (again, my interpretation) of these two "core" programs expanding upon their features and delivering the rock 'em, sock 'em, boffo presentations we've all come to love and, (for our clients at least) expect.

As fantastic as each of these advanced presentation programs are they come with a learning curve and, in a couple of cases, a hefty price tag.

So - let's look at the an alternative - something for those firms who don't need to rip through 16,000+ exhibits, photos and videos. (You know who you are).

What about the smaller case that has a few documents, some photos and maybe even a video deposition coupled with a budget that prohibits outsourcing at any cost?  

If you're a small firm (or even a paralegal in a moderate firm) I'm sure you've been exposed to and made use of PowerPoint at some time or another. If you've had the opportuniuty to study any of my previous posts you'll also note that in the wrong hands I firmly beleive that the mis-use (or over use) of elements of this program can be a real crowd snoozer.

So - what to do? Here's a terrific, affordable alternative for novice and PowerPoint sage alike: PowerPoint For Court created by award winning graphic design artist Herb Rubinstein.

At just $149.00 PowerPoint for Court isn't a lightweight entry by any means. In Herb Rubinsstein's own words: "Just about everyone is familiar with PowerPoint and it is eminently capable of displaying absolutely anything. So why go out and look for Legal Presentation programs that can cost a lot of money and take hours of valuable time to learn when you already have the perfect software package?

The answer is Don’t!

Using PowerPoint for Court and the software and material found on the Resource CD, you will be on the cutting edge of Courtroom Presentation Technology and will have the winning edge over the opposing side."

Personally, I think this would be $149.00 well spent for any law firm. The whole package comes on one CD and is chock full of useful apps as well as extremely useful advice not only on PowerPoint but also on audio recording, embedding video and courtroom technique.

Herb claims his motivation for creating the program was due to his involvement working with law firms who just didn't grasp the mechanics of PowerPoint or else lacked any expertise (or motivation) in exploiting its true potential.

Check out his web site: www.PowerPointForCourt.com - all the info is there and I'm beginning to sound like an infomercial for the product so I'll let you read up on the particulars for yourself. This is a "must have" for every firm (or at least the poor paralegal tasked with creating the court room presentation).

One final point: I haven't been compensated in any way for this; I enjoy using programs that simplify  the argument with clarity and accuracy and anything that will make your presentation a success is my goal!

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Well, it happened again this week and I just feel it's my duty to educate those overworked, underpaid legal assistants and paralegals who make this call to us with aprehension and slight embarassement in their voice: " Do you have an Elmo we can rent?"

By the tone in their voice I know they have this image of the world famous Sesame Street® character firmly lodged in their mind's eye........ then there's that  moment of silence after they've asked  (which I'll admit I relish!) where I imagine them wincing - waiting for my laughter... that I answer with all the casualness of a fast food hamburger jockey asking if you want to "super size" your order: "Yes, we have an Elmo, do you need a projector and screen with that too?"

Needless to say there is a great sense of relief from the caller at this point that they haven't been the butt of some inside office joke.

I then explain that this is a presentation tool and has nothing to do with  the TV character. This always elicits an embarassed giggle from the caller who I then recount the numerous times I've had to "introduce them to ELMO", the visual presentation device!"

So - here's the scoop on "our ELMO" - the one we recommend for trial or litigation purposes: (NOTE: there exist a veritable glut of "Elmo's" that are available for a variety purposes. Visit the ELMO web site and you'll get an idea of all the applications these little guys are designed to handle). 

Now, back to our Elmo: Our little guy works much like those old overhead projectors that many of us grew up with years ago, the ones that had a powerful lightsource that projected "cels", or transparancies on the wall or onto a screen, made a lot of noise and caused temporary blindess to the operator.

The ELMO we provide has a video camera that captures a flat document or, better yet, a three-dimensional object and projects it via a projector or through a connection to a video screen, LCD or plasma, for group viewing and is virtually quiet and heat-free during operation.

The ELMO has two different "cool" (as in temperature cool) light sources for two different applications: 1) overhead lighting, offset at 45 degrees, will evenly  illuminate a written document or three dimensional object and, 2) transmitted light from the base will allow you to project transparencies.

But wait.. there's more! (It slices, it dices... whoa.. that's a different product..maybe later)

Once the document has been placed within ELMO's view you can zoom into a specific line (or word) on the document or a particular reference point on an object.

Additional inputs and outputs allow the presenter to interface with a computer with images, say from a PowerPoint presentation or a Visionary presentation and merge the images seamlessly to the projector.

If you're faced with presenting three dimensional exhibits or written documents to a group this is the the tool to use.  It sets up in about 10 seconds and takes about 15 seconds to master the controls.

That's it!  No more mystery! 

The next time you're asked to locate an "ELMO" you can smile with self confidence and look your boss in the eye and ask : "Do we need a projector or screen with that order?"

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