Technological Errors During Trial and How to Avoid Them

It is the first day of a big trial, and you are prepared to examine witnesses and present your exhibits. You have prepared your client and you feel great about the arguments you are going to make. However, once you arrive in the courtroom and trial begins, you realize you brought the wrong power cord for your laptop. Or, perhaps the courthouse Wi-Fi goes out. A video you need to show the jury won’t play.

No matter how prepared you, as the attorney, are, a technological glitch can wreak havoc on your case. Suddenly, you may become flustered and lose precious time trying to fix the error. The jury may view you as unprepared and unorganized. How can you prevent such a scenario from occurring?

Partnering with a trial technology company, like TrialSpectrum, Inc., is one of the best steps you can take before your trial. These companies are able to use the latest trial technology to help your arguments come to life for the judge and jury. In addition, they offer technical support and are available during trial just in case any issues arise.

The Court Wi-Fi Disconnects

During trial, attorneys may need to quickly access the Internet. Checking case law, accessing a file on the law firm’s server, and fact-checking a statement a witness made are all examples of why attorneys need reliable Internet access during trial. If the court’s Wi-Fi disconnects, the attorney may have some serious issues.

At TrialSpectrum, Inc., our trial technology team is prepared to handle Wi-Fi problems. At trial, we set up and test all of the equipment you will be using to ensure it is working properly. If an issue does arise, we are able to troubleshoot it quickly. We are even able to provide Internet hotspots in case you cannot connect to the courthouse Wi-Fi.

The Judge and Jury Cannot See an Exhibit

A powerful exhibit is one that captures the attention of the judge and jury. However, if the judge and jury have trouble seeing the exhibit—perhaps because of poor font choice or screen display issues—the attorney’s argument suddenly loses its momentum. The exhibit that looked so professional and polished in the attorney’s conference room has now lost its luster.

To avoid such an issue, the professionals at TrialSpectrum, Inc., will research your venue to make sure the materials that are created will display well. We have years of experience in creating all types of visual aids, from large posterboard displays to animations. We know what colors, fonts, and backgrounds work best, and we are able to adjust brightness, contrast, and other settings to make sure your exhibit is sharp and clear on the day of trial.

Equipment is Missing

The last thing an attorney needs in the moments before trial is to realize that a power cord or other type of cable is missing. Does the attorney have time to run back to the office? Is anyone at the office available to bring it? Is there a Best Buy near the courthouse that may have the missing item?

Rather than deal with the sheer panic of obtaining a forgotten item, attorneys who hire TrialSpectrum, Inc. may rest assured that all of the materials they need will be in the courtroom on the day of trial.

Before the trial begins, TrialSpectrum, Inc. professionals will arrive at the venue to set up monitors, speakers, computers, and other equipment that has been requested for trial. These professionals will perform a thorough equipment check to ensure all cords, hard drives, and other items are present and functioning. At the end of the day, TrialSpectrum, Inc. team members break everything down and return it to their offices. The attorneys must simply present their legal arguments while TrialSpectrum, Inc. handles the rest.

Call Today to Learn More About TrialSpectrum, Inc.

At TrialSpectrum, Inc., we are able to assist with various types of cases, no matter where you are located. We have helped firms throughout the United States and would be honored to partner with your firm as well. To learn more about the services we offer, call 800-789-0084 or visit www.trialspectrum.com.

Selecting Visual Aids for Intellectual Property Cases

Intellectual property claims are notoriously complex. Patent infringement, copyright violations, trademark infringement, and other types of intellectual property cases often take several days or longer to resolve. These claims typically involve hundreds of documents and diagrams. At TrialSpectrum, Inc., our team of litigation consultants and trial technology professionals can not only help you decide what visual aids are most effective in your case—but also bring those visual aids to life using our in-house services.

Exhibit Boards

In cases involving a comparison of two products, as is common in infringement claims, it can be beneficial for the judge and jury to see the products side by side. An exhibit board is an excellent tool to use in this situation, as it allows for an extended period of observation. Comparing items using a slideshow can be difficult for jurors to follow. They may not be able to grasp the similarities in two items if an attorney is moving too quickly through a presentation. However, an exhibit board, especially when coupled with testimony from an expert, allows the jury to more easily digest information.

At TrialSpectrum, Inc., our focus is on keeping costs down while maintaining high quality products. We offer printing services in-house for this very reason. In addition, we are able to provide a faster turnaround time, since we do not need to wait on a third party to produce your exhibit board.

Animations

Animations are also beneficial in intellectual property claims. Animations can be used to show how an item is created and how it works. Attorneys have also used series of photos and diagrams to display this information; however, an animation is often much more effective. With a series of photos or diagrams, a juror may jump to conclusions if that juror feels that a piece of information is missing. The juror may assume how an item works, for example. With an animation, however, jurors are able to see products in motion so that no gaps in information remain.

Screen Displays

In today’s world, jurors expect to see technology used in the courtroom. Displaying exhibits on a screen in the courtroom is one way to deliver technology to jurors. At TrialSpectrum, Inc., we carefully create your exhibits and test them to ensure they are easy to see and understand.

One of the most important pieces of information in a patent infringement case is the patent drawing. This drawing, which is central to the patent application, is carefully examined during a dispute. On a screen, attorneys may zoom in to specific parts of a drawing while it is being presented to the jury. This allows the jurors to quickly learn about the patent owner’s intent when creating the product.

Outside of the Courtroom: Digitization of Files

Intellectual property cases involve thousands and thousands of pages of documents. We can index documents so that you may access them quickly. We can also upload your files to a secure cloud, ensuring that you have a backup at all times.

No matter what phase your intellectual property case is in, the professionals at TrialSpectrum, Inc. can help.

Call Today to Learn About Our Services

If you would like to learn more about the litigation consulting and trial technology services we offer at TrialSpectrum, Inc., give us a call at 1-800-789-0084 or visit www.trialspectrum.com. We offer a variety of packages to fit a range of budgets. We have assisted clients throughout the United States in dozens and dozens of legal claims.

Demonstrative Aids as an Essential in a Digital Era

In today’s legal world, the digitization of court documents, exhibits, and even deposition testimony becomes more and more prevalent. In this digital era, both decision-makers and jurors alike expect to see some type of technology in legal proceedings. In fact, studies show that visual aids have a significant impact on audiences, leaving a lasting impression even days later. At TrialSpectrum, Inc., our team of trial technology experts will create impactful visual aids for use in your legal proceeding, drawing on our knowledge of psychological influences and persuasive techniques.

Why Use Visual Aids?

As an attorney, you may be hesitant to incorporate new techniques into your courtroom practices. However, there are a number of good reasons to use visual aids that benefit both you and your audience. Visual aids may include a variety of exhibits, such as graphs, images, charts, maps, sketches, and other similar media.

Using visual aids forces you to be better organized when planning your arguments and outlining your case. You must think carefully about when and how to present a visual aid. Rest assured, the trial technology team at TrialSpectrum, Inc., will help you determine the best point in which to present a visual aid to your audience.

In a jury trial, no matter how strong your arguments may be, you still must win over the jury. Using visual aids adds credibility to your case. In addition, those who use visual aids maintain better eye contact with their audiences, which exhibits higher levels of confidence. Jurors are more easily persuaded by attorneys who appear confident and credible.

The Science Behind Visual Aids

Science has long supported the impact of visual aids on an audience. According to one study, three days after an event, the audience recalled 10 percent of what they heard. The same audience recalled 35 percent of what they saw, and a whopping 65 percent of a combined oral and visual presentation.

Additionally, studies have shown that it is much easier for the brain to remember images instead of words. The brain can only process a limited number of words at a time. In contrast, the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than words, and has been shown to correlate with a four-fold increase in learning.

Visual aids also improve reading comprehension. During trial, a visual aid paired with text makes a stronger impact on a juror as compared to text alone.

Visual aids strengthen one’s ability to organize and communicate ideas as well. When an attorney presents a clear argument, with excellent visual aids sprinkled throughout, jurors have a much easier time grasping the concept.

Finally, visual aids assist the audience in finding relationships and patterns—which is essential in a legal proceeding. When jurors are able to “connect the dots” in an argument, they are much more likely to find in that attorney’s favor. Attorneys must make it as easy as possible for the jury to be on their side, and visual aids are one way to do so.

Hiring a trial technology company like TrialSpectrum, Inc., is helpful no matter what type of law you may practice. We have assisted attorneys and law firms in all types of legal proceedings, including courtroom trials and mediations. With our assistance, you will be able to use visual aids that are carefully tailored to your case to make irrefutable arguments for your clients.

To Learn More, Call Us Today

To learn more about the services we offer at TrialSpectrum, Inc., give us a call today. We assist attorneys and law firms throughout the United States in all types of proceedings. To schedule a consultation, call 1-800-789-0084 or visit www.trialspectrum.com.