Heard the New Blackberry Buzz?

One tool that is now almost ubiquitous across the entire spectrum of the legal industry is the Blackberry. While it is not a tool that really lends itself very well to trial presentation, I just had to post about the new offering Research In Motion is making to the Crackberry user population, the Blackberry 9000 also known as the Blackberry Bold.

There are lots of reviews and informational posts about it all over the Internet so I won't repeat any of that here but if you are a power Blackberry user, take a look at the Blackberry Bold to see if it can improve your connectivity, therefore reduce the amount of time it takes to communicate. Here are a couple of good links.

Blackberry Bold Officially Announced
RIM Blackberry Bold is Official
Blackberry Bold Smartphone Review

What is Trial Presentation

In an industry built on clarity, the leading term for describing our business is pretty vague.

Simply stated, trial presentation describes the combined methods utilized to deliver evidence to the judge, jury, or panel. Very often there is a presumption that this is limited to the electronic means of delivery (graphics, animation, video, etc) however it is most effective when considered holistically to include all method of delivery thus ensuring continuity and similarity across all mediums.

When a trial team is preparing for trial and the determination is made to take advantage of "trial presentation" it very often means finding someone to assist with the development of a PowerPoint presentation of a few blow-ups of documents relevant to the case. The comprehensive use of Trial Presentation however is much more than that. It includes development of themes, color schemes, and style guides all designed to present a clear and unified visual road map of the case and the evidence to the trier, ultimately leading them to your interpretation of the facts at hand.

When best utilized, the trial presentation specialist is engaged early in the case, preferably as soon as it seems clear the case will make it to trial. Since much of the work associated with an effective presentation takes some time to develop, consider engaging your specialist no later than two weeks out for every week of trial anticipated (e.g. - for a one week trial, secure your support no later than two weeks prior).

Once engaged, your trial presentation specialist should get an overview of the case, parties & players in the case, the issues and positions that you will take, and the desired outcome of the case. Of key importance to the trial presentation specialist should be details regarding the venue such as state or federal court, the trier (judge, jury, panel, etc), and the courtroom. These key characteristics will play a pivotal role in determining many of the characteristics of the final presentation. Things like:

• Method of delivery (electronic or "manual")
• Is the courtroom equipped for electronic delivery
• If not, is there room for equipment to be brought in?
• What are the Court's preferences?
• What is the demographic and psychographic profile of the potential jury pool?
• Will the trier be able to see a central presentation or will handouts or other personal presentation methods be required?

All of the aforementioned elements should be considered as the Trial Presentation is being assembled. If they are not, it is very likely that either a substantial portion of the presentation will not be used or will not be received well by the audience and therefore, in either case, be wasted time and expense.

When preparing for litigation, be sure to consider how you will deliver your case early in the process. Such planning will ensure a lucid and congruous presentation of your case. It is also advisable to begin your search for a Trial Presentation Specialist early also as such a search may require some time and more than a few interviews with candidates.