Here’s a keynote presentation we put together for a mediation in west Texas involving an 18 wheeler driver that fell asleep and hit oncoming traffic. This PowerPoint was used in mediation to help the plaintiff’s attorney explain his stance on the case to the mediator and insurance adjuster.
*Note: The family names, pictures and demands have been edited.
Sunday 2/3/11; I missed 2 calls on my cell phone. I was already asleep and didn’t hear the phone ringing at 1:30am cst.
I always check my phone when I wake up and noticed the missed calls.. And a frantic voice mail from an attorney hoping we could make it out to New Mexico that day.
The “in-house” technology person from the local firm was trying to figure out how to run Sanction the night before trial and our client, who has used us on multiple occasions, could see that they needed help. They know trial technology is an important aspect of your case, even more so if it’s complex issue or high value.
So why take your trial tech on the road with you? Why hire a out-of-town trial technology / litigation support company?
Edgar was in New Mexico 5 hours later, with no extra expense to the client (we don’t charge travel time, only lodging/meals) and I just heard that he’s saved the day once again. Opening went well along with the first witness, he has video clips loaded and exhibits ready to be displayed.
I will say that our client, Tom Rhodes, is an exceptional attorney. He and his staff run trials like few others, and have a voire dire technique that has proven it self over and over again. Their use of technology is always spot on, and it shows.
Verdict is in! $10.3 million. Congrats!
Here’s a tutorial I created on how to use apple’s keynote to effectively use bullet points that could be displayed in a trial or mediation presentation. If you need to use bullet points (and it’s hard not to, but it can be done) his effect will hopefully help the jury or mediator follow along.
(This is a 100mb file please give it time to load, the final effect is about 9 minutes in)
Last week we were hired to provide litigation support and present evidence in a local criminal trial where the defendant was accused of tampering with a witness and false entry on a government record.
You can read more about the trial from news reports here, here and here. But what I wanted to write about is a strategy that I’ve never seen or used before in my career of litigation support.
In the initial meeting our client stressed that he did not want us to show up until the prosecution’s star witness was about to take the stand. He was going to ask the judge for a quick break (we had two trial consultants waiting outside for a quick 10 minute complete setup) when she was called. The thought process was to make the witness uneasy about telling her story, which was full of holes, by the unknown of what we had on our computer and projector and 8 foot screen.
Well… It worked. The prosecution DIDN’T CALL THE WITNESS, when they saw us setting up for our trial support, they decided to rest.
After the not guilty verdict, the attorney went straight to do jury research. He asked why they felt the way they did and it was clear; They felt the DA’s office was hiding something by not calling the witness, and without her testimony there was no question about convicting.
We didn’t project one trial graphic, no legal Powerpoint, no trial presentation at all…basically didn’t do a bit of what is know as “trial support”.. didn’t even turn the computer on. Our client’s response was “your presence is what won this case for us, I can’t thank you enough, for doing nothing”.
First time for everything I suppose! The world of litigation support never ceases to amaze me.
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