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Courtroom Technology: The Courthouse Spec's May Be Just A Click Away

BY Richard K. Herrmann
October 07, 2003

In the past several years, new technology, including video evidence presentation systems, video conferencing and electronic transcription systems, have been installed in federal and state courts across the nation. Courtrooms today vary a great deal not only in size and layout, but especially with regard to the types of technology made available. All of these factors significantly affect the presentation strategy a lawyer will use during a trial. When brainstorming presentation strategy, courtroom presenters consider the most subtle factors including, the amount of ambient light, the distance and line of sight between counsel and trier of fact and the location of monitors and screens. Most lawyers agree that it is a great advantage to argue a case in a familiar setting; something as trivial as showing a witness where he or she will sit in the courtroom prior to trial can be important.

That said, it is common for a firm to send a scout to check out a courtroom to determine relevant courtroom information ' a practice which tends to be time consuming and costly. The Courtroom Information Project, a Web-based system providing courtroom information to anyone with access to the Internet, accumulates and provides technological and other helpful information, which will ideally reduce unnecessary scouting expenditures and further enable swift and fair court proceedings. As courtrooms continue to follow the trend of going 'high tech,' it is important for litigators to know what resources are available. This information is not only beneficial to the lawyer trying a case, but to all parties involved.

Located at the College of William and Mary, the Courtroom Information Project is part of Courtroom 21 Project, the world leader in court technology demonstration, experimentation, training and education. The high volume of patent, bankruptcy and corporate cases that take place in Delaware, and the law firms throughout the country participating in these cases, have significantly contributed to the conception of the Courtroom Information Project. Short of scouting a courtroom beforehand, out-of-state lawyers are not able to construct an effective presentation strategy; this new system provides information that helps to level the playing field.

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