Persuasion Through Visuals: The Uses of Trial Technology

Presenting information in the courtroom isa science and art. After all, the goal is not simply to lay down statements and the supporting facts, but more importantly, to persuade jurors to believe the client’s story of what happened. Thankfully, the use of the latest trial technology can greatly help in this regard.

Below are some of the tasks that today’s trial presentation solutions can help complete:

Summarizingdetails. During trials, it is very important for lawyers to be able to condense a significant amount of details into a set that’s easierfor their audience to recall. Animated flowcharts, graphs, infographics, and videos can all more readily demonstrate the sequence of and connections between and among elements of the case, something that would be much more time-consuming with traditional visual aids. Slideshows, on the other hand, can deliver information in a more organized way, for instance, according to themes.

Provide compelling support to arguments.Some of today’s best presentation software are ideal tools for weaving together a story, a narrative, through which people usually process information. Technology can also be utilized to facilitate cognitive reframing of theissues related to the case, as regards timelines, cause and effect, scale and scope of its impact, and the network of people involved. The reframing can be encouraged by providing visual representations that put factors in perspective – a crucial task particularly in controversial issues where emotions can thoroughly affect people’s opinions. One example would be the use of relevant statistics, which do not lie, but which can be boring, if not presented effectively.Presentation slides would be especially helpful in lending more impact toopening and closing statements.

Simplifying the task of presentation. Relatedly, lawyers will find that the use of trial technology makes the job of conveying information much simplified. They no longer need to look for documents from a pile, or busy themselves with memorizing the layout of poster boards to smoothly point to during presentation.Also, some applications only require the scanning of codes to retrieve a photograph, or a video, or a.pdf.Lawyers indeed save a lot of time and effort, which they canthen devote towards core tasks of case management, such as strategizing, or making a quick analyses of their jurors’ reactions.

Evidently, the adoption of trial technology also requires an understanding of the pertinent rules of court procedures, the receptiveness of the courtroom, and the nature of the innovation themselves. There is going to be a learning curve, and it is thus not surprising if some feel intimidated by the technology.

The good news is that lawyers can now tap the services of legal consulting firms that specialize in the use of trial technology to boost their clients’ legal strategy, and which can help find the solutions that respond to their trial needs and resources. One such firm is the Manhattan-based Dubin Research and Consulting (DRC), led byJosh Dubin, Esq. Get in touch with DRC today to learn more about their wide range of services.

Leo Aranas is an online writer and blogger.