Accessible design is good design.
- Steve Ballmer
Litigation Display
Attorney Preparation and Setting Up Equipment
The location of your mediation, arbitration, or trial can significantly impact your ability to communicate effectively. Are you in the courtroom of the future that is wired for computers with monitors already set up? Or perhaps you are in a courtroom of the past that does not have enough electrical power to plug in a computer and projector at the same time? You can avoid communication problems with simple preparation and efficient equipment display:
1. Do a Site Survey - Check for potential problems such as the distance of your computer to the equipment, the number of electrical outlets, any visual obstructions, appropriate lighting, and any mobility restrictions. Always have extension cords available and duct tape for longer runs.
2. Test the Equipment - Test the voltage of the courtroom to ensure that your computer setup has enough power not to blow a fuse. Check for best placement of a projector, screen, television, ELMO, or easel. Practice turning the equipment on and off remotely to make sure that your presentation displays properly each time.
3. Set Up Early - Always set up equipment, at least one hour in advance (if not a day in advance) of the hearing or trial to determine any problems or issues and to resolve them before it is too late.
4. Bring Backup Equipment - Always have backup equipment and an accessories bag full of power strips, extension cords, tape, and cables.
Setup
Where you set up in the courtroom is of critical importance.
Next time, consider the following:
1. Placement - Set up the display kitty-corner or diagonally so everyone can see, such as juries, judges, laywers, arbitrators, and/or mediators. In a long room setup at the end of the room so that everyone can see. For longer distances, a projector and screen is preferable for larger displays, even though TV's often offer better resolution in closer proximity.
Samples of Equipment Setups:
2. Lighting - If you use a projector to display the computer presentation onto a screen, try to make the area at the screen as dark as possible. The darker that area, the better, because the presentation appears more crisp and visible. [This is less and less of an issue with the increased lumens found in newer projectors.]
3. Audio - Test out the sound of the speaker system to ensure that everyone who needs to hear it in the room can. Go to different areas of the courtroom to listen for extraneous distracting sounds such as pipes, fans, air conditioners, street traffic, sirens, dead spots, etc.
4. You and others - Get out of the way. Do not stand in between the jury, judge, or lawyers and the visual aid, blocking their view of it. Make sure both the jury and judge have a direct line of view. Also, have the witness stand to the side and use a laser pointer (or two -- one for the witness and one for you).
Sample Equipment Setups
Mediation/Arbitration Setup
Courtroom Setup A
Courtroom Setup B
Courtroom Setup C
