Zoom, WebEx, BlueJeans. Sound familiar?
For many of us, these names meant nothing just a year ago. Now they have become the almost exclusive platforms for meetings with clients, conducting hearings and trials, and participation in mediation. With nearly a year of remote video conferencing under our belts, you would think we would have mastered the platforms by now.
Tell that to the Texas lawyer who participated in a Zoom hearing with an adorable kitten face filter dominating his screen. His claim of, "I'm here live, I'm not a cat" surely made most of us who have seen the video both cringe (from perhaps re-living our own nightmares) and laugh. I have also had a few mishaps with these platforms - mostly trouble with connecting, feedback and video quality. These issues can be highly distracting if you are not adequately prepared.
As I gear up for an upcoming multi-day custody trial, I have researched some practical advice for online Court appearances. Below are some helpful tips and deliberations for utilizing these platforms for trial and other hearings.