Jurors, trial judges, and arbitrators have grown to expect that lawyers will use technology in the courtroom to help present the evidence. As a result, lawyers must know how to manage the trial exhibits, demonstrative aids, and other visuals to be used at trial in an electronic environment.
With all of the new apps available for the iPad and other tablets, a lawyer can now do much more on his or her own. Complex cases like class actions, however, typically have a large number of trial exhibits, videotaped testimony, and fact patterns that involve hard-to-grasp issues that require more sophisticated demonstrative aids. In those cases, it can be invaluable to have an assistant who can rapidly find and display trial exhibits, visually connect a piece of testimony to a demonstrative exhibit, and pull up videotaped deposition testimony for impeachment.
Many capable, independent third parties offer their services to assist with trial presentation. An in-house paralegal experienced in current trial presentation software, however, provides several advantages over an outside consultant: