Now that working remotely is a long-term reality for many lawyers, setting up a video environment to make you look as professional as possible for virtual appearances is essential. But beyond looking good, colleagues, clients and others also expect you to sound your best.
The good news is that it isn’t difficult to set up a decent quality home studio relatively inexpensively. Below are tips from an article by Jeffrey Allen in GPSolo magazine, a publication from the ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division.
What you need:
- High-speed internet. Ideally, a high-speed, hard-wired or Wi-Fi connection.
- A private room (or at least a quiet one). A lockable door is best to keep out family members and pets at inopportune times. Before a video conference, announce to members of your household that you need quiet at that time. Put dogs outside, if you can. Of course, not everyone has that amount of space in their homes, so just do the best you can to create a quiet environment.
- Auxiliary display. While you can get by with a single large screen, a second display has big benefits. If you are using a smaller laptop screen, it can become a necessity. That way, for example, you can use half of one display to show participants while the other half has important documents. The other display could be used for your trial book, notes and more. Depending on your computer, you can use a tablet for your second display.
- Microphone. To improve the sound quality for trials, hearings and other important conferences, you may want to upgrade your computer microphone. Many external cameras include a microphone, which might suffice.
- Lighting. Bad lighting, particularly if you are backlit, can put you in heavy shadows and look sinister. To avoid the problem, use front lighting. You might have to augment natural light. A ring light on a tripod, either floor- or table-mounted, can help.
- Sound. Try not to wear headphones or visible earphones during a video appearance. External speakers or wireless earbuds generally give better-quality sound than built-in computer speakers.
- Adequate space. You will need enough desktop space to hold both displays, the computer, lights (unless they are on the floor) and microphone. If you’re using the space quite often, leave your system set up permanently.
For more tips on looking your best on video calls, check out this YourABA article by Julie Brown, the ABA’s broadcast manager who has spent more than 30 years working in front of and behind the camera.
GPSolo magazine is a benefit offered to members of the Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division, which is free to all ABA members.