In the Greenway Chemical case, Jack's trial team had amassed hundreds of photos, maps, graphs, videos, and document images that they intended to display for the jury over the course of a trial that was expected to last several weeks. The various images and documents were created with a variety of applications, and existed in a variety of formats. Although Jim Cassidy, Jack's paralegal, had

Question

created a "master list" of files, listing them in the sequence they were planned to be presented, these files were all scattered among many different folders on a hard drive. It was expected that this sequence would change, perhaps many times, during the course of the trial as defense objections were sustained, witnesses altered their testimony, or new ideas arose. Jack wanted to focus on his trial lawyering skills, such as cross-examining witnesses and speaking to the jury, without having to worry about organizing the exhibits.

What tools are available to help with this aspect of the litigation? How can they help Jack's team?

Answer 1

A trial presentation program, such as Trial Director or Sanction, can be used to organize all the files into a seamless product. In Sanction, various exhibits can be dragged and dropped into presentation folders. When these files are "moved," a link is created in the presentation folder to that document or image, regardless of where it is located on the hard drive. Different parts of the case can be organized in separate folders, and they can be easily moved as circumstances change during the course of the trial. It may be advisable, because of the complexity of the case, to retain a trial presentation consultant to manage the exhibits during the course of the trial.