COURTECHFORUM

If you prefer to get your information lying on the comfort of your couch or bed, then you may want to consider some of these books that delve into courtroom technology. Paying homage to the adage that “information is power,” arm yourself with the knowledge you’ll need to make the transition into the 21^st century courtroom.Effective Use of Courtroom Technology: A Lawyer’s Guide to Pretrial and Trial (Deanne C. Siemer, Frank D. Rothchild, Anthony J. Bocchino, Donald H. Beskind) is the first definitive how-to book for attorneys using evidence cameras, computers, digital projectors, screens, monitors, and video and audio displays in the courtroom. Written for lawyers who bring electronic equipment into the courtroom or use court-provided equipment for displaying or playing exhibits during trial, this book explains what the real issues are, provides a jargon-free description of the technology driving the issues, and suggests the considerations in making motions or responding to objections. The text makes it easier for lawyers to benefit from courtroom technology from the initial phases of discovery through post-trial briefing. The book comes with a CD-ROM containing sample computer generated exhibits that illustrate a variety of templates, animations, color combinations, and transitions which are useful to attorneys wanting to bring technology in the courtroom. The CD also contains a copy of the Microsoft Appeal e-brief.Law on Display: The Digital Transformation of Legal Persuasion and Judgment (Ex Machina: Law, Technology, and Society) (Neal Feigenson, Christina Spiesel) takes a look at how visual and multimedia digital technologies are transforming the practice of law: how lawyers construct and argue their cases, present evidence to juries, and communicate with each other. In this comprehensive survey and analysis of how new visual technologies are transforming both the practice and culture of American law, Neal Feigenson and Christina Spiesel explain how, when, and why legal practice moved from a largely words-only environment to one more dependent on and driven by images, and how rapidly developing technologies have further accelerated this change. They discuss older visual technologies, such as videotape evidence, and then current and future uses of visual and multimedia digital technologies, including trial presentation software and interactive multimedia. They also describe how law itself is going online, in the form of virtual courts, cyberjuries, and more, and explore the implications of law’s movement to computer screens. Throughout Law on Display, the authors illustrate their analysis with examples from a wide range of actual trials.Effective Use of Courtroom Technology: A Judge’s Guide to Pretrial and Trial (Deanne C. Siermer) describes the substantive and procedural considerations that arise when lawyers bring electronic equipment to the courtroom or use court-provided equipment for displaying or playing evidentiary exhibits or illustrative aids during trial. The guide sets out what lawyers are normally trying to accomplish, the objections opposing counsel may raise, and the considerations of fairness that may attend the various uses of courtroom technology. The book is organized for quick reference without the need to read the entire volume, and to assist in the conduct of trials using technology from the initial phases of discovery through post-trial briefing. An important guide for judges, Effective Use of Courtroom Technology points out the reasons why lawyers take particular positions with respect to the use of technology, the options for resolving disputes, and some of the consequences of not resolving them at an early point in the proceedings. It suggests that judges actively manage technology matters rather than awaiting the parties’ identification and argument of the matters.