Extract from Dean Athanasopoulos’s article “Trial Presentation Tips from an Experienced DOJ Litigation Support Professional”
We typically focus mainly on the first four levels of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model. This is mainly due to civil cases reaching an agreement or defendants pleading guilty. But when parties can’t agree, it’s presentation time! Trial presentation is a unique art that most professionals in the litigation community only get to practice occasionally (often, the goal is not to go to trial). This is why lawyers and technologists with trial experience are valued more because it has become such a unique skill.
I’m Dean Athanasopoulos and I’ve been a Litigation Support Specialist for 19 years, exclusively for the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Offices of the United States Attorneys (USAO). I’ve spent 15 years of my career prepping and hot seating trials. I have worked on hundreds of trials, ranging from violent crimes to healthcare fraud and public corruption. Over this three-part series on trial presentation, I will discuss what I’ve learned about presenting evidence at trial and other trial presentation tips for success.
Project Management
Project management is the most essential skill for trial prep. You should game plan for the trial at least two weeks out. You need to know how voluminous your exhibit list will be, so you know what to prioritize and delegate. Doing everything at the last-minute leads to low quality and mistakes. That not only turns off a jury but can anger a judge.
