technology Archives - Executive Presentations

March 22, 2012

Courtroom Technology: Hurray For Hollywood

There are lessons to be learned when Tinseltown is the teacher By Rick Kraemer and Naomi Musnicki For hundreds of years, oratory skills were the primary means by which to persuade a jury. Times have changed. Courtrooms have now become multimedia shows designed to hold the jurors’ interest and to convincingly communicate the client’s story. In effect, trial attorneys are much like movie directors as they orchestrate the drama played out in court. In addition to creating the “plot” or case theme, juggling clients and witnesses, and playing to the audience of jurors, attorneys must now oversee technical and artistic support staff. The opening of a trial is much like a movie trailer. It must capture the jurors’ interest and introduce the theme of the case. The lawyer’s job during the case-in-chief is to develop the theme and build the plot. Professionally prepared computer-generated presentations and visuals will help set the stage of a case theme and help move it along. The jury will come to expect the next visual or computer screen to clue them in on where the attorney is taking them. Just as in the movie business, if the attorney fails to keep the audience’s attention, they […]

April 27, 2012

Putting the iPad to Work

It’s time to embrace the latest digital technology and how it can best serve our clients both in and out of the courtroom. There’s a new order in the court; one spurred on by exponential increases in the speed, power, portability and sophistication of today’s generation of digital devices, and the productivity levels they elevate. Here at Executive Presentations we’re proactive regarding the latest technology and how it can best serve our clients both in and out of the courtroom. Three years ago there was no such thing as an Apple iPad. Today, the legal community increasingly wants to know how it can seamlessly blend this revolutionary device into its trial operations. And the answer is: carefully. It’s not unreasonable to marvel at a tablet computer and be enthusiastic in how it could be of benefit to your firm’s lawyers, be it in the courtroom or the conference room. A few months after the first-generation iPad debuted in 2010, consumer rights attorney Randall Ryder, who contributes to Lawyerist.com, unguardedly praised what he saw was the device’s potential. “The iPad is going to be sweet,” he wrote. “It will change the way law students learn the law, and it will be […]

May 11, 2012

Zoom Zoom

EP looks at the Prezi presentation software system and sees potential. Launched in 2009, Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software system that has opened up an exciting new dimension beyond exhibit boards and slides. With its zoomable canvas, Prezi delivers visually engaging presentations that lead viewers down a captivating path of discovery. Realizing the system’s potential for compelling use in the courtroom, Executive Presentations Design Consultant Troy White took Prezi for a test drive and came away impressed. What he liked most is its functionality in moving in and around a large graphical layout that delivered both a big-picture view as well as detailed and focused information in a unified way. Below is a screengrab of the title page of a demonstration Troy crafted to show an example of a timeline presentation and some of its possibilities: You can view and move through this web-based demo on the Prezi website (for best results go to full-screen viewing available by clicking the “more” link in the bottom right corner). Troy looks at Prezi’s pros and cons after the jump.

June 19, 2012

TechWatch: Scratching Microsoft’s Surface

With Microsoft’s high-profile debut of Surface yesterday here in Los Angeles it’s no longer a question of when the computer giant will enter the lucrative tablet market, but if their product will either challenge or possibly dethrone Apple’s iPad. This will undoubtedly be a topic of debate for some time, but one thing’s for sure: with the market share Microsoft commands among desktops and laptops, they aren’t just aiming to compete with Apple, but ultimately dominate. In the interim, the Los Angeles Times has done a very nice side-by-side comparison of Surface and iPad. It’s verdict? They top each other in certain aspects, but Microsoft ignominiously wins in the rather troubling category of unanswered questions — the biggest of them all being how much will Surface cost. In revealing Surface yesterday all the company said was that when it becomes available sometime in the fall, the price will compete with other tablets on the market. That’s one heck of a cliffhanger with which to leave consumers. Depending on the model, iPads run between $499 and $829. If Microsoft’s definition of “competitive” is higher than those price points that could be a hurdle for Surface v1.0 to overcome, and put a […]

October 23, 2012

Apple Unveils iPad Mini

Hot on the heels of Microsoft officially putting a $499 starting price tag on its upcoming Surface tablet, Apple has now debuted its new iPad Mini, the long-rumored subcompact version of its game-changing iPad. The 7.9-inch tablet computer is as thin as a pencil, weighs 10.88 ounces and is priced starting at $329. “It’s as light as a pad of paper,” said Apple’s marketing chief Phil Schiller, at the invitation-only release event taking place this morning. The iPad mini will be available for pre-order on October 26. The WiFi version will go on sale Nov. 2 while cellular versions of the device will arrive two weeks later. The Wi-Fi model features 16Gb of storage. The iPad Mini is positioned to compete with Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7, smaller and cheaper devices that appeal to on-the-go consumers who don’t want to shell out for the pricey iPad. Photo: Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller displays the new iPad Mini October 23 in San Jose, Calif (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

August 1, 2013

First In A Series: An Ounce Of Prevention

With the upcoming annual Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) Convention — the largest trial lawyer convention in the nation — scheduled to take place beginnning August 29 in Las Vegas (and Executive Presentations proudly exhibiting there in Booth No. 308), we decided in the next few weeks leading up to that event to serve up segments online of an article on trial presentation technology by our Rick Kraemer that appeared in the May 2013 issue of CAALA’s Advocate magazine. Titled “An Ounce of Prevention,” Rick takes an in-depth look at how the available technology can make — or potentially break — a lawyer’s case, and he starts it off by recalling a recent exclusive visit to the world-famous Jet Propulsion Lab and how a conversation with one of the fastest men on the planet, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Full Throttle Drag Racer Dave Grubnic, led Rick to draw comparisons between his professional experience and the racing champion’s: I recently received an invitation from Bob Girardi (Tom and Jack’s brother) to attend a private tour he had arranged at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Among the guests was Bob’s friend “Aussie” Dave Grubnic, a professional NHRA Full […]

August 8, 2013

Second In A Series: An Ounce Of Prevention — Computer Systems, Components, And Software

With the Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles’ (CAALA) annual Las Vegas Convention arriving August 29, we’re serializing a feature article on trial presentation that appeared in the May 2013 issue of CAALA’s Advocate Magazine. Last week, Rick started off the series by recalling a recent exclusive visit to the world-famous Jet Propulsion Lab and how a conversation with one of the fastest men on the planet, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Full Throttle Drag Racer Dave Grubnic, led Rick to draw comparisons between his professional experience and the racing champion’s. This week he bullet points the key issues regarding computer systems, components, and software: • A poorly chosen system can be monstrously incapable of performing the tasks for which it is intended. Computer processor technology has developed rapidly and anything older than three years may not process large graphic, video or trial database files adequately. • While you do not need to buy the latest software as soon as it hits the market, your software should be no more than two versions behind. • Make sure you have adequate file storage space on your server, along with routine backup systems and controls in place to protect the integrity and […]

August 20, 2013

Fourth In A Series: An Ounce Of Prevention — Video

Previously: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 With the Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles’ (CAALA) annual Las Vegas Convention arriving August 29, we’re serializing a feature article on trial presentation that appeared in the May 2013 issue of CAALA’s Advocate Magazine. Last week, Rick looked at the technology and tactics that will put less error in your trial. This week he explores the power of video and how it is much more than just lights, camera, and action: Videos can be powerful persuaders when used for settlement or trial, such as in wrongful death and personal injury matters. Whether a video is presented to corporate mediators, opposing counsel, an insurance adjuster or jury, a well-made video places the decision-makers directly inside of your client’s condition. When it comes down to the final decision, it is the facts of the case that will determine its outcome. But the added depth and dimension provided by an insightful video presentation can facilitate a clearer and quicker understanding of the issues and experiences, and often result in more favorable outcomes. However, there are some risks involved if you decide to make a video yourself instead of hiring a professional video producer. […]

August 22, 2013

Last In A Series: An Ounce Of Prevention — Graphics

Previously: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 With the Consumer Attorney’s Association of Los Angeles’ (CAALA) annual Las Vegas Convention arriving August 29, we’re serializing a feature article on trial presentation that appeared in the May 2013 issue of CAALA’s Advocate Magazine. Earlier this week, Rick looked at the power of video as a presentation tool and how it is much more than just lights, camera, and action. In the final installment of the series, he wraps things up by giving you the big picture on graphics: Graphics are meant to supplement your arguments, not replace them. Or to put it another way, your exhibits should support your positions, not serve as advocates in and of themselves. Graphics are used to dissect complex material into palatable bits of visual information for the jurors. When graphics of any kind are prepared properly using the right emphasis, flow, and color psychology, they will achieve these objectives. Here are ways to create graphics that simplify, rather than convolute your arguments. • Use visual aids We have become a visual society. Jurors, like the rest of us, process the information they receive primarily through sight. People retain only 30% […]