Tag: videoconferencing

Will Georgia Be The Next State to Hand Out Virtual Justice?

On Monday, Texas became the first state in the nation to present a trial before a virtual jury. The groundbreaking legal move follows Emory Law School’s jury trial class, which allowed its students to take its final exam via Zoom on April 17. Many Georgia counties have been using videoconferencing for their hearings since April, when the coronavirus pandemic necessitated the closure of the courts, with the exception of certain hearings and bond motions.

Emory Law School found that the trial by Zoom, with real judges and facts from an actual case, had real benefits. Objections were handled in a more orderly manner by raising “objection paddles.” The attorneys and judges could see themselves, which made everyone more self-aware of facial expressions. Sequestration was a cinch as Zoom allows you to place participants in a virtual waiting room with the push of a button. The same can be said of the judge needing a break, to confer with the bailiff or attorneys — simply push a button and the jurors are in the virtual waiting room.

Texas had more than 24 potential jurors log in, who were then guided on selection by two judges. Decades of potential jurors going to the courthouse were turned on its head as the courthouse virtually came to the jurors. As with depositions handled by Zoom, basic instructions were given about background noise and the need for privacy from the rest of the household.

In neither instance did videoconferencing have a negative effect on the proceedings. No technical hiccup was noted. In fact, Zoom capabilities gave all parties the convenience of doing their civic duty from home, without having to deal with morning traffic, the headaches of parking and the general stress and frustration of reporting to the courthouse.

While teleconferencing and videoconferences have been used for various proceedings, no Georgia court has yet announced plans for a jury trial by Zoom as of this date. However, we are clearly on track to follow Texas’ lead, at least with regard to its non-binding jury verdict.

To view a portion of Texas’ virtual jury trial, see this YouTube link.

For EGCR’s tutorial on Zoom meetings, see this YouTube link.

For tips on keeping your caseloads moving during COVID-19, see this article.

Making Your Remote Office a Success

With the unique challenge of working and keeping businesses going during COVID-19, having a remote office has become our new normal but it can still be an unknown, possibly even stressful, factor amid these disruptive and uncertain times.

It’s more important now than ever to keep your mental and emotional well-being in check, as well as that of your employees and staff.

SET SCHEDULES 

Keeping a regular, and realistic, schedule is vital. Plan your day as if you were in the office with a start time, lunch time and quitting time. Make sure you allow technology-free time to pamper yourself, whether that’s reading a book, working on a jigsaw puzzle or a soothing bath.

HAVE A DEDICATED WORK SPACE

You don’t need a room specifically for your home office but find space that is to be your work area during work hours. This can be a corner in your bedroom, living room or on your kitchen table. Tell your family this is your work area during your scheduled work times. After hours, it can go back to its intended use.

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK 

Working from home doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean parking yourself at your desk 24-7. Your mind and body need breaks throughout the day so be sure to take them, preferably every 30 to 60 minutes. It may be getting up to stretch for a few minutes or getting a glass of water. On phone calls, get in the habit of standing rather than sitting to keep that blood flowing.

BUT WATCH OUT FOR THOSE DISTRACTIONS!

Working from home can be wonderful (saving on gas and travel time with no commute and hey, you don’t even have to wear shoes!) but being at home can lend to a host of distractions. Don’t let your laundry, that Harry Potter marathon or social media impact your productivity.

STAY CONNECTED

That said, social media is a wonderful way to keep in touch, not only with family but also co-workers. The office is not only a place to work but also a method to combat loneliness and isolation. Working from home, especially for extroverts, can create anxiety. So check in with your co-workers, not just to discuss work-related matters but also fun things, like sharing recipes and family and pet photos.

AND GET FRESH AIR

Fresh air and sunshine are a necessity. With fewer people driving, and warmer weather upon most of us, getting away from your desk, out the door and into the environment is fundamental. Not only will it invigorate you but will keep your immune system healthy.

SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS

If your workload is lighter than normal, it’s the perfect time to investigate some online courses that will improve your skills, raise the value of your expertise and give you continuing education credit. As a bonus, it also takes your mind off economic worries.

DON’T FORGET YOUR EMPLOYEES

If you’re in management, it’s imperative not to neglect your employees. Understand that they might be feeling anxious, overworked and even isolated. Make yourself available to address any issues they might have. Have regular meetings by video or phone to keep everyone up to date. Let your staff know the best way to reach you with questions or emergencies. Find out if your health plan offers support for insureds who may need it and pass that information along.

 

Lastly, smile and breathe!

Handling Exhibits During a Remote Deposition

With the rise of depositions by video conferencing, a lot of attorneys may be wondering “What about the exhibits?” Just because you have exhibits doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of remote depositions. Here is some information on how you can conduct a remote deposition – with exhibits.

Video Conferencing – The Old Way

Remote depositions are hosted using video conference services. These services are great for sharing audio and video footage from participants in any location in a very easy and user-friendly way. In many ways it can feel like everyone is in the same room. However, the reality that each participant is many miles away become glaringly obvious the moment when you realize you want to share a document in front of you with the other participants. What can you do? You could try to email the document to the group for viewing. In our experience this creates a delay during the deposition while email addresses are confirmed, and while time is given to allow the participants to search their inboxes for the shared document. In desperate situations, we have heard of participants holding pages up to their cameras hoping that it will focus enough for the rest of the group to read. None of this makes for a smooth deposition, or a clean record. Our solution? Share documents digitally!

Digitally Sharing Exhibits

Most video conferencing services have native solutions for “screen sharing” during a video conference allowing participants to easily show their own screen to the rest of the group. This is how you can share exhibits during your deposition! To take advantage of these features, make sure that you have digital scans of all the exhibits you would like to use prior to your scheduled remote deposition. Once you’re ready to show your exhibit, use your video conference’s screen sharing feature to show all participants your document in a clear, readable form right there inside of your video conference software. When you are finished, simply disable the screen sharing feature to return to the normal video conferencing view. Using this method is easy and prevents interruptions to your proceedings.

Pro Tip: Open your document in full screen before connecting to your video conference so it will be the first thing everyone sees when you are ready to share.

Why Have Your Remote Deposition with EGCR?

All remote depositions conducted by Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting have the above feature, and several others including:

  • Preparation of a pre-marked, digital exhibit binder for use during your deposition
  • Exhibit handling by a court reporter trained in remote depositions
  • Ability of your reporter to mark exhibits in real time should plans change with the use of digital exhibit stamps complete with a date-stamp  (compliments of our international sister company Ancillary Legal Corporation)

Interested in scheduling a Remote Deposition, but feeling a little nervous? Ask about our free client training available to those who schedule a remote deposition with Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting.

Be sure to take advantage of our  Remote Deposition Checklist  and our video tutorial.

 

Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC Announces Portable Videoconferencing Capabilities

Many litigators and their staffs and clients in recent years have been told that videoconferencing for a deposition or even a hearing is a great way to save time and expense.  While that is true, everyone generally still had to get to a common location somewhere, and this like any other planned meeting involved logistics and administrative time.  While videoconferencing facilities shortened travel, they did not eliminate travel.  As is generally the case with technology as it relates to the legal world these days, things are changing quickly.  As has always been the case, the Georgia court reporters at Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC, are jumping right in and embracing a new advancement in technology.

What Is Portable Videoconferencing?

The court reporters at the firm are proud to announce that we now offer our clients portable videoconferencing capabilities.  What that specifically means is that we can set up a videoconference in your office or whatever location you desire.  Below is how it works:

1.  We Supply the Television

Our team will bring a full-sized television to your office or other chosen location so that you and those with you can easily see what’s happening.  We’ll make sure it’s placed in a central location for easy and comfortable viewing.

2.  We Provide the Setup

All we need is an Internet connection and we’ll handle the rest.  We’ll get the videoconferencing technology hooked up and plugged into your existing system.  We’ll make sure the video feed is strong and reliable and we’ll get you started.

3.  We Provide the Tech Support

Just in case something does go wrong, we will have a technical professional on-site and ready to go should the need for such help arise.  That way you won’t have to make a phone call or send an email and then wait for someone to arrive.

4.  We Provide the Quality Control

In addition to on-site tech support, we will also provide oversight for the entire process.  Sometimes video feeds can be a bit slow or choppy, but we’ll handle that.  Sometimes volume needs to be adjusted, and we’ll handle that.  We’ll make sure the entire process goes smoothly.

5.  We Provide the Recording

After the videoconference is complete, you will most likely want to review the video of it.  We’ll make sure that you are able to access that video as quickly as possible.  All you need to do is make the request and we’ll do the rest.

You won’t have to worry about security either, as the entire system we provide is web-based, which means that no additional firewalls will be necessary.  This not only saves time and expense, but it also provides you with a faster, more efficient video feed.  If you’re ready to put an end to travel for several things that you’ve gotten used to driving or flying to, just let us know – we’ll be ready to help you.  Contact Elizabeth Gallo Court Reporting, LLC today to learn more about our portable videoconferencing.