A very big thank you to my friends at the American Association for Justice for inviting me to speak at the Winter Convention in Palm Springs! I certainly enjoyed the escape from the Chicago snow!
My presentation to the trial lawyers was about successfully using demonstrative evidence to tell our clients’ stories at trial. In particular, I showed the group of attorneys how and why animation and other visuals work to better communicate with a jury.
One of my favorite examples of using demonstrative evidence is in a personal injury trial, where the jury listens to a doctor talk in great detail about a patient’s surgeries. Instead of doctor relaying a dry, dense operative report, we have the technology to create 3D animations of the medical procedure being performed. In addition, the animation can incorporate the image of the injured person – even the location of the injuries, if in a car or at a park, for example. Showing a jury this information in an exciting, new way helps to build credibility and show the seriousness of your client’s injuries.
Thanks again to the AAJ, and to all the great lawyers at the Convention!