This post explains how to use it deposit terms to your advantage for a smooth process case planning and test preparation Process.
The testimony of a living, breathing person is always better than recorded testimony in any legal matter. But given the costs and scheduling conflicts associated with a court proceeding, recorded testimony is often a necessity. The most important tool you have to make prerecorded escrows effective is your essay designations.
Many lawyers take labels for granted. Deposit designations are simply an identifier by page and line number for any key testimony that a party wishes to present in evidence in court – usually a video clip.
But when you’re dealing with a seemingly endless stream of labels, counter labels, and changes and updates to your list of labels, things can get tricky. Fortunately, there are tricks to manage the process.
1. Choose the right tools to create escrow designations
Before you jump into a case, it’s important to make sure you have the right tools on hand. A comprehensive escrow record management platform ensures your designations are effective and easy to create.
You could use a software program that specializes in transcript management. Or if you’re already using a comprehensive eDiscovery platform like Nextpoint, you can use the transcript management tools you already have.
Whichever tool you choose, it should break down your transcripts line by line and allow you to add notes and annotations. The rest of this post describes some of the other features that can take your labels to the next level.
2. Color code your escrow designations
First, consider how your designations will appear in the transcripts. We encourage users to explore ways to use the color palette to organize the labels.
For example, try cool colors for your designations and warm colors for your opponents so that the same color families are used for each faction. This helps you and your employees work more effectively, especially when there are many complicated designations from different parties. This color choice will also appear in reports going to opposing counsel or the judge.
It can make your work much faster and more efficient as you can quickly check your labels without having to look at the key to keep your labels straight.
3. Don’t rely solely on transcripts
As you organize and plan your testimony strategy, it’s always a good idea to review the witness’s behavior and tone. With the correct file type, your software tool should allow you to click on a line in a transcript to play the video at that point. This makes it easy to go beyond the words on a page and link to video testimonies.
4. Use labeling reports to your advantage
Once the labels are made, you can use different types of labeling reports to meet different needs while preparing for the experiment.
One is the line summary report, which is a video cut list in a text file. You can use this report in a tool like Trial Director to automatically create a rough cut of the video you will be presenting in court. You’ll probably need to fine-tune these edited clips, but this report will save you a lot of tedious work.
You can also download the transcript itself – a full PDF report with color-coded highlighting so you can easily check the labels.
For a broader focus, you can export a compressed PDF report that contains four pages of statements printed on one page. These reports provide a high-level overview at a glance and use less paper.
A summary PDF report only shows the marked passages, which is useful for reading exactly what is being said on the screen in court.
Consider the purpose of the report when choosing what to include in it. You can choose to export the defense designations for a specific trial day only. Or maybe you want to print out summary reports to hand out in the courtroom without the highlighting and notes you made while working on the case.
5. Negotiate with the opposing attorney in advance
Of course, your opposition will greatly complicate your work. Attorneys and paralegals can expect to receive nominations and updates from opposing attorneys up to the last minute.
It is important to understand the format in which you will receive testimony from opposing attorneys. To keep things as simple as possible, you should agree on this format at your rule 26(f) meeting and confer at the beginning of the eDiscovery.
There are a few different file types that deposits are typically received in. A PTX or TXT file contains only the deposit transcript, while an LEF file contains the transcript with links to relevant exhibits throughout the text.
A CMS file includes the transcript synchronized with the video. If you get this type of file from the opposing attorney, you can easily take advantage of features like synchronized playback and the detailed reports discussed above. In this way, you can devote yourself to the problem unhindered by technical complications.
Preparation is key
Many of these functions may seem small or of little importance on their own. But if you’re trying to manage hundreds of deposit designations and last-minute changes before rushing to court, these tips taken together can help make or break your case. No matter what eDiscovery software you use, make sure you understand the features it offers to help you stay organized and efficient when managing deposits.
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