Tips for Tackling Trials Two Firms Share Their
Approaches
Michael Brockwell
Trial Support Specialist
Haynes and Boone, LLP
Joan Washburn
Director of Litigation Support
Holland & Knight, LLP
The Holland & Knight Approach
 Focus on process
 Building trial preparation into the discovery phase
 Organizational tools and process brought to bear
early on in a matter
 Small number of dedicated trial laptops, printers,
software licenses and ancillary equipment
 Managed Chaos!
 Checklists and timelines
The Haynes & Boone Approach
 “One Riot, One Ranger”
 Not just trials, but all trial events (MSJs, mediation,
arbitration) — Anything adversarial
 Authority and responsibility for all directly-trial
event related technology (courtroom and
warroom)
 Separate from Litigation Support
(document/image and database support)
The Evolution of the Haynes &
Boone Model
 Initially, multimedia support only
 Later, gained credibility and began providing
input on strategy and visualizations
 As the department matured, more and more
consulting mixed with multimedia support
 Now, moving towards consultant role providing
strategy and presentation advice and
outsourcing some multimedia
Holland & Knight
Internal vs External Support
 Gauge the complexity of the matter and the
extent of support needed
 Length of trial, travel, equipment and staffing
considerations
 What is at controversy and what will the budget
bear?
 Efficiencies gained by dedicated outsourced
resource
 Cost and revenue considerations
Haynes & Boone
Internal vs External Support
 Litigation support (document handling,
productions, etc) coordinated internally but
handled externally
 Direct Trial Support handled substantially
internally – but more external support
contemplated
Tips for Educating, Marketing
and Promoting Trial Services
 Be clear on internal capabilities. Don’t under or
over sell!
 Integrate discussions on policy and best practice
into practical training opportunities, i.e.,
application training
Tips for Educating, Marketing
and Promoting Trial Services
 Don’t assume that your attorneys know what you
can do – show them
 Find your stakeholder partners, and give them
the ammunition they need. Partners listen to
partners.
 Success breeds success – get a mention in the
firm “winning trial team” email
Checklists Documents
 Trial in a Box – Supply List
 Equipment List
 Questionnaire
 Checklist
Lessons Learned
 Test your equipment offline before you leave the
office!
 Redundancy: things break, even things that
can’t break
 Be prepared to bring everything for yourself
Predictions on the Future
 As litigation grows ever more expensive, clients
will require a nimble approach to trial support
 Creative use of technology and manpower
 Knowing which button to push isn’t enough
 Attorneys will be doing more for themselves,
because they have lived with tech their whole
lives
And What About iPads?
 H&K is developing a suite of tools for iPad, which
will include presentation software
 Software seems still to be in early development
 Knowing which button to push isn’t enough
 Attorneys will be doing more for themselves,
because they have lived with tech their whole
lives
And What About iPads?
 Will eventually replace laptops
 Will allow attorneys to do more for themselves
 Will still require support, but of a different nature
Any Questions?
ROBERT J. BROWN, III "Trey"
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
COURTROOM SCIENCES, INC.
972.717.1773
tbrown@courtroomsciences.com
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