Technology Resources for Arbitration Practitioners - Presentation of graphics and evidence
Basic graphic and presentational software have long been utilised by counsel in arbitration proceedings to complement the oral pleading by illustrating and summarising issues for arbitral tribunals. For many years, Microsoft’s PowerPoint was the principal graphics tool used in international arbitration.
Today, there are myriad programs, vendors and service providers that can provide assistance with graphics and presentations. There are too many technological advances to list, but include enhanced picture quality, new features on standard graphics, animation, custom-made graphics, and audio and visual presentations that bring issues ‘to life’. In addition to programs and software that can be purchased and used by parties and counsel themselves, a variety of service providers have emerged that aim to assist counsel in developing their presentations and graphics, as well as running the graphics and evidence presentations from the hearing room. Below are some providers of presentation/graphics tools and services.
US-based company that offers trial technology and litigation graphic services. Impact Trial’s trial services include assistance with hearing presentations, handling the technical aspects of the presentation during the hearing, marking and processing exhibits, and organising the case file. They also have visual communication designers to create visually engaging and persuasive graphics for a variety of applications that can be used during opening or closing statements.
Tool to create and present interactive presentations. Prezi’s so-called ‘open canvas’ gives an overview of the presentation, making it easy to edit the presentation content while viewing the overall presentation at the same time. It also offers a so-called ‘smart structure’ that makes it easy to arrange and edit content without disrupting the layout of the presentation. Prezi also offers a zoom/reveal function to focus on and unveil critical details as the story unfolds.
US-based litigation graphics and technology firm offering two-dimensional (2D) graphics and three-dimensional (3D) visualisations to illustrate issues or items in dispute. By creating a hybrid production method and by rendering elements of a process in 3D and then animating the process in a program like PowerPoint, TrialGraphix accommodates a range of budgets and sophistication levels. RLM also has technology consultants who attend the hearing to operate the electronic presentation system.
Tool that allows the creation of schematic, chart and graph-based diagrams. The program can be purchased for a single user or multiple users.
An iPad application that helps organise, annotate and present evidence. TrialPad makes it easy to store and access all relevant documents from an iPad, and offers presentation tools that ‘call out’ sections of documents, highlight text, create side-by-side document comparisons, edit and show video clips, add exhibit stickers to documents, search document text and much more. The application also enables the management of case evidence, for example, by assigning tags and issuing codes to evidence, and/or highlighting certain evidence and creating summary reports.
TrialTech produces charts, graphs, illustrations, videos, computer-generated animation and working models. It also has the capability to support a ‘paperless’ trial through the use of the latest developments in computer technology.
Consulting firm that specialises in visual communications strategy and legal presentation development for litigators and their expert teams. Z Axis’s design and visual production staff develops presentations with the guidance of a strategist who supervises the project from concept to completion. Z Axis has been involved in developing a variety of animation, infographics, interactive animation, models and timelines, as well as video production and photography. Z Axis can also customise technology to create visuals with a specific audience in mind. It often employs a variety of mediums to deliver standalone visual support and comprehensive multimedia presentations. Z Axis provides all the equipment and technical expertise that the legal presentation may need, and can also provide an artist on-call or with the client at the hearing. In addition to design and visual production, it also offers case analysis, forensic support, and visual concept and presentation development.
Disclaimer: Due to the very nature and dynamics of the subject of this guide, the examples should not be considered exhaustive, and merely represent a sample of the potential applications available. There are numerous other vendors that provide similar services and products to the ones described, and the presence of any particular vendor or product in this guide does not reflect any qualitative judgment about the suitability or capability of that vendor or product. The goal is to periodically update and edit the guide to reflect new technological advances, and add new or delete obsolete, applications, programs or vendors. The IBA Arb40 Subcommittee does not endorse or recommend any particular technology, vendor, software or program listed below, nor can it vouch for the security, cost or appropriateness of any of the listed technology, which must be assessed by practitioners on a case-by-case basis. The descriptions of particular programs, software and vendors were not provided by the vendors themselves, and the IBA Arb40 Subcommittee takes no responsibility for errors in those descriptions. All technology should be thoroughly explored and vetted by the arbitration practitioner prior to use.