Let me preface this post by saying, I love macs, but have used PC’s since before MS-DOS was around, ah, good old IBM PC-DOS. So please don’t take this post to mean this blawg will be a mac only blawg, it is simply the machine I choose to use. To be sure, I do run Windows XP on my MacBook Pro. I promise this will be my last Mac-only post for some time.

So I had a problem with my 1st Gen-Macbook Pro (MBP) shutting down on me a few times. It wasn’t too often and was oddly random so I sent off for it to be repaired under the warranty at the end of last year. Apple paid for overnight delivery of my MBP to Apple and repaired the machine and overnighted it back to me, total down-time, 2.5 days. I was very pleased with Apple for this, but that sort of customer service is on par with their company so it’s no surprise or anything to write about.Unfortunately, the problem happened to me again last month. I contacted Apple and the machine was picked up that day and was being looked at more “in-depth” and I was assigned a Product Specialist to assist me. As this was the second time I had the machine in for repairs and I am coming up on my year anniversary of having the machine, I was a bit distraught. Though I had the ‘first model’ of this machine and I have a three year warranty, I was concerned about the issue. So I decided to email Steve Jobs and see what happened. I expressed my concerns of the machine not being fixed and it shutting down on me in the middle of a presentation for a mediation, or worse, at trial. I told him I had made the switch to Mac last May and was overall pleased with the switch, but my machine randomly shutting down concerned me and didn’t seem like something a product from Apple, Inc. should do. My email finally went out Monday night (11:30 p.m.) of this week.

The next morning I visited my blawg and notice that someone from Cupertino, CA had visited my site, downloaded my first Keynote presentation and viewed my welcome video. I thought it was odd, but chalked it up to the increasing traffic I’ve gotten for my presentation from different places around the country and thought some Apple employee may have heard about it. At ~11:15 that morning I received a call from Steve Jobs. He said he had received my email last night and that a VP would be contacting me to “assist me with my problem”. The VP was instructed to give me a brand  2nd Gen-Macbook Pro, with twice the memory mine had and a much larger hard drive to be picked up that day. Needless to say, I was floored. I thanked him for going above and beyond what I thought was excellent customer service and explained that this was in no way the response I expected. After receiving my new top of the line Macbook Pro, an Executive VP with Apple, Allen Rhodes, gave me a call to make sure I was completely satisfied with everything.

I have to say that this is why Apple is moving up in market share…this is what true customer service is and Apple’s response goes so much further to getting people to make the switch than any advertisement ever could.

The day Bill Gates or Michael Dell call a single customer because their machine crashed is the day I go back to WinBlows.

For my readers, I have obtained 4 free passes to my webinar. Simply email me at finis[at]TechnoEsq.com and the first four readers who email me. I look forward to seeing everyone there and should you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

I am speaking at 10:45 am at the ISTA Conference Center but make sure to check out the other great speakers, including Matthew Schad on Trial Presentations, paperless offices and other legal techie stuff.  It is one seminar you don’t want to miss and if you come, be sure to say hi if you see me!

There are 18 different educational tracks for lawyers, so you will have a diverse selection of sessions concerning attorneys and law firms using technology.  Be sure to visit the amazing exhibit hall where my favorite case management software Rocket Matter will have a booth along with many, many other amazing products.  You can download the conference guide here.

If you haven’t seen RocketCLE, they offer virtual CLE seminars viewable at any time for extremely reasonable prices. At $9.99, my iPad for Lawyers seminar is a bargain and if I say so myself, quite good. Should you be on the fence about purchasing the seminar, email me and I will tell you all the reasons you should purchase it.

Register here and I look forward to seeing you there!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

After searching around the Internet, I have found relatively few reviews of Exhibitview. My guess is that most people doing reviews of trial presentation software are trial consultants and a program like Exhibitview which seeks to make presenting exhibits at trial as easy as possible is in direct conflict with their business models. Since TechnoEsq Presentations, while being trial consultants, seeks to make technology in the courtroom affordable, we have no such conflict of interests. So I have decided to write an in-depth review of Exhibitview which must begin with certain basic questions: What makes a trial presentation software package good? What should a litigating attorney look for in deciding on one?

GOALS
When looking at any trial presentation software you first have to determine what your goal is with the program. Do you want to present slides one after another or do you want to be able to call up a document on the fly via Bates Stamp or other naming convention? Since the answer to this question determines the software used you must have a clear understanding of what end tasks you want accomplished prior to beginning.

Linear Presentations
Linear presentations are the most common and well-known type of presentations. PowerPoint and Keynote are the most well-known types of linear presentations. Linear refers to the order in which documents or slides are presented on the screen. With these presentations, for the most part, slides are created which flow into one another with the ability to jump between slides but all annotations must be made in advance (with some exceptions). This type of presentation is perfect for opening statements, hearings or, depending on the attorney’s style, closing arguments.

Non-Linear Presentations

When attorneys want a trial presentation program which can call up any document at will they need a non-linear presentation. A non-linear presentation is one which calls up exhibits or videos by either a pre-determined naming convention for each exhibit or by Bates Stamp numbering. This flexibility makes non-linear presentations perfect for cross-examinations, direct examinations and for some attorneys closing arguments. Additionally, these programs allow for annotations “on-the-fly”, allowing the operator of the computer to highlight areas, draw annotations and zoom in on sections of an exhibit at will. Samples of these types of programs are Sanction, Verdical, Trial Director and now ExhibitView.

EXHIBITVIEW

I have found the vast majority of lawyers want an application to highlight areas on an exhibit, draw lines and zoom in on certain areas (a ‘callout’) show clips from videos and present pages from depositions. Exhibitview seeks to outperform their competition with the simplicity which they accomplish these tasks. Programs such as Sanction and Verdical often leave attorneys scratching their heads with the complications in moving a case, importing videos and most times simply finding the tool the lawyer wants to use at any given time. This leads to frustration by the attorney and either a paralegal being sent for the expensive training these companies offer or hands thrown up in despair and going to the fall-back of printing exhibits on foam boards. The problem? Most juries expect technology in the courtroom given their exposure to CSI-type courtrooms on television and if sending the paralegal for training was the option, what happens when that staff member leaves the firm, taking all of their knowledge of the program with them?

Enter Exhibitview. Marketed as learnable in 30 minutes without individualized training, Exhibitview enters the market which has been dominated by the same companies for over a decade. Yet the fact that their program has not been around for over ten years turns out to be beneficial. The interface lacks the clutter and confusion as a result of years of additions and half-updates which plagues the other trial presentations we have been using. What Exhibitview does, play deposition clips, annotate exhibits, callout and play synchronized video it does well. The only complaint I’ve heard from attorneys is the lack of all of the bells and whistles the other programs offer- yet those same litigators are mysteriously silent when I asked them how often they actually USE those features.

Here is how it works:

Presenting Exhibits:
Much like every other app in this category, ExhibitView is first and foremost created to present exhibits. Exhibits are sorted into categories on the right side of the presenter’s screen. As you can see below, these categories range from media (videos), documents, images, and even webpages. You can simply scroll through the listing of exhibits or use the find feature, which has an auto-fill feature, to locate exhibits. To display the exhibit you either drag it to the hot zone in the middle of the presenter’s screen or if using the search feature hit enter twice.

The drop-zone is that area which will be displayed to the jury on the projector when it is on. You will notice that Exhibitview has the feature to turn the projector off while enabling the user to call up documents, annotate or zoom in on them, and then seamlessly turn the projector back on for viewing of the exhibit. This is accomplished either by dragging and dropping into the drop-zone. The drop-zone is divided into sections. When an exhibit is dragged into it, the entire drop-zone will light up, meaning the exhibit will be displayed in the center of the display. If the exhibit is dragged to either the right or left side of the drop-zone, only that half of the drop-zone becomes highlighted, indicating which half of the screen the exhibit will be displayed on. Using this, two images can quickly be compared side by side without clicking on any buttons or setup icons. The sizes of the left and right side can be changed via the icons directly above thedrop-zone, allowing for 2/3 and 1/3 splits between left and right or top and bottom. This drag and drop applies to all exhibits including: video, slides, images, pdf’s or anything else brought into the drop-zone.

Anything brought into the drop-zone is displayed on the screen unless the projector is turned off.  One difference between Exhibitview and other trial presentation programs is that the cursor is never brought “out” onto the projector to annotate or perform anything in the program.  All highlighting or zooming in to certain areas of an exhibit is done within the drop-one with the effects not being seen until the annotations are complete.  Additionally, ExhibitView has an undo and redo feature for annotations in the toolbar which makes it easy to create annotations and quickly remove and replace them with the click of a button.

Depositions

ExhibitView isn’t made to just present documents and images however. Synchronized depositions, where the text of a deposition is displayed as the video of the deposition plays is a staple of any good trial presentation software and is also included within ExhibitView. What is superior about ExhibitView’s presentation of synchronized text and video is the manner in which it is displayed. Other trial presentation programs display the sync’d text in a box below the video, with a yellow bar highlighting the current line but also allowing the jury to “read ahead” by showing the coming lines of transcript. Exhibitview presents sync’d depositions the way jury’s are used to seeing it, as a closed-caption. This makes it much easier for the jury to watch the deponent and read the text at the same time and also keeps them from reading ahead, potentially taking away the shock factor. Below is an example of how synchronized text is displayed:

As you can see from the example below, the process of selecting a portion of a deposition for playback is incredibly simple and straightforward. I have always been amazed at how complicated other programs can make such an often used task. In ExhibitView it is as easy as highlighting the text of the deposition you want played and dragging it to the presentation window. Exhibitview then begins playing the video/text of that clip instantly.

This is a much cleaner and more elegant solution than Verdical or Sanction’s method of viewing sync’d depositions. In addition to this, Exhibitview does not require the importing of depositions if you want to just play certain portions or the entire depo. It allows you to insert a DVD of a depo and create bookmarks within the depo for viewing later. When you want to play the deposition or bookmarks, you can just put that DVD into the computer and either play the deposition in full or jump straight to your bookmarks. Of course, you can import a digital version of your depo in most standard video formats and create bookmarks or play the deposition from there, but in today’s age of smaller and smaller notebooks, hard drive space can become a problem and so having the option of playing a deposition or bookmarks directly from the DVD can help alleviate hard drive storage issues.

Much like other presentation solutions, Exhibitview will allow you to create SlideMaker slides, basically like PowerPoint slides, from within the program or import pre-created PowerPoint slideshows. One caveat is that it does not support moving text or videos from imported PowerPoint slides. This isn’t that much of a problem however since you can play a video and display a slide side-by-side in ExhibitView’s presenter screen. One plus side to using ExhibitView’s SlideMaker is that the slides are croppable and resizable, even allowing the user to change to different slides.

Perhaps the most welcome feature of Exhibitview is the automatic detection of projectors. As long as the second monitor or projector is set up as an extended monitor, ExhibitView’s projector wizard will find and setup display to your projector. I cannot tell you how welcome this feature is given the problems often associated with other solutions trying to connect to projectors. Everything an application like this does automatically is one less thing an attorney has to worry about while in trial.

For the money, at $794 including software support, Exhibitview beats all known competition hands down as the best PC trial presentation solution available. The outstanding easy to use interface and features make Exhibitview a no-brainer for those litigating lawyers tired of fighting with their presentation programs in trial or constantly wasting money training and re-training employees in how to use their program of choice. Lastly, Exhibitview works perfectly fine on a Mac running virtualized Windows.

I have worked out a special offer on Exhibitview for TechnoEsq readers. If you enter the coupon code “technoesq” at checkout you receive 20% off the retail price of the software and support bundle. That’s a savings of almost $160! Trust me, it’s money well spent.

Larry Port, Rocket Matter’s CEO and co-Founder, describes RocketCLE as a natural extension of the offerings by Rocket Matter through the years. He acknowledges the motivations behind RocketCLE being geared towards small and medium sized law firms, “…we’re beginning to offer small law firms even more quality resources to compete with larger organizations.”

The first five courses currently available on RocketCLE include an originally produced hour video, “Seven Ways To Make Your Law Firm More Effective”, which covers material from Larry Port’s Legal Productivity e-book. All courses are available for accreditation in Florida, while Illinois, California, Texas, and New York applications are pending and many more states honor reciprocal CLE credits.

“For the past few years, we’ve been conducting webinars, writing books, and participating in online discussion about ways to reduce risk of malpractice and boost profitability at law firms,” says Port. “RocketCLE is a natural extension of the resources we’ve been offering our customers.“

Customers using Rocket Matter’s legal practice management software enjoy 50% discounts off all online CLE content.

The following is the press-release issued this morning from Rocket Matter:

BOCA RATON, FL – January 31st, 2011 – Rocket Matter®, the leading web-based legal practice management and time and billing software for small to mid-sized law firms, today announces the launch of RocketCLE, an on-demand continuing legal education online store.

With RocketCLE, users can purchase and view entertaining and high-quality CLE courses over the Internet at anytime of the day. Initial content focuses on legal ethics and Rocket Matter’s core message of improved productivity and law firm efficiency.

“We’re excited to offer another high-quality service to the legal profession,” says Larry Port, the company’s CEO and Co-Founder. “We’ve always focused on providing excellent software, and now with online CLE we’re beginning to offer small law firms even more quality resources to compete with larger organizations.”

The first five courses include an originally produced hour video, “Seven Ways To Make Your Law Firm More Effective”, covering much of the material in the Legal Productivity e-book, published by Port in October 2009. All courses are available for accreditation in Florida, while Illinois, California, Texas, and New York applications are pending and many more states honor reciprocal CLE credits.

“For the past few years, we’ve been conducting webinars, writing books, and participating in online discussion about ways to reduce risk of malpractice and boost profitability at law firms,” says Port. “RocketCLE is a natural extension of the resources we’ve been offering our customers.“

Customers using Rocket Matter’s legal practice management software enjoy 50% discounts off all online CLE content.

About Rocket Matter, LLC
Rocket Matter, LLC (URL: http://www.rocketmatter.com) provides Rocket Matter®, an online legal practice management and time tracking application for small to mid-sized law firms. The benefits of Rocket Matter®, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application, include increased security, business continuity, decreased technology infrastructure and maintenance costs, and improved return on investment for information technology expenses. Launched in February 2008, Rocket Matter’s corporate headquarters is in Boca Raton, FL.

Sliced Images

What sets BodyViz apart is that this process is as simple as inserting your client’s CD with the MRI or CT study and the application dynamically creating a 3D model of the data on the fly.  The user is then able to fly through and around the 3D model using a familiar interface with an XBox controller connected via Microsoft’s wireless PC adapter for the laptop.  This allows virtually anyone familiar with any of the modern shoot ‘em up XBox 360 games to immediately pick up the controller and begin manipulating the 3D model of their client’s MRI/CT Scan. This allows for amazing videos to be created with the software on the fly in a video deposition or pre-created for use in trial.

Soft Tissues Revealed

However BodyViz is not only creating a 3D model of the data from the CD inserted. Using the data provided with the scan, BodyViz is able to peel away layers from the model, such as muscle and skin. Thus enabling the viewer to present an organ, such as the heart, with the surrounding soft tissues visible at first for identification of the area by a lay person and then remove the extraneous soft tissues to reveal the target area. From there, BodyViz allows the user to rotate around a fixed point, zoom in and out and place virtual trocars. This is particularly useful when trying to visualize surgeries involving improper placement of medical tools when a 2D film does not adequately present the 3-dimensional aspects of a procedure.

Also available is the ability to take the 3D model and begin slicing pieces of the  scan away to reveal the internal structures of areas.This is quite helpful when placing virtual trocars to visualize the external and internal images of the area. Coupling this feature with the removal of soft tissues allows for an attorney to present the client’s MRI/CT Scan study in a way that allows the viewer, jury or otherwise, to immediately understand what is being displayed and allows for the complex data stored in the study to truly “come to life”.

Soft Tissues Removed

Besides offering an interactive experience, BodyViz also offers the ability to create surgical “paths” which are used to have the viewer fly through a preset path. Obviously, this technology is a boon for medical schools and surgeons preparing for procedures, but BodyViz’s abilities are as equally beneficial to attorneys seeking to create a more interactive and visual display of their client’s injuries.  The true power of BodyViz was shown to me when I was presented with a frontal view of a patient’s CT SCan which showed what appeared to be a normal pelvis. Once I was given the controller and allowed to rotate around the skeletal system of the patient I was shocked to see a massive fracture of the pelvis which, due to the 2D view normally seen, was simply not seen or properly appreciated by untrained eyes.

Due to the obvious graphics processing requirements of BodyViz, this is not the kind of software you can run on just any computer. BodyViz recommends 1GB of video RAM along with some other system requirements.  Due to this, BodyViz offers a complete package which includes a laptop, software installed and an upgrade plan.  With prices below $10,000.00, BodyViz certainly brings technology which was previously relegated to physician schools within the budget of most law firms.

TechnoEsq Presentations is currently in the process of purchasing the equipment and so have first-hand experience with the staff of BodyViz.  All of our questions concerning the software and hardware were answered promptly and the process of purchasing the hardware and installing BodyViz is a seamless one with BodyViz purchasing the hardware and customizing it prior to shipping out. We are really excited to be using BodyViz as it will allow us to create stunning 3-dimensional models of attorney’s client’s MRI and CT studies, placing them into our trial and mediation presentations at an affordable cost.

iPhone and iPad for Lawyers: Apps You Need to be Using
Summary:
iPhone and iPad – nifty tech toys or useful resources for you in your law practice? Perhaps you already use these applications efficiently in your practice. Maybe you’re among thousands who are trying to decide whether using these devices would be a worthwhile investment. From either perspective, join in the discussion and learn more about which apps are popular with lawyers and how to best use… [more]

Presenters:
Finis Price
Finis R. Price, III has successfully assisted thousands of injured clients recover the compensation they deserve. Through the effective use of technology, the Law Offices of Finis Price provides clients with a unique experience granting them… [more]

Program Agenda:
5 minutes – Introduction
60 minutes – iPhone and iPad for Lawyers: Apps You Need to be Using Presentation
10 minutes – Live Q&A with the Speaker

How To Attend:
Join the live program from your office, home, or hotel room using a computer for the web portion and telephone for the audio portion. You may ask questions, participate in surveys, and post comments from your computer during the program. You may also invite colleagues to watch the program from a shared computer or projection screen and speakerphone. Please note that credit is only provided to registered attendees participating at their own computer and phone. Simple instructions with a link to the program will be sent when you register.

Credit:
If applicable, you may obtain credit in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously for this program (see pending/approved list below). Registrants in jurisdictions not listed below will receive a Certificate of Attendance that may or may not meet credit requirements in other jurisdictions. Where applicable, credit will be only awarded to a paid registrant attending the live program at their own computer and phone. Please note: CDs may not qualify for credit; please check with your accrediting body to verify.

This program has been approved for or is pending credit in:
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, IN, KY, LA, MO, MT, NV, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WY