We Get It, Law is Theater

I'm taking a one-week one-credit course this week, mostly so I can take an underload of credits for the rest of this semester so that I have more time for mock trial things. On that front, I have volunteered to help a random school's mock trial team in Maryland, I have volunteered to teach a street law mock trial team every other Friday, and my own mock trial team will be competing in Puerto Rico this April. I feel like the trial director, who is very considerate, put me on the Puerto Rico trip as compensation for sending me to Detroit last semester. Another fun fact about the Puerto Rico competition is that I was able to get Palmer, my Woodberry friend who is the reason I currently attend GULC and who has been a public defender in Miami for the past two years, to be the coach for our team.

Anyway, this week one course is about how to use technology in a courtroom: computers, trial software, transcription software, monitors, remote witnesses, etc.... Beyond simply describing the technology, it goes into how to use it without getting an objection slam-dunked on you every two seconds. As with most law classes related to trial practice, every single piece of information would be equally useful in a theatrical context.

Examples:

• Tailor your presentation for the jury/audience that you have.
• Always give the jury/audience something to look at.
• Allow the jury/audience to come away feeling like they haven't been manipulated by you, but definitely manipulate them as much as possible.
• Everything you do will make the jury/audience like you more or less, so make sure that everything you do is calculated to make them like you more.
• You must make your presentation work for both the critics/judges and the jury/audience, but if you can only win over one group, pick the jury/audience.
• Don't be flashy or use fancy technical things just because you can, only use what you need to tell a clear and compelling story.
• Don't let your witnesses/actors go up unprepared. 
• For defense attorneys: Always leave them wanting more (evidence).

If I ever have the opportunity to pick some sort of assistant/technical operator for trials, I'm just going to hire a tech director.