If you haven’t yet adopted the practice of recording examinations with video, 2025 may be the right time to start. Incorporating video into your examinations offers significant advantages beyond what can be captured by a court reporter or traditional written documentation.
Here are several key benefits of utilizing video recordings in your practice:
Capturing Nonverbal Cues
Video recordings provide the opportunity to observe and analyze body language, offering insights that a transcript simply cannot convey. Facial expressions, tone of voice, and subtle habits may reveal emotions or weaknesses that can inform your questioning strategy and examination techniques. These nonverbal cues, when analyzed effectively, can be instrumental in strengthening your case.
Enhancing Trial Preparation
Video recordings are invaluable tools for trial preparation, both for you and your client. By recording your client during preparation sessions, you can identify areas for improvement in their responses before they face examination by opposing counsel. Similarly, attorneys can use video to refine their own questioning techniques, opening statements, and closing arguments, bolstering their confidence and effectiveness in court.
Presenting Evidence to the Jury
Video technology allows you to present evidence more effectively to the jury. Rather than relying on transcripts, you can use visual aids such as video clips, images, or recordings of testimony to ensure the jury understands your points clearly. This method minimizes the risk of jurors forming inaccurate interpretations and makes it easier for them to grasp your argument without excessive effort.
Impeaching a Witness
Video recordings can also serve as a powerful tool for impeaching a witness. If recorded statements made during an examination contradict testimony given in court, you have tangible evidence to challenge the witness’s credibility. This can be pivotal in undermining the opposing side’s case and securing a favorable outcome.
Maintaining the Jury’s Focus
In today’s fast-paced, media-driven environment, attention spans are shorter than ever. Jurors are accustomed to consuming information quickly and visually, and video presentations cater to this preference. By using technology to present evidence, you can capture and maintain their attention far more effectively than by relying solely on spoken or written words. A visually engaging presentation demands less cognitive effort from jurors, helping them retain critical information more easily.
A Strategic Addition to Your Practice in 2025
If video recording examinations is not already part of your practice, now is an excellent time to consider its benefits. This approach can provide a wealth of advantages, from uncovering nonverbal cues to enhancing your presentation in court. As the saying goes, “too much is better than not enough.” Adding video to your toolkit could prove to be a game-changer for your next case.
By integrating video recordings into your litigation strategy in 2025, you can strengthen your case preparation, improve jury engagement, and position yourself for success in the courtroom.
At On The Record (OTR) each of our 8 boardrooms are spacious allowing for a video camera to be set up anywhere in the room or on the table. If you are in need of a room for your next meeting, please visit our website to book a room, or give us a call at (289) 638-2020.