Hypothetical:
Keith’s job as an independent paralegal on a three-year case was coming to a close. All of the trial preparation work was finished, and the case was ready to go to court. The courthouse where the trial was to take place had recently been written up in the local newspaper as being the most electronically sophisticated courthouse in the state, with on-site computers, video displays, cameras, and audio speakers networked into each courtroom. On the day the trial was to begin, Keith lugged his laptop, portable projector, backup batteries, and CDs containing all of the trial presentations he had prepared to the courthouse. In the courtroom, the defense attorneys Keith worked for were getting ready to access their trial presentations stored on the courthouse’s computer network; the prosecuting attorneys were preparing to do the same. As Keith entered the courtroom, he heard an IT support person for the court tell the bailiff the courthouse’s computer network was going down.
Discussion:
- What actions did Keith take to reduce the chances of encountering presentation problems at trial?
- Technology is useful, but rules still have to be followed when working in the field of law. Which legal ethics could have been violated had Keith and the attorneys not had a backup plan for presenting their case?
- How did the use of technology help and hinder their situation?
