Trials now include digital evidence such as emails, phone records, body-worn camera footage, surveillance videos, medical images, spreadsheets, and slide decks, all of which can be shown to the jury by the trial tech operator. Handling all this from the counsel table is difficult, especially when managing witnesses, objections, and time limits for any attorney trying to keep the presentation moving.
That is why many teams bring in a trial technician. This person organizes and prepares exhibits and media for use in court, helps set up the trial workspace, and runs the courtroom technology during openings, witness examinations, and closings. When the technician is a good fit, the presentation runs smoothly, and the judge and jury focus on the evidence, not on a screen that freezes or a clip that will not play.
Hiring the wrong technician can result in various problems. It wastes time, distracts the trial team with technical issues, leads to incorrect exhibit presentations, and causes unreliable video playback, especially if the trial tech is unprepared. These complications add stress and may interrupt the smooth flow of your story and trial theme.
What A Trial Technician Should Handle Before Trial
A trial technician may also be described as a trial presentation consultant because the work includes planning, testing, and operating the evidence display system used in court. A technician is not just a “hot seat operator.” The work starts well before voir dire.
A pretrial scope usually includes:
Exhibit Organization and Version Control
The technician should help build an exhibit library that matches your exhibit list, with consistent naming, numbering, and file formats. That reduces the chance that two versions of the same exhibit circulate during trial.
Media Readiness
Video and audio files should be tested in the format and resolution you plan to use in court. Deposition clips should be cut with accurate start and stop points, clean audio levels, and a playback method that is repeatable during witness examination.
Demonstratives And Callouts
If your team uses graphics, timelines, medical illustrations, or slide decks, the technician should prepare them so they are easy to display when the foundation is laid. The technician should also track which items are demonstratives versus admitted exhibits so the courtroom use stays aligned with the court’s rulings.
A Trial-Day Workflow
Trial changes fast. You need a process for adding new items, updating decks, and applying rulings without losing control of versions. That process should be defined before you enter the courtroom.
The best technicians treat preparation like production work: everything labeled, tested, backed up, and ready to deploy.
Courtroom Experience Matters More Than Software Familiarity
Many people can learn how to operate a presentation platform, but fewer know how to function effectively in a courtroom. Trial courtroom experience is important for two main reasons. First, the technician needs to understand courtroom rhythm and protocol. When counsel is examining a witness, there is no room for side conversations, visible frustration, or repeated movements that draw attention. Court staff may have strict preferences about equipment placement, cable routing, and timing for setup. A technician with trial experience usually anticipates these constraints.
Second, courtroom pressure differs from office pressure. When the judge is waiting, and the jury is seated, you don’t get extra time because of a missing file or a laptop update. A technician experienced in supporting trials has dealt with the real problems that arise at the worst moments—such as a projector failing, HDMI handshake issues, a video playing without sound, a tripped power strip, or courtroom layout discrepancies. You're not hiring someone to stay calm in a conference room; you are hiring someone to maintain stability when the stakes are high and the pace is relentless.
The Technician Should Disappear Into the Courtroom Setting
The evidence should be the focus. The technician should not be.
A professional technician blends into the environment by doing basic things well:
Dress and demeanor that match courtroom norms
Minimal movement, minimal talking, and no visible reactions to testimony are essential for the hot seat operator
Quiet communication with counsel that does not interrupt the flow of examination
Quick, controlled responses to requests, even when the request changes mid-question
This is more than professionalism; it is a strategy. Jurors notice distractions. If the presentation repeatedly stutters, they may focus on the mistake instead of the exhibit. A technician’s goal is to make the examination feel like a natural extension of the examination.
There is also a legal reason to keep the presentation controlled. In federal court, the judge has the authority to control the mode and order of presenting evidence to make the process effective and avoid wasting time. A smooth exhibit workflow supports that goal.
Technical Skill Is About Redundancy, Not Gadgets
Technical skill is not about showing off tools, but about using presentation software effectively. It is the ability to build a reliable system and keep it working.
When you evaluate technical skill, look for the following habits:
Format discipline. The technician should standardize file types, resolutions, fonts, and naming conventions so exhibits and media behave consistently across machines.
Playback discipline. Video should be tested with the exact settings you plan to use. If clips are central to cross-examination, the technician should be able to jump to precise page and line references and play designated segments without delay.
Redundancy planning. A technician should arrive with backups for core systems: duplicate media drives, duplicate display adapters, duplicate audio routing options, and a power plan. Trials are not the place to depend on a single laptop and a single cable.
Troubleshooting skill. When something fails, the technician should quickly isolate the problem to the source file, playback software, output settings, adapter, or display hardware. This is less about “knowing computers” and more about having a repeatable diagnostic process.
If the technician’s plan depends on courthouse Wi-Fi, automatic software updates, or a single piece of equipment with no substitute, you are taking a risk you do not need to take.
The Courtroom Site Survey Should Be a Required Step
A technician should not walk into trial week “hoping the courtroom setup works.” A site survey is how you prevent avoidable surprises.
A good site survey covers courtroom layout and practical limitations, such as:
Where the technician can sit without blocking the jury’s view
What monitors and screens are available, and what inputs they accept
Where power is available and how cables can be routed
Whether audio is routed through the courtroom system or must be self-contained
Whether the court has restrictions on outside equipment
What time setup is allowed, and who grants access
The technician should also coordinate with courtroom staff on logistics. Courts often have procedures and preferences that are not obvious from a website. A site survey gives time to confirm those details and set expectations.
Here is a site survey and pretrial readiness checklist you can request from the technician:
Map the courtroom layout and counsel table positions that will be used
Confirm the court’s display hardware, inputs, and screen placement
Confirm audio routing options and test levels from the counsel table
Identify power sources and plan cable routing that does not create tripping risks
Confirm what outside equipment is permitted and when it can be brought in
Test the full playback path for documents, video, and audio on the courtroom system
Document backup options if court hardware fails during trial
Confirm how demonstratives will be displayed if the court limits what can be shown
Set a plan for daily setup, teardown, and secure storage of equipment and media to ensure a seamless trial experience. A technician who treats this as optional is not planning for trial reality.
Exhibit Control Needs to Support Admissibility and Court Rulings
A technician is not responsible for legal arguments, but the technician’s workflow should respect evidentiary foundations and the court’s rulings.
Two common problems show up when technicians do not do this well.
1. Authentication and identification problems in federal court require evidence to be authenticated, meaning the proponent must show it is what they claim. A technician should label and store exhibits carefully to avoid confusion over sources or versions, which can lead to disputes.
2. Summary and confusion. Federal Rules of Evidence permit the use of summaries, charts, or calculations to represent large volumes of material, but originals or duplicates must be available for inspection or copying. Handling and labeling should clearly indicate this distinction.
This is also where pretrial deadlines matter. According to Rule 26(a)(3), in federal litigation, pretrial disclosures include identifying exhibits that the party expects to offer. A technician’s exhibit database should match the team’s lists and updates, so the trial presentation stays aligned with what has been disclosed and what the court has admitted.
War Room Setup Is About Workflow and Security
A war room keeps trial work moving once the courtroom schedule speeds up. It is a planned workspace that supports a single source of truth, meaning a single exhibit library and a single deposition library with a controlled update process. It should also support printing and scanning so the team can digitize, label, and distribute last-minute paper fast. Daily backups matter too, so new clips, updated decks, and revised exhibits are saved at the end of each day. Secure access is part of the setup, including safe storage, limited access, and controlled sharing for confidential materials.
Under Rule 37(e), if electronically stored information that should have been preserved is lost because a party failed to take reasonable steps to protect it, it cannot be restored or replaced through discovery. The court may order measures to address prejudice caused by the loss, and if it finds intent to deprive, it may impose remedies such as an adverse inference, a presumption, dismissal, or default. Although a trial technician is not an e-discovery manager, mishandling trial media or missing files can lead to disputes over what existed, was shown, and whether a reliable copy can be recovered. Basic discipline, like controlled access, backups, and documented handoffs, helps reduce this risk.
Communication Style Matters as Much as Technical Ability
You need a technician who communicates in a way that fits a trial.
That usually means:
Pretrial communication that is structured. The technician should give you a plan, deadlines for materials, and a list of what the team needs. You should not be guessing what to send or when.
Trial-day communication is quiet and short. The technician should be able to confirm what is displayed and what is next without pulling counsel into a side conversation.
A clear division of roles. The technician should not argue about strategy at the counsel table. The technician should take direction, execute quickly, and keep the presentation stable.
If you have a technician who needs constant guidance during the trial, the technician is not reducing workload. The technician is adding it.
Questions That Reveal Fit
You do not need to quiz the technician on brand names. You need to learn whether the technician can support your workflow under time pressure.
Ask questions that force specifics:
How do you build your exhibit library and control versions during trial week
How do you prepare deposition video clips so they can be played instantly on demand
What is your backup plan if the primary laptop fails during a witness examination
What do you do during a site survey, and what do you test in the courtroom
How do you label and separate admitted exhibits, demonstratives, and items pending ruling
How do you handle late rulings that change what can be shown
How do you secure media drives and trial materials when you are traveling or storing equipment overnight
Good technicians answer these with process, not promises.
Red Flags That Should Delay the Hiring Process
Some red flags show up right away. If you see several of these, pause before you commit.
No site survey plan, or a claim that it is not needed
No redundancy plan for power, storage, and adapters
Reliance on courthouse Wi-Fi or last-minute updates for core systems
Vague answers about file naming, version control, and clip preparation
No method for tracking what is admitted versus what is demonstrative
A habit of “winging it” instead of testing the full playback path
Behavior that draws attention in a courtroom setting
A refusal to coordinate with court staff on setup constraints
A technician can be personable and still be a poor fit. Trial support requires discipline and effective trial prep from the paralegal.
Call And Talk with A Qualified Trial Technician at Naegeli Deposition & Trial for Trial Presentation Support
If your team is preparing for trial and needs deposition services, trial presentation support, legal videography, transcription, copying and scanning, interpreter services, or remote deposition services, NAEGELI Deposition & Trial provides nationwide litigation support built for tight schedules and high-volume evidence. To discuss trial technician support and scheduling, call (800) 528-3335 or email schedule@naegeliusa.com. You may also use the “SCHEDULE NOW” option or live chat to coordinate litigation support services nationwide.