Welcome to Perkins Coie’s podcast series, Remote, Hybrid, or In-Person: Mastering the “New Normal” in Jury Trials. In this series, seasoned trial attorneys Alan Howard and Ed Baum explore how the courts and attorneys are adapting to the still-evolving “new normal” of jury trials conducted under pandemic-driven constraints, and the future for remotely conducted proceedings post-pandemic. Their guests will include Perkins Coie colleague and litigation consultant Karen Lisko, Ph.D., and the Honorable Pamela Gates, the chief civil judge in Arizona’s Maricopa County.
Judge Gates has been instrumental in the county’s jury trial innovation task—a pioneering effort by a large court system to study how jury trials may be safely and effectively conducted under pandemic-related constraints. Karen has authored two books about jury trials and co-founded the Online Courtroom Project, a national group of social scientists, attorneys, and retired judges who are developing recommended best practices for virtual jury trials.
Ed and Alan talk with their guests about the special challenges and, yes, advantages of conducting jury trials wholly remotely or with partially remote “hybrid” procedures, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and likely beyond. They explore a range of topics, including how to modify procedures and use technology to facilitate effective remote jury trials; the challenges of remote or physically distanced juries; adapting counsel’s presentation techniques to take special advantage of these new formats; and preparing counsel, courts, and clients for the altered post-pandemic trial world. Below are short overviews of each podcast with links to the recordings.