Today, good trial lawyers not only tell a story, but also help the jury see the story. This approach refines the message and aids the jury's understanding of the case. Even the story of a small case, should be visually presented to the jury. Certain standards of jury persuasion apply to large as well as small cases. The public, brought up on television new and television programs about law, expect a fast paced, highly visual presentation that captures its attention.
Jurors expect lawyers to produce and present exhibits as the appropriate time without fumbling.
An effective lawyer will use a mix of approaches to meet juror's expectations. The word processing systems currently on the market allow the insertion of photographs and drawings directly into the text of documents, such as demand letters or pleadings. Microsoft Word used with the Office 2000 software package is an excellent and low cost method to include demonstrative evidence directly in a document. For example, in a construction site injury case where the liability issue is whether a machine had an appropriately located muffler, a picture of the machine can be imported into the demand letter or brief. Several approaches are available to scan documents into the computer which are inserted onto the document or for display at trial.