Law firms have also employed Internet video cameras to communicate with co-workers out of state. Through networks such as Peltalk, lawyers who have the same software can hook up any mini camera to their computer and have video conferencing at no cost. Since the basic idea behind these gadgets is to create pictures to use in the courtroom, display of the images is important. The big plasma screens, for example, are not accessible in every courtroom. In some cases, this means law firms must rent screens on a daily basis.
Smart boards look like basic whiteboard, but act as computer monitors.
It has the capability to show anything the computer does, but has a pressure-sensitive surface that allows the presenter to write over the image on the board, including drawing circles or even erasing material. Once the presentation is done, the presenter can save the document with the changes. Two Crawford County, Kansas courthouses located in Girard and Pittsburg recently purchased smart boards. Legal research has also been enhanced and simplified by technological advances. Lawyers are using search engines such as Westlaw and Lexis, which can find various law materials such as articles from law journals as well as specific cases and statutes.