Patent ID: 8583727

Claim:
An electronic exhibit management system for use at a plurality of multi-tracked depositions, the system configured for assigning exhibit numbers in real time during said depositions, the system comprising a processor and: (a) a main server comprising memory configured for storing a plurality of deposition documents, the main server assigning a unique identifying code to each document, and maintaining i) a record associated with each document, including data indicating whether the document has been previously assigned an exhibit number, and ii) a list of the documents assigned exhibit numbers and the next available exhibit number; (b) at least one client system located in-use at each of the plurality of simultaneous depositions occurring simultaneously at different locations, the client systems concurrently networked over a secure protocol to the main server, each client system comprising a display, a data input device, and optionally a barcode reader; and (c) the main server containing computer code configured for: 1. receiving, from a data input device of a client system during one of the plurality of depositions, a request for a document, the request including data indicating the unique identifying code of such document; 2. retrieving from memory the stored document corresponding to the unique identifying code; and 3. reviewing the record associated with the document to determine if the document has previously been assigned an exhibit number; and 4a. if the document has not been previously assigned an exhibit number, assigning by the system the next available exhibit number to the stored document, adding the document to the list of documents assigned exhibit numbers, and transmitting to the client system the assigned exhibit number during the deposition; or 4b. if the document has been previously assigned an exhibit number, retrieving the assigned exhibit number and document properties for the document and transmitting the same to the client system during the deposition; wherein the system further comprises computer code configured to: (d) maintain a synchronized local copy of the list of documents assigned exhibit numbers on each client system, wherein each local copy is updated when a new exhibit is introduced, (e) permit an operator to assign a prospective exhibit number to a stored deposition document on a client system when not connected to the server, and (f) synchronize local and server copies of the numbered exhibits when the client system is reconnected to the server.