Visual Trial School-The Blue Water Bridge

DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton

Port Huron, Michigan 

Wednesday, June 13^th to Friday, June 15^th, 2018

Join us as we visit the home jurisdiction of long time visual trial faculty stars Chief Assistant Stephen Guilliat, APA Amy Stover, and Inv. Don McIntyre of St. Clair County. Thank you to Prosecutor Michael D. Wendling for allowing these highly-skilled professionals to continue to help with this course and for hosting us. June’s Visual Trial school will feature a first of its kind presentation in the United States. Join us as we welcome Adam Weber back home after spending ten years in Europe prosecuting war crimes in The Hague.

Mr. Weber led prosecutions as a Trial Attorney at the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), a special court established to try those responsible for war crimes committed in the Balkans. He most recently served as a supervising prosecutor in the case against General Ratko Mladic, the highest-ranking officer prosecuted at the ICTY. The trial of General Mladic resulted in one of the most notable convictions before an international tribunal for genocide, terror and crimes against humanity. During his time at the ICTY, Mr. Weber investigated and prosecuted several cases involving senior political, police and military officials and brought justice for countless victims throughout the former Yugoslavia.

Adam is also a former faculty member with the National Advocacy Center Courtroom Technology course where he worked with Jim Dedman, Don McIntyre, and Patrick Muscat. He is a recognized distinguished lecturer and former adjunct professor of Litigation Technology at Chicago-Kent College of Law and Loyola University School of Law. Mr. Weber will discuss how he leveraged his notable litigation technology skills, Sanction litigation software proficiency, and advocacy skills into this once in a lifetime opportunity with the International Criminal Tribunal.

Adam will give us a presentation on his story and his journey from tech-savvy Assistant State’s Attorney in Chicago to world prosecutor. He will address how his tech skills have enhanced his professional career. He will show us the strategy behind his use of Sanction and other technology in some of the biggest cases in the world.  

Adam will remain for the whole course and join us as walking faculty in the labs. He will also assist with our Sanction training and labs on Friday.  

This course will also feature another first--Ken Stecker and Kinga Gorzelewski of P.A.A.M. will combine their considerable talents for a legal update on Prosecuting the Vehicular Manslaughter.

The school will also feature lectures on litigation technology strategies, best practices, advocacy/ persuasion, the visual trial, ethics, and will feature a high-tech closing argument demonstration.  This training will, of course, consist mainly of guided lab sessions. We will have two PowerPoint lab groups (Beginner and Intermediate) as before. We will also have presentations and labs on Sanction litigation software, screen capture software, video redaction software (Camtasia), and audio redaction software (Audacity). Sanction litigation software is a non-linear litigation software tool used by the Department of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal, the Judge Advocate General, and state prosecutors nationwide to organize and present complicated cases to a jury. If you choose to install the free demo version of the software prior to the course there will be opportunities for guided instruction on how to use it.

Below is a list of software that we will be using during the course. Please contact APA Patrick Muscat of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office at pmuscat@waynecounty.com  or 313-224-6643 for any questions about software or course content.  Please make sure you have all the necessary software installed on your laptop prior to the course.

For questions about the registration process, please contact Amy Gronowski of P.A.A.M. at gronowskia@michigan.gov or (517) 334-6060 Extension 808.

 or 313-224-6643 for any questions about software or course content.

For questions about the registration process, please contact Amy Gronowski of PAAM at gronowskia@michigan.gov or (517) 334-6060 Extension 808.

Software/Equipment Requirements (please install prior to course)

1.       A laptop that runs PowerPoint-Also bring a mouse for the laptop (helps with making slides) and a short power cord

2.       Irfanview (free for educational purposes)

http://www.irfanview.com/

3.       Audacity Sound Editor (free for educational purposes) http://www.audacityteam.org/download

4.       Camtasia Studio Screen Capture and Video Redaction software (free full demo for 30 days)

https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html         

5.       FastStone Capture Screen Capture Software (free for 30 days--$19.95 for a lifetime license)--http://faststone.org/FSCaptureDetail.htm

6.       Sanction 4 by Verdict Systems (OPTIONAL LAB) (free full demo for 30 days)-You only need to install this if you wish to attend the Sanction Lab (Event 16). Please install less than 30 days prior to 6/26 so the demo will last throughout the whole course. It may take a few days for the company to send you the download link. https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/products/litigation/downloads.page

Macs can run some, but not all of the software listed.

You may bring a Mac, but may not be able to use it during all the labs.