“I’ve just heard too many stories about corporations trying to profit at the expense of the ‘little guy.’” “Everyone sues for everything nowadays. There are too many frivolous lawsuits.” The greedy corporation. The sue-happy plaintiff. If all the world’s a stage, many people in the audience have a clear idea of who the villain and hero will be when it comes to lawsuits. Although the ultimate goal of a jury trial is to present the case to an unbiased panel, in reality no juror comes in to the courtroom as a blank slate. Pre-existing attitudes, beliefs, and opinions all affect

When practical circumstances (like scheduling, transportation, or costs issues) necessitate it, conducting deposition by video conference can be an attractive alternative.  [Indeed, as we speak, the COVID-19 pandemic means that the gathering of necessary deposition is significantly more likely to require video conference tools.]  But while increasingly common, video conferencing isn’t perfect.  You can risk encountering technical issues, “technically challenged” witnesses, distractions, and more.  This is why deposing a witness in person is still preferable whenever possible; the ability to address each other directly, make eye contact, and hand off physical documents is tough to beat. So before you run