Our Mission: To educate jurists, lawyers, and students of the law, in the use of tomorrow's legal process and technology today.

The Courtroom Information Project is designed to give courtroom participants the visual and technological information they need in preparing for trial in any participating courtroom in the U.S. The Courtroom Information Project is part of the Courtroom 21 Project, the world leader in court technology demonstration, experimentation, training and education, located at the College of William and Mary.

Professor Fredric I. Lederer, Director of Courtroom 21, indicated that today courtrooms vary in size, layout, and technology- all factors that play a significant role in the determination of trial presentation strategies. Even differences such as the amount of ambient light, the distance and line of sight between counsel and trier of fact, and the location of monitors and screens are considered by courtroom presenters. Lederer says that most lawyers find themselves with an advantage when arguing in a familiar setting. For example, something as simple as showing a client or witness where he or she will sit in the courtroom ahead of a trial can be important. Traditionally, firms send out 'scouts' ahead of a trial to determine the relevant courtroom information, which is both time-consuming and costly. The goal of the Courtroom Information Project is to accumulate and provide this type of information for all members of the court, which will, ideally, reduce these unnecessary expenditures and further enable swift and fair court proceedings.

The Courtroom Information Project began in 2001 under the direction of Richard Herrmann, a partner in the Delaware office of Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley. Since its inception, it has been authorized for U.S. district court participation by the Judicial Conference of the United States. In addition, a number of State Supreme Court Chief Justices have given their endorsement and the Project has been deemed an "exciting and important effort" by Chief Justice E. Norman Veasey, Chief Justice of the State of Delaware Supreme Court. The Project is currently gathering the documentation from the thousands of courtrooms and courts in the U.S. with plans for an international menu of courts in the future.

The Courtroom Information Project offers photographs and information on each participating courtroom's available technology in an effort to educate all court participants before trial. Viewers can check for the availability of specific technology such as computer whiteboards, counsel laptop projections, or analog phones as well as learn of any restrictions their courtroom of interest might have. Digital photos of each participating courtroom taken from various vantage points are available online.

In addition to providing specific courtroom information, an online registration process is available for new courts to submit their details. Once registered, participating courts have exclusive access to login and update their respective records and photos as necessary. All together, the Courtroom Information Project website seeks to provide an up-to-date snapshot of the inside of any participating courtroom in the U.S.

The Courtroom Information Project is made possible by corporate and law firm sponsorships. For more information on how to become a sponsor or how to register your court/courtrooms, please contact:

The Courtroom Information Project
William & Mary School of Law
Janel Foss - Assistant Director of Admin & Outreach
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
(757) 221-2494
jnfoss@wm.edu
www.courtroominformationproject.org