Preview of Member Only Content
For full access:
or Become a Member 
Practice Points: Top 10 Rules for Slide Shows
By Al Menaster
Read more
Practice Points columns.
More and more folks are using slide show programs. People typically think of PowerPoint, but many other slide show programs are available, including the venerable Corel Presentations, Google Slides, Keynote, and Prezi. There are some basic principles that can help advocates use slide show programs effectively. These are Al’s Top Ten Rules for Slide Shows. The hope is that attorneys will refer to these rules the next time they decide to use a slide show program so that their slide shows will be better. The goal is to make cross or direct examinations, opening statements, and final arguments great, using technology to help. These rules apply to all slide shows.
Rule One. Attorneys should not put every word they are going to say into slides and then read each word to the jury or the judge. Lawyers violate this rule time and time again. The result is always the worst use of a slide show program possible. The judge or jury does not need to see every word (or even most words) on screen that t
Want to read more?
The Champion archive is reserved for NACDL members.
NACDL members, please login to read the rest of this article.

Not a member? Join now.

Or click here to see an overview of NACDL Member benefits.
See what NACDL members say about us.
To read the current issue of The Champion in its entirety, click here.
- Media inquiries: Contact NACDL's Director of Public Affairs & Communications Ivan J. Dominguez at 202-465-7662 or idominguez@nacdl.org
- Academic Requests: Full articles of The Champion Magazine are available for academic and research purposes in the WestLaw and LexisNexis databases.