The Case for Courtroom Technology Competence as an Ethical Duty for Litigators

Courtroom technology has become a common feature of manylitiga tors’ practices. To be sure, the available technological tools vary greatly among courtrooms, ranging from relatively simple devices like audio-recording equipment or video screens on which evidence can be displayed to fully outfitted “e-courtrooms” that feature cutting-edge technology to assist in all aspects of trial proceedings. Notwithstanding this variability, there is now a strong case that lawyers need to understand and use an increasing number of technologies in order to effectively represent their clients in court. This chapter considers whether the emerging ubiquity of court room technology translates into an ethical