A Woman Owned Business / June 2005
Vail Legal Technologies, LLC
By Pat Lawrence
It’s a challenge for lawyers to present
the critical, complicated information
that juries must consider in a way that is
understandable and interesting.
Emily Goodwin helps them find their
way. Drawing from her undergraduate
art background and a Master’s degree in
teaching, Emily creates visually engaging
presentations that keeps juries awake and
informed.
The Ripley native taught for a year at
Capital High and worked as a paralegal
for six years in Charleston and then with a
local company that specialized in assisting
lawyers prepare their cases. In September of
2004, she opened Vail Legal Technologies
LLC to provide litigation support services
for plaintiff and defense lawyers. Emily
says, “Trial technology comes into play
most often with civil cases, where there
are a lot of documents and often, a lot of
complex theories. We create multi-media
presentations of important information so
that it can be readily assimilated,
including documents
and time lines. We try to
find the best way to illustrate
the facts to an increasingly
sophisticated audience.”
Emily not only prepares
the presentation, she often
accompanies the attorney
into the court room. Since
many courts aren’t wired, she
rents and sets up the audio
visual equipment that is used
in the presentation.
She also produces settlement
brochures, a comprehensive
packaging of the case, which is
intended to promote a settlement. Emily
says, “We see more and more of them
because the cost of litigation keeps going
up. In a settlement brochure, one side
presents all the aspects of their case to give
the other side an understanding of the case
strength and likelihood of success. Efforts
can then be directed toward a settlement,
saving the high cost of going to trial.”
Vail Legal Technologies also sells
Summation, software that serves as a
repository for all materials for a given case.
According to Emily, “With Summation,
attorneys can search and retrieve information,
organize and arrange their materials,
documents and deposition transcripts. It’s
a very helpful central repository for case
materials. Attorneys can just take their
laptop to court instead of ten boxes of
documents.”
The former teacher says she enjoyed
teaching and appreciates that her company
provides plenty of opportunity for training
and sharing her knowledge. She’s engaged
and plans to be married in September.
“Apparently September is my month for
big changes!”
To introduce her company, Emily
mailed notices to litigators and she attends
attorney conferences as an exhibitor. It
has been an effective way to get the word
out. “I work all the time!”, she says, “But,
you have to work when the work comes.
Justice may move slowly, but when it
moves, you have to be there."
For more information, contact
Emily Goodwin at 304-720-8700 or
egoodwin@vaillegaltech.com.
Copyright © 2005-2006 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
Femme Fair 2006
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