While Others Struggl ...

While Others Struggle, Austin’s District Courts Have Mastered Remote Trials – Texas Lawyer

June 23, 2021 | by Butler Snow

Butler Snow attorney D. Todd Smith was recently quoted by Law.com’s Texas Lawyer about Austin’s District Courts approach to remote trials.

The following is an excerpt from the article:

Austin lawyer D. Todd Smith, attorney with Butler Snow, said that preparing systems and processes ahead of time created the difference between virtual jury selections that ended badly, and those in Travis County that succeeded.

“The courts didn’t know how long the pandemic would keep us from having live proceedings. The idea was: Let’s put in the work, and figure out how to do this, so we can attack this backlog,” said Smith, former president of the Austin Bar Association. “If it’s handled properly, virtual juries can help alleviate the backlog, along with some other traditional methods—like attaining more visiting judges.”

To read the article in its entirety, click here (subscription required).