Pointers for your next Zoom mediation or hearing

Practice! I cannot stress this one enough. For attorneys, you would be surprised by how unfamiliar your clients are with Zoom. We use it so often that we assume everyone else does too. I have been surprised how many of my clients have never used it before. I have started scheduling practice sessions before all mediations and hearings. For clients, become familiar with Zoom. Make sure the Wi-Fi where you will be using it is fast and reliable enough. Practice makes perfect…or almost so.
Set the stage! Make sure you have a space to use Zoom that is free from your dirty laundry…the literal kind. Ensure there are no distractions—dogs, children, spouses. While people are generally gracious when my 5-year-old runs into the room during a Zoom hearing or mediation, it distracts me from what I am doing as much as the person on the other end.
Get the info! Make sure that everyone on your side of the proverbial table has the login information. This sounds like common sense, but you don’t want to be texting the meeting ID to your client at the time the Zoom is supposed to start.
Can’t read my, can’t read my, no, he can’t read my poker face! With Zoom sessions, everyone’s face is up close and personal at all times to anyone in the meeting. All of your eye-rolls, scowls, and other expressions are much more noticeable than they usually are in an in-person setting. Take a cue from Gaga and work on that poker face.