Tips to Help You Improve Your Deposition Summaries
Deposition summaries are condensed and precise synopsis of the deposition transcripts that form an essential part of the litigation process. Since these transcripts are usually hundreds of pages long, summarising them to highlight the vital points of a case becomes extremely important.
From discovery to trial, a well-written deposition summary acts as a loyal companion to lawyers by saving a lot of time. This also ensures that attorneys are ready for court proceedings, as it contains all witness testimonies and evidence required in the process.
Drafting the best depo summary can seem like a daunting task but a few pointers are all you need to achieve that. That being said, attorneys stuck with piles of transcripts to summarize can always seek professional help from deposition summary services.
Carry out thorough background research
To write the best depo summary, ensure that you carefully go through all the pleadings. For example, carefully analyze who is the complainant, what are the allegations, and what supporting documents are available to justify the claim.
Detailed background research familiarizes the summarizer with different nuances of the case. It also comes in handy when prioritizing vital information to draft a clear synopsis.
Prioritize essential information
As mentioned, prioritizing essential information is the backbone of every well-written deposition summary.
A few points to be considered when prioritizing key points include:
- Ensure that no irrelevant or unrelated information is added to the summary.
- The information included should be accurate and easy to locate.
- The information provided should be crisp and to the point, as its primary objective is to speed up the trial and the verdict.
Note: As a general rule, make sure that a 1-page summary is written for every 5 pages of the deposition transcript.
Focus on the presentation
A captivating deposition summary helps in creating a good first impression in the eyes of all paralegals and attorneys who are going to read it.
To improve the readability of the depo summary, one can add different columns highlighting the pages, line numbers, case dates, witnesses’ names, among other important elements.
Apart from knowing what to include to draft the best depo summary you can, it’s also recommended to learn about what you need to avoid. For instance, ensure that the summary doesn’t change the actual context of the case. Plus, the summary must avoid repetition at all costs and should not present a subjective point of view.
