Get Familiar with Zoom, Download the App, Give it a Trial Run
Learn how to use the Zoom application before the day of your Zoom appearance. It is recommended that you download the application on your phone or computer in advance, test your audio (microphone and speakers), and setup a Zoom conference with a friend a day or so before your Zoom appearance.
Do not wait until the day of your Zoom appearance. It is important that you have all of the technology up and running in advance of the day of your Zoom appearance.
Your camera and audio must work. Please test these in advance to ensure that the microphone and speakers work appropriately.
When you login to Zoom, make sure that your camera is steady. It is not advisable that you hold the device in your hand while the Zoom appearance is being conducted. Find a place where your device can be setup (for instance, leaning a phone against a wall) so the picture remains steady and still. If you are using a cell phone, turn the phone in a landscape or horizontal direction, rather than portrait or vertical.
The Zoom application requires Internet. Ensure that you have access to a steady Internet service with a stable connection. At least one day prior to your scheduled Zoom appearance, test the Internet connection that you will be using with the decide you will use for your Zoom appearance. If the Internet connection is not steady or stable, find a place with a better Internet connection.
Choose an Appropriate Location
When you attend a Zoom appearance, choose a location that is private, quiet, and appears professional. Avoid areas where people are conversing or moving around in the background. Ensure the space where you are sitting for the Zoom appearance is well-lit. Make all efforts to conduct the Zoom appearance sitting at a table or desk, as opposed to sitting on a bed or hammock. It is advisable that you do not take the call in a vehicle, and you absolutely must not take the call while driving.
If there are children involved in your case, you should be in a separate location than the children. You are likely to frustrate the Judge if the Judge learns that your children are in the home. It is advisable to have a babysitter, friend, or family member take the children to a park or another home while the Zoom appearance is being conducted.
Check your Zoom Name and Profile Photo
Your Zoom Name should reflect your full (first, last) name, and your Cause Number. If the Court your case is in requires something different, we will let you know.
You are not required to have a profile photo. The default profile photo for Zoom is typically the initials of your name. If you do have a profile photo, the photo should be professional and appropriate. Provocative or inappropriate profile photos are unacceptable.
Dress Appropriately
Proper courtroom attire is required – even in Zoom settings. Please review this Blog Post for details regarding proper courtroom attire.