OTLA Trial Lawyer Fall 2020

6 Trial Lawyer • Fall 2020 legal resource center (LRC) in the new courthouse. The LRC will be staffed with facilitators who can assist self-represent- ed litigants with completion of court forms (both electronic and paper), pro- vide educational materials and assistance with electronic legal research and educa- tional resources. With the assistance of the bar, we are planning to provide electronic tutorials and in-person work- shops. Increased functionality Although I loved my high-ceilinged historic courtroom in the old courthouse, in many ways it was not functional. The floor was crisscrossed with power cords, everyone strained to hear as sound was swallowed by the size of the room and video-testimony required reserving and rolling in a cart and trying to find a loca- tion where everyone could see and hear it. The courtrooms in the new court- Courthouse Continued from p 5 house are designed to function for all users — judges, lawyers, litigants and the public. Every courtroom is ADA compli- ant with ramps up to the witness stand and space for wheelchair seating for ju- rors and in the gallery. One courtroom on every floor is also wheelchair acces- sible for the judge and staff. The witness stand is directly across from the jury al- lowing every juror to have the same view of the witness. The witness stand is equipped with a monitor to allow the witness to see evidence displayed on one of the two large monitors on the wall behind the stand. Each of the standard courtrooms has a 14-person jury box. Off the vestibules of each are small conference rooms that can be used for private attorney/client conferences or a quiet place to work while waiting for a hearing. Each courtroom has two coun- sel tables but can be configured for three to four tables to accommodate cases with multiple lawyers and parties. Each coun- sel table has a pop-up box to connect to power and evidence presentations. The acoustics in the courtrooms are greatly improved to allow those in the court- room to hear while improving the record- ing of proceedings. Winston Churchill wrote that “we shape our buildings and thereafter they shape us.”We hope we shaped the build- ing to reflect our community’s commit- ment to justice and the building in turn will shape the work of the court to the meet the invocation of Chief Justice Martha Walters inscribed on the side of the building: All who seek justice Enter and be heard No voice is too small No cause is too vain. Judge Nan Waller serves as a Multnomah County Circuit Court. Her office is located at the Multnomah County Courthouse at 1200 SW 1st Ave., Portland, OR 97204. She can be reached at 503-988-2626 or [email protected].