Are you in a bind over the how people view your briefs? Do they appear clean and free of marks, or are they wrinkled and unkempt? Do they lay flat or do they tend to fold in the middle? Presentation is everything, and soiled briefs is not the message you want to present to the courts or your clients. Of course, we are talking about legal briefs and the various ways they can be bound for a multitude of functions.
Courts are very particular about how briefs, appendices, and other papers are bound and presented, and each has its own requirements. Submitting a poorly bound brief—one that will not lie flat or hold up to the abuse it will receive as it moves through the judiciary process—will not bode well for you or your case.
Employing the help of a company with expertise in trial services is recommended. We spoke with several of KEY Discovery’s in-house experts about which bindings they recommend, and which will stand up to the trials they will endure.
Velo Binding
Velo Binding is the best way to bind large documents in a book-like format. One of the many benefits of Velo Binding is that the document cannot be tampered with once secured; the only way to remove pages is to rip them out. Be aware that Velo Binding does not allow documents to lay flat.
Benefits
- Can bind up to 750 sheets
- Tamper proof design prevents easy removal of pages
- Professional look
- Easy to mail and file
Coil/Spiral Binding
The coil bind—also known as spiral bind—uses a continuous loop of plastic or metal running the length of the document. Unlike other forms of binding, coil binding allows 360-degree page turning.
Benefits
- Pages lie flat with 360-degree page turning
- Permanent bind
- Spine is malleable, providing flex and bounce
- Binds up to 265 pages
Comb Binding
Comb binding is an excellent choice for legal briefs and trial documents. Documents that are comb bound can be fully opened and will lie flat without flipping back closed. Comb binding is not only economical, it is also environmentally friendly as the combs can be removed and reused. In addition, combs come in a variety of sizes and colors for those that like to color code or customize their documents.
Benefits
- Pages can be added or removed with relative ease
- Combs can be removed and reused
- Bind up to 425 sheets of paper
- Cost effective
Tape Binding
The name of this binding style says it all. Heat-activated adhesive tape is applied to the spine of the document and, well, heated. Tape bound books offer a professional “coffee table” look and allows for different paper weights and styles to be incorporated into the document.
Benefits
- Can bind documents up to 250 pages
- Cost effective
- Stacks flat
- Easy to file, mail, and store
Third-party service providers can not only help you decide the best document binding options, they can also prepare and deliver items to your trial location. If you are traveling for a court case, save time and effort by sending ahead everything you need for trial so it can be ready and waiting for you at trial time. KEY Discovery not only offers scanning, copying, and binding services but also trial exhibits and presentations, jury handbooks and witness kits, court room techs and presentation software. Reach out to see how we can help you prepare and get some KEY players on the case.
Key Discovery Offers Litigation Support, Trial Support and More!
eDiscovery – Our electronic discovery (“eDiscovery”) helps you collect, hold, and find the most important data when you need it. With our eDiscovery team we can help law firms, corporations and solo litigation attorneys efficiently manage volumes of data to better prepare their legal cases.
Paper Discovery – Whether you are a solo-practitioner attorney or a large law firm, we can help you get organized with the high volume of documents your clients bring. We can scan, read and prioritize all of your documents so that you can quickly access them when need be.
On-Site Scanning – Banks, law firms and other corporations who have highly sensitive documents can benefit from our companies secure and rapid onsite document scanning services. From litigation copying and scanning to historical document scanning, our onsite scanning experts are ready to help you at your office.
Court Reporting Services – Our deposition services allow law firms to work with one of our highly trained and professional court reporters. Our court reporter network allows you to utilize deposition services anywhere and any time.
Trial Support Services – Proper litigation support is key to a strong courtroom presentation. From jury handbooks to witness kits, to courtroom presentation materials and mounts our litigation and trial support team can help you better prepare for your trial.