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Trial Ready: How the Best Paralegals Stay Three Steps Ahead

April 6, 2026 Joe Stephens

You already know the basics. You've survived the all-nighters, the last-minute exhibit chaos, and the attorney who changes strategy at 9pm the night before trial. This session isn't about starting from scratch, it's about sharpening everything you already do and showing you where technology can quietly do the heavy lifting.

Join Joe Stephens, J.D., for a practical, skills-forward session built specifically for legal support professionals who want to level up their trial prep game. You'll walk away with proven techniques for anticipating attorney needs, organizing critical documents, and transforming complex case materials into compelling, court-ready presentations faster than ever before.

You’ll explore:

Attorney Work Styles: Understanding how your attorney actually thinks and building systems around it
Document & Timeline Mastery: Organizing case materials in ways that hold up under trial pressure
Deposition Support: What seamless deposition prep looks like before, during, and after
AI Workflows: How modern tools are helping paralegals move from reactive support to proactive case architecture
Trial Excellence: Building the command center mentality that keeps everything running smoothly when it matters most

Walk away with strategies you can use immediately and a fresh perspective on what great trial prep actually looks like. Your next case will thank you.

About the Contributor

Joe Stephens

Joe Stephens, J.D., is Steno's Director of Legal Solutions as well as a Clinical Lecturer at Texas Tech University School of Law. With over 15 years of experience in criminal defense and public service, he founded and led Texas' largest rural public defender office, which serves a 12-county area. A graduate of The University of Texas School of Law (cum laude) and Vanderbilt University (B.A.), Stephens currently serves as a Board Member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer's Association (TCDLA) and sits on multiple State Bar of Texas committees. His expertise spans the intersection of legal practice and technological innovation in the justice system.

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