Aug 14, 2023
X'Talk: Summarizing a 2,567-Page Criminal Investigation File in 5 Minutes with Xmind
Rose
Synthesizing hundreds of pages of information in a very short time often proves to be a real challenge for professionals dealing with complex data.
We came across the fascinating story of a criminal defense lawyer who was tasked with summarizing over 2,500 elements of an investigation file in just a few minutes. Her goal: to present the crux of the case clearly and efficiently to her client’s executive committee.
Thanks to Xmind, this expert managed to brilliantly overcome this extraordinary challenge. In this article, we explore how this solution helped her gain perspective on the mass of data and extract key information visually.
How I Solved the Impossible in 5 Hours of Hard Work?
“Juliette, I need to understand the entire case file in 5 minutes.”
Wow, that’s a challenge! How do I summarize 2,567 items (yes, a case file is numbered in items) in 5 minutes, are you serious? (Well, I didn’t respond that to my client, but I thought it very strongly).
Who is this client? This client is a legal director who had to present the state of the criminal procedure to the executive committee.
What was his constraint? Make the executive committee understand this case file of 2,567 items and its stakes in 5 minutes. The executive committee are not always jokers and above all, they are busy people. They are not there to listen to you for 3 hours. They are there to understand everything in 5 minutes and make the right decision based on your explanations and recommendations.
What was my constraint? Find a practical solution for my client to allow him to understand everything in 10 minutes and then explain everything in 5 minutes to the executive committee.
Are you still following?
So, I started thinking at 5:00 PM (yes because he informs me at 4:10 PM for the next day at 8:00 AM - don’t do this when possible, it’s very unpleasant, it creates urgency for the sake of urgency).
A memo? Too long, not pedagogical enough. A summary by themes? Too long, not visual enough. A summary in legal design? Not enough time.
Well… I ended up opening Xmind and then, I worked for 5 hours (yes on my side, I knew the file of course) and it gave a crazy result!
Client: ultra satisfied
Executive Committee: ultra satisfied
Me: ultra satisfied
— Excerpt from Juliette Chapelle’s LinkedIn post
Her Professional Journey
Juliette Chapelle: I’ve been a criminal defense lawyer for 10 years. I worked for 3 and a half years within the litigation department of the American firm Cleary Steen & Hamilton. Then, in 2016, I founded the criminal defense law firm, Chapelle Avocat. I have developed particular expertise on complex cases in criminal law, whether in business criminal law or personal criminal law, notably cold cases. I am now a partner in a firm that I recently created with Sophie Elias called Le Kbinet. We specialize in business criminal law and social law.
The Daily Life of a Criminal Defense Lawyer
Juliette Chapelle: In my professional practice, I am always confronted with voluminous files and urgent requests. This requires a sharp mind and good analytical abilities, as well as practical tools. The first instincts are to identify key themes, then sort the information for analysis. Xmind has its place in my professional practice, it’s a valuable tool.
For example, we handle cold cases using Xmind. Cold cases are old files that generally contain thousands of investigation documents and where several criminal leads may have been explored. Analyzing these files with Xmind allows us to synthesize, diagram, and have useful information quickly. It is also a help for our clients in understanding the cases.
Another instance is when a legal director called me the day before a meeting with the entire company management, one of the subjects being the ongoing judicial investigation. I used Xmind to present the case, elements in favor and against, and future stakes. This presentation with Xmind allowed all board members to quickly grasp the case and understand the legal, financial, and political implications for the company.
An Indispensable Tool
Juliette Chapelle: Xmind allows presenting a multitude of complex information in a thematic, pedagogical, and ordered manner. This allows presenting an array of information in one image and the audience to easily understand the themes and the links between the information. It facilitates the assimilation of this information while allowing the audience to stay focused on what is being said by the speaker. I greatly appreciate the ability to hierarchize ideas and to quickly make impactful mind maps.
The Detailed Work Process
Juliette Chapelle: I have a 3-step work process:
Collection of information
Definition of themes
Sorting of information
Following these 3 steps makes the analysis easier than with memos or tables. Then it is just a matter of using Xmind’s features to either create an organizational chart (for example, for complex criminal cases involving multiple suspects), group information related to a specific procedure or create links between different ideas and prioritize them.
An Impressive Presentation
Juliette Chapelle: The client and the Executive Committee reacted very well because it allowed them to understand the key issues of the criminal case in less than 10 minutes. They were impressed by this presentation.
Wise Advice
Juliette Chapelle: I unconditionally recommend Xmind. It has become essential in my work, especially for judicial information which is often complex and lengthy. It concretely allows sorting and prioritizing information as the procedure progresses. I also plan to use it in the trainings I lead on managing the legal risks of company executives.
Tips to Share
Juliette Chapelle: Xmind is software that allows free rein of imagination in terms of presentation while providing a clear framework. The best way to find the magic formula is to test, test and test again, then improve presentations to make them increasingly clearer, more relevant and educational.
