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Preparing to Participate in a Zoomgov Video Hearing

(Last Revised 09/13/2023)

If you are participating in a Zoomgov video hearing with the Court, preparing properly will ensure all involved will have a good experience using this system.

For security and enforcement of Court standards, the Court has disabled the chat feature in Zoom and may disable other Zoom interactions (such as screen share, whiteboard, Q&A, raise hand, react, etc.).

In accordance with the policy of the Judicial Conference of the United States, photographing, recording, streaming and rebroadcasting of court proceedings. Any recording of a court proceeding held by video or teleconference, (including streaming, screenshots or any other audio or video reproduction) is strictly prohibited.

Zoom Account and Software

  1. Participants: If you do not already have a Zoom account, set one up at https://zoom.us. A paid Zoom account is not necessary for any interaction with the court. Attendees do not need a Zoom account if the Court provided a link using the registration process.

  1. Log into https://zoom.us/profile and set your name (first and last), phone (including area code) and email. You should include a photo which will help identify you when connecting.

  1. Install the latest Zoom Client for Meetings at https://zoomgov.com/download. Although Zoom can be used in a browser only, it is very limited. The full Zoom client is required for best functionality and best experience with the system.

  1. Always keep your software up to date! The Zoom Client should automatically update itself upon launching the software, but you can also update it manually.

Settings

Zoom has a lot of settings, and as Zoom updates their system they may change aspects. Below are a few settings recommended by the court to improve your video conference:

  • General: Ask me to confirm when I leave a meeting: ON (Helps prevent unintended departures).

  • Video: Enable HD: OFF (Helps prevent poor video performance, and usually looks just as good as HD).

  • Video: Always display participant names on their video: ON

  • Video: Always show video preview dialog when joining a video meeting: ON (Final check before your video displays to others)