Q&A: Pack Up Your (Trial) Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag.

Q:    What's a kit bag? And what do I pack in it for trial?

A:    A kit bag is a knapsack or rucksack.  A vintage song from WWI, Pack Up Your Troubles In YOur Old Kit Bag, advised the boys going to war to pack up their troubles in their kit bag rather than worry.  I vaguely remember the song being played on a radio show called "Rambling With Gambling."  But I digress.

A few weeks ago the trial team got ready to show up in the courtroom for jury selection.  We assembled boxes and crates and redwells full of trial materials.  Following are a number of items we also packed that made our lives go a heck of a lot more smoothly:

1. Post-It pads in various sizes and colors.
2. Legal pads large and small.
3. Packages of ink pens in blue, black and red.
4. Packages of magic markers and highlighters.
5. #2 pencils with sturdy erasers.
6. A pad of butcher block paper for the easel.
7. A box of bottled water.
8. A supply of Airborne, throat lozenges, aspirin, and Kleenex. 
9. Packages of AA batteries.
10. A metal retractable/telescoping pointer.
11. A supply of single dollar bills and quarters for Xerox machines, parking meters, and vending machines.
12. Extension cords and multi-cord power strips.
13. Computer cables and appropriate connectors.
14. Gaffer tape (to secure the extension cords to the floor).
15. Extra light bulbs for the projector and Elmo.
16. Fruit, nuts and chocolate for the afternoon pick-me-up.
17. A collapsing yardstick and retractable metal measuring tape.
18. A thumb drive or three (they're small).
19. Someone who knows how to run all the techno-gizmos at the time you need them to run.
20. A full tank of gas to get to and from the courthouse timely.
21. Good will and courage.

What do you pack up in your trial kit bag?  How has it saved the day?