May attorneys make formal opening statements or closing statements?
No. LSA R.S. 40:1299.47 (D) (1) says the evidence to be considered by the Panel shall be submitted in written form only. It is therefore inappropriate for statements to be made by the parties or by their counsel directly to the Panel members. The attorneys should be reminded that the meeting is not a trial nor is the Panel a court of law. 5. Attorneys wish to present their own charts, graphs, etc, in their submissions. Is this permissible? There is nothing in the statute to prohibit it. Charts, graphs, etc may be helpful to Panel members but should only be allowed if supporting data or information that underlies the material is provided. The Panel must satisfy itself as to the accuracy of the material and might even require counsel to provide references to the sources of the data compiled. 6. May attorneys and Panel members participate in the meetings via telephone conference? There is no prohibition under the statute. Telephone conferencing may be appropriate when Panel members or att
