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8 ¦ NOVEMBER 23, 2020 NEWS

¦ From BRIDGEPORT on PAGE 7 quarantine but were attending
47-year-old Shelton resident said school in a hybrid fashion, which
he hopes to never repeat. took its toll on the students. It was
“I can’t even describe the feel- The whole junior varsity announced this week, Sevillano
team, including Sevillano, said, that Shelton schools would
ing. It was like I was sitting in my was quarantined for 15 be closed for in-person learning
house trapped. I couldn’t go any-
where. I was home for two weeks. days in October, missing until January because of the CO-
It was surreal,” said Sevillano. four games, after one VID-19 uptick.
The quarantine was in the mid- player tested positive for
dle of soccer season, and Sevillano What did Sevillano, who says
he still watches six hours of soccer
felt for his players. COVID-19. every weekend, learn from being

While the law side of his busi- in quarantine and not being able
ness went on without disruption to play a full year?
during the quarantine, thanks to “I learned to adjust to your sit-
Zoom and telephone calls, his players were feeling uation. Just like being an attorney, you get thrown
the affect of not practicing or playing. a lot of curve balls. This was a giant curve ball
“After two weeks of being quarantined, you could thrown at the whole team, and we hit it out of the
see a difference in the players. They went downhill. park.” he said.
They lost their touch on the ball, but they were still ¦

resilient and were able to still find a way to win the Robert Storace covers legal trends, lawsuits and
rest of their games,” Sevillano said. analysis for the Connecticut Law Tribune. Follow
Sevillano called the season “a roller-coaster ride” him on Twitter @RobertSCTLaw or reach him at
for his players, who not only spent a few weeks in 203-437-5950.

Zoom Is Changing the Power Dynamic for
Some Lawyers

By Robert Storace

Attorneys are saying Zoom and other video- Virtual hearings and meetings make for a more
conferencing technology level the playing amenable atmosphere, Kriesen said.
field in some legal proceedings. “I’m facilitating a process. I’m not dominating it,”
“If you are a judge or mediator or arbitrator, you he said. “The perception is that everyone is equal.”
hold positions of power. You are either on the bench Zoom and other video-conferencing technol-
or at the head of the table,” said Connecticut attorney ogy have been front and center as the COVID-19
Christopher Kriesen, founder of The Kalon Law Firm pandemic has forced attorneys to find new ways to
in Hartford. “But in a Zoom call, you are in the grid, communicate with peers and clients.
and everyone’s position is equal. It changes the power And the machines have helped humanize users,
dynamic. I think for mediation that works very well.” observers say.
Kriesen has been an attorney for about 25 years. Whether it’s by capturing a dog’s bark dur-
His concentration is in alternative dispute resolu- ing a Zoom session, a cat climbing for a cuddle,
tion, and he’s been using Zoom or similar platforms or your young child doing something silly in the
to conduct business since the onset of the COV- background, many say the technology often allows
ID-19 pandemic in March. participants to reveal something about themselves

CONNECTICUT
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