Leyes y Leyendas: 7 Juicios que cambiaron la historia
Podcast - The Basic Rules for Closing Argument
Closing Arguments: Focus and Organization
Closing Argument: Opportunity and Challenge
How to Make Clear, Quick and Effective Objections
More on Cross-Examination: Building a Case Brick by Brick
Podcast - Cross-Examination: Don't Ask One Question Too Many
Podcast - The Ten Commandments of Cross-Examination
Podcast - Refresh vs. Impeach: Know the Difference
Podcast - Impeaching with a Deposition
Podcast - Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses
Cross-Examination: The Three C’s of Impeachment
Cross-Examination: How to Effectively Impeach with a Prior Inconsistent Statement
Cross-Examination: Finding Control
Podcast - Cross-Examination: Don't Argue - Elicit Facts
Cross-Examination: Asking the Right Leading Questions
Podcast - Cross-Examination: The Importance of Organization
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 20: Tips for Court Cases with Judge Dennis and Judge Wilkins of Maynard Nexsen
Understanding When to Cross-Examine
Podcast - Cross-Examination: Basic Approaches
In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small explores how to avoid asking leading questions during direct examination. The Federal Rules of Evidence state that lawyers should...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small explains the importance of being concise in the courtroom. He describes how to eliminate unnecessary words and noise so the...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small discusses the pros and cons of using technology in the courtroom. Mr. Small provides six helpful tips on how to put the...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small sits down with fellow litigation attorney Trish Rich for a conversation on the importance of civility in trial law. Their...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small discusses chronology and why this tool is so important when working on a case. Mr. Small provides key steps for building an...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small shares the five "P's" that will help shape jurors' emotions in the courtroom. Mr. Small delves into the important role...more
With technological and medical advances, humans are safer now than they have ever been. Along with these innovations and increases in overall safety, people’s belief that they should be absolutely free from the risk of harm...more
Over the years, we have heard much consternation from our clients regarding a plaintiff strategy called the “Reptile Approach.” We have seen this approach become more and more popular—not to mention effective—during...more
A “hotseater,” or trial technician, will allow you to focus on delivering a winning argument by taking care of the technical aspects of trial presentation....more
So, your deposition has been scheduled, and you’re just starting to wrap your head around what is in store for you. Your lawyer has already stressed that you are not in the driver’s seat at this stage: The deposition is the...more
It is 2022 and we are ready to be back in the courtroom. For the past two years, most civil trials have come to a grinding halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, lawyers, judges and litigants alike are eager to return to...more
The American civil jury trial was on life support before the pandemic. For a generation at least, the trend has been toward a reduced scope for a jury’s decision, an expansion in the power of judges to resolve things in...more
With mounting frustration over the duration and human cost of the Coronavirus pandemic, along with the sluggish pace of vaccinations in many parts of the country, President Joe Biden, this past week, threw down the gauntlet...more
For more than a year, many of us have been presenting to audiences by Zoom or other web-conferencing platforms rather than presenting in person. Largely, the experience has lived up to the challenge, convincing many in the...more
To many trial-watchers, a key moment in the recent trial of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, for the murder of George Floyd, came during the testimony of Dr. Martin Tobin. This Chicago pulmonary physician, in...more
When preparing a witness, there can sometimes be a strong impulse to say, “Just answer the question.” That impulse comes from an appropriate desire to keep things simple, and to keep the witness from wandering or waffling....more
For trial lawyers, there is a great deal of lore on the kinds of jurors you would want for particular cases. While some attorneys will focus on traits like gender, age, or occupation, the smarter course, in my view, is to...more
Experienced trial attorneys know that jurors are not interchangeable empty vessels. Each juror enters the jury box with a wide range of experiences, beliefs and attitudes, and may be more or less inclined toward reaching a...more
Take a moment and visualize what your next in-person jury trial might look like. The jurors arrive at the courthouse and have their temperature checked while being asked whether they or anyone in their household have been...more
Might a fear-based strategy have greater purchase in the present pandemic climate? People are certainly feeling scared and vulnerable these days. Even as states begin to relax the coronavirus stay-at-home restrictions, the...more
The Coronavirus is exaggerated, the fatality numbers are being cooked, and the media is just hyping the crisis for political reasons. The treatments are being kept from us, and the quarantine is just a dry run for an upcoming...more
Those of us who work in trial preparation and case assessment are in a remarkable new reality as trials across the country are on indefinite hold. Unlike some past natural disasters and economic disruptions, the one is not...more
The art of training legal advocates has a long and honorable history. For example, the Socratic method used in law school is still an unbeatable way to teach critical thinking. But what about trial advocacy? On that score,...more
Since it’s Halloween, let’s consider a frightful topic. Experienced trial lawyers usually get past their stage fright early on, and even come to relish the idea of standing in front of a jury, or most any audience. But...more
Trial advocacy is a mix of law and theater, requiring a lawyer to know both the law and their audience. Attorneys must effectively argue their client’s case using the evidence and the jury instructions to show their client is...more