Podcast - Finding Common Ground
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 504: Listen and Learn -- Motions for Judgment as a Matter of Law and Motions for New Trial (Civ Pro)
Podcast - "Ready for Trial?"
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 311: Spotlight on Criminal Law (Part 1)
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 310: Listen and Learn -- Accomplice Liability (Criminal Law)
The Future of Litigation: Adapting to the Era of Nuclear Verdicts
Podcast - Every Case Is a New World
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 309: Listen and Learn -- Felony Murder and Causation (Criminal Law)
Podcast - The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Do the Right Thing
The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Tell Your Story
Podcast - The 3 Core Themes of Trial Law: Know Your Court
Podcast - Real Justice for Real People
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 305: Spotlight on Civil Procedure (Part 2 – Discovery)
There Is No Right Path
Mock Jury Exercises: Enhancing Litigation Strategy in Consumer Financial Services Cases — The Consumer Finance Podcast
Eyes on the Evidence: Powerful Legal Presentations – Speaking of Litigation Video Podcast
Podcast - How Did We Get Here?
Podcast - Parting Thoughts: Be a "Peddler of Common Sense"
Against All Odds- Part Four
Against All Odds- Part Three
Trial outcomes often hinge on witness testimony. Attorneys collect much of this testimony during a formal process called a deposition. A critical component of discovery, depositions traditionally occur in law offices or...more
Last week’s blog recounted the story of a litigator surprised by the unannounced, off-camera presence of the witness’s mother in the room during her son’s remote deposition. That should never have happened and, in modern...more
The post-pandemic litigation environment has seen a rising desire to conduct depositions remotely and a diminishing opposition to remote proceedings. Where litigators do insist on in-person proceedings, those cases are...more
Depositions of witnesses residing in Mexico, at one time a relatively rare occurrence, are becoming commonplace for large law firm litigators. This is because many U.S.-based businesses have relocated manufacturing operations...more
Litigators don’t always have control over the outcome-determinative evidence in their cases. Often, contracts, accident reports, photographic images, and other critical bits of evidence have in most cases already been created...more
This guide provides legal professionals with an overview of how to prepare for and conduct remote depositions in a world that is increasingly adopting hybrid and virtual work environments. By using these best practices,...more
We’ve written previously about sanctions that trial courts can impose on parties that, for no good reason, fail to appear for a properly noticed deposition. Courts are understandably impatient with parties that throw sand in...more
It all starts with a notice. In modern civil litigation, the notice of deposition is the principal means for litigators to ensure that the objectives of deposing a witness are met in a timely, cost-effective, and lawful...more
As litigators know, the United States follows the so-called “American Rule” when apportioning the costs of litigation. Unless a statute specifically provides otherwise, parties in court are responsible for their own...more
If we can do weddings, funerals, healthcare, work, and trials via videoconference, surely we can do the same with depositions. And with that closing remark, a federal magistrate judge summarily dispatched one litigant’s...more
Way back in April 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a federal magistrate judge in Colorado had already seen enough to offer the following plea that lawyers reassess their habit of traveling long distances...more
Depositions can be stressful affairs. For many witnesses, depositions are a once-in-a-lifetime plunge into the unknown with a lot riding on their testimony. Sitting in a room full of strangers, listening to lawyers argue over...more
Even today some attorneys approach remote depositions with a small measure of trepidation. They worry that the lack of physical proximity diminishes their ability to engage with the deponent. They wonder how they can...more
No other pretrial discovery process rivals the deposition for its ability to alter the course of civil litigation. Depositions alone bring litigators face-to-face with key witnesses, experts, and the parties themselves in a...more
If you have ever been involved in a lawsuit or have known someone who has been involved in a lawsuit, you may have heard the term “deposition.” During a lawsuit, a deposition is one way to learn information from the opposing...more
Ever since the Uniform Law Commission published the Uniform Interstate Discovery and Depositions Act in 2007, the disinterest among Texas lawmakers to adopt the law has been both a curiosity and, to a small extent, a failure...more
The job of defending a witness during a deposition, particularly a remote deposition, can be challenging. Civil litigants have a right to consult with their attorney, though not at any time of their choosing and not in a...more
In this post, we’re going to share three excellent deposition tips taken from a recent online presentation, How to Prepare for Your First (or 100th) Deposition, delivered by a pair of Miami-based litigators. Among many other...more
Yes absolutely, but with one caveat. Counsel should not overlook the requirement to carefully document the necessity of any costs claimed to be taxable. This includes costs for videotape copies of depositions....more
Increasingly, the phrase “good cause” is being used by courts to decide whether a deposition or other judicial proceeding should be conducted remotely or in person. Depending on the jurisdiction and the precise nature of the...more
Remote depositions were once thought to be a short-term solution to one of the many challenges of practicing law in a global pandemic. But considering the efficiencies in time and cost when taking a remote deposition, and...more
In his article Eight Traits of Great Trial Lawyers, former U.S. Federal District Judge Mark W. Bennett remarked that lack of preparation topped the list of trial lawyer shortcomings in his courtroom. “Preparation,” Judge...more
This deposition preparation checklist is an essential tool for attorneys to tackle depositions with minimal roadblocks and guide their witnesses to successful testimony. ...more
Legal professionals and commentators have rightly extolled the benefits of the massive shift in the legal work environment. Almost overnight, the practice of law went virtual. As we head into 2022, the legal profession and...more
This post is addressed to the attorney who has properly noticed the deposition of an opposing party for but, for some reason, the intended deponent has failed to appear at the appointed time and place. A basketball metaphor...more