How to Conclude Your Closing Argument

When you reach the end of your closing argument, you want a powerful conclusion, and here is how you can accomplish that end. First, you can return to your case theme—“as I told you in opening, this case is about “trust and betrayal of trust”. This symmetry brings power to your closing.

You can wave the flag—bring emotion and evoke a desire to what you are asking. Here is how Vincent Bugliosi concluded his initial closing argument in the Charlie Manson murder case, “Under the law of this state and nation these defendants are entitled to have their day in court. They got that. 

“They are also entitled to have a fair trial by an impartial jury. They also got that.

“That is all that they are entitled to!

“Since they committed these seven senseless murders, the People of the state of California are entitled to a guilty verdict.”  

Then in his rebuttal closing argument, Bugliosi finished in this fashion:

“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,” I quietly began, “Sharon Tate . . .Abigail Fulger. . . Voytek Frykowski . . .Jay Sebring . . . Steven Parent . . . Leno LaBianca . . . Rosemary LaBianca. . . are not here with us now in this courtroom, but from their graves they cry out for justice. Justice can only be served by coming back to this courtroom with a verdict of guilty.”    

Watch the prosecutor in the murder trial of Michael Peterson that was made into a documentary titled “The Staircase” conclude his closing argument.