tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15291676956247042252024-03-26T15:49:39.396-07:00Pretrial, Trial, Appellate & Evidence BlogUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-32774393364621112912024-03-16T14:04:00.000-07:002024-03-16T14:05:21.945-07:00New Book Website Launched - ronclarkbooks.com<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFCTSetWnOmVZBS4jbOXt0XdM0NmhB0z_tFQJfkdPMXtRXDgf_GCeu_wW5WgsQ_QQ0z1UFPRUpLYa9qB9mTIhCmAKAlv_tseXZLn6YeiStQ2gTOKhq2WsoJeQv10ySwJSA6NzZY0Z8fx36KgxqqfuaiCQGQp7gB2APTYb8Fl23Qy18maWWm7M-7NuRow/s1247/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-15%20at%205.37.46%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1247" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFCTSetWnOmVZBS4jbOXt0XdM0NmhB0z_tFQJfkdPMXtRXDgf_GCeu_wW5WgsQ_QQ0z1UFPRUpLYa9qB9mTIhCmAKAlv_tseXZLn6YeiStQ2gTOKhq2WsoJeQv10ySwJSA6NzZY0Z8fx36KgxqqfuaiCQGQp7gB2APTYb8Fl23Qy18maWWm7M-7NuRow/w629-h340/Screen%20Shot%202024-03-15%20at%205.37.46%20PM.jpeg" width="629" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hope you visit my new website - <a href="http://ronclarkbooks.com">ronclarkbooks.com</a>. It was just published.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-89901572486648452532024-02-07T16:37:00.000-08:002024-02-07T16:37:00.134-08:00Trump's Helpful Courtroom Behavior<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JwHS0Od7c9OPsjouuCq7QIyG3LaAWu7kcmYsoXZZL6Mn4s_8pyNYP3HfmbdNHuW852lwh0uVv01nPyulM81jgrEPVRbOdmOaT-dsnKB4uE9WNdqASlm0pAmnSVgS9WBEgnkMXlJW9TrP9-srjA3JkmbYRB26okzSdTkmxiwr2ONRZEvqb7DZjDNa64w/s280/trump.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="280" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JwHS0Od7c9OPsjouuCq7QIyG3LaAWu7kcmYsoXZZL6Mn4s_8pyNYP3HfmbdNHuW852lwh0uVv01nPyulM81jgrEPVRbOdmOaT-dsnKB4uE9WNdqASlm0pAmnSVgS9WBEgnkMXlJW9TrP9-srjA3JkmbYRB26okzSdTkmxiwr2ONRZEvqb7DZjDNa64w/w585-h376/trump.jpeg" width="585" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Trial lawyers think differently from other human beings when they evaluate a person who might be a witness. First, they evaluate what the person has to offer in the case in the context of the rules of evidence. The trial lawyer ponders whether or not what the witness has to offer is admissible in evidence. If the witness hurts the case, the lawyer may move to keep the witness off the stand or exclude part of the witness’s testimony as inadmissible under the rules of evidence. If what the witness offers is helpful, the lawyer comes to court prepared to argue it is admissible under the rules.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Second, the trial lawyer evaluates what the witness has to offer in terms of whether it helps or hurts the case. Does the evidence the witness can provide help or hurt the case? Obviously, if it hurts, the lawyer turns to the rules of evidence in hopes of being able to keep the witness off the stand or exclude the harmful part of the witness’s testimony. Conversely, if what the witness offers is good for the case, the trial lawyer will want the witness to take the take the stand and get the evidence the witness can provide admitted into evidence.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With those two concepts in mind, consider Donald Trump’s involvement in the E. Jean Carroll case in which the jury awarded plaintiff Carroll $83. million. Defense counsel called Trump to the stand, and he testified for around three minutes. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s evaluate Trump as a witness from the plaintiff’s lawyer’s perspective utilizing the two criteria—admissibility of the evidence and whether or not the evidence is helpful or harmful. Regarding admissibility of the evidence, to the extent that Trump wanted to continue denying he sexually assaulted Carroll, the plaintiff’s had the court’s ruling on the evidence that that issue had been resolved during the first trial and that testimony that the sexual harassment did not happen would not be allowed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Second and most fascinating is how the two sides evaluated what Trump contributed to the case in terms of whether it was good or bad. It’s hard to fathom why defense counsel put him on the stand and let him behave the way he did in the courtroom. He offered little during his three minutes on the stand.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Plaintiff’s counsel were delighted by Trump’s performance and gave it high marks for helping the plaintiff’s case. As they have said in interviews after the trial, the plaintiff’s themes for the case were that Trump was a bully who thought the rules did not apply to him, and Trump’s courtroom behavior offered corroboration for those themes. Trump not only spoke loudly so the jury could hear him when he should not have done so, and he walked out the courtroom during opposing counsel’s closing argument, which is a breach of courtroom decorum. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The court probably instructed the jury to evaluate a witness’s testimony in terms somewhat along these lines:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"In considering a witness's testimony, you may consider these things: the opportunity of the witness to observe or know the things they testify about; the ability of the witness to observe accurately; the quality of a witness's memory while testifying; <i>the manner of the witness while testifying; any personal interest that the witness might have in the outcome or the issues; any bias or prejudice that the witness may have shown</i>; the reasonableness of the witness's statements in the context of all of the other evidence; <i>and any other factors that affect your evaluation or belief of a witness or your evaluation of his or her testimony.</i>" (Emphasis added)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Clearly in the minds of E. Jean Carroll and her lawyers, Trump’s demeanor and behavior helped their case.</span></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-34276749442535006142024-02-04T14:04:00.000-08:002024-02-04T14:14:03.962-08:00CRAFTING THE CONTENT OF A PRESENTATION<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbHmtnhZO9zjP6BQhqdVtgGpytfByUH-py73-tRvpjKgJUvB8qmnBYvcUKiTU1nRI5N13YJRt2bFEUPLgRrBZ9ntVrJTQ_Z1FBnzSwxZxlEpHwy9byfYOPkwmsKKEpW9mKDQ8KlEYJDZFUyQB4xmpYXc2FBN0fucWbjPdxY9BuAkCeAjIgNsHAw1UYpw/s900/1%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="900" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUbHmtnhZO9zjP6BQhqdVtgGpytfByUH-py73-tRvpjKgJUvB8qmnBYvcUKiTU1nRI5N13YJRt2bFEUPLgRrBZ9ntVrJTQ_Z1FBnzSwxZxlEpHwy9byfYOPkwmsKKEpW9mKDQ8KlEYJDZFUyQB4xmpYXc2FBN0fucWbjPdxY9BuAkCeAjIgNsHAw1UYpw/w578-h510/1%20(1).jpg" width="578" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The following is an excerpt from <i>Powerful Presentation Handbook - </i>a book that can serve as a guide whenever you are making a presentation whether it is given in or out of a courtroom.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CRAFTING THE CONTENT OF A PRESENTATION</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are three guiding principles for selecting and designing the content of your presentation: (1) a purpose and passion; (2) suitable to the audience; and (3) engage and entertain.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>PURPOSE AND PASSION </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First, have a passion and a purpose. As Danielle Kennedy says, “The speaker’s objectives are like the writer’s thesis statement. What are you trying to say? Accomplish? What is the purpose of the speech? It’s mission statement? If you don’t know, should the audience guess?” Selling the Danielle Kennedy Way, Danielle Kennedy (1991)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What are you going to talk about? What are you trying to say? Accomplish? Is the subject of your presentation decided by others or is that left up to you? Usually, you will be asked to speak on the subject because you are knowledgeable about it. However, you might be assigned to speak on a subject upon which you are not well versed. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No matter how you arrive at the assigned subject, you want to make the subject your own—to know what you want to get across to your audience—your purpose. When the subject of your talk is your own and you have a purpose, you will have a passion for your subject, enabling you to speak from your heart and mind to your audience. If you can’t make the speech your own, don’t give it.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nothing is more dynamic than a person who has purpose and a passion for the subject and wants to deliver the message from the speaker’s heart to the hearts of people in the audience. In Chapter 3 “Lessons in Eloquent Rhetoric”, we can tell from their speeches that Reverend King, Oprah Winfrey, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, and Gerry Spence each had a purpose and passion for their subject matter. Each of them radiated their purpose and passion to the audience. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SUITABLE TO THE AUDIENCE</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The second principle for crafting the content of a successful presentation is to make sure that the audience needs and wants to learn about the subject. If the presentation does not meet listeners’ needs and wants, it is not worth giving. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The topic must fit what the audience wants and needs. Sometimes, while the audience members may need to learn about a subject, they do not want to listen to a talk on the subject. If that is the situation, they are not going to learn much. If the audience needs to learn about a subject but does not naturally want to learn about it, you must create the desire to know. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Creating a want to know in the audience can be accomplished by explaining to the audience why they should care about the subject of your talk. For example, when I worked at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina, every week a new contingent of state and local prosecutors came to Columbia to receive training at the Center. They were there to become better prosecutors. What did they want? They wanted practical information that would help them perform their job. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While the attendees at the Center needed a presentation on prosecutor professionalism—legal ethics—to become better prosecutors, a lecture on the subject was not one they, as a matter of course, were looking forward to and wanted. Because the attendees did want practical information, it was important for the presenter to explain, with the aid of every-day practical examples, that ethics violations can result in mistrials and reversals of convictions. An ethic’s presentation framed around this practical information coupled with advice concerning how to avoid professional responsibility pitfalls was one that the prosecutors wanted in the lecture on prosecutorial professionalism.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ENGAGE AND ENTERTAIN</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The third principle for selecting and crafting your powerful presentation is—find material that will engage and entertain the audience. Yes, entertain them. To accomplish this, the speaker must do the necessary brainstorming and research. Where do we get the material to include in the presentation? The first and best source is your creative mind. When you are motivated by either glee or fear that you are going to give a talk, ideas will start flowing. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The ideas may include a joke, a story, a demonstration, a personal experience, an anecdote, and so on. Get out of the way and do not pass judgment on the ideas that come to you because you are brainstorming. Do not initially reject a train of thought because on later reflection what you initially thought was not a good idea, could indeed be usable. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Write down your ideas. Put them in a file on your computer. Label the file with the date of your talk and title of the presentation. When an idea comes to you, put it in the file. Keep a tablet by your bed or a phone so you can record the ideas when they come to you in the middle of the night.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some notions that are winners:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Naturally, anything supporting the message you want to impart to the audience.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stories: Use stories to make a point. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A joke that is pertinent to the topic.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Quotations: They are useful to drive home a point. A quote is good if it is from a well-known, respected figure. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Transcript: If the subject is trial work, an excerpt from a trial transcript could fit in the talk. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Extended anecdotes work well. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Demonstrations: Demonstrations can highlight a point you want to make.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rhetorical devices, such as an analogy, simile or metaphor, which will be discussed in the next chapter.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The topic of your talk will dictate to you what research you need to do. Discuss your talk with the person who asked you to make the presentation; find out what the person wants to get across to the audience. Read everything can get your hands on about the subject. Talk to people who are knowledgeable on the subject. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you are interested in reading more of the book, you can locate it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-Presentation-Handbook-Crafting-Delivering-ebook/dp/B0BYQ77SXV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2QGXGP79XX6VY&keywords=powerful+presentation+handbook&qid=1707083755&sprefix=powerful+presentation+h%2Caps%2C657&sr=8-1">on Amazon by clicking here.</a> It is only $7.99 in paperback and free on Kindle Unlimited.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-43112934059641102382023-12-23T13:11:00.000-08:002023-12-23T13:11:09.189-08:00Reforming the Criminal Justice System<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGSpXQGMu5ELVN4OA0iXln60T-I27R3vG8qgdF9DRv09ez8oExLplsIURFQd74aqCnIUfilCiJ0l8T1vEYU2IjoUm2T2vTNc2exGpQtqjVLNz0OwD7SWpKU71kj0vfT4mZ0rwOsKAMcIVAhmRgjUprI765XmrTQqfofk6XcPVMB_eeFlFYXBv_s0lGnOc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGSpXQGMu5ELVN4OA0iXln60T-I27R3vG8qgdF9DRv09ez8oExLplsIURFQd74aqCnIUfilCiJ0l8T1vEYU2IjoUm2T2vTNc2exGpQtqjVLNz0OwD7SWpKU71kj0vfT4mZ0rwOsKAMcIVAhmRgjUprI765XmrTQqfofk6XcPVMB_eeFlFYXBv_s0lGnOc=w375-h562" width="375" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">For most of the virus isolation year, I worked on a new book—</span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Roadways-Justice-Reforming-Criminal-System-ebook/dp/B095L4RSBF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=35KP4Z6DQKCIH&keywords=roadways+to+justice&qid=1703365703&sprefix=roadways+to+justice%2Caps%2C1401&sr=8-1">Roadways to Justice: Reforming the Criminal Justice System</a></i><span style="font-size: x-large;">. The book was published by Full Court Press, Fastcase, Inc.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Roadways to Justice</i> is a history of efforts to reform the criminal justice system, and it is somewhat of a memoir. Beginning in 1969, I worked as a prosecutor in the King County Prosecutor’s Office in Seattle Washington for 27 years. Following that for 8 years I was the Senior Training Counsel at the National Advocacy Center in South Carolina where state and local prosecutors were trained. During that time, I also served as the program manager of continuing legal education programs for the National College of District Attorneys. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2004, I returned to Seattle and have been a Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at Seattle University Law School where I teach Trial Advocacy, Pretrial Advocacy, Essential Visual Litigation and Technology, and Essential Lawyering Skills. In addition, I’ve taught in over 40 states at continuing legal education course and internationally in the Balkans. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The central focus of Roadways to Justice is how to reform the criminal justice system. The King County Prosecutor’s Office has had remarkable successes in reforming the justice system, and what success the one prosecutor’s office has had provides a roadmap for others who want to make a meaningful difference in the American criminal justice system. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The book has received some really nice reviews like this five-star review:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"For those who doubt the criminal justice hasn’t changed for eons, this book is a must read. The author, a nationally known former prosecutor and educator, outlines through personal experience how the system has evolved in the last 40 years. He paints a picture of how the public prosecutor’s office has played a leadership role in this evolution, from dealing with public corruption, the death penalty and juvenile justice to providing training on a national level to new prosecutors.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Mr. Clark’s use of actual events and cases in which he was involved brings home how the system can be steered by prosecutors dedicated to doing the right thing."</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-49962375891281470352023-12-14T17:22:00.000-08:002023-12-14T17:22:37.202-08:00RIGHT WORDS FOR TRIAL LAWYERS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE1EOyMKOHVcftDYudozmMLp3WaWkr-jM6Fk4l4zjaK9i85Xf3fMhYVCGg7D2Gkr2bqOUqY9v8DJWqmkLEdS-J2HiFFXlA02kgEDmZjVBlu-vtlpW-2ZPu3-7kfe-n99Aw-kIaGDd-AgVas5pPqgAV1Ie-jX-SgVc7klv-GLswNd4xuYbRFWY1ZfV9GrY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE1EOyMKOHVcftDYudozmMLp3WaWkr-jM6Fk4l4zjaK9i85Xf3fMhYVCGg7D2Gkr2bqOUqY9v8DJWqmkLEdS-J2HiFFXlA02kgEDmZjVBlu-vtlpW-2ZPu3-7kfe-n99Aw-kIaGDd-AgVas5pPqgAV1Ie-jX-SgVc7klv-GLswNd4xuYbRFWY1ZfV9GrY=w600-h216" width="600" /></a></div></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Metaphor: A metaphor makes comparisons by replacing one thing for another. Metaphors are powerful because they connect the information you want to impart to with something with which the jurors are familiar. Also, metaphors can be utilized to make a complex idea easier to understand. In trial advocacy, the metaphor can be a bridge between your case theory and something with which the jurors are familiar.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s a collection of metaphors, some of them compiled by <a href="https://plaintifftriallawyertips.com/metaphors-youll-like">Paul Luvera</a>, one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Robert Frost—The Road Not Taken: “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">And sorry I could not travel both. . .”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shakespeare—Romeo and Juliet: "Juliet is the sun." </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shakespeare—Macbeth: “Life is but a walking shadow.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Shakespeare—Timon of Athens: “The sun’s a thief.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Plato: “As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mark Twain: “Everyone is a moon and has a dark side, which he never shows to anybody.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Churchill said of Secretary of State Dulles: “He is the only bull who brings his own china shop with him.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Comedian Robin Tyler: “Fundamentalists are to Christianity what paint by the numbers is to art.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Len Deighton: “In Mexico, an air conditioner is called a “politician” because it makes a lot of noise, but doesn’t work.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jim Hardin, the District Attorney for Durham, North Carolina, in closing argument of the murder trial of Michael Peterson (The Staircase documentary): “I started looking around the scene and in the stairwell thinking—what if those walls could talk? What would they say? Ladies and gentlemen, these walls are talking. Kathleen Peterson is talking to us through the blood on these walls. She is screaming at us for truth and for justice. It’s all in these photographs.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-60591683414598802542023-11-30T12:40:00.000-08:002023-11-30T12:40:24.694-08:00New Edition: Evidence Book<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr4Wwq39j5Tx8C1HGQ3E327ldfl74WUbc9X4O7UBQ06LcDwaduxWLoOQt8IInt6P2Luo-3TULmK1TZdbTBfqJXr8pEH2HE8RD_KI5jsGmzv7oAVz5hUJp2yzXKaY8jNq15uG2gJ75ZLsbcAmtTzTVx57yoykzmVap7RBB8rJ-eRK4jlibl886hmMYLio/s392/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-30%20at%2011.52.19%20AM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="274" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzr4Wwq39j5Tx8C1HGQ3E327ldfl74WUbc9X4O7UBQ06LcDwaduxWLoOQt8IInt6P2Luo-3TULmK1TZdbTBfqJXr8pEH2HE8RD_KI5jsGmzv7oAVz5hUJp2yzXKaY8jNq15uG2gJ75ZLsbcAmtTzTVx57yoykzmVap7RBB8rJ-eRK4jlibl886hmMYLio/w353-h504/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-30%20at%2011.52.19%20AM.jpeg" width="353" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Good news today. Aspen Publishing wants to do a new edition of our Evidence book.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-58140806294742874322023-11-24T13:10:00.000-08:002023-11-24T13:12:33.096-08:00NEW LAW SCHOOL PRETRIAL ADVOCACY FLEX JD COURSE<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaED8cQ4AiU4GifLfsXBbfsIJ5oyCTpmjpLe1p67ooPiPS-6cZmvQJs34pv__mZ9XmBHv-V9zQ-uc_c2aoQEBvDOxm8DSPIE4u53GXNlAIz2nSIyOKNSXVosp5EMXnV7MorPaV_uOUElBx_GG88jRhao3SbmRSP9Dr71Azqr0SbJGtHxHZRUiXUVdIMtk/s1340/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-24%20at%201.01.43%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1340" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaED8cQ4AiU4GifLfsXBbfsIJ5oyCTpmjpLe1p67ooPiPS-6cZmvQJs34pv__mZ9XmBHv-V9zQ-uc_c2aoQEBvDOxm8DSPIE4u53GXNlAIz2nSIyOKNSXVosp5EMXnV7MorPaV_uOUElBx_GG88jRhao3SbmRSP9Dr71Azqr0SbJGtHxHZRUiXUVdIMtk/w598-h305/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-24%20at%201.01.43%20PM.jpeg" width="598" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Beginning this Spring Seattle University Law School will offer my Comprehensive Pretrial Advocacy Flex JD course. It is a 4-credit course. Flex JD courses are designed for students who are working. They are hybrids—for example, my Pretrial Advocacy course involves one synchronous online Zoom session per week running from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and two in-person weekends at the law school. Students in the Flex JD program can graduate in four, rather than three, years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The curriculum of my course while organized to fit this pattern will cover the same material and experiences that an in-person at the law school course covers. One big difference is that students will be interacting with and submitting work on a very robust Canvas web page. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The text for the course is my <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pretrial-Advocacy-Planning-Analysis-Coursebook/dp/1543847552/ref=sr_1_2?crid=PXC3H4PNVMJ1&keywords=pretrial+advocacy+book+clark&qid=1700860022&sprefix=pretrial+advocacy+book+clark%2Caps%2C402&sr=8-2&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.304cacc1-b508-45fb-a37f-a2c47c48c32f">Pretrial Advocacy: Planning, Analysis and Strategy</a></i> 6th edition, which is being published by Aspen Publishing. </span></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-34367827271049518562023-11-13T15:24:00.000-08:002023-11-13T15:24:21.040-08:00Opening Statement: Your Golden Opportunity as a Trial Lawyer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHws8HaX7pJxHJBokNHwH-IKhH5IFB45nWdUSmourlfEhWyeSQXgRqvgy5mjEiBo62TwjuKlLHyq84_0bVeJOXOpBvAGf3udsMc6CDqy7mQKSum1lChYeMbMhHkkrAXChc5LhzZcB0qBj2ujCO-O6SdtazxGCA8tr3PuEVhjH3w9uiyt6dgX9hyphenhyphenc3Lq_w/s1800/606470-R1-029-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="1800" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHws8HaX7pJxHJBokNHwH-IKhH5IFB45nWdUSmourlfEhWyeSQXgRqvgy5mjEiBo62TwjuKlLHyq84_0bVeJOXOpBvAGf3udsMc6CDqy7mQKSum1lChYeMbMhHkkrAXChc5LhzZcB0qBj2ujCO-O6SdtazxGCA8tr3PuEVhjH3w9uiyt6dgX9hyphenhyphenc3Lq_w/w589-h397/606470-R1-029-13.jpg" width="589" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Opening Statement is a golden opportunity. As a trial lawyer, opening statement is your chance to communicate your message in your words. It is a golden opportunity for three reasons. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">First, you can provide the jurors with the story of your case in your own words. Opening statement will aid jurors in organizing and understanding the evidence as it is presented during trial, creating a sketch on the jurors’ mental canvas. Brushstroke by brushstroke, the sketch gains color, and the jury can visualize the picture you want them to see. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Jurors want a story. Our history is a history of storytelling. We pass on our culture with storytelling. Our stories are told online, in newpapers, in plays, in movies. It’s all storytelling. If you don’t provide a story, opposing counsel’s case narrative may control the jurors’ perception of the case. Alternatively, if opposing counsel does not supply a convincing case narrative, the jurors are likely to concoct their own, and this story may not be in your favor. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Second, opening statement provides a first impression on the jury. For the first time, jurors hear your full message. According to the rule of primacy, an audience is likely to remember what they hear first.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Third, because you deliver the message, you control how it is crafted and presented. During the rest of the trial until closing argument, the evidence will necessarily be presented in fragments, and it will often be introduced out of chronological order. But, throughout your opening, your message should be clear and convincing. During the rest of the trial until closing argument, however, your messengers will be witnesses. Although you have some control over how witnesses impart information, you do not have complete control.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">For more information about how to craft a dynamic opening statement see <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/ADDRESSING-JURY-Opening-Statement-Argument-ebook/dp/B0BZ1VJP47/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19DJQ52RNO61P&keywords=addressing+the+jury&qid=1699917111&sprefix=addressing+the+jury%2Caps%2C946&sr=8-1 ">Addressing the Jury: Opening Statement and Closing Argument</a></i> (2023 and only $9.29) and <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trial-Advocacy-Planning-Connected-Coursebook/dp/1543847560/ref=sr_1_4?crid=U8P9J0ZNF6P1&keywords=trial+advocacy+berger&qid=1699917197&sprefix=trial+advocacy+berger%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0 ">Trial Advocacy</a></i>, 5th Edition (2023).</span></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-82327943111032405332023-11-04T16:07:00.001-07:002023-11-04T16:07:50.713-07:00Best Reads: Abraham Lincoln Books<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJQHSa_oFcAaiCYmlvzxlBo4g0WlSC2C-UPJB7XU3ShLm2b6NgVDDdrdqdrAVikO3lML15r_T-ikqs1iqONXftapWUfH9wvyG__TYTlAXQbka4Bxnmh9u1oWD0TLSRanlXZTeYhi3srp_LVAHcPqbWAEzn5gIijKBxNHmq2-ubHhD5YS2jeL2j8oPK_Q/s439/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-04%20at%203.52.23%20PM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="271" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJQHSa_oFcAaiCYmlvzxlBo4g0WlSC2C-UPJB7XU3ShLm2b6NgVDDdrdqdrAVikO3lML15r_T-ikqs1iqONXftapWUfH9wvyG__TYTlAXQbka4Bxnmh9u1oWD0TLSRanlXZTeYhi3srp_LVAHcPqbWAEzn5gIijKBxNHmq2-ubHhD5YS2jeL2j8oPK_Q/w330-h533/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-04%20at%203.52.23%20PM.jpeg" width="330" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A couple days ago, a friend emailed me to say that her book club had just read </span><i style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lincolns-Last-Trial-Propelled-Presidency/dp/1335424695 ">Lincoln’s Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency</a></i><span style="font-size: large;"> by Dan Abrams and David Fisher (2018) , and recommended that I read it. Turns out that I had not only read it but also written a review and given it a 5 star rating. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As a former trial lawyer, an author of books about trial advocacy and a believer that Lincoln serves as a great role model for trial lawyers and aspiring trial lawyers, I’m passing on the recommendation of the book to you in case you haven’t read it.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Here's my review that is listed on Amazon:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Ronald H. Clark</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">5.0 out of 5 stars Abe Lincoln and the evolution of American law</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Verified Purchase</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a very solid addition to the Lincoln legal literature which will benefit intensive general students of Lincoln as well. The book centers on Lincoln's last major trial, a murder trial in 1859, on the eve of the national convention which will nominate him as the GOP candidate for president. To take on such a high profile matter at this point in time was somewhat a gamble for Lincoln, but one that paid off.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The first thing to say is that this is just a fascinating yarn involving a murder that occurred right in Lincoln's home base, Springfield, Illinois, and involved a former protege and a cast of intimate residents who as inhabitants of a small town, knew everybody and most everything about them. But the book is much more in addition to this. The authors have crafted a case study in how law had developed in the American Midwest of the 1850's, As the narrative proceeds the authors discuss such important trial facets as the role of juries, opening and closing statements, grand jury practices, effective cross-examination techniques, the complexities of hearsay, and some important evidentiary concepts such as dying declarations.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvNX36-vF-smgN2YN6uCYZu0TcgXlw7dg2f8swMlAbx2W_hahYrO-msIsckrCzKzKk-DuRxiJl1UG4NFtCwLEJH-PcZ7xrEA2pBg8-2Mr3gAv7LEShYRiz7GKgun4ZrrHZwd6FTi0F7e4jG1quYL032XQzsQUlzoVZswAxncb8iOrpQjGsa7usf0DXs4/s1280/Sandber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1280" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvNX36-vF-smgN2YN6uCYZu0TcgXlw7dg2f8swMlAbx2W_hahYrO-msIsckrCzKzKk-DuRxiJl1UG4NFtCwLEJH-PcZ7xrEA2pBg8-2Mr3gAv7LEShYRiz7GKgun4ZrrHZwd6FTi0F7e4jG1quYL032XQzsQUlzoVZswAxncb8iOrpQjGsa7usf0DXs4/w378-h363/Sandber.jpg" width="378" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">While we're on the subject of books about Lincoln, I’ve tried to read as many as possible. Carl <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-Prairie-Years-War/dp/B00088ASWY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3EBFJVMVVIXC4&keywords=carl+sandburg+lincoln&qid=1699137795&s=books&sprefix=carl+sandberg+lincoln%2Cstripbooks%2C189&sr=1-3">Sandberg</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-Prairie-Years-War/dp/B00088ASWY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3EBFJVMVVIXC4&keywords=carl+sandburg+lincoln&qid=1699137795&s=books&sprefix=carl+sandberg+lincoln%2Cstripbooks%2C189&sr=1-3">’s multivolume set about Lincoln</a> is the most in depth coverage of his life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Two other masterpiece books about Lincoln include: </span><i style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincolns-Most-Famous-Case/dp/1440830495/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X6A27O1302HA&keywords=Lincoln%27s+most+famous+trial&qid=1699137946&s=books&sprefix=lincoln%27s+most+famous+trial%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-1 ">Abraham Lincoln’s Most Famous Trial</a></i><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><i style="font-size: large;">Prarie Defender: The Murder Trials of Abraham Lincoln </i><span style="font-size: large;">written by George R. “Bob” Dekle, Jr. Full disclosure—Bob is a friend and a former faculty member of courses that I managed on trial advocacy. Bob also prosecuted Ted Bundy.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRjl3iQKz3mkA0PVdjL170D_gYaiwvKiPupqcOZHrmgE9z9yF2xiNIoHmTQd7Ol61gJCa2HAxuTfJcwapGm5ZW8xYowOJSQ6O8lokOsUq_UmkM9H14on4CjOqqIZl1Vt7XlcbUhxHpIxEQY2I1cgJUBKxQlIFJrbOurilxqPUwoCOj9P-nnWfaEinRAE/s1360/almanac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRjl3iQKz3mkA0PVdjL170D_gYaiwvKiPupqcOZHrmgE9z9yF2xiNIoHmTQd7Ol61gJCa2HAxuTfJcwapGm5ZW8xYowOJSQ6O8lokOsUq_UmkM9H14on4CjOqqIZl1Vt7XlcbUhxHpIxEQY2I1cgJUBKxQlIFJrbOurilxqPUwoCOj9P-nnWfaEinRAE/s320/almanac.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUXbo3P93kCShrh7exfrgQsDP0b_Xn12Y6dQsruS5oI_PmHN3DkaxKZXM6LuCpXEJbtP03vpusMGyLXt-3fEWCOCNkhd1wjvShov1dOosTOgRi2Tmr6SP_JZpBExWqQPPDhWZ51f7nSDg7HJz_sCS1ZM06TVylLjNdH5lxa5P_VsnZPSP6IzAc9g-KZk/s445/defender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUXbo3P93kCShrh7exfrgQsDP0b_Xn12Y6dQsruS5oI_PmHN3DkaxKZXM6LuCpXEJbtP03vpusMGyLXt-3fEWCOCNkhd1wjvShov1dOosTOgRi2Tmr6SP_JZpBExWqQPPDhWZ51f7nSDg7HJz_sCS1ZM06TVylLjNdH5lxa5P_VsnZPSP6IzAc9g-KZk/s320/defender.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">Bob Dekle’s book </span><i style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Defender-Murder-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0809335972">Prairie Defender: The Murder Trials of AbrahamLincoln</a></i><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Prairie-Defender-Murder-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0809335972"> </a>provides a brilliant anatomy of Lincoln’s murder trials. It is a great read on multiple levels. First, it reveals the true nature of Lincoln’s trial practice, debunking myths with solid evidence and providing an accurate description of his trial work. For instance, while some historians have asserted that Lincoln shunned any criminal cases in favor a civil trial practice, Dekle not only chronicles his murder trials but also notes that he tried “. . .approximately one per year for his entire career, not a shabby number for a general practitioner in a sparcely populated jurisdiction.” For any Lincolnophile seeking to fully understand the man and his law practice, this book is a must.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">On a second level, Prairie Defender is packed with intriguing trial war stories. For example, the case of People versus Archibald and William Tailor was so remarkable that as Dekle states, “Lincoln tried many interesting cases in his career, but the facts of the case under consideration were so bizarre that he felt compelled to reduce them to writing.” How often does it happen that an alleged murder victim is found very much alive?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some of the stories and anecdotes in Prairie Defender are amusing. In the People versus Anderson trial, the prosecutor (who had arrived after the trial had commenced) in closing argument pointed at a young man at the defense table and said, “Gentlemen of the jury, if you wanted any additional evidence of this man’s guilt, it would only be necessary for you to recur to his boldness and impudence during this trial. You can see guilt written all over his countenance.” At that point the young man rose and said, “General Linder, you are mistaken; I am not the criminal, but my name is Rosette; I am a lawyer, and one of the counsel for the defendants.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Third, Dekle, who is a veteran trial lawyer having tried over a hundred homicide cases, provides astute analyses of Lincoln’s murder trials which are instructional for trial lawyers who want to understand how they can improve their craft. Here is a taste of the author’s discernment:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">“A prosecutor needs five ingredients to ensure a conviction: (a) an agreeable jury, (e) an egregious crime, (i) an innocent victim, (o) an odious defendant and (u) undeniable guilt. Of the five vowels, (a) is the most important, and the next three, (e), (i), and (o) are essential for the prosecutor to have that critical first ingredient. No matter how undeniable the guilt of the accused, if the jurors are not upset about the crime, if they dislike the victim, and if they sympathize with the defendant, the verdict is going to be not guilty. On the face of things, the Wyant case had all the vowels.. . . (Dekle goes on to apply the vowels to the case).”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">These are but a few examples of why Prairie Defender is both engaging and edifying. This is a book that belongs in the library of anyone with an interest in trial work, Lincoln or just a good read.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hope you give these a read if you haven’t already.</span></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-66088312987584221892023-10-31T17:56:00.004-07:002023-10-31T17:56:56.156-07:00Any Questions About the Books<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='571' height='475' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzjJ59S-6qGRZYXlVKnkYG5tV761hYdlAZ71fq8SbyYySMW9mKQk697nO8H_1KvaE_4ehD1KqwB9bPL7FDdlw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-59606266010679679842023-10-26T17:51:00.002-07:002023-10-26T17:51:27.828-07:00Critical Pretrial and Trial Advocacy Checklists<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2yiETRP40yngVV2qy_PwjP4N7T59G5bT8PGuPDgTRRzqfnDRPQxD11_TN0_yUeERU1NGtKxacEUI_v6Y2f7phhMKGVlR7h_hT11-b1ZJcpwf-JVLw_2J2sg5jgcMwSEhpTu8gkS0o6hXvh2SJgSHViKz-JLwgeehE4UKcHiy13tNXQrEp43WUGK5FMw/s2048/flight-preparations-with-a-checklist..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1363" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2yiETRP40yngVV2qy_PwjP4N7T59G5bT8PGuPDgTRRzqfnDRPQxD11_TN0_yUeERU1NGtKxacEUI_v6Y2f7phhMKGVlR7h_hT11-b1ZJcpwf-JVLw_2J2sg5jgcMwSEhpTu8gkS0o6hXvh2SJgSHViKz-JLwgeehE4UKcHiy13tNXQrEp43WUGK5FMw/w586-h390/flight-preparations-with-a-checklist..jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Checklists are critical to pretrial and trial work. To illustrate the importance of checklists, Dr. Atul Gawande tells the true story of an October 30, 1935 airplane flight competition that the U.S. Army Air Corps held at Wright Air Field in Dayton Ohio to determine which military-long range bomber to purchase. Boeing’s “flying fortress” was the likely winner. But, after the plane reached three hundred feet, it stalled, turned on its one wing and crashed, killing its pilot and another of its five crew members. The pilot had forgotten to release a new locking mechanism on the elevator and rudder controls. The plane was dubbed “too much airplane for one man to fly.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Nevertheless, a few of the Boeing planes were purchased, and a group of test considered what to do. They decided that the solution was a simple pilot’s checklist. With the checklist in use, pilots flew the B-17 1.8 million miles without an accident. Dr. Gawande in his book The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right (p. 34) concludes, “Much of our work today has entered its own B-17 phase. Substantial parts of what software designers, financial managers, firefighters, police officers, lawyers, and most certainly clinicians do are now too complex for them to carry out reliably from memory alone. Multiple fields, in other words, have become too much airplane for one person to fly.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dr. Gawande who heads the World Health Organization’s Safe Surgery Saves Lives program recounts that after the World Health Organization introduced the use of checklists for surgeons, research of nearly 4000 patients showed the following: major complications fell 36 percent; deaths fell 45 percent; infections fell almost 50 percent. Rather than the expected 435 patients expected to develop complications, only 277 did. The checklist spared 150 patients from harm and they spared 27 of those 150 from death. (The Checklist Manifesto, p. 154)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Just as checklists are critical for pilots and doctors, they are necessary for trial lawyers as well. At the end of almost every chapter in both <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pretrial-Advocacy-Planning-Analysis-Coursebook/dp/1543847552/ref=sr_1_4?crid=WJKRA6WBKRNZ&keywords=pretrial+advocacy+berger&qid=1698367830&sprefix=pretrial+advocacy+berger%2Caps%2C618&sr=8-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0">Pretrial Advocacy, 6th Edition</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trial-Advocacy-Planning-Connected-Coursebook/dp/1543847560">Trial Advocacy 5th Edition</a> is a checklist of matters that are essential to effective pretrial and trial advocacy. The following is an example of a checklist that follows the Closing Argument chapter in Trial Advocacy</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">CLOSING ARGUMENT CHECKLIST</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Preparation</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Preparation begins soon after entry into the case. Counsel should keep notes of ideas for closing.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Prior to trial, write the closing argument, with final editing during trial. Reduce closing to outline notes.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rehearse closing argument. Just like opening statement, commit concluding remarks to memory so they will flow smoothly.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Content </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Case theories should serve as guides for planning closing.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Regarding the legal theories, jury instructions, among others, serve as the core around which to craft closing argument:</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Elements of the claim or defense,</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Burden of proof,</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Issues in dispute, and</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The other side’s case theory.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In arguing the factual theory, counsel should use jury instructions that pertain to crucial facts, as well as a story embodying those facts.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The case theme should be incorporated into the closing.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Closing should meet the other side’s case theory and attacks.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Juror beliefs and expectations that could be detrimental to the case should be identified, met, or distinguished from your case.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Length</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Length of closing should be suitable to the complexity of the case, and should not run overly long.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Aristotelian Appeals </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Closing should make all three appeals: logical, emotional, and ethical.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Persuasive language should include:</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Words with connotations, and</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rhetorical devices, such as postponement, concession, anti¬thesis, metaphors, similes, analogies, and rhetorical questions.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Structure </span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The closing should begin by seizing the jury’s attention.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The body of the closing should be well organized, emphasizing the strengths of the case before dealing with case weaknesses or the other side’s attack. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The closing should conclude by referring to the theme and reasons for the requested verdict, thus motivating the jury to make the right decision.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rebuttal should refute the other side’s arguments and finish strong.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Bench Trial </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Counsel should:</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be prepared to answer the judge’s questions during closing.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Not spend an inordinate amount of time explaining the basic law in the case. </span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Assist the court in making findings of fact and conclusions of law.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Make logical and ethical arguments. Do not seek to appeal the judge’s emotions, except as telling of the facts evokes emotion.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be concise and to the point.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be candid, accurately stating the facts and law, and conceding what should be conceded.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Delivery </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Counsel should:</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Project sincerity;</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Avoid distracting behavior, such as pacing back and forth;</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Maintain eye contact with jurors or judge;</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Deliver the closing with a minimal outline;</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Position her body to hold the fact finder’s attention; and</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Make purposeful movements.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Counsel should use trial visuals effectively:</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ensure use is permissible,</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Make visuals persuasive,</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Position equipment and visuals appropriately, and</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Have a backup plan if equipment malfunctions.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ethical Boundaries</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Counsel should not state a personal opinion.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Counsel should not venture outside the record.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Counsel should not introduce irrelevant matter.</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Counsel should not invoke the golden rule.</span></span></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-46380322841314006462023-10-16T13:37:00.001-07:002023-10-16T13:37:19.661-07:00DON’TS OF MEDIATION<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhumhAizOOQSydyXboISErPanwBeBX-wUzkC0M3g-eONCuFzqKTMEjfRgSEety89TDHJDmcMZs4WbDxUhAvC46SgHuaBPPR5ZZEffnZxXR422Pgta0SV3Djmn4Wk9tA_LwqW67twQVEUHLvNJGh8qdI3NR6LbL3fb3405yF4iLytuCoiyR002wHOiQLilw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="422" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhumhAizOOQSydyXboISErPanwBeBX-wUzkC0M3g-eONCuFzqKTMEjfRgSEety89TDHJDmcMZs4WbDxUhAvC46SgHuaBPPR5ZZEffnZxXR422Pgta0SV3Djmn4Wk9tA_LwqW67twQVEUHLvNJGh8qdI3NR6LbL3fb3405yF4iLytuCoiyR002wHOiQLilw=w337-h476" width="337" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Charles Burdell</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s worth repeating--the DON'TS OF MEDIATION. They were written by <a href="http://www.jdrllc.com/charles-s-burdell-jr/ ">Charles Burdell</a> and published in the King County Bar Association Bar Bulletin. <a href="http://www.jdrllc.com/charles-s-burdell-jr/ ">Charlie Burdell </a>had a career it private practice, and he later became a King County Superior Court Judge before becoming a full-time arbitrator and mediator. His Bar Bulletin list of mediation mistakes to avoid reads as follows:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t oversell the client’s case to the client: No case gets better than the first day it walks into your office. Be sure to temper your early assessment of the value of your client’s case until you get an idea of the facts from the other side’s perspective. Many times in mediation, especially of personal injury cases, the clients are frustrated when they are confronted with settlement which is far less than they were advised when their attorney was retained. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t represent multiple plaintiffs in personal injury actions without providing “informed consent”: RPC 1.8 (g) provides that a lawyer “who represents two or more clients shall not participate in making an aggregate settlement of the claims” unless each client gives informed consent in writing. It is surprising how many lawyers come to mediation representing multiple clients injured in the same tort without any objective way to allocate a settlement and without obtaining the clients’ prior informed consent. The best practice is to either obtain the clients’ informed consent prior to accepting the representation or just represent the client with the best case and refer the other injured party to your law school classmate!!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t participate in mediation without all the stakeholders present: Obviously, your client should be in attendance along with all decision makers. However, don’t forget to at least inform lien holders of the mediation and invite their participation either in person or on the phone. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t miss an opportunity to explain your case to the other side in a business like, professional manner. If your mediator suggests an initial joint session, this is a golden opportunity for you to explain your case to the decision makers on the other side, without the filter of the opposing attorney. You should direct your comments to the decision maker and in a calm, professional and business like fashion, thank them for participating in the mediation, tell them why you are right and why they should agree with you. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t participate in a mediation without providing the other side with a copy of your submission: A copy of your submission will create a professional duty in your opponent to provide your version of the case to her client. If you need to inform the mediator of something confidentially, send a second, private letter. This is especially important for the defendant in a personal injury case. Having your letter laying around the plaintiff’s home, gives family members a chance to understand there are two sides to the story. Also, and most important from the standpoint of closing settlement, giving your submittal to the plaintiff’s attorney, allows her to send it to the lien holders so they can understand the validity of the suggestion that they reduce their liens to enable settlement.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t arrive at the mediation without an up-to-date summary of costs to be charged to your client’s recovery: Uncertainty regarding the costs expended is a frequent mistake. This is a very important calculation, because it directly affects the net recovery for a plaintiff in a personal injury case. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t make unreasonable settlement proposals: In criminal law, a “reasonable” doubt is a doubt for which a reason exists. Similarly, a reasonable settlement offer is one for which a reason exists. When faced with an unreasonable proposal from the other side, keep the “white hat” on your head by instructing the mediator to tell the other side that you believe the proposal unreasonable and are ignoring it. You are making what you believe to be a reasonable offer, one which is not in response to the other sides’ unreasonable proposal. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t wait until midnight, when a settlement number has finally been reached, to propose non-financial issues like confidentiality: If confidentiality is important to your client, raise it in the materials you submit to the mediator and to the other side and make sure the mediator communicates it with your first offer. Nothing derails an arduous negotiation more than raising new issues late in the discussion.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t be a stick in the mud: Be open to creative solutions to reach settlement. When Supreme Court Justice Bobbi Bridge began her legal career on the King County Superior Court, she observed a morning judicial settlement conference I conducted. The parties were involved in a dissolution and the value of a diamond ring was in dispute. The parties agreed on the cut, color and clarity of the diamond, but disagreed on the value. Justice Bridge’s husband, John, was President of Ben Bridge Jewelers. At my suggestion and with the concurrence of Justice Bridge, the parties agreed that we could call Mr. Bridge, give him the characteristics of the diamond and obtain his opinion as to its value. We did, he gave us a value and the case settled!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t come unprepared to any mediation, especially an early mediation: Since most civil litigation settles, and since many settlements occur at mediation, it is extremely important to be well prepared and able to empower your mediator with the necessary information to convince the other side to agree with you. Further, especially in early mediations, it may well be the first time your client sees you in action. Early mediations are usually conducted before anyone has been deposed. Remember, your mediator is only as powerful as you make her. Be sure to have all the important facts marshalled and ready to assist the solution. Also, don’t miss a settlement opportunity because an important witness has not been deposed. Have the witness available by telephone and conduct a conference call to ask the witness on an informal basis what happened.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t ask for or agree to non-disparagement clauses: These clauses simply provide litigants who have just finalized a dispute with yet another cause of action. Especially in business dissolutions, you can be sure the parties have disparaged each other for the entire life the lawsuit and probably before. It is very easy for rumors of this conduct to be repeated after the settlement by third parties, which, when overheard by one of the parties, may cause another lawsuit. The best advice to give your client who worries about being disparaged after settling the case is for the client to “consider the source”. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t settle your case on a handshake: Always prepare and sign an agreement memorializing the settlement you reach at the mediation. If more formal documents are necessary, write something like “The parties contemplate the preparation and execution of more formal documentation memorializing this settlement agreement.” This will prevent your settlement from becoming the proverbial “agreement to agree” and if you are not able to agree on the “more formal documentation”, your mediation settlement agreement will remain in force and prevail. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t confuse the mediator: Be sure to state in the first paragraph of your mediation submittal which party you represent. Many lawyers, having lived a case for its entire life, forget that the mediator is new to the problem and has no idea which party the lawyer represents. If not informed early in the submittal, the mediator has to try to figure it out. Also, it’s a good idea in the second paragraph of your submittal to explain why you will win.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Reprinted by permission of the author Charles Burdell. Originally published in the February 2015 issue of the King County Bar Association Bar Bulletin. Reprinted with permission of the King County Bar Association.</span></div><div><br /></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-20173798531718573552023-10-11T08:56:00.002-07:002023-10-11T08:58:26.703-07:00New Book: Lawyer Humor Handbook<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkkmbYy9BDgOWZNjzU59rg9QD3ZmlH21f0An3kJhC2rYRh6e-3IsK7RHpquDseGcPcodOwT1l0Rp-k9z8nMMdkEcqWfK3VU40Cgcvtm77zzqz3qyVS6n4dfvO37CJ3snldzHAU72bWhflXiNXw8qfDeflcVh514LfaeCOjY5yYpkdqAHevZJCEDiTCQs/s1500/Free%20Checklist%20Blog%20Pinterest%20Idea%20Pin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="559" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkkmbYy9BDgOWZNjzU59rg9QD3ZmlH21f0An3kJhC2rYRh6e-3IsK7RHpquDseGcPcodOwT1l0Rp-k9z8nMMdkEcqWfK3VU40Cgcvtm77zzqz3qyVS6n4dfvO37CJ3snldzHAU72bWhflXiNXw8qfDeflcVh514LfaeCOjY5yYpkdqAHevZJCEDiTCQs/w372-h559/Free%20Checklist%20Blog%20Pinterest%20Idea%20Pin.png" width="372" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve spent my adult life as a lawyer and law professor, and I believe that practicing law is engaging in a noble profession. Nonetheless, I do enjoy and laugh at lawyer jokes, humorous stories about lawyers’ faux pas, law puns, and other such witticisms, and I want to pass them on to you. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Humor can be an invaluable way to break the ice when giving a presentation. Amusing anecdotes can enliven any speech. Lawyer gaffes can serve as illustrations of mistakes to avoid when practicing law, such as suffering the backfire from asking a “Why” question on cross-examination. Lawyer jokes also show the human side of lawyers. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Consequently, I have with diligence and arduous, exhaustive research compiled this brand-new authoritative <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lawyer-Humor-Handbook-Transcripts-Witticisms-ebook/dp/B0CKNWKSXW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25E89Z1LFFGN9&keywords=lawyer+humor+handbook&qid=1697039716&sprefix=lawyer+humor+handbook%2Caps%2C606&sr=8-1">LAWYER HUMOR HANDBOOK: The Complete Tome of Lawyer Jokes, Stories, Amusing Transcripts, Puns, and Witticisms.</a></i> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The <i>Handbook</i> is chockfull of witticisms, including: 210 humorous lawyer stories, 62 courtroom transcripts with lawyer gaffes, 83 question and answer lawyer jokes, 19 law school amusements, 38 punchy puns and word-play bits, 2 Legal writing funny pieces, and 26 hilarious one-liners. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I hope that you get some chuckles from this <i>Lawyer Humor</i> <i>Handbook</i> and pass the jests you like on to others (the <i>Handbook</i> is a great gift for a lawyer) unless they can’t take a lawyer joke.</span></p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-46457742228037182962023-10-06T13:22:00.005-07:002023-10-06T13:26:10.973-07:00Book Review: Eradicating American "Prosecutor Misconduct"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WGqY6zvKfH2FELYU3WwUstpIMtdOgRoxEyxj6PTLwin1FFka5uQesgvP00aHEQU1CB0gu3uaJRkyrIspD3sdu93Uu7v1P6r_feUyU4yMAy_7_9wdrfHBc_vcN2xW9K6SrjEJ-2HQ165Na8HuOIQdEBco40aUg5-OicxnBJ6RPuE4Z5pV1v62nHm4alc/s630/21844.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WGqY6zvKfH2FELYU3WwUstpIMtdOgRoxEyxj6PTLwin1FFka5uQesgvP00aHEQU1CB0gu3uaJRkyrIspD3sdu93Uu7v1P6r_feUyU4yMAy_7_9wdrfHBc_vcN2xW9K6SrjEJ-2HQ165Na8HuOIQdEBco40aUg5-OicxnBJ6RPuE4Z5pV1v62nHm4alc/w500-h333/21844.gif" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">See more reviews and get your copy ---<a href="https://www.amazon.com/ERADICATING-AMERICAN-PROSECUTOR-MISCONDUCT-Prosecutors/dp/B0BW2QM5RD/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2ZTUI0K3ZCSQW&keywords=eradicating+american+prosecutor+misconduct&qid=1696621490&sprefix=ERADICATIng+Am%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1#customerReviews ">Click Here</a></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-58341901405771931292023-09-29T10:55:00.005-07:002023-09-29T11:02:53.092-07:00Time to Go to the Movies to Learn Trial Advocacy<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='484' height='402' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxHqJCQ932o5QV_I-F-3VN9uM9eaqJTQW0gslUUCUvMrWoKYdr1D2fz-6u49S1as3zSpw5MJ4TGR2r517cGJw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For more reviews and more about the book click on the following: <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trial-Advocacy-Goes-Movies-Strategies-ebook/dp/B0BSP94CRN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16NWPGHVMKLX3&keywords=trial+advocacy+goes+to+the+movies&qid=1696009688&sprefix=trial+advoacy+goes%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-1">Trial Advocacy Goes to the Movies: Go to the Movies for Lessons in Trial Strategies, Techniques and Skills</a> </i> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1v0LhW3kFGGuXfLOYowTzNJDo44GrWo6bRDgU1-08bGuW-Gyy0FLAQTWMXlOnSv5XC4fHli_UF2YlK49cysaIU1PO69dsLzQS7t7Ykj3rPql055lUmL9F9doM1AXzrwVmBEI7FbuzOzdYFJ172ovqnltHXq1ReIt79csXyxmg9GxsADymdrGaj4XLEho/s607/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-02%20at%204.48.52%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1v0LhW3kFGGuXfLOYowTzNJDo44GrWo6bRDgU1-08bGuW-Gyy0FLAQTWMXlOnSv5XC4fHli_UF2YlK49cysaIU1PO69dsLzQS7t7Ykj3rPql055lUmL9F9doM1AXzrwVmBEI7FbuzOzdYFJ172ovqnltHXq1ReIt79csXyxmg9GxsADymdrGaj4XLEho/w396-h640/Screen%20Shot%202023-08-02%20at%204.48.52%20PM.jpeg" width="396" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-8811074326241336312023-09-27T08:55:00.002-07:002023-09-27T08:55:36.257-07:00How to Prepare a Witness for Trial--Especially Cross-Examination<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqms2r0JYsrF0NuAdytVUXR6pBO63OnQWtt3F2SkKxAEsKUHUzjc4AB-1Qkn6DI1Jk4d5qDhGUmqq2L6MAtkq8viNEdOJ82Dog1JaQs1iAXIrY9Ty2Q2Aw5Ms2lfCcEu48HExicjnvFtcfGZffyzrkEBdy2VCyvCQpoCofZUVrQ7KDqQKUfeAGFVUJ5Is/s1500/beige%20feminine%20pinterest%20pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqms2r0JYsrF0NuAdytVUXR6pBO63OnQWtt3F2SkKxAEsKUHUzjc4AB-1Qkn6DI1Jk4d5qDhGUmqq2L6MAtkq8viNEdOJ82Dog1JaQs1iAXIrY9Ty2Q2Aw5Ms2lfCcEu48HExicjnvFtcfGZffyzrkEBdy2VCyvCQpoCofZUVrQ7KDqQKUfeAGFVUJ5Is/w395-h594/beige%20feminine%20pinterest%20pin.png" width="395" /></a></div><p>Even when opposing counsel is equipped with the skills and strategies covered in <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Examination-Handbook-Persuasion-Strategies-Techniques/dp/1454852003/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FQ5B5CCUN8NK&keywords=cross+examination+handbook&qid=1695830044&sprefix=cross+examination+handbook%2Caps%2C316&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc">Cross-Examination Handbook,</a></i> they will not have enough to do damage to the credibility of a tough witness. A tough witness is one who is armed with the truth and has been thoroughly prepared to testify at trial. </p><p>What is entailed in the thorough preparation of a witness for cross-examination? The following is an indispensable checklist along with notes for thorough and effective witness preparation that you can use when you prepare your witness. And, when you come up against the tough witness, you know that opposing counsel has relied upon a similar checklist. </p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Preparation for the courthouse and courtroom:</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Courthouse – where is it? Note: It is not unheard of that a witness will go to the wrong courthouse or courtroom. Tell your witness not only where the courthouse is but also where the courtroom is located.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Courtroom Layout. Notes: Much of your witness preparation is designed to familiarize the witness with everything. Most people have a fear of the unknown, and this preparation can alleviate some of that fear. Either show the witness a diagram of the courtroom or take the witness to the courtroom. If you have a child witness, definitely take the child to the courtroom, have the child sit in the witness chair and otherwise learn about the courtroom. Tell the witness who the courtroom players are and where they will be positioned in the courtroom, such as where the clerk, bailiff and court reporter are situated (except for the defendant in a criminal case which could result in a mistrial).</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’ts: Notes: Tell the witness not to discuss case in or around the courthouse. because jurors may be on the street around the courthouse or in the halls or on the elevator. Instruct the witness to not enter the courtroom until summoned because witnesses are excluded. This does not apply to the client(s) and to the detective in a criminal case.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Preparation on the witness’s role and substance:</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Witness’s Role. Notes: Tell your witness to tell the truth. If it hurts, tell the truth. Tell your witness that the only instruction that you have given them regarding what to say is—tell the truth. Ask the witness, “What damaging information is out there?” You need to know because only if you know what it is, can you deal with it.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Review Prior Witness Statements. Notes: Have the witness review all prior witness statements that the witness has given. Tell the witness before the witness goes over the statement that the witness should not feel wed to what is in the statement. If there is something erroneous, the witness should let you know.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Cover the Witness’s Story. Notes: Go over the witness’s story in detail and probe for any weaknesses. If there is a weakness, have the witness explain. Witnesses are commonly not good at estimating things like time and distance. Go over this. For example, if the witness says that the two individuals were five feet apart, have the witness show you how far they were apart using objects in the room.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Practice Direct Examination. Notes: Walk through it. Practice with exhibits and demonstrations</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Practice Cross-Examination. Notes: Explain to the witness that you are going to step into opposing counsel’s shoes and conduct a cross-examination (you may have another colleague do it). Ask tough questions that you expect from the other side. Tell your witness not to worry about cross-examination because the witness is telling the truth.</p><p><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Preparing the Witness on How to Testify:</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>MRPC 3.4(b) prohibits coaching to testify falsify. Notes: However, you can help the witness be a good communicator. Help the witness be Confident, Clear and Credible. </p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>1. Have a Good Appearance. Notes: Tell the witness to dress appropriately for court. When sitting in the witness chair, the witness should have good posture—sit up straight. Speak clearly, and here you can explain the role of the court reporter and the need to speak clearly and not to rapidly. The witness should avoid distracting habits, such as chewing gum or fiddling with a pen.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>2. Courtroom Rules. Notes: Tell the witness that if there is an objection, stop talking and listen for directions regarding what is to be done next. Tell the witness that if they can’t remember something, say so. And, explain how you may seek to refresh recollection if the witness can’t recall and the procedure for refreshing recollection.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3. Communication on Direct. Notes: Tell your witness that only the jury counts, and that the witness should talk to them. If court procedures permit, explain that you will stand at the end of the jury box so that the witness will be looking down the jury box towards you. Tell the witness that this courtroom positioning is intended to remind the witness both to speak up so the furthest away jurors can hear and to look the jurors in the eyes and talk to them as though they were having coffee together. Tell the witness that the jurors have no axe to grind with the witness and they are just trying to learn the truth, which the witness will deliver.</p><p>–<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4. Communication on Cross. Notes: Discuss keeping composure on cross. You can explain that the witness should never get cute or argue with the questioner. To assist the witness with that endeavor, you can explain that while the witness will not be able to address the jury after testifying, counsel may and in doing so, counsel can comment on the witness’s lack of composure and how the witness’s demeanor showed the witness was not credible. Explain that contrary to direct examination when the witness should look at the jurors, during cross, the witness should look directly at counsel. Instruct the witness listen carefully to the question that is asked and answer it directly. Don’t volunteer information. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-62253669169701843742023-09-20T15:10:00.001-07:002023-09-20T15:10:45.024-07:00HUMOR: LAUGHABLE LEGAL WRITING<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3y5qIXzzSD-cWa9M1ro6h0HwldtoEF6F5muRE7oHiAczfESmVyglhZtXDYSdBjL6kWx9bF9Ee9UrjWRqOE9LY94vP1e4mtZJIGa6RLs5cjPTfbKcI3msEBS135wb3IX-7rotEwfOE5r8bLA0Tzgpcx_k2plYR2CjcHH-xLLVuW5Tuv7oZVvssB8Q-cw/s1500/White%20Blue%20Beige%20Modern%20Pinterest%20Pin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="691" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3y5qIXzzSD-cWa9M1ro6h0HwldtoEF6F5muRE7oHiAczfESmVyglhZtXDYSdBjL6kWx9bF9Ee9UrjWRqOE9LY94vP1e4mtZJIGa6RLs5cjPTfbKcI3msEBS135wb3IX-7rotEwfOE5r8bLA0Tzgpcx_k2plYR2CjcHH-xLLVuW5Tuv7oZVvssB8Q-cw/w460-h691/White%20Blue%20Beige%20Modern%20Pinterest%20Pin.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I'm currently working on a new book on Lawyer Humor and this is a piece of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Law schools should focus on producing professional communicators—lawyers—who are effective writers. However, Bryan A. Garner in his column for the ABA Journal titled, “Why Lawyers Can’t Write” with the subtitle: “Science has something to do with it, and law schools are partly to blame.” stated:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">While lawyers are the most highly paid rhetoricians in the world, we’re among the most inept wielders of words. Stop and think about that. The blame goes primarily to law schools. They inundate students with poorly written, legalese-riddled opinions that read like over-the-top Marx Brothers parodies of stiffness and hyperformality. And they offer law students little if any feedback (on substance, much less style) from professors on exams and writing assignments. (ABA Journal, March 2013, p. 24)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Garner was echoing the theme of Jim McElhaney, advocacy instructor and ABA Journal contributor for 25 years, who wrote this in a September 2012 ABA Journal article: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Law school is as much obscure vocabulary training as it is legal reasoning. At its best, it can teach close thought and precise expression. But too often law school is reverse Hogwarts – where Harry Potter trained to be a wizard – that secretly implants into its students the power to confuse other people instead of sowing the magic seeds of clarity and simplicity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So we lard our speech and writing with words and phrases of awkward obscurity and rarely have anything to do with legal precision but that unmistakably say, ‘This was written – or said – by a lawyer.’</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Because we are professional communicators, it is our obligation to be plain and simple. It’s not our readers’ and listeners’ jobs to try to understand us. It’s our job to make certain that everything we write and say commands instant comprehension.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And because we weren’t turned out that way by our law school training, we have to reprogram ourselves if we want to be effective communicators. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One day in contract law class, the professor asked one of his better students, "Now if you were to give someone an orange, how would you go about it?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The student replied, "I’d write a contract that says, ‘Here's an orange.’"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The professor was livid. "No! No! Think like a lawyer!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The student then responded, "Okay, I'd write, ‘I hereby give and convey to you all and singular, my estate and interests, rights, claim, title, claim and advantages of and in, said orange, together with all its rind, juice, pulp, and seeds, and all rights and advantages with full power to bite, cut, freeze and otherwise eat, the same, or give the same away with and without the pulp, juice, rind and seeds, anything herein before or hereinafter or in any deed, or deeds, instruments of whatever nature or kind whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding...’"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here is another example—in a pretrial ruling on a motion for a more definite statement in a complaint, the Honorable Ronald B. Leighton, United States District Judge, Western District of Washington at Tacoma, Washington provided gems of judicial humor when discussing a pleading. In Presidio Group, LLC, vs. GMAC Mortgage, LLC. Judge Leighton's order granting the motion began with William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2, Line 90: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The good Judge then went on to point out that “(b)revity is also the soul of a pleading. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a). The Federal Rules envision a “short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief.” He then described portions of the 465-page Complaint:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Not before page 30 does the Complaint address the facts alleged. Plaintiff’s allegations continue for 87 pages – including a 37-page pit-stop to quote e-mails. (Compl. 39-76). The Court notes, with some irony, that in his response opposing Defendants’ motions for a more definite statement, the Plaintiff successfully states his allegations in two pages.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Then, in granting the motion, Judge Leighton added a bit of his own poetry:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Plaintiff has a great deal to say</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But it seems he skipped Rule 8(a),</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">His Complaint is too long,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Which renders it wrong,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Please re-write and re-file today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">To assist lawyers, Sally Bulford, a Utah prosecutor, provided these witty writing pointers for lawyers under the title “How to Write Good”:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. Avoid alliteration. Always.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. Employ the vernacular.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">8. Contractions aren't necessary.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">10. One should never generalize.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">12. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">13. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">14. Be more or less specific.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">15. Understatement is always best.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">16. One-word sentences? Eliminate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">17. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">18. The passive voice is to be avoided.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">19. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">20. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">21. Who needs rhetorical questions?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">22. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-8706699589792923462023-09-10T13:37:00.004-07:002023-09-10T13:43:45.873-07:00New: Handbook for Public Speaking at Trial and Beyond<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT9f66dLiF43HYhlOClJ6TuvUgP-TbaRAGruNj0AVAYdHcTsiuWZxJX1-isSeIGJutycW9MhJj5_qBaiHB5E3hTX--xhDw3OKbBnFl2-zdahlr4oroIYyOIP37nRB9zyFVjYUvFPdC1Pxe3nti0EVlp3RvZ2yEs9dVQtzCRk64lC6F-cqVxHl2Lhv6tY/s1500/Blue%20professional%20pinterest%20pin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT9f66dLiF43HYhlOClJ6TuvUgP-TbaRAGruNj0AVAYdHcTsiuWZxJX1-isSeIGJutycW9MhJj5_qBaiHB5E3hTX--xhDw3OKbBnFl2-zdahlr4oroIYyOIP37nRB9zyFVjYUvFPdC1Pxe3nti0EVlp3RvZ2yEs9dVQtzCRk64lC6F-cqVxHl2Lhv6tY/w357-h536/Blue%20professional%20pinterest%20pin.png" width="357" /></a></div><p></p><p>New handy Handbook for public speaking at trial and on other occasions. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-Presentation-Handbook-Crafting-Delivering-ebook/dp/B0BYQ77SXV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TTLM3RLQUF05&keywords=powerful+presentation+handbook&qid=1694378355&sprefix=%2Caps%2C320&sr=8-1 ">Click here for the book on Amazon </a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-19330602579958765122023-09-04T17:56:00.010-07:002023-09-05T10:35:18.609-07:00Humor: How to Bungle Trial Visuals<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbLsSXinQfwVo9rLW8BHVvXAMkIJKHhpA17ctAR8VrtO6f6SZcC8GuLqhalxjlZxN929KAzlI9PUqmFhv8dEqkeJGTuhslBtB2OPa05frlTureh7ZcDpYG7smBZr5xGxthynKPZ1RwZmx_SwKZVrpBtS_dZRToki2GlS4pwGWwX_6Ac5asiH81GF6Fvg/s1500/Free%20Checklist%20Blog%20Pinterest%20Idea%20Pin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbLsSXinQfwVo9rLW8BHVvXAMkIJKHhpA17ctAR8VrtO6f6SZcC8GuLqhalxjlZxN929KAzlI9PUqmFhv8dEqkeJGTuhslBtB2OPa05frlTureh7ZcDpYG7smBZr5xGxthynKPZ1RwZmx_SwKZVrpBtS_dZRToki2GlS4pwGWwX_6Ac5asiH81GF6Fvg/w492-h738/Free%20Checklist%20Blog%20Pinterest%20Idea%20Pin.png" width="492" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: medium;">Chapter 15 of my book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Litigation-Communication-Strategies-Technology/dp/194988435X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2JQKJ7JASBM94&keywords=visual+litigation+and+today%27s+technology&qid=1693935023&sprefix=visual+litigation+and+todays+technology%2Caps%2C452&sr=8-1">Visual Litigation and Today’s Technology</a> focuses on the six prerequisites for an effective courtroom presentation. Those requirements are described as follows: </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Six prerequisites must be fulfilled before you can effectively display visuals in a courtroom. First, if the courtroom is not fully technologically equipped, counsel will need to provide the required hardware, such as a computer, tablet, screen, projector, cords and so on. Second, counsel will need to adhere to the court’s rules and procedures. Third, counsel will need backups in case of a technological failure. Fourth, the person who is going to operate the technology needs to test the equipment and practice using it. Fifth, the courtroom must be staged properly so the audience can see and hear what is being shown. Sixth, courtroom communication between the trial lawyer and operator of the equipment must produce a smooth presentation of the visual. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The video clip from Jury Duty, which is a truly hilarious movie, is a perfect illustration of a violation of the fourth and fifth prerequisites. Watch it and enjoy</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="473" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/scV3sA4W4qs" width="570" youtube-src-id="scV3sA4W4qs"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-55268791629180844042023-08-29T13:16:00.001-07:002023-08-29T13:16:34.331-07:0010 Dos & Don'ts for Writing a Legal Brief or Motion<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nFkUXdTZRiHGq2wYYpETLb6XiAVUdnKrE7pdwZnBYz2iA8sBiMI-K6vS4pZnR9xe0kq8cxRB5W9rArClQk54WbOccQ1x4KK3rg5OpE19x1mZY-iGLB4rYgzEG7KL4TYSbQ4qHduAA8qDrVxyMMwzzl7B2k7ktwSu1KpHJUDJbAWxBq3mYGtADmmckSE/s1500/10%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nFkUXdTZRiHGq2wYYpETLb6XiAVUdnKrE7pdwZnBYz2iA8sBiMI-K6vS4pZnR9xe0kq8cxRB5W9rArClQk54WbOccQ1x4KK3rg5OpE19x1mZY-iGLB4rYgzEG7KL4TYSbQ4qHduAA8qDrVxyMMwzzl7B2k7ktwSu1KpHJUDJbAWxBq3mYGtADmmckSE/w345-h518/10%20(1).png" width="345" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>10 DOS AND DON’TS FOR WRITING LEGAL BRIEFS AND MOTIONS </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ross Guberman, author and the president of Legal Writing Pro, after interviewing over 1,000 federal and appellate judges about dos and don'ts for writing motions and briefs, came up with the following 10 does and don’ts: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Do a name check. The judges prefer words to acronyms, and one wrote, “I absolutely detest party labels (plaintiff, debtor, creditor, etc.). Name names, for God’s sake!” Another likes to see names so as not to forget who’s who.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stay classy. The judges agree briefs should show, not tell. “Avoid phrases and sentences that reflect a lack of civility. Don’t belittle the other side’s arguments but rather focus on your own strengths,” wrote one judge. Another warned that “words such as ‘clearly,’ ‘plainly,’ ‘obviously,’ ‘absurd,’… are crutches intended to prop up weak arguments that lack logical force.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Slash windups and throat clearing.” The judges do not look fondly on long introductions, and words that “waste space” such as, “it should be noted that…” and “it is beyond doubt that….”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Use graphics effectively. Timelines, maps, graphs, diagrams, tables, headings and generous margins all get a thumbs-up from the judges on the basis of clarity and as a counterweight to “dry legal analysis.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Avoid clunky legalese. The judges agreed phrases such as “for the foregoing reasons…,” “heretofore,” “aforesaid” and “to wit” “should go the way of the dodo bird.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">6.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Don’t be cloying. As much as phrases such as “defendant respectfully submits” sound respectful, the judges would rather just see “defendant contends.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">7.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Assume the judge understands the finer points of usage and write accordingly. The judges unloaded on their pet peeves, including using “impact” as a verb, improper use of “that” and “which” and misuse of the subjunctive.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">8.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Explain why you should win in the introduction. The judges want to read a first page that says something like “The Court should deny Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment for the following three reasons.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">9.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Be succinct when citing cases. One exasperated judge opined, “Skip the long description. Just state the damn proposition, cite the damn case and be done with it.”</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">10.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Put citations in the text, not in the footnotes. Judges are reading your work on an iPad, and most would rather not scroll to the end to read a footnote. “This is a show-your-work gig, and I need to see your work there – not go hunting for it,” one wrote.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Source: “Judges Speaking Softly: What They Long for When They Read” that was published in the Summer 2018 issue of Litigation Journal. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For more see <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pretrial-Advocacy-Planning-Analysis-Coursebook/dp/1543847552/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=pretrial+advocacy+berger&qid=1693340155&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.f5122f16-c3e8-4386-bf32-63e904010ad0">Pretrial Advocacy 6th Edition.</a></span></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-43215601962410534672023-08-16T15:24:00.004-07:002023-08-16T15:24:56.355-07:00Another Well-Crafted Indictment of Trump - Georgia This Time<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdy_1segAXEJHmWJrUS_2Wlbe4t7P57XzMuJZxmcp6-aneyJP0IjBNjVfpREgOwYICCohkPbEdnSZy6doFtEXd3uMG7twdgBYyUdpvV4KHLxu4CQ3YxTWGnr1da8rCjMwEobmrnTq-QXP8Tm-Kfo0m1n4tG0-5RyFvIAhRTZhMgyYWkBpI8BBIyJ35a6s/s290/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdy_1segAXEJHmWJrUS_2Wlbe4t7P57XzMuJZxmcp6-aneyJP0IjBNjVfpREgOwYICCohkPbEdnSZy6doFtEXd3uMG7twdgBYyUdpvV4KHLxu4CQ3YxTWGnr1da8rCjMwEobmrnTq-QXP8Tm-Kfo0m1n4tG0-5RyFvIAhRTZhMgyYWkBpI8BBIyJ35a6s/w556-h334/download.jpg" width="556" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>As with the prior Post of the indictments against Trump, setting politics aside, the Fulton County indictment filed by prosecutor Fani Willis is a well-drafted masterpiece telling the story of a Trump enterprise under the RICO law in Georgia. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-trump-georgia-indictment-text-document-pdf-copy-charges/">Read the indictment here</a></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-78783455047894567192023-08-04T11:15:00.003-07:002023-08-04T11:19:43.707-07:00Jack Smith's Two Indictments of Trump are Masterpieces<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjGDgT-8C0aOhSA_97DNDcszFdGqm7ub3EKsD4OSDEkfBXoyo1ARcD1PVge_Q9FvsEQOpd4Qx2aqgfgfWjv56brgwWmMOZPvmnjuDEF_VdsSrpxhZcfn9TmyPj6jrv2-Y1AUyrTDlXBYS8nG_hby181BP9ebbavrLvQX3HoLH0Y78TVTKQU8nJLrLIBA/s300/download.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjGDgT-8C0aOhSA_97DNDcszFdGqm7ub3EKsD4OSDEkfBXoyo1ARcD1PVge_Q9FvsEQOpd4Qx2aqgfgfWjv56brgwWmMOZPvmnjuDEF_VdsSrpxhZcfn9TmyPj6jrv2-Y1AUyrTDlXBYS8nG_hby181BP9ebbavrLvQX3HoLH0Y78TVTKQU8nJLrLIBA/w605-h338/download.jpg" width="605" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Setting aside politics, law students should read the two indictments of Trump because they are masterfully drafted, showing how to lay out allegations with a compelling narrative. Indeed, every American should read them. Read the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-the-full-trump-indictment-on-mishandling-of-classified-documents">Documents Indictment here</a> and the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/read-full-the-indictment-against-trump-for-his-efforts-to-overturn-the-2020-election">Conspiracy Indictment here</a>. </div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-76792301609561129712023-07-21T16:44:00.000-07:002023-07-21T16:44:17.714-07:00New Book Launch: Management and Leadership Handbook<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP9AXdCHJ6X3kNyq_5VedM4mJrrmcgB5fuZQFCod6cOazxmn-5ffxWFHBxk6UjQA6SznHqnnOqu2g8Nakd0hTJkwkLd3hKFI79VAge_DgNkpao8QVYnr3fsvYkWtmJSLql9R0q86fBybD6Tby47LPq7kiTaNpH7Jdv7p1kVVfQVfM6LIYRkY4wvU4uFM/s5550/9.ebook%20cover%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5550" data-original-width="3725" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQP9AXdCHJ6X3kNyq_5VedM4mJrrmcgB5fuZQFCod6cOazxmn-5ffxWFHBxk6UjQA6SznHqnnOqu2g8Nakd0hTJkwkLd3hKFI79VAge_DgNkpao8QVYnr3fsvYkWtmJSLql9R0q86fBybD6Tby47LPq7kiTaNpH7Jdv7p1kVVfQVfM6LIYRkY4wvU4uFM/w344-h512/9.ebook%20cover%20copy.jpg" width="344" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's something a little different--my new book, which was just launched. If you’re looking for guidance on how to achieve excellence and job satisfaction as a manager and leader in your law office or other organization and you want excellence and job satisfaction for the people in your organization, this <i>Management and Leadership Handbook </i>may be for you. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This concise yet comprehensive <i>Handbook</i> is jammed with practical instructions on how to develop and exercise your management and leadership strategies and skills. The advice and wisdom in this book are derived not only from my 27-years of experiences in a prosecutor's office, two years with the National College of District Attorneys, six years with the National Advocacy Center and almost twenty years with Seattle University Law School but also from the best-of-the-best literature and teachers on management and leadership. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This <i>Handbook</i> contains:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A discussion of the distinction between a manager and leader and guidance on how to perform the roles and functions of both </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ways to prevent and eradicate the root causes of burnout—the stress builders and job changers</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Strategies for setting realistic goals for yourself and your colleagues</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Concrete advice on how to make people matter—to show appreciation and give support</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Insights into the importance of participative decision making and how to put it into play</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to apply the variety and a manageable workload principles to the workplace</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Guidance regarding these keys to excellence—hiring and training</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to stay in touch with the action and have fun</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A methodology for managing your personal and professional time and priorities </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span><span style="font-size: large;">To achieve excellence for yourself, your colleagues, and your organization and to find satisfaction in your professional and personal life, this book may be for you. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MANAGEMENT-LEADERSHIP-HANDBOOK-Excellence-Satisfaction-ebook/dp/B0CBQY1M23/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1689979417&sr=8-1">Click here to read the book today</a>.</span></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-77293855291166721472023-06-21T13:07:00.005-07:002023-06-21T13:20:09.165-07:00Trial--Cross-Examination: What Not to Say.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1i0idZzph1b6LG7CGZ88g6HdViZk__9LKdh7T0Jn9BkNHt5VEsTrv5w5eMiSSl7v7DYtuwW01ttRV9-xdZkT4uTkbHD_gni6GXrEMmNkvMbKX8km7vp6BQ-MMGOoBgwuu4KDT06DgfOXtoRipSCPuP9XJzbFXSJ-00i-5Lopvkdhq2yYIG8fsncfA9I/s500/9781454852001-us.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="348" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1i0idZzph1b6LG7CGZ88g6HdViZk__9LKdh7T0Jn9BkNHt5VEsTrv5w5eMiSSl7v7DYtuwW01ttRV9-xdZkT4uTkbHD_gni6GXrEMmNkvMbKX8km7vp6BQ-MMGOoBgwuu4KDT06DgfOXtoRipSCPuP9XJzbFXSJ-00i-5Lopvkdhq2yYIG8fsncfA9I/w293-h420/9781454852001-us.jpeg" width="293" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In this month's issue of the Bar Bulletin there is an article by Dr. Kevin Boully and Thomas M. O'Toole (my co-author on the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jury-Selection-Handbook-Effective-Coursebook/dp/153100797X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Y88A7N6VUPBX&keywords=jury+selection+handbook&qid=1687377579&sprefix=jury+selection+handbook%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc">Jury Selection Handbook</a>) focusing on what not to say in trial. Regarding cross-examination, the article discusses the important advice given in the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1454852003/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1454852003&linkCode=as2&tag=advocacy0c-20&linkId=f756d47c3a0f259ce89f4dc208a03cdc">Cross-Examination Handbook </a>about not asking one question too many, and amplifies on why the axiom makes sense:</p><p>“The classic advice of not asking one question too many is consistent with the overarching goal of letting your jury reach the conclusion on their own, without you cramming it down their throat. In cross-exam, we still find far too often that trial lawyers want to ask the extra question, or worse, ask about the topic and areas of inquiry that dilute the overall effectiveness of the exam.</p><p>“During cross, pick your topics and areas of focus wisely and with discretion. There are few occasions a “scorched earth” approach is warranted and far more times when the most economical and effective approach is to be surgical, targeting those areas where the cross exam can score, simple, direct, useful points. A few criteria to consider for what not to say in cross exams include:</p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Does the jury need the answer or its implication to make their decision? If not, you probably don't need it. </p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Does the jury know how the answer fits into your overall trial message? If not, you may not need it, or you may need to make it more clear before the jury can use it.n</p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Will the jury receive the answer as consistent with the witnesses message? If the jury feels you want them to trust the witness on some things, but not others, you may need to pick an approach and stick to it. </p><p>•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Has the jury heard the same thing from another witness already? If so, you may want to consider whether the answer creates a positive cumulative effect (i.e., carries the power. of multiple voices) or creates unnecessary repetition (i.e., feels redundant).</p><p>“Have the courage to be decisive about what not to say and what to leave out of your case presentation at these key moments. These approaches empower the jury to reach their own conclusion and use their own experiences and perceptions to fill the gaps for you leave for them. These approaches appeal to the egocentrism of processing information through their own lens (which can engage in the gaps you left for them), their penchant for efficient and economical decision making, as well as symbolic processing that is often based on the scenes, moments, and events that you give them the freedom to envision and complete.”</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1529167695624704225.post-77719733139520422312023-05-23T14:42:00.000-07:002023-05-23T14:42:23.788-07:00New Edition of Trial Advocacy: <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNq0vtn0bt021_f9fvri1fQpw14SSwIw4NVymT0JthHGSwFV19EagPKFkz-J9ocXt5Lc-mHrShTGFkFxn4pIWqEUs5al_gfoTyfkUiOQn4kBGjkvdR79evwoLOwEU3bFmWtkppKrcrfDoG229fnV5OEyPukr8XVBlVFJxNJnPNbpNyuD_VmhF56BwI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="350" height="525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNq0vtn0bt021_f9fvri1fQpw14SSwIw4NVymT0JthHGSwFV19EagPKFkz-J9ocXt5Lc-mHrShTGFkFxn4pIWqEUs5al_gfoTyfkUiOQn4kBGjkvdR79evwoLOwEU3bFmWtkppKrcrfDoG229fnV5OEyPukr8XVBlVFJxNJnPNbpNyuD_VmhF56BwI=w367-h525" width="367" /></a></div><br /><p>Nothing makes us happier than the release of a newly published edition of an advocacy book, and Aspen Publishing has just launched the 5th edition of Trial Advocacy.</p><p>The three of us--Marilyn Berger, John Mitchell and I--have been at this for some time, and when we set out our goal for both <i>Pretrial</i> and <i>Trial Advocacy</i> books was to impart real-world approaches to litigation. We also wanted to provide not only a textbook but also, thanks to Marilyn’s expertise in filmmaking, demonstration videos (such as a trial demonstration video and videos showing how to take and defend depositions) and practical experiences through role-play assignments (such as performing trial activities from jury selection through closing argument).</p><p> Additional materials for performance are an inclusive aspect of the books: realistic case files containing documents, witness statements, photographs, and so forth. Teacher materials for both books include sample syllabuses and an extensive Teacher Manual for both Pretrial and Trial courses.</p><p>It’s great to see how the books have progressed, keeping pace with the best in litigation advocacy. Together we have worked to make sure the new editions are right up to date, for examples covering changes in response to COVID-19, electronically stored information (ESI), trial technology, and persuasive litigation visuals. Most exciting is that new editions are now available on the popular Aspen Publishing CasebookConnect online platform.</p><p>Each book and companion materials can be used for a stand-alone Trial Advocacy or Pretrial Advocacy course, or they may be paired together and taught over, for instance, two semesters because they have a common nomenclature as well as the same analytical framework and civil and criminal casefiles.</p><p>If you are teaching trial advocacy or want a complete resource about trial advocacy, this book may be for you. The best way to decide on a textbook is to see for yourself. If you teach trial advocacy, to get obtain a complimentary review copy of <a href="https://www.aspenpublishing.com/Berger_TrialAd_5e"><i>Trial Advocacy</i> click her</a>e for a complimentary review copy of <a href="https://www.aspenpublishing.com/BergerPretrial6e">Pretrial Advocacy, click here</a> </p><p>We truly hope that you like the new editions and will adopt one or both. If you have any questions, contact me at clarkrh@comcast.net.</p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0