Learn from top litigators who will inspire you to achieve your own greatness.
When you make your mark in the legal field, you blaze a trail for others to follow. In this exciting, new program, a panel of strong, successful female lawyers who have paved their own paths as litigators share tips, strategies and personal challenges and triumphs to help you achieve your own confidence and success as a trial lawyer.
Whether you are male or female; whether you litigate, mediate, settle, or simply counsel face to face, your confidence in your ability to succeed at trial empowers you to be a more influential advocate for your client.
Pre-trial preparations--Preparation is the foundation of success; go beyond the basic steps and understand:
- How your actions may be promoting or impeding your litigation style
- How taking initiative in the pre-trial process will increase your confidence and poise you for a move to first or second chair
- The art of taking depositions—understanding their purpose and how your questions and the tone with which you ask them are perceived by jurors.
Your opening--What do you say? How should you say it? The answers to these questions are crucial to your entire case. Learn how to:
- Tell a good story
- Develop strategy: attacking immediately vs holding your fire
- Connect with the jury
The Closing--the facts during trial come from the witnesses, but the closing argument belongs entirely to the lawyer.
- What to include
- Length and style
- Don’t ignore the negative: Addressing the weak points
Direct Examination – strategies to ensure that jurors hear, understand, and remember the facts
- Witness selection
- Preparing and practicing
- Using demonstrative evidence
- Crafting questions that yield the desired answers
Cross Examination – understanding its purpose, deciding whether it’s necessary, and how to conduct it.
- Preparing for cross examination
- Knowing when to quit
- Questioning an uncooperative witness
How Juries See You - Jurors not only judge cases, they are also judging you! Dr. Jill Huntley Taylor, a trial consultant, will discuss:
- Positive and negative perceptions
- What you can do to cast yourself and your clients in the most favorable light
- Her tips to help you best represent your client
Building mentoring relationships
All attendees will receive the course book as a digital download. A printed copy of the course book is available, at a discount to attendees, for $40. Additional copies are available at full price. If you wish to purchase the printed version of the course book, please call PBI Customer Service at 800-932-4637. Printed versions of the course book will not be distributed at the course; please allow up to two weeks after the program for the printed versions of the course book to be shipped.
Recorded in August 2020.