--- title: 2021 January url: https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january --- # [2021 January](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january "2021 January") [![Advocate Jan21 cvr ezine](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/images/issues/2021/01-january/Advocate-Jan21-cvr-ezine.jpg)](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/ezines/2021/January2021/html5/Advocate-Jan21-issue.html) Articles in this issue: ## [An appellate perspective on verdict forms](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/an-appellate-perspective-on-verdict-forms "An appellate perspective on verdict forms") Although often relegated until the end of the trial, crafting a verdict form is among the most important aspects of a trial [Janet R. Gusdorff](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/janet-r-gusdorff "Janet R. Gusdorff") ## [Don’t make your first witness your first mistake](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/don-t-make-your-first-witness-your-first-mistake "Don’t make your first witness your first mistake") Calling a defense witness as your first witness is a popular idea – and a bad one [Rita Miller](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/rita-miller "Rita Miller") ## [The defense expert cross-examination](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/the-defense-expert-cross-examination "The defense expert cross-examination") Their expert isn’t actually that cool. Help the jury to see that [Case Barnett](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/case-barnett "Case Barnett") ## [Virtual trial – virtually the same](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/virtual-trial-virtually-the-same "Virtual trial – virtually the same") A look at practical lessons learned in completing a virtual trial [Jamie Goldstein](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/jamie-goldstein "Jamie Goldstein") ## [Trying your case during the COVID-19 pandemic](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/trying-your-case-during-the-covid-19-pandemic "Trying your case during the COVID-19 pandemic") A loss at a medical malpractice trial leads to useful introspection on the value and challenges of going to trial in this time of COVID [Benjamin Ikuta](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/benjamin-ikuta "Benjamin Ikuta") [Jason Argos](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/jason-argos "Jason Argos") ## [Opening statements](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/opening-statements-2 "Opening statements") What works and what doesn’t [Tamara Freeze](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/tamara-freeze "Tamara Freeze") ## [The recipe for success](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/the-recipe-for-success "The recipe for success") The missing ingredient so often is proper evaluation of the case for trial: should this case be tried? [Steve Vartazarian](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/steve-vartazarian "Steve Vartazarian") ## [The added value of a private investigator in a motor-vehicle case](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/the-added-value-of-a-private-investigator-in-a-motor-vehicle-case "The added value of a private investigator in a motor-vehicle case") What you don’t learn from a police report may be just what you need to prove liability and identify other defendants [Harry Kazakian](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/harry-kazakian "Harry Kazakian") ## [Appellate Reports](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/appellate-reports-36 "Appellate Reports") [[case]]Daubert[[/case]] error no longer requires new trial as sole remedy [Jeffrey I. Ehrlich](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/jeffrey-i-ehrlich "Jeffrey I. Ehrlich") ## [Cayman County: California’s 59th County](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/cayman-county-california-s-59th-county "Cayman County: California’s 59th County") The Homestead exemption changed January 1, 2021, protecting many more defendants from the forced sale of their home when facing a judgment [David J. Cook](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/david-j-cook "David J. Cook") ## [Kamala and CAALA](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/kamala-and-caala "Kamala and CAALA") The connection between the VP and the Association [Stuart Zanville](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/stuart-zanville "Stuart Zanville") ## [AAJ leads fight to remove tort reform section from COVID-19 relief package](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/aaj-leads-fight-to-remove-tort-reform-section-from-covid-19-relief-package "AAJ leads fight to remove tort reform section from COVID-19 relief package") Proposed language would have impacted any med-mal or public-nuisance action even tangentially related to COVID-19 [Linda A. Lipsen](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/linda-a-lipsen "Linda A. Lipsen") ## [CAOC: Pushing forward in second year of pandemic with good legislation](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/caoc-pushing-forward-in-second-year-of-pandemic-with-good-legislation "CAOC: Pushing forward in second year of pandemic with good legislation") CAOC is working on all fronts to heighten the functionality of the courts as we proceed through the pandemic [Nancy Peverini](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/nancy-peverini "Nancy Peverini") ## [Welcome 2021!](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/welcome-2021 "Welcome 2021!") A Year of Hope and the Opportunity to Give. Join us for the Installation ceremony Jan. 28 on YouTube ## [If the cause is just, I’m all in](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/if-the-cause-is-just-i-m-all-in "If the cause is just, I’m all in") I’m a civil rights attorney. I don’t do PI cases [Genie Harrison](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/genie-harrison "Genie Harrison") ## [The closing argument](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/the-closing-argument "The closing argument") Creating a masterpiece every time [Jordanna G. Thigpen](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/jordanna-g-thigpen "Jordanna G. Thigpen") ## [Pandemic communication](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/pandemic-communication-2 "Pandemic communication") A round table discussion with stage actors on the challenges in communicating with jurors during a trial in the live COVID courtroom [Alan Blumenfeld](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/alan-blumenfeld "Alan Blumenfeld") [Andrew Caple-Shaw](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/andrew-caple-shaw "Andrew Caple-Shaw") [Katherine James](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/katherine-james "Katherine James") [Kimberly White](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/kimberly-white "Kimberly White") ## [The top 10 cases for trial attorneys in personal-injury cases](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/the-top-10-cases-for-trial-attorneys-in-personal-injury-cases "The top 10 cases for trial attorneys in personal-injury cases") Ten important cases that are repeatedly encountered and can be both a sword and shield [Deborah S. Chang](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/deborah-s-chang "Deborah S. Chang") [Nicholas W. Yoka](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/nicholas-w-yoka "Nicholas W. Yoka") ## [The immediate future of jury trials](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/issues/2021-january/the-immediate-future-of-jury-trials "The immediate future of jury trials") As civil jury trials resume, they will likely rely on Zoom and similar video-conferencing for all or part of the proceedings [Douglas Johnson](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/douglas-johnson "Douglas Johnson") [Neville L. Johnson](https://www.advocatemagazine.com/authors/neville-l-johnson "Neville L. Johnson")