Trial Practice

The art of closing argument

Your first job in closing is to empower those jurors who have already decided in your client’s favor

Bring your client’s story to life because whoever tells the best story wins

All jurors don’t hate jury duty, but all jurors hate repetitious questions that prolong the trial. And they love judges that keep things moving

From Issue: 2018 July

How Abraham Lincoln developed his trial skills and prepared himself to persuade juries

From Issue: 2018 July

Master the details such as medical records up front and prevent your case from being torpedoed later on; success really does lie in preparation

From Issue: 2018 June

How you draft the questionnaire correlates with how effectively it will serve you

The perfect closing argument would have jurors making nooses from their neckties for the defendant....

A very thorough guide to the elements and structure of your opening statement

An ideal mentor for a trial attorney, his life experience offers a cautionary tale about pursuing a case you cannot win

From Issue: 2018 July

The master-calendar civil trial courts offer this judge a new perspective on common mistakes in the courtroom and how to avoid them

From Issue: 2018 July

Presenting your case to overcome jurors’ built-in resistance to persuasion

This trial skill requires training, writing and memorizing scripts, and constant practice until you internalize the voir dire