Closing Argument: Opportunity and Challenge
Episode 28: Opening Statements: Some Common Challenges
Why Demonstrative Aids Are Critical in Every Case
Podcast - The Unwritten Rules of Trial Practice
Jury Selection Strategy in Product Liability Litigation – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 64
Litigation attorney Dan Small shares insights and strategies for delivering a compelling closing argument in this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series. He explains the challenges of delivering a closing...more
In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small discusses the complexities attorneys face in crafting an effective opening statement during a trial. He tackles common challenges...more
The habit of sort of just filling in your speech with expressions of uncertainty, when you’re not really that uncertain, is probably a bad habit. I mean, I am fairly sure that these hedges cut down on your perceived...more
In the days leading up to trial, you wrestle with the task of creating an opening statement in a complex case. Of course, you remember the core advice from your very first trial advocacy class, but the sheer complexity at...more
Lawyers tend to think of opening statement as the time for stories. But I think you’re telling a story in closing argument as well: not the same story, but a different one. And I don’t mean you should change the facts or...more
We know that when presenting to jurors, the goal is not just to present, but to engage, to relate, to adapt, and ultimately to persuade. You don’t want to simply lay information in front of jurors and hope they will pick it...more
“Epistimology,” or the question of how we know what we know, seems like an abstract rather than a practical idea. But when it comes to the practical task of assessing and persuading jurors, the epistemological habits of those...more
It is one of those factors of advocacy that is understood at a basic level, but not practiced at an effective level: Structure. Whenever you are verbally presenting — opening statement, closing argument, oral argument, CLE’s...more
It is one of the basics emphasized in your first public speaking class: Have a clear transition between your main points. But it is also a rule that many experienced communicators set aside or start taking for granted. As you...more
The two terms are often used interchangeably, but “rebuttal” doesn’t mean the same thing as “refutation.” The latter amounts to an attack on the arguments of the other side, and the former means rebuilding your own arguments...more
Lately, the nation has been divided, again, on a critical question of public policy. And, again, that division reveals some stark differences in the ways each side views the facts and understands the values at stake. This...more
How do you protect yourself against the nasty flu that is going around this winter? Well, you can partially protect yourself with a vaccination. Introducing your body to a weakened form of the bug helps to build up your...more
Persuading a group that will then go off and deliberate is a unique persuasive setting. In a way, it can be called ‘Second Order’ persuasion, because it isn’t just about the person being convinced in the moment they’re...more