In Closing Arguments, Don't Forget to Ask
Getting Rid of Clutter in the Closing Argument
Podcast - The Basic Rules for Closing Argument
Closing Arguments: Focus and Organization
Closing Argument: Opportunity and Challenge
Navigating Civil Standing Requirements for Defense Success — RICO Report Podcast
How to Make Clear, Quick and Effective Objections
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 43 - New Horizons: Impact of Recent Appellate Circuit Rulings on White-Collar Criminal Defense Law
Podcast - Cross-Examination: Don't Ask One Question Too Many
Podcast - The Ten Commandments of Cross-Examination
False Claims Act Insights - If Everything Matters, Nothing Does: Parsing Materiality in FCA Disputes
Making the Lawyer-Client Relationship Work in Challenging Litigation – Speaking of Litigation Video Podcast
The Presumption of Innocence Podcast: Episode 42 - AI in Criminal Justice: Opportunity or Opportunity for Misuse?
Podcast - Refresh vs. Impeach: Know the Difference
Podcast - Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses
Cross-Examination: The Three C’s of Impeachment
Cross-Examination: How to Effectively Impeach with a Prior Inconsistent Statement
Cross-Examination: Asking the Right Leading Questions
Podcast - Cross-Examination: The Importance of Organization
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 20: Tips for Court Cases with Judge Dennis and Judge Wilkins of Maynard Nexsen
Key Points: Plaintiff’s non-retained experts are treating physicians, and their testimony at trial should be limited to their scope of treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis with respect to the injuries alleged....more
On December 1, 2023, the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) 702 will undergo several changes designed to reinforce federal judges’ role as gatekeepers for admitting expert testimony. The changes reinforce the preponderance of...more
If you are like most attorneys, you think of drones in terms of their ability to capture images of large expanses of land and sea—and they are great for that purpose. But Andrew Buckley, trial consultant and a certified drone...more
I participated in a recent LinkedIn discussion on expert witnesses, with some in the conversation noting that experts are often unprepared for testimony, and often unaware of the need for better preparation. And, to...more
I recently visited one of the Meow Wolf locations, and my feelings about the immersive art installation tracked with the typical reactions: As vivid as the pictures are, they still don’t do it justice, and you have to be...more
It has been a rough couple of years for science. Our newly-unmasked population seems to be more divided than ever about our ability to rely on science in applying systematic and neutral procedures in order to find reliable...more
In my opinion, it is one of the most interesting and important areas of social science at the moment. And if it’s not that, then it’s certainly the sassiest. A group of researchers has been focused on our susceptibility and...more
So the expert has arrived in town for trial. Their testimony could come today…or maybe by Thursday, and it isn’t unthinkable that it could get pushed into next week. Meanwhile, the waiting, and the billing, continues. This is...more
This is the general sentiment I sometimes hear when one side in an opening statement is talking about the other side’s experts...more
One trait of jurors is that, at the start of a case at least, they are not already savvy about the case’s subject matter. So, how do they learn? Through expert testimony. They won’t necessarily just sign-on to an expert’s...more
It has been a tough year for science. On the social-science front, it seems that we have entered a phase where no one believes the polls. To conservative Trump supporters, the consensus of data showing the President well...more
What makes an expert witness persuasive to a jury? Is it their background and training? The work that they did on the case? Their communication skills in teaching the jury? The research suggests that expert influence depends...more
Jurors sometimes need to grapple with science, and given the constraints of the trial process and the often-complex nature of the testimony, “grapple” is probably the right word. Whether it involves working through detailed...more
Remember Carl Sagan and the original show Cosmos? It was a beloved series in the late 70’s, not just for its accessible explanations of something as complex as the history of the universe, but also for its ability to evoke a...more
It was another big moment yesterday as Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal lawyer, testified publicly before the House Oversight Committee. Widely seen as an opening act prior to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s...more
Recently, I was running a mock trial exercise with three retired judges. Reviewing the testimony, one shared a skepticism toward the “hired-gun” engineers they had heard, and opined that what is “more important is the...more
Experts know things. That’s what makes them experts. That is why they’re allowed in court: to inform the jury’s or judge’s understanding. Once there, of course, they are picked apart by an adversary with the goal of making...more