Turning Points At Trial: Great Lawyers Share Secrets, Strategies and Skills

BEGINNING......Page 2
PART ONE Opening Statement......Page 25
INTRODUCTION......Page 27
CHAPTER 1 Mark Lanier......Page 28
Create a Spellbinding Opening Statement......Page 29
1.1 THE BIGGEST MISTAKE LAWYERS MAKE IN THEIROPENING STATEMENTS......Page 35
1.2 CREATE A THEME FOR YOUR CASE......Page 36
1.3 HOW TO CHANGE BAD FACTS INTO GOOD FACTS......Page 38
1.4 DON’T OVERSELL YOUR CASE......Page 39
1.5 DELIVERING AN OPENING STATEMENT......Page 40
1.6 ERNST V. MERCK......Page 42
1.7 LANIER’S OPENING STATEMENT......Page 46
1.8 DEFENSE OPENING STATEMENT......Page 63
1.9 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 66
CHAPTER 2 Windle Turley......Page 71
Connect with the Jurors......Page 72
2.1 TRIAL STRATEGIES......Page 75
2.2 OPENING STATEMENT STRATEGIES......Page 77
2.3 THE RUDY KOS TRIAL......Page 79
2.4 TURLEY’S OPENING STATEMENT......Page 81
2.5 DEFENDANT’S OPENING STATEMENT......Page 113
2.6 REVIEW OF TURLEY’S OPENING......Page 118
2.7 THE VERDICT AND AFTERMATH......Page 119
2.8 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 122
CHAPTER 3 Bryan Stevenson......Page 126
Speak from the Heart to Persuade......Page 127
3.1 HOW TO DELIVER A WINNING ARGUMENT......Page 130
3.2 CREATING A THEME FOR AN OPENING STATEMENT......Page 132
3.3 STEVENSON’S TED TALK......Page 134
3.4 APPLY STEVENSON’S TALK TO YOUR NEXT OPENING STATEMENT......Page 148
3.5 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 150
PART TWO Direct Examination......Page 153
INTRODUCTION......Page 155
CHAPTER 4 Ken McClain......Page 157
Be the Truth Teller in the Courtroom......Page 158
4.1 STRATEGIES FOR DIRECT EXAMINATION......Page 161
4.2 DIRECT EXAMINATION OF ERIC PEOPLES......Page 165
4.3 VERDICT AND AFTERMATH......Page 194
4.4 BIGGEST MISTAKES LAWYERS MAKE......Page 195
4.5 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 197
CHAPTER 5 Maureen O’Brien......Page 199
Telling the Story with a Reluctant Witness......Page 200
5.1 TECHNIQUES......Page 203
5.2 WITNESS PREPARATION......Page 210
5.3 THE BIGGEST MISTAKES LAWYERS MAKE......Page 212
5.4 TRIAL STRATEGIES......Page 213
5.5 STATE OF ILLINOIS V. TIMOTHY MOORE AND CORTEZ LYONS......Page 215
5.6 DIRECT EXAMINATION OF ROBIN......Page 216
5.7 DIRECT EXAMINATION OF CHRISTOPHER PITTMON......Page 234
5.8 AFTERMATH OF THE TRIAL......Page 239
5.9 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 241
PART THREE Cross-Examination......Page 244
CHAPTER 6 Alan Dershowitz......Page 248
The Creative Cross-Examination......Page 249
6.1 TRIAL STRATEGIES......Page 252
6.2 RULES OF THE JUSTICE GAME......Page 253
6.3 HIGH PROFILE CASES......Page 254
6.4 OBSERVATIONS ON CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 255
6.5 THE MURDER OF IRIS KONES......Page 257
6.6 TECHNIQUES......Page 262
6.7 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF PAROLA......Page 265
6.8 EPILOGUE......Page 275
6.9 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 277
CHAPTER 7 David Bernick......Page 279
Beating the Evasive Witness......Page 280
7.1 MOST COMMON MISTAKES LAWYERS MAKE......Page 284
7.2 VOIR DIRE STRATEGIES......Page 285
7.3 OPENING STATEMENT......Page 286
7.4 MAINTAIN CONTROL OF WITNESS ON CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 287
7.5 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXPERTS......Page 289
7.6 USE CHARTS ON CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 290
7.7 CLOSING ARGUMENT STRATEGIEs......Page 291
7.8 DO NOT USE NOTES......Page 292
7.9 INSIGHTS FROM THE GRACE TRIAL......Page 293
7.10 EXCERPTS FROM THE OPENING STATEMENT IN UNITED STATES V. W.R. GRACE & CO.......Page 297
7.11 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF ROBERT LOCKE......Page 300
7.12 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF INVESTIGATOR......Page 331
7.13 THEME IN CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 337
7.14 AFTERMATH OF TRIAL......Page 339
7.15 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 341
PART FOUR Cross-Examination of the Expert Witness......Page 350
CHAPTER 8 Robert S. Bennett......Page 353
Wage Guerrilla Warfare with the Expert......Page 354
8.1 ZAPRUDER V. UNITED STATES......Page 357
8.2 BENNETT SETS UP CROSS-EXAMINATIONS DURING THE OPENING STATEMENT......Page 359
8.3 CROSS-EXAMINATION PRINCIPLES......Page 362
8.4 ZAPRUDER ARBITRATION TRIAL......Page 367
8.5 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF CAMERON MACAULEY......Page 368
8.6 OPPOSING COUNSEL’S DIRECT EXAMINATION OF JOHN STASZYN......Page 383
8.7 BENNETT’S CROSS-EXAMINATION OF STASZYN......Page 386
8.8 THE ARBITRATORS’ QUESTIONS......Page 394
8.9 BENNETT’S CLOSING ARGUMENT STRATEGIES......Page 396
8.10 ZAPRUDER VERDICT......Page 397
8.11 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 399
CHAPTER 9 Frank Branson......Page 406
The Art of Undermining the Expert Witness......Page 407
9.1 SIMO V. MITSUBISHI......Page 410
9.2 CROSS-EXAMINATION STRATEGIES......Page 411
9.3 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXPERT WITNESS FOR MITSUBISHI MOTORS......Page 414
9.4 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 433
PART FIVE Closing Argument......Page 435
INTRODUCTION......Page 437
CHAPTER 10 Mark Lanier......Page 438
Empower the Jury to Change the World......Page 439
10.1 LANIER’S CLOSING ARGUMENT STRATEGIES......Page 440
10.2 LANIER’S CLOSING ARGUMENT IN ERNST v. MERCK......Page 445
10.3 DEFENDANT’S CLOSING......Page 458
10.4 LANIER’S REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 462
10.5 ALLEN v. TAKEDA......Page 468
10.6 STRATEGIES FOR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARGUMENT......Page 470
10.7 LANIER’S PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARGUMENT......Page 471
10.8 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 475
CHAPTER 11 Tom Girardi......Page 483
The Passionate Closing Argument......Page 484
11.1 TRIAL TRENDS......Page 487
11.2 SELECTING JURORS......Page 488
11.3 YOU MUST CARE ABOUT YOUR CLIENT......Page 489
11.4 CANDOR IN CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 491
11.5 HOW TO DISCUSS JURY INSTRUCTIONS......Page 492
11.6 AN ARGUMENT TO MAKE WHEN JURORS FAVOR CORPORATIONS......Page 493
11.7 HOW TO MAKE A DAMAGES ARGUMENT......Page 494
11.8 PUT IN THE HARD WORK......Page 495
11.9 DELIVERY......Page 496
11.10 GET THE TRIAL TRANSCRIPT......Page 497
11.11 USE VISUAL AIDS......Page 498
11.12 HOW TO ARGUE AGAINST A LIKABLE OPPOSING LAWYER......Page 499
11.13 STOW V. LOS ANGELES DODGERS......Page 500
11.14 GIRARDI’S CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 504
11.15 DEFENSE CLOSING......Page 521
11.16 GIRARDI’S REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 528
11.17 AFTERMATH......Page 531
11.18 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 533
CHAPTER 12 Frank Branson......Page 536
The Closing Argument Built on Credibility......Page 537
12.1 INTRODUCTION......Page 540
12.2 BOHNE v. ENVIROCLEAN MANAGEMENT SERVICES, INC. AND YARBROUGH......Page 541
12.3 THE TRUCK DRIVER’S DEPOSITION (YARBROUGH)......Page 543
12.4 THE SAFETY DIRECTOR’S DEPOSITION (LAROSEE)......Page 547
12.5 WILLIAMS’ DEPOSITION (THE MAN WHO HIRED THE DRIVER)......Page 549
12.6 CLOSING ARGUMENT AND TRIAL STRATEGIES......Page 551
12.7 DEFENSE CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 554
12.8 BRANSON’S REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 556
12.9 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 565
PART SIX Deposition......Page 570
INTRODUCTION......Page 572
CHAPTER 13 Michael Brickman......Page 574
Win at Deposition through Relentless Preparation......Page 575
13.1 DEPOSITION STRATEGIES......Page 579
13.2 STYLE OF QUESTIONS......Page 581
13.3 MEDICAL MALPRACTICE DEPOSITIONS......Page 582
13.4 THE DERMATOLOGIST’S DEPOSITION......Page 584
13.5 THE PHARMACIST’S DEPOSITION (KAY KIMBALL)......Page 599
13.6 THE PHARMACY SUPERVISOR’S DEPOSITION......Page 611
13.7 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 621
CHAPTER 14 Don Tittle......Page 625
The Purpose Driven Deposition......Page 626
14.1 INTRODUCTION TO LORD V. CITY OF DALLAS......Page 630
14.2 MICHAEL BURNSIDE’S DEATH AND OLIVIA LORD’S ARREST......Page 631
14.3 DEPOSITION STRATEGIES......Page 637
14.4 THOMPSON’S DEPOSITION......Page 638
14.5 SUMMARY OF TITTLE’S TACTICS......Page 660
14.6 THE CIVIL TRIAL......Page 662
14.7 DEFENDANT’S OPENING STATEMENT......Page 663
14.8 CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DETECTIVE THOMPSON......Page 664
14.9 DEFENDANT’S CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 679
14.10 TURNING POINT IN CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 681
14.11 TITTLE’S REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 683
14.12 VERDICT......Page 684
14.13 THE AFTERMATH......Page 685
14.14 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 688
PART SEVEN Appellate Oral Argument......Page 690
INTRODUCTION......Page 693
CHAPTER 15 Bryan Stevenson......Page 694
Have a Conversation, Not an Argument, with the Court......Page 695
15.1 ORAL ARGUMENT STRATEGIES......Page 700
15.2 PARTICULAR CHALLENGES FOR DEATH PENALTY AND CRIMINAL APPEALS......Page 714
15.3 VIEWS ON THE DEATH PENALTY......Page 715
15.4 ARE CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS GUILTY?......Page 718
15.5 NELSON V. CAMPBELL BACKGROUND......Page 720
15.6 NELSON ORAL ARGUMENT......Page 723
15.7 REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 731
15.8 SUPREME COURT’S DECISION......Page 733
15.9 MILLER V. ALABAMA......Page 734
15.10 MILLER ORAL ARGUMENT......Page 737
15.11 SUPREME COURT’S RULING......Page 743
15.12 STEVENSON’S NEXT CHALLENGE FOR THE SUPREME COURT......Page 744
15.13 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 746
CHAPTER 16 Lisa Blatt......Page 751
Channel Your Client......Page 752
16.1 MAKE THE CLIENT REAL......Page 755
16.2 DELIVERY......Page 757
16.3 MAINTAINING CREDIBILITY......Page 759
16.4 UNITED STATES V. FLORES-MONTANO......Page 760
16.5 ADOPTIVE COUPLE V. BABY GIRL......Page 765
16.6 BLATT’S ORAL ARGUMENT......Page 768
16.7 ORAL ARGUMENT OF ATTORNEY FOR DUSTEN BROWN......Page 775
16.8 BLATT’S REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 779
16.9 COURT’S DECISION......Page 782
16.10 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 785
CHAPTER 17 Alan Dershowitz......Page 792
Meticulous Preparation Wins......Page 793
17.1 TAILOR YOUR BRIEF TO THE ARGUMENT......Page 796
17.2 PREPARING FOR ORAL ARGUMENT......Page 797
17.3 BIGGEST MISTAKE LAWYERS MAKE......Page 798
17.4 DELIVERY......Page 799
17.5 HOW TO ANSWER DIFFICULT QUESTIONS......Page 801
17.6 TABISH AND MURPHY V. NEVADA......Page 803
17.7 ORAL ARGUMENT......Page 806
17.8 AFTERMATH......Page 814
17.9 CHAPTER CHECKLIST......Page 816
Q & A With the Author......Page 818
Afterword......Page 821
Works Consulted......Page 822
Acknowledgments......Page 824
About the Author......Page 825
Index......Page 828