News — The Elements of Trial
10 Tips on Conducting a Winning Cross Examination
What you learned in law school and most CLEs about cross examination won't help you much because much of what is taught is long outdated, ineffective, and potentially dangerous for your case. In this in-depth dive into cross examination we address historical teachings on cross examination, why they are no longer relevant, and how new methods will help you succeed in deposition, arbitration and trial. This article is intended to help everyone from law students to 40 year veteran trial lawyers.
Becoming a Trial Lawyer: Forget Playing it Safe
The way to play it safe in law school was to raise and explain every possible issue. If five arguments supported a particular result, you had better discuss them all. Civil and criminal classes support this type of issue spotting, and some law firms believe this works in litigation. But, this law school training works against you at trial.
Becoming a Trial Lawyer: Trying your First Case
Trial lawyers have no established standards for determining when someone is ready to try a case. As you wrestle with the question of whether you are ready, remember that this awkward situation is not a result of any inadequacy on your part—the profession has let you down.