Voir Dire and Opening Statement

Nicholas Rowley, Courtney Rowley, and Wendy Saxon

Format: Paperback
Condition: New
Price:
Sale price$175.00

Over the course of their careers, Nicholas Rowley, Courtney Rowley, and Dr. Wendy Saxon have worked on over a thousand jury trials and obtained over a billion dollars in settlements and verdicts. In Voir Dire & Opening Statement, they use annotated excerpts of successful voir dire transcripts and opening statements to teach you the tools they use to win just outcomes for their clients.

In part one of their book, Nicholas Rowley and Courtney Rowley provide insights and strategies for successfully selecting the best jury for your client’s case. They address how they deal with their own fears and trepidations, and challenge preconceived ideas about how to connect with and empower each juror to deliver a just verdict. You will learn how to put important case issues front and center in voir dire, and how to get potential jurors to excuse themselves for cause on an inability to be fair and impartial.

In part two, Dr. Wendy Saxon discusses practical strategies for understanding small group dynamics and juror body language, collecting and disseminating personal information, and identifying jurors who will be good for your case. Dr. Saxon examines juror questionnaires and courtroom worksheets and shows how you can use them to identify bias and ways to structure them to help avoid objections from the defense and judge. Dr. Saxon offers strategies for selecting jurors when you are not allowed voir dire at all, and for when you are severely limited on time. She also discusses perspectives and scenarios on juror rehabilitation and offers a fully annotated jury questionnaire that is included in the appendix.

In part three, Nicholas Rowley and Courtney Rowley teach the Trial by Human approach to creating and delivering a winning opening statement. They discuss identifying your theme, being brutally honest about the good-bad-ugly of your case, simplifying complex terminology, using visuals and the importance of telling a story that jurors can visualize, sequencing your opening to capture jurors’ attention, bringing noneconomic damages to life, using jury instructions to discuss damages, dealing with objections, addressing expert testimony, how to effectively follow your opening statement with your first witness, and building credibility to further develop the human connections you need to win. The authors also provide annotated excerpts from successful opening statements to demonstrate how you can start applying their lessons to your next case.

Your eBooks are now accessible from your Trial Guides account! Click here for step by step instructions.

Do you want the eBook and print book? After you complete your purchase of the print book you will receive a coupon code via email to purchase the eBook for $20

Paperback: 436 pages; 1st edition (2020); ISBN: 9781941007921
Publisher: Trial Guides, LLC

Acknowledgments 

Publisher’s Note 

Introduction 

1 Being Brutally Honest with Yourself 

2 Making Your Cases Personal 

 

Part 1 Voir Dire: Trial by Human 

3 Connecting with Jurors 

4 A Fair Fight 

5 Talking about Money 

6 Shifting Noneconomic Damages from Grief into Celebration

7 The Line between Preconditioning and Discovering Biases 

 

Part 2 Voir Dire: Selecting Jurors Wisely 

8 Setting the Stage 

9 Understanding Small-Group Dynamics 

10 Understanding Body Language 

11 Using Jury Questionnaires 

12 Maximizing the Courtroom Worksheet 

13 Lessons from the Dark Side 

14 Selecting Jurors with Brief or No Voir Dire

15 Dealing with Improperly Denied Cause Challenges 

 

Part 3 Opening Statement: Trial by Human 

16 Your Toolbox 

17 Sequencing Your Story 

18 Bringing the Story to Life 

19 Destroying the Defense(s) 

Conclusion 

Appendix A: Jury Questionnaire 

About the Authors

What Legal Leaders Are Saying

A far-ranging discussion of voir dire and opening statement by three of the most accomplished experts on modern trial practice. Stimulating ideas in every chapter.

— Rick Friedman, past president of the Inner Circle of Advocates and coauthor of Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff’s Guide to Proving Liability
4.7 out of 5 stars 32 total reviews
Popular topics
Show more
Keith V. 🇺🇸
Verified Buyer
I have only read the
I have only read the first few chapters so far, but the ideology and approach Nick and his team have developed is an excellent addition to any trial lawyers toolbox.
Published date
02/29/24
Was this review helpful?
1
0
Raymond C. 🇺🇸
Verified Buyer
Voir dire and opening statement
Well worth the read
Published date
02/16/24
Was this review helpful?
0
0
Doug N. 🇺🇸
Verified Buyer
was ok
was ok
Published date
01/24/24
Was this review helpful?
0
0
Douglas T. 🇺🇸
Verified Buyer
Extremely insightful
Another great resource provided by the Rowley's. I highly recommend this for any trial lawyer.
Published date
01/16/24
Was this review helpful?
0
0
David A. 🇺🇸
Verified Buyer
Very helpful for attorneys of
Very helpful for attorneys of any level experience with trials. A must for younger attorneys just starting out or attorneys with limited trial experience. Overall, a great experience to read. David Aiso
Published date
10/11/23
Was this review helpful?
0
0