“Always one thing at a time. Why must you put out your facts like gold coins, Frau Richter?” -John Le Carre, A Most Wanted ManI recently spent several days preparing inexperienced witnesses for their first…
Read Article[This article was previously published in the November 2, 2014 issue of California Litigation] “Believe it or not, the composition and layout of some of my images fall precisely . . . within the…
Read ArticleDo you fight over discovery? Admit it. It’s ok, we’re all friends here, no? Apparently lawyers still wage discovery battles. I won’t pretend that I’m immune. I still mix it up with the best of…
Read ArticleI found a fantastic interview of trial legend Edward Bennett Williams from the Winter, 1986 issue of Litigation which I intend to read and re-read like the Bible. Among the myriad of topics he discusses was the…
Read ArticleAnyone who has taken or even attended a deposition is at least somewhat familiar with the litany of admonitions that are customary before the substantive examination begins. These include explaining to the deponent, and…
Read ArticleIn my last post, I attempted to describe what has come to be known as the Reptile technique of discovery and trial presentation, as advocated in the book, Reptile: the 2009 Manual of the Plaintiff’s…
Read ArticleTwo blawg posts last week caught my eye. Both discussed preparing and defending witnesses at deposition. At the Lawyerist, Chris Bradley talked about his experiences defending a client in his first judgment-debtor examination. His title…
Read ArticleWhen Alec Baldwin retires we’ll look back over his career, appreciate his different “periods,” and argue over when he shined most brightly. I’ll be torn between the current Alec Baldwin, a mischevious clown with…
Read ArticleI was really impressed by a recent post at Philly Law Blog, in which Jordan Rushie discusses a humbling experience he had early in his law practice. What was so great about the post (and I…
Read ArticleEvery once in a while I get a glimpse into the way another lawyer or firm practices their craft and I have something like an epiphany. I realize there’s a vastly better way to…
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