I came across this post on the Lawyerist on the question whether good legal writing is inherited or developed. Putting aside that debate (the answer is both, by the way), it occurred to me…
Read Articlehttps://youtu.be/fgIBG8q1Gjc In this clip from A Few Good Men, two Marines are on trial for a murder on their training base. The Marines’ defense is that they were ordered by officers to give the…
Read ArticleLike many business books, the Attorney entry into Michael Gerber’s E-Myth series is substantively less revolutionary than it sounds. But, it contains advice which, if followed, can be transformative. What is an E-Myth Attorney? “In short, the…
Read ArticleOne of those absolutely crucial lessons most law schools don’t teach, but which you need to know if you’re going to appear in court, is the importance of making nice with the courtroom staff. …
Read ArticleA great post on Associate’s Mind, entitled “Millennial Jurors: Entertain Us,” discusses the challenges facing trial lawyers trying to communicate with Gen-Y jurors. In addition to prognostications about how these young adults can’t sit…
Read ArticleYesterday I wrote about why discovery should be limited to questions or requests which are directly calculated to lead to useful information. I just need point out a single exception to this view: discovery…
Read ArticleOne of the illusions I harbored as a young defense lawyer was that it was a good idea to “paper” the other side with as much discovery as I could serve. This derived, I…
Read ArticleI ran across this post by Karen Koehler, at a blawg I really like, The Velvet Hammer, which highlights something I’ve known for a long time: you’re far better off trying a case against an…
Read ArticleAn article in the Wall Street Journal Tuesday discussing the Rajat Gupta insider trading trial in NYC pointed out that the judge and the accused’s defense attorney, who are apparently longtime friends, have been cracking jokes throughout…
Read ArticleThis excerpt from Atticus Finch’s cross-examination of Mayella in To Kill A Mockingbird highlights why you might want to prepare your witness for a potentially challenging cross-examination. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44TG_H_oY2E?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
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