Education.
Collaboration.
Practice.

Lesson Title: Winning Starts on Day 1 - Crafting and Delivering Opening Statements

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• The law of opening: what you can and cannot do
• Organizing the story: setting the scene and rolling the action
• Using real evidence, demonstrative exhibits, deposition cuts, and A/V / PowerPoint
• Using “Rules” for Liability
• First and third person delivery
• Undermining defenses
• Using analogies and examples
• Discussing damages
• Connecting and Communicating

Lesson Title: Seeing is Believing - Persuasive Visual Evidence For 21st Century Jurors

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Dave Buchanan

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• PowerPoint and Keynote
• Pictures, charts, diagrams, timelines
• Xrays, medical illustrations, enhanced medical imaging
• Animations
• Recreations
• Live drawing: Flip charts, chalkboards, and lists
• Overcoming objections

Lesson Title: Winning Direct Exam - Clients, Cops, Observers and Before and After Witnesses

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Bill Hawal, John Gomez

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• Organization of Direct
• Beginning and Ending
• Form of questions
• Introducing and accrediting
• Setting the scene
• Rolling the action
• Using exhibits
• Anticipating cross
• Using “headnotes”
• Using lists
• Refreshing recollection
• Planning Red Direct/laying traps
• Mini Demo of direct exam

Lesson Title: Making the Case Through The Defendant’s Mouth - Cross Examination of Defendants and Corporate Representatives

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Mike Papantonio, Chris Spagnoli

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• Rules and law
• Form of Question – lead lead lead use of documents
• Strategy for presenting in trial
• Exhibits, visuals, and metaphor
• Impeaching the “three “C’s” ( Confirm, Credit, Confront )

Lesson Title: The Top Shelf - A Legal Literary Book Club: The Last Trial by Scott Turow

Faculty: John Uustal

Description: The Top Shelf is a unique book club experience that will make you a better trial lawyer.

We take amazing books that are fun to read, and we use them to identify the factors that influence key trial moments. You will see how amazing lawyers (both real and fictional) won cases. You will have an opportunity to watch some of the finest lawyers ever. It’s even better than actually trying a case with these legends, because you will have the luxury of examining the key decisions in detail, hearing why the lawyer made that choice and discussing other possibilities.

Lesson Title: Mining Nuggets From The Liars and Confused - Impeachment and Cross Exam of Non-Experts

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Mel Orchard, Jane Paulson

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• Organizing the Cross
• Beginning and Ending – know where you are finishing before you start
• Tone, pace, demeanor, courtroom location
• Form of question—lead, lead, lead
• Tell a story - Make a point
• Context, Comparison, Contrast
• Think nuggets for closing
• Destructive cross
• Bias, motive, interest
• Proving your case through defense witnesses
• Impeachment
• by omission
• by prior inconsistent statements
• Mini demonstration of cross

Lesson Title: Scripting Compelling Expert Testimony On Direct Examination

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Kathleen Nastri, Ken Suggs

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• Introduction /qualifications / accreditation
• “one interesting fact"
• Retention and assignment
• Work done
• Foreshadowing opinions
• Getting opinions and bases
• Anticipating and diffusing cross
• Hypothetical questions
• Using real evidence and exhibits
• Using the experts as a teacher
• Undermining and anticipating opposing expert
• Mini Demo of expert direct

Lesson Title: Opinions For Hire - Effective Cross Exam of Defense Doctors, Engineers and Other So-Called Experts

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Ben Rubinowitz

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• Law and rules
• Beginning and ending planned in advance
• Getting agreements: form of questions
• Lead lead lead
• Bias interest motive
• Making complete points
• Telling a story
• Finding common ground
• Work not done/things not considered
• Impeachment
  • learned texts and treatises
  • expert’s own writings
  • prior inconsistent testimony
  • reports and writing in this case
• Using documents and exhibits
• Mini demonstration of an expert cross

Lesson Title: Bringing It Home With Style and Substance - Closing Arguments That Win

Faculty: Rich Newsome, Troy Rafferty, Mike Kelly, Carl Douglas

Description: During this lesson, we will cover the following topics:

• Rules and law
• Theories and themes
• Strategy and organization
• Instructions and verdict forms
• Visuals and exhibits
• Asking for money
• Argument vs. lecture
• Inferences
• Credibility of Witnesses
• Circumstantial evidence
• Emotional Aspects
• Owning Case Weaknesses
• Meeting Burden of Proof
• Oppositions Argument
• Facts Not Proven/Promises Not Kept from Opening
• Request for Verdict
• Rebuttal