Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 319: Spotlight on Torts (Part 3 – Strict and Vicarious Liability)
How confidential is a request to access or challenge information in INTERPOL’s files?
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 317: Spotlight on Torts (Part 2 – Intentional Torts)
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 314: Listen and Learn -- False Imprisonment and Shopkeeper’s Privilege (Torts)
Follow the Rules … Most of the Time
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 313: Spotlight on Criminal Law (Part 3)
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 312: Spotlight on Criminal Law (Part 2)
The JustPod: A Discussion with Defense Counsel Rocco Cipparone and Angie Levy on January 6 Prosecutions
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 310: Listen and Learn -- Accomplice Liability (Criminal Law)
The Future of Litigation: Adapting to the Era of Nuclear Verdicts
The JustPod: A murder-for-hire allegation, public corruption trial, and notable acquittal
Bar Exam Toolbox Podcast Episode 309: Listen and Learn -- Felony Murder and Causation (Criminal Law)
What if the CCF denies my request for the removal of my Red Notice?
The JustPod: The King of Cross: A Discussion with Larry Pozner, a Leading Expert on Cross-Examination
There Is No Right Path
Eyes on the Evidence: Powerful Legal Presentations – Speaking of Litigation Video Podcast
Excessive Compensation: What to do when the co-owners of your business pay themselves excessively
Against All Odds- Part Three
Against All Odds- Part Two
Against All Odds- Part One
Trial strategy isn’t solely a matter of collecting and presenting the right set of evidence and testimony—it requires organizing and crafting a narrative that connects with jurors. With each new jury, you’re back at the...more
When I first decided I wanted to become an attorney, I did not think about being in trial. Even in law school, I gave little thought about what it would mean to be in trial. Like a lot of people, my experience with being in...more
It is common advice for witnesses in the courtroom or representatives at counsel table: keep a poker face. That advice — avoid scowls, grimaces, and other head-shaking reactions while you’re being observed by a jury — has...more
In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook," litigation attorney Dan Small explores the importance of rhetoric in courtroom communication. Although rhetoric has been less studied in recent times, it has enabled speakers...more
An old adage states, “The worst settlement is often better than the best trial, particularly for the losing party.” This was true in a recent upstate New York case where a jury awarded damages twenty times the realistic...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small outlines essential rules for lawyers during closing arguments. He speaks about the importance of not misstating evidence or...more
First impressions are crucial—especially when you’re delivering an opening statement to a court of law, establishing and framing the crux of a case for judges and jurors when a trial begins. Clarity, conciseness, resonance,...more
Litigation attorney Dan Small shares insights and strategies for delivering a compelling closing argument in this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series. He explains the challenges of delivering a closing...more
When a case proceeds to trial, a legal team may face a critical decision about whether to have it adjudicated by a jury of peers or a single judge. Both options can offer benefits depending on the merits and subject matter...more
In a commercial dispute involving allegations against a manufacturing plant, plaintiff’s counsel was cross-examining a plant manager....more
Case preparation can take months of research, depositions, and strategic planning—all for that one high-pressure moment in court. Even learning how to write a good opening statement can take a considerable amount of time and...more
Just what is it that wins a trial case? It’s not a simple matter of providing a bullet list of facts. The subject matter and fine points of evidence can be complex and difficult to follow, and the trial attorneys rarely have...more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small discusses the frequently stated rule that an opening statement is intended to be only a summary of the facts, not an argument....more
In this episode of his "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small delves into the critical importance of establishing and relaying accurate measures of time, distance and speed in the...more
Persuasion is at the core of what litigators do, not exclusively, but particularly in court. Despite that, aspiring lawyers train on a legal model that emphasizes some aspects of persuasion (like evidence and logic) while...more
If you are like most attorneys, you think of drones in terms of their ability to capture images of large expanses of land and sea—and they are great for that purpose. But Andrew Buckley, trial consultant and a certified drone...more
Maybe it is because monitors are a lot less expensive than they used to be, but I’m seeing more and more of them cropping up, often in the same places. Conference rooms or spaces for larger presentations that used to have a...more
After receiving many warnings from the court and counsel on what they’re about to see, the jurors are finally shown the injury photos. Some of them frown, one covers her face, many look away after a quick glance, and a couple...more
I write this blog principally for litigators, but sometimes it is worth remembering that transactional attorneys are also advocates who, depending on the circumstances, may also have persuasive goals. The point of seeking to...more
The now one-year-old coronavirus pandemic has caused courtrooms across the country to move many of their functions, as well as some full jury trials, into an online space. On the wisdom of that move, there are broadly two...more
The lawyer preparing their case likely goes through a long list of, “What will they think about…” questions, relating to the facts, the evidence, the arguments, and the law. Eventually, that attorney might get to the...more
Every day, we are reminded that we live in a new age that can be called “post-truth.” We pay a lot of attention to external sources of misinformation, whether it is motivated public figures, partisan news networks or...more
Trial lawyers understand the need to refine and to help fit the main point of their case into the smallest possible container. In complex litigation, however, that quest for a bottom line can be elusive. You might have your...more
Our trial system is based on the ideal of a neutral fact-finder. And as much as the social science tells us that this blank slate does not actually exist, it remains true that jurors will try very hard to keep an open-mind....more
Next time you’re in a public place, look around at all the people and what they’re doing. Looking at their phones? Yes! Nearly all of them. Now, some might be working. Some could be keeping up on the news or reading great...more