Podcast - Expert Witnesses, Special Issues
Podcast - Direct Examination of Expert Witnesses
Preparing for Deposition Success
Podcast - Getting Dressed for Court
Podcast - The Witness Outline
More on Cross-Examination: Building a Case Brick by Brick
Podcast - Refresh vs. Impeach: Know the Difference
Podcast - Cross-Examination of Expert Witnesses
Cross-Examination: The Three C’s of Impeachment
Cross-Examination: How to Effectively Impeach with a Prior Inconsistent Statement
Podcast - Cross-Examination: Don't Argue - Elicit Facts
Work This Way: A Labor & Employment Law Podcast - Episode 20: Tips for Court Cases with Judge Dennis and Judge Wilkins of Maynard Nexsen
Understanding When to Cross-Examine
Basic Points to Consider in Redirect Examination
Podcast - Direct Examination: Getting Rid of Clutter
Exuding Credibility in the Courtroom
Podcast - The Differences Between Persuasion and Argument
Witness Testimony Themes, Cross Examination, & Preparation Consultants – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 55
Witness Prep Goals, Credibility Factors, & Juror Comprehension – IMS Insights Podcast Episode 54
Podcast - Ethical Deposition Conduct
As a litigator, I routinely prepare clients for depositions. A deposition is a pre-trial procedure where a party or witness in a legal case provides sworn testimony outside of a courtroom. A lawyer asks questions of the...more
Preparing for a deposition can be challenging whether it is a person’s first or hundredth time testifying under oath. Being questioned frequently causes anxiety. But the experience does not have to be so daunting with...more
The receipt of a notice for a client’s deposition usually sets off a chain reaction of familiar events in most law offices across the country. The deposition is calendared. Materials requested in the notice or accompanying...more
A high school reunion can be a wonderful, surreal experience at best, and a handwringing, anxiety-ridden event at worst. During those formative years of our teenage lives, we were surrounded by – and spent countless hours...more
The testimony given at a deposition vs. testimony during a trial have a lot in common. They’re both sworn under oath, under penalty of perjury, and part of official court records. There’s a longer list, however, of how they...more
The discovery phase is often the most critical component of legal work, leading 95% of civil cases to a settlement negotiation instead of a courtroom trial. Given this, how information is collected from potential witnesses is...more
Depositions can be stressful affairs. For many witnesses, depositions are a once-in-a-lifetime plunge into the unknown with a lot riding on their testimony. Sitting in a room full of strangers, listening to lawyers argue over...more
30(B)(6) Preparation Tips - If you have ever said “that rule may make sense in theory, but it does not work in real life,” you may also have spent weeks futilely attempting to prepare a witness to serve as a corporate...more
Despite the ubiquitous advantages of AI-powered eDiscovery, matter management, content analysis, and other solutions, litigation costs and data volumes continue to rise. Is there any end in sight? A traditional tagging and...more
More than a meeting but less than a trial—depositions are key building blocks to civil and criminal cases. Depositions are usually scheduled to interview your opposition’s witnesses, but as an attorney, you may also depose...more
In his article Eight Traits of Great Trial Lawyers, former U.S. Federal District Judge Mark W. Bennett remarked that lack of preparation topped the list of trial lawyer shortcomings in his courtroom. “Preparation,” Judge...more
A recent discovery ruling from an Ohio federal magistrate judge offers a helpful primer on how corporate representatives should prepare for depositions. The ruling, In re FirstEnergy Corp. Securities Litig., No. 2:20-cv-3785...more
This deposition preparation checklist is an essential tool for attorneys to tackle depositions with minimal roadblocks and guide their witnesses to successful testimony. ...more
The First Line of Defense Against Plaintiff Overreach - The suit has been filed, the troops have been marshaled, and written discovery is underway. What’s next are the inevitable requests for depositions of current and...more
Rule 30(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which concerns the use of a deposition notice or subpoena directed to an organization, was amended in December 2020 to require that parties meet-and-confer prior to...more
This past year has brought lots of change, including an amendment to Rule 30(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Rule 30(b)(6) governs the deposition of an organization (e.g., a corporation or a partnership) and...more
Previously, I wrote about a proposed amendment to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(6) that would create a meet and confer requirement among counsel concerning the topics for examining a corporate representative in a...more
In the latest episode of his "Powerful Witness Preparation" podcast series, What is a Deposition, litigation attorney Dan Small clears up any confusion surrounding what a deposition actually is. He explains that the...more
Courts and parties across the country continue to figure out how to move civil litigation forward in pending matters given the current pandemic. As discussed in our prior updates, federal and state courts continue to take…...more
On July 15, 2019, the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (the “Uniform Act”) was enacted in Rhode Island. R.I. Gen. Laws 9-18.1-1 et seq. It will simplify the process of taking a deposition in Rhode Island for...more
A few years ago, I represented a process piping subcontractor in a claim against the general contractor and the owner of a coal fired power plant in Massachusetts. While the case was unique and interesting in a number of...more
Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 30(b)(6), a party may depose a public or private corporation, a partnership, an association, a governmental agency, or another entity. Of course, it is not actually possible to...more
Q: You’ve written and spoken extensively on how conventional witness preparation can leave witnesses giving horrible testimony in depositions and cross-examination. What’s the problem? ...more
It has become an increasingly common tactic for opposing counsel to seek the depositions of top corporate executives. These depositions are generically referred to as apex depositions....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth Shaw submitted comments to the Federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules regarding needed reform to Rule 30(b)(6), the rule that governs depositions of organizations in federal litigation. ...more