Recent Articles from Daniel Small, BridgeTower Media Newswires
Five most common faults of trial lawyers
One of the great privileges of being a judge is to be able to speak with jurors after a trial, to thank them and to ask them questions about what they had just witnessed.
Be careful with documents, prior statements
The witness is just settling into the deposition, starting to sense that there may be light at the end of the tunnel, when the questioner pulls out the first document. She waves it around with great flair, asks a few “isn’t-it-true” type questions and slaps it down on the table.
Making an impact on a witness
In past columns, I’ve talked about the “10 Rules” for witnesses as a way to help bridge the wide gap between normal conversation and communicating in a witness environment. The first is easy and natural; the second is difficult and unnatural — and treacherous. The language, rhythm and goals of each are very different.
Tell witnesses to be themselves on the stand
Tell your witness: Get off your stage and talk with people, as a real person. It can be hard to do, but it is necessary.
Witness preparation: Not only permissible, but essential
Just settling into the witness preparation session, your client nervously asks: “What if they ask about preparation?” It’s a frequent question — and concern — from witnesses.
There’s no guessing as a witness
One of the most obvious rules for witnesses is also one of the most difficult for people in everyday life: If you don’t remember, say so.
The witness’ four magic words
Witnesses have both a right and a responsibility to insist on clear and fair questions.
Coaching witnesses: 7 steps to being relentlessly polite
Don’t just tell witnesses to be polite. Tell them to be relentlessly polite.
7 deadly sins of witness preparation
Law schools may do a good job of teaching legal principles and theory, but they often ignore the true focus of real world legal practice: the client.
What it means to prepare a witness
Too many lawyers — including some very good ones — don’t prepare witnesses adequately because they fail to understand that being a witness is dramatically different than anything else the client has experienced.
An unprepared witness is a lost witness
When someone is called as a witness in any kind of legal matter, it’s usually a new and disturbing experience.
Legal News
- Wisconsin joins Feds, dozens of states to hold airlines accountable for bad behavior
- Trump ahead of Biden in new Marquette poll
- New Crime Gun Intelligence Center to launch in Chicago
- Arrest warrant issued for Minocqua Brewing owner who filed Lawsuit against Town of Minocqua
- Wisconsin Supreme Court justices question how much power Legislature should have
- Milwaukee’s Common Council now has the most African Americans, women and openly LGBTQ members ever
- Office of School Safety Provides Behavioral and Threat Assessment Management Training Ahead of 25th Anniversary of Columbine Shooting
- Wisconsin Supreme Court to hear arguments in Democratic governor’s suit against GOP-led Legislature
- Lawsuit asks Wisconsin Supreme Court to strike down governor’s 400-year veto
- Wisconsin man pleads not guilty to neglect in disappearance of boy
- ACS Selects University of Wisconsin Law School’s Miriam Seifter for 2024 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Scholar Award
- People with disabilities sue in Wisconsin over lack of electronic absentee ballots
WLJ People
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Russell Nicolet
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- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Dustin T. Woehl
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Katherine Metzger
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Joseph Ryan
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – James M. Ryan
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Dana Wachs
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Mark L. Thomsen
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Matthew Lein
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- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – William Pemberton
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Howard S. Sicula