38. Trial Practice Resolutions for the New Year, with Steve Wood

If you’re looking for some resolutions for improving as a trial lawyer, let veteran prosecutor Steve Wood be your guide. In this episode (originally aired in 2021), Steve shares the top ten trial tips that always brought him luck. Any one of these would make for an ideal goal to shoot for in 2023. Steve also talks about public service and his lengthy career in law. 2:58   Tip #15:35   Why law?7:33   Tip #210:46 Recollections of his first trial13:23 Tip #318:23 Favorite part of trial25:19 Tip #427:30 Nerves and anxiety about trial28:49 Tip #533:04 Unwinding after trial34:31 Tip #638:49 Most agonizing career decision41:04 Public service careers45:50 Tip #748:50 A high-profile case I wish I’d tried50:11 Tip #852:43 Tip #954:18 Retirement54:48 Tip #1056:41 Signature signoff questionQuote“Somebody I taught with [at NITA] once said something I thought was brilliant, and it’s this: ‘Time is the measure of importance in the courtroom, whether you want it to be or not.’ And what that means is, we indicate importance by how much time we spend on something.”Recommended ResourcesSteven P. Wood (bio)NITA On-Demand (free resource)America’s Constitution: A Biography (book)So Many Ways to Lose (book)Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass (book)