80. The Core Four: Opening, Direct, Cross, and Closing, with NITA Faculty

Opening statement, direct and cross-examination, and closing argument are the most basic elements of advocacy that a trial lawyer must know. To announce that May the Record Reflect can now be heard on YouTube, we revisited the “Core Four” from our archives. NITA faculty members share their best insights and tips on these four critical competencies. Topics4:00  Creating your opening statement6:23  Workshopping the opening8:38  Struggling with the right story10:12  Engaging jurors’ imagination during opening13:26  Using visual aids16:47  Objections on openings19:10  Making your case in direct examination20:16  The challenges of direct23:56  How to keep direct interesting26:34  Humanizing a despicable witness33:52  Fundamentals of a zinger on cross-examination40:28  Preparation versus spur-of-the-moment43:08  The challenges of cross48:28  Women and cross53:42  Your advantage in closing argument55:54  When to start thinking about your closing56:47  Using visual aids57:45  Jury instructions1:00:11 Closings for plaintiff versus defendantQuote“Something I always do is I talk to jurors like they are a friend that I’m having a martini with and I’m sitting across the table from. And I’m just talking to that friend about something that’s a very serious, very important issue — and I’m keeping it simple, I’m keeping it concise — so it’s a serious tone, but it’s casual.” Brooke LattaResourcesMay the Record Reflect on YouTube (link)The Secrets of Opening Statements, with Brooke Latta (podcast episode)Direct Hit, with Mike Beckwith (podcast episode)The Tense Trio, with Hon. Amy Hanley and Cheryl Brown Wattley (podcast episode)Closing Time, with Luke Cass (podcast episode)NITA Women in Trial (program)