In Episode 28 of May the Record Reflect, New Orleans trial legend Dominic Gianna introduces the concept of “audience-centric advocacy” and how to reach jurors and judges through effective storytelling, psychological insights, and physical performance. This self-professed “Broadway theater kid” talks about stepping into your own personal style, becoming comfortable in your own skin, why you need log lines and tag lines, and how he became the legal consultant on My Cousin Vinny.'

Topics

3:26     What jurors want 

4:44     Audience-centric advocacy

6:37     When jurors are most open to persuasion  

8:41     Two stages of trial: framing and scrutinizing

13:44   Central premise 

19:11  Importance of jury psychologists

21:45  Jurors’ attribution of fault and judgment of parties’ motivation

23:45  Back story

26:15  Storytelling

28:15  Log lines and tag lines

34:08  Non-verbal communication

37:01  Developing your trial style

38:43  Raising your comfort level with performance

42:55  Don’t do this

45:31  Advocacy during covid

54:11  Signature sign-off questions

Quote

“The framing process takes place right away in the beginning, and that is, in most trials, in the opening statement. That’s why we tell our NITA students, ‘Never ever, ever save a good, persuasive piece of evidence for the trial.’ Never do that, because when the framing part of a trial is over, which is usually the end of the opening statement, 85 percent or so of people who are leaning this way as opposed to another way, never, ever, ever change their mind.” Dominic Gianna

Resources

Dominic Gianna (bio)

Deposition to Trial Skills: New Orleans (program)

David Mann (bio)

Dr. Dan Jacks (bio)

Kevin Newbury (bio)

Opening Statements: Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning (book)

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (book)

Joan of Arc trial (transcript)