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.

Topics
4:00  Creating your opening statement
6:23  Workshopping the opening
8:38  Struggling with the right story
10:12  Engaging jurors’ imagination during opening
13:26  Using visual aids
16:47  Objections on openings
19:10  Making your case in direct examination
20:16  The challenges of direct
23:56  How to keep direct interesting
26:34  Humanizing a despicable witness
33:52  Fundamentals of a zinger on cross-examination
40:28  Preparation versus spur-of-the-moment
43:08  The challenges of cross
48:28  Women and cross
53:42  Your advantage in closing argument
55:54  When to start thinking about your closing
56:47  Using visual aids
57:45  Jury instructions
1:00:11 Closings for plaintiff versus defendant

Quote
“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 Latta

Resources
May 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)