Persuasive Trial Advocacy

Developing trial advocacy skills and implementing them is critical to all civil litigators. This publication demonstrates that trials are all about persuasion, not merely the mechanical application of trial technique.

Written by senior litigation counsel Ronald D. Manes, Persuasive Trial Advocacy is a unique look at the psychological principles of persuasion and the effective communication needed to strategize every aspect of the trial process. The author includes full transcripts of his examinations and extensive critical commentary from a particularly challenging medical malpractice trial, warts and all, and extracts from other criminal and civil trials, to demonstrate his approach.

This publication is intended primarily for junior counsel but can also be valuable to experienced counsel with limited trial experience.

Topics examined in the publication include:

• The psychology of persuasive trial advocacy
• Preparing to persuade: How to plan your case at each pre-trial stage
• The Trial: Knowing your audience and preparing plans for effective openings, examinations, and closings