A lawyer who is a successful advocate in the courtroom is skilled with oral argument and knows that an effective argument must be informative, conversational, and relaxed, yet passionate, authoritative, and compelling—all at the same time!

The Lawyer’s Winning Edge provides practical tips and persuasive techniques that will help give you the winning edge in the courtroom.

You will learn how to create a captivating opening statement and a powerful closing argument, as well as how to use nonverbal communication and eye contact to emphasize your message. This book will show you how to build a relationship with each juror, how to call the jurors to action, and how to advance your story through each phase of the trial.

The book also includes a valuable video CD, playable on your computer’s CD drive, on which the authors demonstrate breathing, vocal skills and inflection, body language, gestures, and eye contact exercises. These exercises will help you to perfect your communication skills and to make your most dynamic and convincing case ever.

The video CD includes sections on Breathing, Vocal Skills, Vocal Inflection, Body Language, and Eye Contact.

PART 1: THE FOUNDATION FOR COMMUNICATION
Chapter 1: “The key is sincerity, and once you learn to fake that, you’ve got it made” … And Other Really Bad Advice
Chapter 2: How To Use Your Voice to Create Vocal Thunder in the Courtroom
Chapter 3: Vocal Inflection
Chapter 4: Why Your Body Sometimes Feels As Though It Is Working Against You Chapter 5: Using Eye Contact to Build Relationships

PART 2: CAPTIVATE THE JURY THROUGH THE POWER OF STORYTELLING
Chapter 6: Painting a Clear Picture
Chapter 7: Your Story: Building a Strong House Chapter 8: How to Rehearse Your Story
Chapter 9: The Credibility Factor
Chapter 10: Stage Presence: It’s All in the Listening!
Chapter 11: Relationships

PART 3: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER FOR TRIAL
Chapter 12: Preparing Yourself and Your Witnesses for Depositions and Trial
Chapter 13: Trial Day 1: What to Wear
Chapter 14: Using Props and Visual Aids to Enhance Your Argument
Chapter 15: Presentation Skills for Voir Dire
Chapter 16: Preparing Your Opening Statement: 99 Percent of Spontaneity is Preparation
Chapter 17: Stage Fright
Chapter 18: On-Camera Presentation Skills

EPILOGUE: WE REST OUR CASE
 

Contents of the Video CD

EXERCISES
Breathing
Breathing Introduction
The Neutral Position
Breathing Exercises

Vocal Skills
Vocal Skills Introduction
Humming
Tongue Twisters

Vocal Inflection
Vocal Inflection Introduction
Your Inflection Sends a Message
Controlling the Picture
Identifying Inflections

Body Language
Body Language Introduction
Body Warm-Ups
Gestures Enhance Your Argument
Using the Lectern
Body Language During Video
Depositions

Eye Contact
Eye Contact Introduction
Where Do You Look?
Take the Time to Look

WORKSHEETS
Vocal Thunder
Body Language
Storytelling
The Credibility Factor
Presence & Spontaneity
Relationships
Witness Preparation
The Deposition You’re Taking
Eye Contact
Voir Dire
Stage Fright

Leonard Matheo and Lisa L. DeCaro are the founders of Courtroom Performance, Inc. (CPI), a trial consulting firm dedicated to improving oral advocacy and the visual presentation of evidence. Professional actors and directors, each has over 15 years of experience in professional theater, film, and television. Ms. DeCaro and Mr. Matheo have helped thousands of attorneys and their witnesses prepare for deposition and trial, by employing the professional actor’s techniques of effective story analysis, story structure, and persuasive presentation.

Ms. DeCaro and Mr. Matheo are active members of the American Society of Trial Consultants and the Association for Continuing Legal Education. Both are frequent speakers at regional seminars and national conventions (including the annual conference of the ABA Litigation Leadership Section and many state bar programs), and have served as faculty for colleges and conferences nationwide (including UCLA Law School and the University of Colorado School of Law). Ms. DeCaro and Mr. Matheo have also authored popular papers and articles for national legal publications (including ALI-ABA’s Practical Litigator, ABA’s Tips from the Trenches, and The Brief.)

CPI utilizes a practical system of presentation techniques as they apply to the courtroom, to help trial attorneys enhance their ability to advocate for their clients. Through seminars, workshops, publications, and trial consulting, CPI helps litigators compose a compelling opening statement and closing argument, explain how to use non-verbal communication and eye contact to emphasize their message, how to build a relationship with each juror, how to call the jurors to action, and how to advance their story through each phase of the trial.

Format: 7x10" Softcover with Video CD
Copyright: 2004
Pages: 229
ISBN: 1-883726-92-1
Publisher: Bradford Publishing Co.