Customer Reviews

Theater Tips and Strategies for Jury Trials

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This book is the perfect supplement for a trial advocacy textbook. David Ball brings a valuable and fresh perspective to trial lawyers. He can do so because he is not a lawyer, but rather has an extensive background in theater such as being the former chair of the theater department at Duke University. Now, he is a professional trial consultant. For example, Ball urges lawyers to take the lessons that actors, directors and playwrights have mastered (such as the importance of telling a story that reaches the emotions of the audience) and using those techniques at trial. He makes one of many great points when he suggests how a lawyer might have ended Hamlet (badly) as opposed to how Shakespeare did. He then shows how anyone can take the lessons from Shakespeare to craft a strong ending to a closing argument in trial.

For opening statements in a personal injury case he teaches that instead of beginning with a saying such as "Driving too fast is negligent," you should capture the jury's attention with "Last August the truck driver sitting over there was going too fast and killed a little girl." Lawyers are too often focused on the details executing techniques and Ball reminds us that developing the art of trial advocacy is the most important skill of all.

At a legal seminar I attended in Seattle, attorney Paul Luvera recommended this book. I figure if Luvera reads it, I'll read.
As it turns out, each page is stuffed with great advise. I gave up on using the highlighter because everything was highlighted.

I am a defense attorney and this book is fabulous! Its an easy read and creative. I highly recommend it for any attorney that goes before a jury.

This is an excellent resource for litigators, whether novices or 30 year veterans. GREAT material here!

Professor Ball uses his special skill in Theater Arts and perceptions of jury reaction to instruct the advocate in trial techniques.
I often refer to this book in CLE presentations along with Wellman's work on Cross Examination.