The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes to Win (Section of Litigation's Monograph Series) (Paperback)

by David Berg (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Among his many talents, David Berg, one of the most successful trial lawyers of our time, is a master storyteller. -- Charles D. Tobin

I have never read a book about how to win cases as expert, perceptive, precise and, often, as outright funny. -- Robert Hughes

Product Description
David Berg knows how to win cases. And he knows how to tell a story. In The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes To Win Berg puts both skills to dazzling use in an engaging and instructive guide to winning at trial. Berg covers the key elements of a trial - persuasion, discovery, jury studies, voir dire, opening arguments, cross examinations, preparing and presenting witnesses and closing arguments - but he also shares his thoughts on what it takes to win - whether winning means a decisive verdict or an extraordinary settlement.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: American Bar Association (August 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590315898
• ISBN-13: 978-1590315897
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,760 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Try Cases, Get This Book, October 26, 2006

By	David K. Bissinger (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want to learn more about trying cases, get this book and splurge for the deluxe DVD edition. Failure to do so is, as Berg might put it, "false economy."

For example, the DVDs contain large parts Berg's closing in Wyatt v. Sakowitz, videotaped at the old Harris County courthouse. It is a rare glimpse of a masterful closing as it happened. You can hear the nervous tension in Berg's voice, but also the rhythm, emotion, and sincerity of his delivery. A transcript would get only about a tenth of what the tape captures. To use another Bergism, it will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

Berg also provides one of the best guides to jury selection I have seen. He shares strategies that took him decades to develop in a way that even a novice can quickly adopt and use.

Berg once said that history forgets many of the great trial lawyers. Berg's book will preserve not only his achievements, but also those of many of his contemporaries in the various war stories he uses to illustrate his points.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ!, April 5, 2004

By	W. Mark Lanier (Houston, Tx United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes To Win (Hardcover)

Each arena has it's Michael Jordan. In the courtroom, it is David Berg. And Berg has taken this natural talent and time-honed skill to a new level as he unlocks certain secrets that have catapulted him to the top of his profession. What most have considered his "magic," he explains as common sense practice. This book should be a required text at every law school. Those in the legal profession should not just read this, they should study it. The difference it will make in case results more than pays for the book, over and over again.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SHOULD BE MANDATORY READING FOR LAW SCHOOL ADVOCACY CLASSES, January 31, 2005

By	Joseph W. Cotchett (Burlingame, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes To Win (Hardcover)

In my 40 years of trial practice, few books are better organized, or present more useful insights in how to try cases. David Berg has been in the pits, has dozens of verdicts in all kinds of civil and criminal cases-everything from murder to patent infringement-and writes about them very well. Drawing on his experience, David explains the importance, goals, and methods of achieving those goals, for each step of representation, from the first meeting with the client, to the final words of closing argument. And while this isn't one of those "war story" book, he does use examples from his own cases and those of other trial lawyers to make his points. This book is a "must read," not just for aspiring trial lawyers, but for all who want to enhance their skills in the courtroom. It should be mandatory reading for law school advocacy classes.