The Trial Lawyer: What It Takes To Win [Hardcover]

David Berg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590312325 | ISBN-13: 978-1590312322 | Publication Date: December 3, 2003

This book teaches lawyers how to effectively persuade juries and improve your chances of winning at trial.

Editorial Reviews

Review

David is a people's trial lawyer in the Clarence Darrow tradition. -- Morris Dees

About the Author

David Berg is a member of the Texas and New York State Bar Associations and the founding partner of Berg & Androphy, with offices in Houston and New York. He is listed in the 2003/04 edition of Best Lawyers in America in three separate trial law specialties: Business Litigation, Personal Injury and Civil Litigation, and Criminal Defense. In October 2002, Texas Lawyer named Berg to the list of Five "Top-Notch" trial lawyers in plaintiffs civil litigation in Texas. Berg has published dozens of articles on legal topics in such publications as Litigation Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Newsweek.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: American Bar Association (December 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590312325
• ISBN-13: 978-1590312322
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,230,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 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)   

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

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.

17 of 22 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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential If You Want To Win A Trial, January 14, 2008

By 

K. Lowry "Hopeful beginner" (Calabasas, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

I am in my fifth year now, and I've still never had a jury trial, because of the explosion of alternative dispute resolution. Despite the diminishing frequency of the jury trial, this book is still an absolute must. To me, the following points the author makes are accurate--you must conduct litigation like you will go to trial, and, on occasion, you must actually go to trial. This book teaches you how to act like a real litigator. He emphasizes being a "bulldog about documents," and states the best depositions are the ones that draw blood. He also tells you how to pick a jury, how to open, how to conduct direct and cross, and how to close, among other things. In fairness, there really are just too many good parts to single anything out--the whole damn book is invaluable. Further, it is written with humor and with good stories. Highly recommended.