Litigation

Cross-Examination: A Refresher

By Evan Schaeffer

At his weblog Plaintiff Trial Lawyer Tips, Paul Luvera has been posting on cross-examination, always of interest to trial lawyers--plaintiff or defense.

Luvera has two recent posts:

Five Steps of Preparation for Cross-Examination. The five steps are fully explained in the post--

• Determine the goals.
• Divide goals into individual topics.
• Document the cross examination.
• Use Role Reversal.
• Divide the cross examination into chapters.

• Make big points and ignore the details.
• Tell the jury what you just did.
• Approach cross examination from a big picture viewDon?t answer every defense issue.
• Be consistent and stick to the main story.
• Meet major defenses head on.
• The right to ask leading questions is a gift. Use it.
• Listen, listen, listen.
• When impeaching, make sure you lay a foundation first.
• Be Brief
• Make your point and quit.
• Be firm but fair.

If you like these two posts, Luvera also has a few other posts about cross-examination here, plus lots of other useful information on the rest of his weblog.

Full post as published by The Illinois Trial Practice Blog on May 19, 2009 (boomark / email).