Trials

Does your current trial advocacy resource show how to develop a winning trial strategy? Thomas A. Mauet's new Trials: Strategy, Skills, and the New Powers of Persuasion leads readers, step by step, through the many elements necessary for persuasive litigation.

This realistic and practical work from the highly regarded leader in the field responds to significant changes in trial theory and practice:

• recognition of the decisive role of the jurors' perspective, including how they process and evaluate people, information, and arguments, and how they reach collective decisions
• the increased necessity of an effective opening statement and how to construct and deliver opening statements for maximum strategic value, with annotated examples from both the plaintiff's and the defendant's attorneys
• the new importance of visuals, with an entire chapter dedicated to this crucial element of today's trials, including proven tips for developing a visual strategy and using visuals/electronic media in opening statements, closing arguments, and expert testimony

Tom Mauet draws on his extensive experience to set a strong foundation for practice by:

• presenting a methodology for developing an effective trial strategy and preparing for trial
• explaining and demonstrating the skills that must be developed and used in trials
• sequencing topics in order of the stages of a jury trial
• structuring the chapters in a consistent format: "The Law" lays out the legal framework for the chapter, generally a Rule (or Rules) of Evidence; "The Jury's Perspective" provides the sociological or psychological context; substantive sections provide the instruction
• "Trial Notebook" describes the information to add to the notebook at each stage of the trial, and "Common Problems" point out recurring problem
• including a CD-ROM that provides a trial notebook, video presentations of evidence (including interactive ones), and examples of opening statements, direct examination, and closing arguments for civil and criminal cases
• ;creating an exceptionally helpful Teacher's Manual

An author website to support classroom instruction using this title is available at http://www.aspenlawschool.com/mauet_trials