LAW 841 - Preparing, Examining and Cross-Examining Witnesses

Opening statements and closing arguments are seen as the trial lawyer's stock in trade, but trials are won and lost on the witness stand. This course will focus on the preparation, handling and presentation of the witness at trial. The class will emphasize the importance of pre-trial preparation before both direct and cross-examination, and the execution of those skills. We will also deal with witnesses who need specific preparation, handling, and presentation, such as experts, child victims of violent or sex-related crimes, witnesses who are mentally or emotionally disabled, and witnesses who must testify through the use of an interpreter. The format of the class will be a lecture on the use and presentation of a particular classification of witness, a demonstration of a direct and/or cross-examination of that class of witness, and hands-on participation in the examinations of the witness by students.