“Juries are not leaves swayed by every breath.” –United States v. Garsson, 291 F. 646, 649 (S.D.N.Y. 1923) (Hand, J.)
“Juries are not leaves swayed by every breath.” –United States v. Garsson, 291 F. 646, 649 (S.D.N.Y. 1923) (Hand, J.)
Trial advocacy skills can make the difference in a tough case. They should be learned and practiced. But there is nothing more important than pretrial preparation. This post concerns the most critical pretrial preparation task: you must change the “facts.” When you get a case file, it consists of what the prosecution and investigative agency […]
“Federal prosecutors, when they rise in court, represent the people of the United States. But so do defense lawyers—one at a time.” -Chief Justice John Roberts
“The law is an amazing tool, but it has limits. Good people, on the other hand, don’t have limits. The law is not in the business of forgiveness or redemption. The law cannot compel us to love each other or respect each other. It cannot cancel hate or conquer evil; teach grace or extinguish passions. […]
Edward Bennett Williams does that perfectly in his closing argument in United States v. John Connally. Below is an excerpt of it: “We have been together now for three weeks, and for you the case is just three weeks old. But for this defendant it is over a year old. It has been a year of […]
“Frankly, there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story.” -Mr. Rogers
“I didn’t do it.” Minutes after the polygraph exam, the polygrapher—in no uncertain terms—says: “You did not pass the test. There is no doubt you did [the crime you’re suspected of].” You continue to deny any wrongdoing. But the polygrapher keeps insisting they know the truth and that your version of what happened is a […]
Your phone rings. There’s no caller ID, so you let it ring out. They leave a voicemail; it’s Detective Jones. He says he has a few questions for you about last Friday night. Your mind is racing; you need to find out what’s going on, so you call him back. He asks you to come […]
“Mr. Foreperson, has the jury agreed upon a verdict?” “We have.” “Will the Defendant please rise?” “We, the jury, find John Smith not guilty.” After a not guilty verdict is read, I’ve seen tears, I’ve seen anger, but I’ve never seen victory nor have I ever felt it. Because once you’re charged in this country, […]
Your mind is made up. You’re going to try your hand at law. I commend you; it will not be easy, but I guarantee you will be better prepared if you follow the below advice. 1. Work for your GPA and master the LSAT to get into a “good” law school. Your GPA represents your […]