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Author: Paul Luvera

Luvera practiced plaintiff law 55 years. He is past President of the Inner Circle of Advocates & Washington State Trial Lawyers Association. Member ABOTA, American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy, International Society of Barristers and the American Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame. Book Luvera on Advocacy available at Trial Guides Publishing Email paul@luvera.org
CROSS EXAMINATION THOUGHTS WORTH CONSIDERING

CROSS EXAMINATION THOUGHTS WORTH CONSIDERING

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While a lot has been written about the subject of cross-examination, it is a difficult subject that deserves our attention. Here are some observations that are not particularly original nor profound, but perhaps worth considering when preparing for cross examination. In April 1988 the United press published an article about a skydiver in Lewisburg, North Carolina who died while parachuting. The article said: “A veteran sky diver, who fell 10,500 feet to his death, apparently forgot to wear a parachute in his excitement to film other skydivers,…

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MAKE YOUR POINT IN THIRTY SECONDS

MAKE YOUR POINT IN THIRTY SECONDS

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In 1990 Milo Frank wrote a book How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less. I read it when it was first published. I felt then and feel now that it is an excellent source of advice about something trial lawyers need to learn – simplicity and brevity. Paraphrasing generally, Frank advises first, that the average attention span of an individual is about 30 seconds. He notes that almost all TV commercials are 30 seconds. As he says, the one…

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SEVEN BASIC RULES FOR CONDUCTING VOIR DIRE CORRECTLY

SEVEN BASIC RULES FOR CONDUCTING VOIR DIRE CORRECTLY

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Conducting a helpful as well as a  meaningful voir dire examination is both an art and a skill. However, however there are some fundamental rules for doing it right. Here are seven basic rules for conducting a good voir dire. 1.  STAY FOCUSED It’s critical that you stay focused on the key issues in your case and  case story you want to communicate. There are a limited number of key issues that you will have time to cover in jury selection….

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