A very effective tool in the court room is re-enactment. The famous Earl Rogers used it in almost every trial and in particular during cross examination. He would re create the scene using an exhibit or the court room furniture and then demonstrate why the other side was in error. This is a technique we all should use when appropriate. Here is a classic example of this procedure. Paul Stryker in his classic book “The Art of Advocacy,” recounts a…
I have not followed the Amanda Knox proceedings in Italy, but I was curious what she would say to the jury in her personal statement at the conclusion of the case. The media reported she had been working on it for months and I wondered what she might say. What follows is a brief excerpt. For the full translation (she spoke in Italian) see: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/video-and-translation-of-knoxs-statement-in-italian-court/ “It’s been said many times that I am different from how I appear, that I…
The Sunday New York Times had an article by Stephanie Rosenbloom titled “Authentic? Get Real.” In it she discusses the recent interest in “being authentic.” She quotes presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann as saying “I think what people see in me is that I’m a real person. I’m authentic.” She says Anderson Cooper in discussing his new television program said “I’ve always tried to just be authentic and real.” She notes that marketers and social networking coaches are preaching that to…