I’ve just returned from the Washington State Bar Convention in Vancouver B.C. I was fortunate to have chaired the Friday portion which involved talks that were limited to ten minutes each. It always impresses mehow much you can say in ten minutes. When you think about 30 second commercials and the television shows that have 2.5 minutes of cross examination, you realize that we often use far too much time to make our points in trial. Milo Frank wrote a…
I received a form letter asking for money to support a judicial candidate. It’s typical of many such letters we get in the mail. This one is a good illustration of a poor approach to persuasionn. It began with a statement in large capital letters "Harry needs your help." It followed that with"Judge Harry Smith’s future on the court depends upon the support…of friends." It went on to say "We want to make certain that Harry receives the financial support…
I’ve just returned from my annual trip to the Spence Trial College which is conducted on a remote ranch about two hours drive from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I like to claim thatsince the time I was invited by Gerry to teach there when it first began over a decade ago, it’s so I can teach lawyers how to try cases. But, the cold hard truth is that I go there to learn more than to teach. I have become friends…