I don’t recommend books often, but two friends of mine have written books that are impressive dealing with plaintiff’s trial practice. One is by the incredible Randi McGinn, the first woman to be selected as president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, the leading plaintiff’s trial organization limited to one hundred members nation wide. As  a New Mexico trial lawyer she heads an all woman law firm and has had amazing verdicts. She is known for her great jury selection skills  and her creative trial skills. The book is Changing Laws & Saving Lives – How  to take on Corporate Giants & Win.

This is not just a “pat myself on my back” biography, but one  where the examples from her trials and her suggestions are both unique as well as informative. I know her to be one of the most creative trial lawyers and she illustrates  that in her book. She offers helpful advice and she gives encouragement to us with her morale building suggesstions. You  will be entertained as  well as  informed.

For example, in  her  chapter on cross esamination she describes the trial with the defense medical expert she cross  examined. She used yellow  sticky notes on the doctor, after asking  his permission, to show all the areas  of the body where the undiagnosed cancer could go resulting in the expert standing in front of the  jury with yellow sticky notes all over  his suit. The book is available from:   http://http://www.trialguides.com/book/changing-laws-saving-lives/

Bill Bailey and I have been friends for many years. Like Randi he was a very creative plaintiff’s attorney and his record like verdicts were the result. He made good plaintiff’s law for us and had many years as an active plaintiff’s attorney before devoting his abilities to teaching, He is now a professor at the University of Washington Law School in Seattle and remains active in the plaintiff bar as well. He and the director of the Washington State Patrol, Seattle Crime Laboratory collaberated in writing  Law, Science & Experts Civil and Criminal Forensics by William S. Bailey and Terrence J. McAdam. This book is also  available  from http://www.trialguides.com. 

What I like about this book is the combining  of Bill’s trial ideas and  the explanations of the scientist about such things as DNA, fingerprints and science and law interacting  generally. While it discusses criminal evidence it has direct application in many ways to civil trials as well. In addition, Bill’s practical advice about taking  depositions and general trial skills is invaluable too. It comes  with a CD.  There is a very good illustration of the cross examination of a defense medical expert  from an actual case that is worth the price of the book itself.

I like practical books with practical, clear advice and  both of these books offer this.