Based on a tort action in federal court against an Alabama church for financial explotation by a pastoral counselor, this case simulation problem offers a complete set of court documents to supplement your Persuasive Legal Writing, Pretrial Practice, Appellate Advocacy, or Moot Court class. Case File III presents a complete set of realistic court documents: A complaint, defensive motions with supporting documentation, and transcripts of six depositions in Petrillo v. Rooks A notice of appeal from a dispositive opinion and order Case File III is a solid platform for: Written and oral exercises One or more memoranda and oral arguments before the district court Briefs and oral arguments before the court of appeals Case File III raises numerous legal issues, such as: Diversity jurisdiction State law bases for church liability for pastoral misconduct Constitutional limits on church liability for pastoral misconduct Testimonial privilege for confidential communications with clergy members
Case File I incorporates issues of service of process and personal jurisdiction in a format designed to build written and oral advocacy skills through practice.
Today’s litigator must master arguing motions to succeed. How can you effectively argue a motion before a judge? How do you prepare for a motion hearing, which if you are lucky, turns into a discussion with a judge who may be concerned with nuances you may or may not have considered? In Point Well Made: Oral Advocacy in Motion Practice, Indiana Court of Appeals Chief Judge Nancy Vaidik and legal international communications coach Rebecca Diaz-Bonilla help get you there, with their invaluable perspectives from both on and off the bench. They teach you not only what to prepare before the hearing, but also how to be nimble and responsive once you arrive. Point Well Made is a hands-on, practical guide that helps you devise your theme, persuasively relay your facts, simplify the law, prepare the right notes for the hearing, gain insight into your particular judge so you can customize your argument, deliver the motion with successful voice and body language techniques, and answer challenging questions with confidence. It helps you know what to say and how to say it, features sample language to address the varied situations you may encounter in a hearing, advises you on dealing with a multi-judge panel, and demonstrates techniques through examples and exercises.
Persuasive, engaging oral argument is breathtaking. Envision a self-assured attorney leading the court through the salient points of the case, deftly addressing questions from the bench, and steering those questions to the next relevant topic. It’s like watching a magician at work. Think that magic is beyond you? Think again. You can learn to be a persuasive oral advocate with the tips and advice in Point Well Made:Persuasive Oral Advocacy. Whether you are a first-year law student prepping for your Moot Court presentation, a public defender managing mountains of motions, an appellant or respondent on appeal before a panel, or a seasoned lawyer arguing in front of the US Supreme Court, you need Point Well Made. Indiana Court of Appeals Judge Nancy Vaidik and international legal communications coach Rebecca Diaz-Bonilla again bring their expertise to your fingertips. This completely revised and expanded edition of Point Well Made gets even more “under the hood” of judges, pointing out ways to recognize the reactions of your audience and effectively persuade. You will learn how to prepare the right notes for your hearings, so you are confident in your facts, theories, and themes. You will also learn to handle a judge’s questions, how to deal with multi-judge panels, when and how to pivot when the court is unpersuaded, and how to lay out your argument to the best advantage. In addition to helping you address the facts of your legal arguments, Point Well Made will enhance your presentation skills—how to deliver the motion with successful voice and body language techniques to capture the attention and trust of your listeners. Examples and exercises throughout the book help you practice your skills and learn from the experience of other attorneys. The wealth of knowledge you will gain by reading Point Well Made is quickly and easily reviewed, thanks to the many tables summarizing and highlighting the concrete tools the book provides. Unsure how to respond to a judge’s question? The tables spell out effective responses. Nervous about an upcoming argument? Review the tables for methods of relieving your jitters. Dialing into your first remote hearing? Point Well Made provides a step-by-step guide. Expanded to address appellate argument and remote hearings, the new edition of Point Well Made is a hands-on, practical guide that helps you develop persuasive themes, effectively convey your facts, simplify the law, gain insight into your particular judge(s) so you can customize your argument, and answer challenging questions with confidence.
While focused on the appellate setting, Persuasive Written and Oral Advocacy is applicable to all legal writing and speaking, and includes practical guidance for advocacy in federal courts, trial courts, and other situations. Students are given a clear and practical guide to legal writing and oral argument, from the selection of a main theme, to the employment of research, language, and speaking skills that achieve a clear, persuasive legal message. Step-by-step, they learn to organize, prepare, and present winning written and oral arguments. Detailed coverage of trial motion practice as well as appellate practice shows how important it is to consider the judge's time and perspective when preparing an argument. Concrete examples based on a hypothetical case file are liberally spread throughout the text along with extensive advice for editing. Sophisticated, realistic litigation problems in the accompanying Case Files help put principles in practice and allow instructors a great deal of flexibility. Technological developments are explored, including electronic filing and electronic research. New to the Second Edition: Revisions to Supreme Court Rules and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Updated use and citation of literature Additional advice on achieving writing and speaking goals Professors and students will benefit from: The book explains "how to" achieve effective briefs and argument. Examples make the advice concrete rather than abstract. The book provides extensive review and citation of advice from judges and practitioners. Organization permits teachers to select material as appropriate for class needs.
In their professional lives, courtroom lawyers must do these two things well: speak persuasively and write persuasively. In this noteworthy book, two noted legal writers systematically present every important idea about judicial persuasion in a fresh, entertaining way. The book covers the essentials of sound legal reasoning, including how to develop the syllogism that underlies any argument. From there the authors explain the art of brief writing, especially what to include and what to omit, so that you can induce the judge to focus closely on your arguments. Finally, they show what it takes to succeed in oral argument.
This text will expose you to the many documents used in preparing for trial and appellate advocacy by providing a complete set of documents to supplement your persuasive legal writing, pre-trial practice, appellate advocacy, or moot court class. Case File II spotlights First Amendment and substantive tort issues that teach you how to argue legal and factual issues, extrapolate issues from the record, find evidentiary support for their position, and grapple with challenges of scope of review and harmless error. Practicing Persuasive Written and Oral Advocacy: Case File II demonstrates the link between the classroom and the courtroom: a simulated case, Coburn v. Martinez, is based on actual events and offers high human-interest valuedocuments are designed to achieve precise teaching objectives; they faithfully replicate reality, but improve upon itthe case file includes: a compliant, defensive motions with supporting and opposing declaration, depositions, and a detailed record-on-appeal transcriptexercises may contain one or more memoranda and oral arguments before the trial courts, as well as briefs and oral arguments before an appellate courts
