Presentation Skills for Advocates
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Actress and coach Kristina Watt presents 4 Teachable Techniques of Effective Communication and Persuasive Advocacy. To persuade, lawyers must first communicate effectively. Assisted by a senior litigator, participants will learn the basic lessons of rhetoric and apply them to reach their target audience - whether clients in the office, participants at a conference or decision-makers in the court/tribunal room.
Hear Kristina discuss the presentation in this 90-second audio podcast, here. Each session consists of a 2-hour session to learn and practice the techniques. Optional follow-up sessions can be scheduled so that participants can practice the techniques a month later under supervision of one or both instructors. This seminar uses Advocacy Club methods of active learning through doing, with actionable techniques. CPD: Participants are entitled to claim 1 hour substantive and 1 hour professional credits for the initial session. Cost: $250 per participant. Here's what participants have said about this session: "John and Kristina show you how to bring a written argument to life." "Kristina is a superb trainer. I really got what she was saying, and I could see improvements in my speaking style right away." "I would absolutely recommend the session to others, and hope that there will be more of them. This is the cutting edge of advocacy." |
Kristina Watt
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Use of Inoculation in Direct Examinations
You are preparing your witness to be examined. You realize your witness can hurt your case with effective cross-examimination. How do you reduce this risk of harm? Through inoculation. By drawing out the bad facts during direct, counsel can put the witness in the best possible position to explain. Maybe even turn the bad facts into a position of strength. This session will present the techniques of inoculation, and how to avoid crossing the line into unethical coaching.
CPD: Participants are entitled to professional CPD credits (30 minutes) and substantive CPD credits (90 minutes).
CPD: Participants are entitled to professional CPD credits (30 minutes) and substantive CPD credits (90 minutes).
Use of Transcripts in Cross-Examination
Transcripts are a cross-examiner's best friend. The words on the page won't change. They can be relied on as the testimony of the witness. When the witness goes off-script, they can form the basis of a trimphant impeachment. There is a formula to using transcriptsin impeachment, one that inexperienced lawyers stumble over. And counsel can use transcripts for far more than just to set up impeachment. This session will present the techniques for the effective use of transcripts during cross.
CPD: Participants are entitled to substantive CPD credits (120 minutes).
CPD: Participants are entitled to substantive CPD credits (120 minutes).
Focused Direct and Cross-examinations
This Advanced Club Sessions presents the five actionable techniques (each) for effective directs and crosses. In these sessions, participants conduct examinations using witness statements. The first 2-hour session will practice directs, and the second 2-hour session will practice crosses.
"Do this. Don't do this." In breakouts right after the presentation, participants examine the witness. During each examination, participants receive feedback focused on their use of the 5 actionable techniques. Practice immediately what we preach!
Participants each receive a copy of John Hollander's handbook, Examinations in Civil Trials, published by Irwin Law (a $30 value).
CPD: Participants are entitled to substantive CPD credits (2 hours per session).
"Do this. Don't do this." In breakouts right after the presentation, participants examine the witness. During each examination, participants receive feedback focused on their use of the 5 actionable techniques. Practice immediately what we preach!
Participants each receive a copy of John Hollander's handbook, Examinations in Civil Trials, published by Irwin Law (a $30 value).
CPD: Participants are entitled to substantive CPD credits (2 hours per session).
Expert Witnesses – The Full-Day Workshop
Learn and practice the techniques of dealing with expert witnesses
CPD: Participants are entitled to substantive CPD credits (7 hours).
- Prepare an expert to be examined.
- Direct that expert.
- Cross another expert in the same case study.
- Qualifies for 6 hours substantive, 60 minutes professional.
- One expert for every two lawyer participants.
- Experts can be: forensic accountants, actuaries, economists, occupational therapists, or psychologists, depending on the program
- Participants each receive a copy of John Hollander's handbook, Expert Witnesses in Civil Litigation, published by Irwin Law.
CPD: Participants are entitled to substantive CPD credits (7 hours).
Objections During Examinations
This clinic presents techniques and issues that arise from making, answering and even considering objections. It is comprised of a 30-minute presentation by litigation counsel, followed by 60 minutes of exercises to implement the techniques presented. The clinic qualifies as 1.5 substantive hours of CPD.
Motions Advocacy
This hour-and-a half clinic presents techniques and issues that face civil litigators as they prepare for and argue motions.
A 30-minute plenary presentation by litigation counsel is followed by a 60-minute practical session, in which the participants work in small groups. During the plenary session, participants learn several techniques for effective presentation of motions. During the practical session, participants practise what the presenters have preached. The clinic qualifies as 1.5 substantive hours of CPD.
A 30-minute plenary presentation by litigation counsel is followed by a 60-minute practical session, in which the participants work in small groups. During the plenary session, participants learn several techniques for effective presentation of motions. During the practical session, participants practise what the presenters have preached. The clinic qualifies as 1.5 substantive hours of CPD.
Openings and Closings
This half-day course begins with the lessons learned in the Case Analysis session. Participants implement the skills in the context of opening addresses and closing arguments. What are the differences? What are the constraints? How far can advocates go?
Case Analysis
Case analysis separates the wheat from the chaff. The analyst focuses on the question, “What is the case about?” This session features exercises that enable participants to learn and to practise how to sift through the myriad inputs, to eliminate the distractions, and to express the key elements of a case to their audience compellingly and persuasively. During the exercises, participants review the statements of two witnesses and identify the core concepts, which they use in their preparation to examine the witnesses.
The session is an application of the techniques presented in the handbook, Case Analysis: The Critical Path to Persuasion, published by Irwin Law and available for purchase in paper of e-formats here.
Each program focuses on a factual situation from a different area of law:
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development substantive hours only.
The session is an application of the techniques presented in the handbook, Case Analysis: The Critical Path to Persuasion, published by Irwin Law and available for purchase in paper of e-formats here.
Each program focuses on a factual situation from a different area of law:
- Construction
- Personal injury/tort
- Estate litigation
- Family law
- Commercial
- Real estate
- Administrative law
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development substantive hours only.
Mediation
After a case analysis session, participants can opt to take their “case” to mediation. They prepare short mediation briefs and attend mediation for each of the cases that they analyzed. They work with experienced mediators and articling students, who pose as clients. Following the mediation, all participants, including students, attend a general session with the mediators to discuss issues common to mediations.
The session is an application of the techniques presented in the handbook, Mediation for Civil Litigators, published by Irwin Law and available for purchase in paper of e-formats here.
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development for both substantive hours and professional hours.
The session is an application of the techniques presented in the handbook, Mediation for Civil Litigators, published by Irwin Law and available for purchase in paper of e-formats here.
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development for both substantive hours and professional hours.
Discovery Techniques 1:
Good Practices, Bad Questions, Bad Answers and Judgment calls
In this popular session, participants learn how to engage in good techniques and avoid bad ones. They learn to identify and make judgment calls that often arise in discovery. Examples include the negative question, the ambivalent answer, the compound question and the vague undertaking. Exercises demonstrate tactics, proper etiquette and professionalism in objections, undertakings and refusals.
The session is an application of the techniques presented in the handbook, Discovery Techniques: A Practical Guide to the Discovery Process in Civil Actions, published by Irwin Law and available for purchase in paper or e-formats here.
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development for substantive hours.
The session is an application of the techniques presented in the handbook, Discovery Techniques: A Practical Guide to the Discovery Process in Civil Actions, published by Irwin Law and available for purchase in paper or e-formats here.
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development for substantive hours.
Discovery Techniques 2:
Dealing with Aggressive Counsel - Learn to Play Offence and Defence
· Do you want to learn and practice the techniques of offence (without offending, of course)? Ask questions to get the information – all the information. Overcome evasive action by witnesses and resistance from opposing counsel.
· Do you want to learn and practice the techniques of defence? Learn to prepare your client to be examined. Defend your client against aggressive tactics of opposing counsel. All within ethical bounds.
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development for both substantive hours and professional hours.
· Do you want to learn and practice the techniques of defence? Learn to prepare your client to be examined. Defend your client against aggressive tactics of opposing counsel. All within ethical bounds.
This program is accepted by the Law Society of Upper Canada for continuing professional development for both substantive hours and professional hours.