Published by Irwin Law
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The Art of the Interview - How Lawyers Talk with Clients
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Legal Writing - Mastering Clarity and Persuasion (preview)
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Discovery Techniques - A Practical Guide to the Discovery Process in Civil Actions
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The Civil Courtroom - Professionalism to Build Rapport With Judges, Counsel, Clients and Witnesses
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Mediation for Civil Litigators - Issues and Solutions
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Case Analysis - The Critical Path to Persuasion
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Examinations in Civil Trials - The Formula for Success
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Expert Witnesses - in Civil Litigation
Self-Published onAmazon
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Outlining: How to Structure Examinations in Civil Litigation
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Estate Litigation: Trial Advocacy Techniques in Estate Litigation
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​Introduction to Trial Advocacy: How Lawyers Prepare for and Conduct Civil Cases
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Authenticity: Public Speaking for Professionals (in ebook only)
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Think! Write! Speak!: Speechwriting for Professionals (in both ebook and paperback)
Reviews
An Appreciative Book Review of The Civil Courtroom
By Doreen So, September 19, 2023
I had the pleasure of attending the Toronto Lawyers Association’s Family and Estates Mentorship program launch last Thursday. It was a great opportunity to meet mentees who are new to the profession and to catch up with colleagues and mentors of my own.
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The book prize at the event was a copy of The Civil Courtroom, professionalism to build rapport by John Hollander (Irwin Law). It is a book within Irwin Law’s Young Advocates series that I found to be more insightful today than I may have as a first-year lawyer.
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The book starts with a fantastic foreword by Thomas A Cromwell, which is well worth a read in and of itself. However, it was the introduction that struck me the most. The title of the introduction is “As a Lawyer, You are Not the Centre of the World,” and it is about considering the perspective of others in the course of one’s practice. While it may be obvious to start with the perspective of judges, I was reminded by my recent post earlier this week of the perspective of court staff in an under-resourced landscape. Then, there are the perspectives of clients, witnesses, other counsel, other parties, and the public at large.
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Later on, Chapter One’s headings are “Rapport”, “Civility”, “Be Yourself”, and “Think of Others” which took me years to realize are the tools of the trade but only thirty seconds to digest from the index. Building one’s rapport with others is an exercise in building trust. Being civil is the act of being professional. Being oneself is a much easier path in doing something new for the first time. Thinking of others leads to efficiency because certainly if only one thing is true, it's that no man is an island where litigation is concerned.
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There are many, many tips and tricks in this book, and I encourage everyone to get a copy of it here: https://irwinlaw.com/product/the-civil-courtroom/
Thanks for reading.
Doreen So, Hull & Hull LLP
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Irwin Law released a Young Advocates series last summer, with titles in interviewing, discoveries, writing, mediation, and the courtroom. I’ve already read half of the series, and I find they reflect the majority of questions and concerns that young lawyers frequently pose to me. They include exercises and scenarios that realistically depict situations that emerge in litigation. The series is written by John Hollander, who teaches an advanced advocacy course at the University of Ottawa.
​Omar Ha-Redeye, Co-Chair, OBA Young Lawyers Division (Central)
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Thank you for getting me your book on mediation (Mediation for Civil Litigators - Issues and Solutions). Unfortunately, we didn’t settle, but the book gave me great insight into the mediation process. I could put the client at ease going into the mediation; she had a good understanding of what it would look like, which made the day much easier for her. And while we didn’t settle, we made some good progress in the case. Again, your teachings saved my day, and I can’t tell you how much the book helped!
​David Reid, Lawyer
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