Mastering Jury Trial Preparation: Opening and Closing Statements

The American Bar Association deems a trial lawyer’s opening and closing statements as the bookends of your trial. Yes, they frame the opening and closing of your trial, but they also provide an opportunity for you to tell your client’s story and frame it in a particular way so that the jury might appreciate it […]

What We’ve Learned About Juries and Why the Sixth Amendment is Key

Most people know that the sixth amendment is there to offer a key group of rights designed to make criminal persecutions fair, accurate, and legitimate. The sixth amendment guarantees a couple of things and perhaps the most commonly known is that of a jury and a speedy trial. The amendment, however, goes beyond that and […]

A Look at the Fifth Amendment and Why It is Key to Our Justice System

Likely you have heard it in a film or one of your friends has jokingly said, “I plea the 5th,” when not wanting to answer for something they’ve done. It’s become part of the common vernacular and one of those things we all say jokingly or not, when we feel we don’t want to incriminate […]

Trial Themes: How Using an Effective Narrative Can Save Your Case

If you’ve ever seen a movie that involves a trial scene, you’ll likely remember the impactful nature of the opening and closing statements. Equally as impactful are the questions that the lawyer asks the witnesses, always getting dramatic responses and raising eyebrows from the jury. The reason that courtroom scenes are so powerful in […]

The History of Focus Groups and How They Can Help Litigation Lawyers

Litigation lawyers have their plates full one hundred percent of the time. Whether they are defending a personal injury case, fraud, or intellectual property disputes trial lawyers are either involved in collecting evidence, calling insurance companies, digging up records, talking to witnesses, collecting data, conducting discovery, mediations, and preparing arguments and clients for trial. And […]

The Sixth Amendment and How It Came to Be

Embedded in the fibers of our justice system is the fundamental idea that all human lives are valuable and that freedom is an inalienable right. This is why our society does not take stripping someone’s freedom lightly. The system may not be perfect and it has its flaws, but when it comes down to it, […]

The Importance of Witness Preparation

Witnesses in a jury trial are the face of your case. The weight of their testimony will affect your case just as much as any other aspect of the trial, and is often the most important factor of your case. Witness preparation can make or break your case, but it often doesn’t get the attention […]

What Is A Shadow Jury and How Can It Benefit You?

Hearing the term “shadow jury” may make you think of an action flick or an airport novel. Although this term may elicit images of some dark, shady corporation or group of people that pull the strings behind the scenes, as our main character has to traverse through the city’s underbelly in order to solve a […]

Preparing for Your Upcoming Court Date

Court cases can be incredibly stressful events. Not many people have to endure the existential dread of sitting in a room full of strangers who are there to judge your actions. Thankfully, there’s a way to prepare yourself for your court date. Jonathan Leach, LLC is a trial consulting firm devoted to providing guidance and […]

The Importance of Mock Trials in the Real World

Wouldn’t life be much easier if you could go through test runs more often? This way, you could know exactly what to expect and how to prepare accordingly when the actual event takes place. This could come in handy before a big job interview or prior to proposing to your significant order. You may think […]

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