A mock trial is one of the strongest tools legal professionals could use to empower their ability to understand and influence the courtroom. Mock trials, simply put, teach us how to best respond to the stress and energy of the courtroom and to the opposing party. No matter the degree of your upcoming legal circumstances, […]
Many witnesses find questioning in trial to be a frightening setting, but this is where witness preparation can turn the scene around. Not only is witness preparation about telling the truth, but it also involves active listening, cooperating with attorneys, and much more. Of course, witness preparation can go one of two ways. It can […]
Not everyone who breaks the law—be it civil or criminal—has to go to court. Most people choose to plead guilty or settle before having to go to trial. But, on the other hand, people also have the right to go to trial and make their arguments heard. If you plan on going to trial in […]
You may have heard that only you get one shot at making a good first impression. In a trial, this is true. The mock trial is the perfect opportunity to prepare for your case, but you need to practice as if it is your only opportunity to get your case right. We look at common […]
Trials are complicated. As all trial attorneys know, they involve many overlapping factors and variables, and as adrenaline and emotions are high, it makes it difficult to look at the big picture of what happened immediately after the verdict. As the dust settles on a trial, attorneys begin to wonder how they could have approached […]
The trial is at the center of our great justice system. In a society where due process is a staple of our criminal justice, the trial—in many cases—is the battlefield where attorneys use evidence, witness testimony, timelines, expert testimony, and other tactics to defend their clients and present their case to the jury. A lot […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
