At Video Depositions, Even a Glass of Water Can be Trouble

Drinking water is poured into a glass
One of my favorite discovery tools is the video deposition.  I take video depositions of virtually every witness in every case. I show video excerpts at almost every trial. Most of us at one point or another in our legal  careers will have a client whose deposition is taken and simultaneously recorded on video. Of course, it’s important to prepare the client for the types of questions that might be asked and to understand, generally, how a deposition works. But, ...

The “Ostrich Syndrome” – Don’t Hide from Bad News Before Trial

Female Ostrich (Struthio camelus), Kalahari desert, South Africa
All litigators want to win. Trial preparation is an ordeal that easily saps our physical and emotional resources at times. It’s natural, then, to want to surround trial preparation with as much positive energy as possible. But, how do you handle "bad news" about your case before trial? It will often determine the difference between winning or losing. When we discover a "bad fact", a negative piece of evidence, a hole in our case, a less-than-helpful witness -- or any ...