Sublime

The chairman had introduced me simply by saying, "Here, in the flesh, is a living, breathing enemy of free speech, one who, by contagious hyperbole, was able to talk a jury into foregoing our sacred rights to free speech and to thereafter award his client twenty-five million dollars in damages for her alleged hurt feelings. That's justice, rig

In my argument to the jury in the Randy Weaver case, I used a similar strategy. I told the jury straight out what I wanted. I said, "At the end of this case I want us to walk out of this courtroom together—all of us." I pointed to my client. "I want you to free Randy Weaver. I want Randy Weaver's children who sit over there"—I p

Tell the Other what you want. If you are arguing before a jury for money, ask for money.

The simple questions of structure: And so, when we begin to prepare our argument we ask these simple questions: • What do we want? • What is the principal argument that supports us? • Why should we win what we want? That is, what facts, what reasons, what justice exists to support the thesis? • And, at last, what is the story that best makes all of

24 Denzel Washington as attorney Joe Miller in Philadelphia (1993) Explain it to an eight-year-old. The “bones” of a case—its essential facts and structure, and the argument you are making in support of your position—should be understandable in simple terms. If you can explain it to a child, you can explain it to a jury.

People are afraid to tell others what their services are worth. They are afraid to ask the doctor what the doctor expects to be paid. In a civil money case, I tell the jury outright that I want them to give my client money, and how much. When the jury retires to reach its verdict, it knows exactly what I want. Such openness also serves my credibili

Final arguments should be stories, not strategies.