Jury Speech Rules shows trial lawyers that persuasive jury opening statements and closing arguments require imagination, story-telling skills, and a thorough knowledge of the legal and ethical rules that govern this important part of trial. Using famous historical cases and many useful examples, the authors demonstrate when things go wrong and when they are done right. Opening statements can present the important facts to the jury from the party's perspective, making the jurors receptive to the story that counsel intends to tell through the witnesses, documents, and visuals; well-constructed and well-delivered openings, which avoid improper argument, make an interesting introduction of the parties and the attorneys. Counsel can keep the other lawyer quiet by presenting an opening that provides no opportunity for interruption with objections. Closing arguments that can present inferences, arguments, and conclusions will help the jurors understand the significance of the facts that have been proven at trial; such arguments can explain the significance of expert testimony; they can point out logical errors in the opponents' stories; and they can win the jurors' by persuading them that the more interesting story—the more natural story, the story that fits their own experiences best—is the truthful story.

The American courtroom trial is a speech situation. Everything occurs through the spoken word. The 'summation', as speech event embedded within the trial, which is the chronological and psychological culmination of it, is one of the few opportunities for the lawyer to communicate directly with jurors. But the speech genre summation involves preliminaries as well as the event itself; and it can affect the aftermath of the trial, for the decisions of the jurors may be influenced by this discourse.This ethnographic study considers the summation from three perspectives: that of the producer, from the point of view of the ethnographer who observed and analyzed sixty-six actual summations and from that of the receivers of the speech event who must act upon it. Information was obtained from post-deliberation questionnaires completed by 223 jurors, plus 35 alternate jurors.

The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.

... The purpose of this handbook is to acquaint trial jurors with the general nature and importance of their role as jurors; explains some of the language and procedures used in court, and offers some suggestions helpful to jurors in performing their duty ...

The Founding Fathers guaranteed trial by jury three times in the Constitution—more than any other right—since juries can serve as the final check on government’s power to enforce unjust, immoral, or oppressive laws. But in America today, how independent c

Jury Speech Rules shows trial lawyers that persuasive jury opening statements and closing arguments require imagination, story-telling skills, and a thorough knowledge of the legal and ethical rules that govern this important part of trial. Using famous historical cases and many useful examples, the authors demonstrate when things go wrong and when they are done right. Opening statements can present the important facts to the jury from the party's perspective, making the jurors receptive to the story that counsel intends to tell through the witnesses, documents, and visuals; well-constructed and well-delivered openings, which avoid improper argument, make an interesting introduction of the parties and the attorneys. Counsel can keep the other lawyer quiet by presenting an opening that provides no opportunity for interruption with objections. Closing arguments that can present inferences, arguments, and conclusions will help the jurors understand the significance of the facts that have been proven at trial; such arguments can explain the significance of expert testimony; they can point out logical errors in the opponents' stories; and they can win the jurors' by persuading them that the more interesting story—the more natural story, the story that fits their own experiences best—is the truthful story.

Jury service is one of the most important civic duties a person can undertake, yet it is often poorly understood. This booklet has been prepared in consultation with the Juries Commissioner's Office. It answers frequently asked questions about jury service and provides prospective jurors with a clear explanation of their responsibilities and the processes involved in trials. All potential jurors will receive a copy when they attend for jury service.