Litigation
Cal. Litig. 2018, Volume 31 Number 2
Content
- Blood From a Stone: the Ongoing Judicial Crisis in the Eastern District of California Enters its Final Stage
- Book Review - Impeachment: a Citizen's Guide by Cass R. Sunstein To End a Presidency: the Power of Impeachment by Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz
- Book Review - the Judge: 26 Machiavellian LessonsBy Ronald K.L. Collins & David M. Skover
- Editor's Foreword: the East, is (in. the) Red!
- From the Section Chair
- Golden Opportunities for the Golden State: the Rise of International Arbitration in California
- How Jurors View Attorneys: It All Starts With Voir Dire
- Left at the Altar: Scotus Promises to Clarify its Cryptic Marks Rule for Divining the Precedential Impact of Plurality Decisions — But Doesn't
- Masthead
- Past Chairs of the Litigation Section
- Past Editors-in-Chief
- Table of Contents
- The Intersection of Bankruptcy and Civil Litigation: Know Enough to Avoid Peril!
- Opening Statements: "It Was a Dark and Windy Night ..."
Opening Statements: "It Was a Dark and Windy Night …"
By Michael D. Stein
Tell us a story, Daddy." This delightful request when my daughters were little was commonplace when their bedtime arrived. Little did I know I was practicing the most crucial requirement of presenting an effective opening statement at trial; namely, telling an engaging story.
[Page 17]
Numerous studies confirm many jurors decide how they will vote after opening statement. Yet many attorneys seem to strive to make their opening bland and uninspiring. Picture my daughters tucked in their beds as I rise to regale them with "Goldilocks and The Three Bears." Imagine how the transcript would read if I used the opening statement style many attorneys employ: