Practical Cross-Examination Tips from the Bench

All writers begin with a putative reader in mind: for these observations, mine is a young, bright but inexperienced lawyer keen to get into court and to build his or her advocacy skills. This reader knows already how daunting it can be to rise to one’s feet in court and start a case but is still open to ideas. She or he has yet developed no patina or carapace of bad habits. So, while some older lawyers could, with advantage, learn something from these remarks, I am placing my trust in the eagerness of youth.