Advanced Trial Skills
COURSE SUMMARY
Advanced Trial Skills is the flagship program of the Ellis George Trial Academy. This four-day, state-of-the-art trial program retains the best of the performance-based training techniques used by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy in the United States and the Hampel Method in the UK and Australia, constructing a more efficient program designed with enhancements tailored specifically for business litigators.
WHO WILL BENEFIT
The program is intended for lawyers of all experience levels.
Lawyers with no trial experience will be trained on all major trial tasks.
Experienced lawyers can also benefit from this program. The course director, Chris Arledge, Esq., has taught the Advanced Advocacy program in Dublin, Ireland and the Advanced International Advocacy Course at Oxford University to barristers with more than 25 years’ experience.
CURRICULUM
Opening Statements
Achieving buy in; the fundamentals of storytelling; connecting with an audience;
the big mistake.
Direct Examination
Making the witness the star through the Oprah technique; proper structure; use of
visuals.
Cross Examination
Exercising control; storytelling on cross; achieving proper payoff.
Closing Argument
Punishing mistakes; dealing with the bad stuff; giving your people the ammunition they need.
WHY Ellis George TRIAL ADVOCACY PROGRAM?
Exceedingly Efficient. Our program is streamlined. We have replaced standard lectures with videos and written materials that can be reviewed in advance. As a result, lawyers are more prepared at the start of the program. The program is also less disruptive of work schedules. We handle the program completely in-house with only two work days being taken up over the course of two weeks.
Gratifying Results. Our program structure has been designed to deliver gratifying results for attorneys in a fast changing world. The program is designed for complex business litigators who try cases that are more paper-intensive and more dependent on depositions. We incorporate modern trial technology into our program to prepare participants for the real world.
Collaborative. Because the program is done in-house, it will be a team-building exercise for lawyers and staff (who can participate as witnesses in the mock trials). At a time when so many people work remotely and have far less in-person interaction than in pre-COVID days, this experience is invaluable.
THE PROCESS
Participants will execute all aspects of a trial presentation (opening, direct examination, cross examination, and closing) in small groups. Each exercise will be a short segment (usually seven to ten minutes), and participants will get real-time critique and advice from the instructor to enhance their technique. Through this process, participants will be able to refine their skills multiple times throughout each day of the program. These training sessions will eventually lead up to a mock trial which will be held on the last day of the course.
