The clock is ticking…and while you have meticulously planned out every detail up until this point, everything will continue to become more and more chaotic up until the day of trial. Ask any successful paralegal what the two key elements of trial preparation are, and they'll tell you this: organization and flexibility. When put to the test, are your skills everything they should be? Let us help you take a closer look at the specialized realm of paralegal responsibilities leading up to trial right from the convenience of your desk. Your role is important, so take the next step toward maximizing your effectiveness. Make sure you can confidently fulfill your key trial responsibilities – order these vital reference materials today!

1. Useful Discovery for Trial
2. Creating a Trial Notebook
3. Preparing Your Witnesses
4. Effective Use of Evidence
5. Preparing Your Office - What to do Before You Set Foot in Court
6. Succeeding at Trial

Continuing Education Credits:   

* denotes specialty credits

1. USEFUL DISCOVERY FOR TRIAL
   9:00 - 9:45, Gregory W. Odom II
   1. The Complaint
   2. Requests for Admission, Requests for Production and Interrogatories
   3. Bates Numbering
   4. Digesting, Abstracting and Indexing Depositions
2. CREATING A TRIAL NOTEBOOK
   9:45 - 10:45, Sara N. Govero and Kenya M. Leonard
   1. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Litigation vs. Chronological Notebook
   2. Key Sections and Their Development
   3. Cross-Referencing
3. PREPARING YOUR WITNESSES
   11:00 - 12:00, Gregory W. Odom II
   1. Creating Witness Lists
   2. Trial vs. Deposition Preparation
   3. How Preparation Varies Between Clients, Non-Expert Witnesses and Experts
4. EFFECTIVE USE OF EVIDENCE
   1:00 - 2:00, Sara N. Govero and Kenya M. Leonard
   1. Choosing Your Technological Direction
   2. The Power of the Exhibit List
   3. Preparing Documents and Demonstratives
5. PREPARING YOUR OFFICE - WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU SET FOOT IN COURT
   2:00 - 3:00, Dawn M. Ochoa
   1. Organization of the Case File, Exhibits and Supplies
   2. Choosing On-Site Location
   3. Preparation of and Set-Up of On-Site Work-Room
   4. How to Get to Court
   5. Preparing Your Attorney for court
   6. Daily Routine and Recap
6. SUCCEEDING AT TRIAL
   3:15 - 4:30, Anne Brockland
   1. What if You Don't Go to Trial?
   2. Court Rules and Practices You Need to Know About
   3. Differences Between Federal vs. Local or County Court
   4. Assisting With Jury Selection
   5. Tips for Working in the Courtroom
      1. Anticipating the Needs of Your Attorney
      2. Working With Opposing Counsel, Court Staff and the Judge
   6. Surviving the Trial

ANNE BROCKLAND is an attorney with the law firm The Simon Firm, P.C., where her areas of practice include personal injury cases including products and premises liability, automobile negligence and medical negligence cases. Ms. Brockland earned her Juris Doctor from Saint Louis University School of Law. During law school, she served as the supervising notes & comments editor of the Public Law Review and wrote an article for the same publication. Ms. Brockland served as a faculty fellow to both professor David Sloss and professor Steven Thaman and also served as a legal research and writing teaching assistant to professor Kent T. van den Berg. She was a recipient of the School of Law academic scholarship, the Irvin and Maggie Dagen Public Interest fellowship and the Public Law Review fellowship. She worked as a summer intern for the Missouri Public Defender System and as a law clerk at The Simon Law Firm, P.C. for Amy Collignon Gunn. Ms. Brockland is licensed to practice in Illinois and Missouri. She is a member of the Missouri Bar, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the American Civil Liberties Union.

SARA N. GOVERO is a paralegal with the law firm of Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP, where she specializes in the areas of product liability, toxic tort and FELA and has the responsibilities of legal and factual research; pleadings, memoranda and briefs; witness lists and exhibits; trial notebooks; demand and settlement documents; depositions schedules and summaries; coordinates and manages document production; locates and interviews witnesses and experts; organizes pleadings and trial exhibits; assists lawyers at trial; gathers and reviews medical records; maintains general client contact; and handles all aspects for the case from initial client contact to trial preparation and participation. She teaches Legal Research & Writing I & II from 2006 to present. Ms. Govero earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri and her M.B.A. degree from Missouri Baptist. She is a member of the St. Louis Paralegal Association.

KENYA M. LEONARD is a paralegal with the firm Rabbitt Pitzer & Snodgrass, P.C., where she specializes in civil defense litigation and holds the job responsibilities of medical research; legal and factual research; investigations; witness lists and exhibits; trial notebooks; deposition schedules and summaries; coordinates and manages document production; locates and interviews witnesses and experts; organizes pleadings and trial exhibits; assist lawyers at trial; gathers and reviews medical records; maintains general client contact; and handles all aspects of the case from initial client contact to trial preparation and participation. She earned her B.S. degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her M.A. degree and Graduate Paralegal Certificate from Webster University. Ms. Leonard is a member of the St. Louis Paralegal Association (Volunteer Paralegals Committee chair 2008-2009; Director and Volunteer Paralegal Committee chair 2009-2010; president elect, Volunteer Paralegals Committee chair and Programs & Education co-chair 2010-2011; Paralegal Annual Luncheon Planning Committee 2008-2011.

DAWN M. OCHOA is a case managing paralegal with Polsinelli Shughart, PC, where she specializes in products liability and toxic tort. Ms. Ochoa conducts medical, legal and factual research. She also prepares pleadings, memoranda, briefs, witness lists, exhibits, trial notebooks and deposition schedules and summaries. Some of her other responsibilities include coordinating and managing document production, locating and interviewing witnesses and experts, organizing pleadings and trial exhibits, assisting lawyers at trial and gathering and reviewing medical records. Ms. Ochoa handles all aspects of the case from initial client contact to trial preparation and participation. She attended the College of the Sequoias.

GREGORY W. ODOM II is an attorney with the law firm Brown & James, P.C., where he concentrates his areas of practice on arson-fraud litigation, environmental insurance and toxic torts, governmental affairs and municipal law, insurance law and premises and retail liability. He has written "Take Home Liability: Illinois Extends an Employer's Potential Liability to Employee's Family Members in Toxic Tort Cases," The Firm Inquiry, Summer 2010 and "Who is an Insured? Illinois now Requires Uniform 'Insured" Definitions in Auto Policies," The Firm Inquiry, Spring 2010. Mr. Odom was recently awarded summary judgment, Amco Insurance Company v. Robert Rohr. et. al. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and defense verdict, Calvin Doiron v. Superior Express, Inc. Circuit Court of Monroe County. Mr. Odom earned his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Southern Illinois University. He is admitted to practice in Missouri and Illinois and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern and Central District of Illinois. He is a member of the American, Illinois State, Madison County and St. Claire County bar associations.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com