Have you perfected your process of trial preparation into an art of war? Are you getting all you can out of the opportunities witnesses and opposing counsel let slip during trial? Do your juries leave the courtroom wanting to reach the verdict that you've clearly stated you want? Take your courtroom presentation skills to the next level of excellence with this strategic guide. Order today!

1. Voir Dire/Jury Selection Strategies
2. Opening Statements and Direct Examination
3. Cross-Examination and Redirect – Focus on Experts and Evidence
4. Effective Exhibits and Courtroom Technology
5. Summations and Jury Instructions

1. VOIR DIRE AND JURY SELECTION STRATEGIES
   9:00 - 10:15, Written by David J. Guarnieri. Presented by Stephen G. Amato, Galen L. Clark and David J. Guarnieri in Lexington and Louisville.
   1. Preparing for Jury Selection – Researching Your “Target Audience”
      (Venue, Juror Pool Demographics, Creating Your “Ideal Juror,” Drafting Surveys/Questionnaires, etc.)
   2. Preparing the Pre-Trial Order
   3. Introducing Your Case During Jury Selection
   4. Bringing to the Surface and Overcoming Juror and Judicial Biases
   5. Reading the Vital Non-Verbal Signals Jurors are Sending
   6. Peremptory and For-Cause Challenge Tactics
2. OPENING STATEMENTS AND DIRECT EXAMINATION
   10:30 - 12:00, Written by David J. Guarnieri. Presented by Stephen G. Amato, Galen L. Clark and David J. Guarnieri in Lexington and Louisville.
   1. Maximizing the Impact of Opening Statements
      (Introducing Case Theme and Key Case Parties; Laying out the Sequence of Events; Introducing Supporting and Damaging Evidence; Preparing Judge and Jury to Focus on Specific Elements of Trial Presentation; Opening Techniques That Simply Don't Work, Cutting Out Unnecessary Clutter)
   2. Preparation Tips for Direct Examination
      (Establishing the Main Theme; Organizing the Order of Testimony; Preparing Witnesses; Formulating Effective Questions)
   3. Areas of Direct Examination
      (Specific Approaches to Impeachment, Fact Testimony, Expert Testimony, Causation, Liability, Damages, Foundation, etc.)
   4. Persuasive Witness Testimony – How to:
      1. Develop the Story and Make it Interesting
      2. Integrate a Theme
      3. Adjust to the Specific Audience
      4. Limit the Scope
      5. Handle and Introduce Exhibits
      6. Authenticate Documents
      7. Humanize Your Witness
      8. Anticipate and Neutralize Cross-Examination
   5. Is Interim Commentary Allowed? How to Use it Well
3. CROSS-EXAMINATION AND REDIRECT – FOCUS ON EXPERTS AND EVIDENCE
   1:00 - 2:15, Written by Robert L. Elliott. Presented by Stephen G. Amato, Galen L. Clark and David J. Guarnieri in Lexington and Louisville.
   1. Advance Uses of Basic Cross-Exam Tools: Bias, Opportunity to Observe, Inconsistency, etc.
   2. Tips for Cross-Examining Difficult Lay Witnesses
   3. Opposing Experts in the Courtroom – Setting Up the Motion to Strike
      1. Timing/Sequence
      2. Phrasing
      3. Detailed Facts
      4. Psychological Components
      5. Advanced Techniques for Getting an Expert Disqualified
   4. Making and Responding to Objections
   5. Relevancy Issues
   6. Addressing Hearsay
   7. Redirect Examination – Taking Advantage of the Often-Overlooked Resource
4. EFFECTIVE EXHIBITS AND COURTROOM TECHNOLOGY
   2:30 - 3:30, Written by Stephen G. Amato. Presented by Stephen G. Amato, Galen L. Clark and David J. Guarnieri in Lexington and Louisville.
   1. Overcoming Fear and Confronting Technology
   2. Preparing for the Digital Trial
      1. Digital Case Storage and Organization
      2. Authentication of Documents
      3. Document/Exhibit Organization
      4. Preparing the Courtroom and Conditioning the Jury
      5. Blending Technology Use Into Your Presentation for Seamless Delivery
   3. Choosing the Right Method and Form of Exhibit
      (Physical vs. Image; Actual vs. Demonstrative; Budget; Setting; Venue; Subject Matter; Order of Proof; Presenter's Style and Preferences; Comfort Level With Technology)
   4. Does Each of Your Exhibits Pass the 8-Point Test?
   5. What Can the Opposing Counsel do With the Evidence I Introduce?
   6. Video Depositions (Prior Testimony)
      1. Advantages and Pitfalls
      2. When to Use
      3. Rules of Completeness
      4. Objections
      5. Fairness
5. SUMMATIONS AND JURY INSTRUCTIONS
   3:30 - 4:30, Written by Robert L. Elliott. Presented by Stephen G. Amato, Galen L. Clark and David J. Guarnieri in Lexington and Louisville.
   1. What to Include
   2. Length and Style Tactics
   3. Use of Pace and Voice Inflection to Emphasize Key Elements
   4. Addressing the Weak Points of the Case
   5. The Verdict Sheet/Jury Instructions – Clearly Asking for What You Want

STEPHEN G. AMATO is a member of the Lexington law firm of McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland, PLLC. Mr. Amato's practice has focused in the areas of civil litigation, insurance defense, personal injury and mediation since 1990. He is a former chair of the Mediation Center of Kentucky, Inc. Mr. Amato is a member of the Defense Research Institute and the American, Fayette County and Kentucky bar associations. He earned his B.A. degree at Transylvania University and his J.D. degree at the University of Kentucky.

GALEN L. CLARK is of counsel to the Louisville law firm of Travis & Herbert PLLC. Mr. Clark has been in the practice of law for more than 19 years. The majority of his practice involves litigation in the areas of insurance defense for automobile and commercial cases, insurance bad faith cases (defense and plaintiff cases), general civil litigation, business litigation, and criminal defense. Mr. Clark also practices family law cases, business formation, and business liability avoidance. His cases have ranged from successfully defending construction companies in multi-million dollar lawsuits and successfully defending insurance companies in trials for bad faith claims, to helping a Christian rock band resolve recording contract issues, defending some interesting criminal cases, and successfully defending numerous automobile accident trials. Mr. Clark earned his B.A. degree in biology from the University of Louisville and then studied at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville. He was involved in several business ventures before attending the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville where he received his J.D. degree in 1991. Mr. Clark is a member of the Kentucky, Indiana State and Louisville bar associations, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

DAVID J. GUARNIERI is a member of the Lexington law firm of McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie & Kirkland, PLLC. Mr. Guarnieri has focused his practice in the areas of personal injury, civil litigation, employment discrimination, criminal litigation and family law since 1996. He was an adjunct faculty member at Midway College where he taught a paralegal course in law office management. Mr. Guarnieri is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Federal Bar Association, the Franklin County, Kentucky and American bar associations and the Kentucky Academy of Trial Attorneys. He earned his B.A. degree from Centre College and his J.D. degree from the University of Kentucky.

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