insights, news and announcements for our members, colleagues and community
by Jennifer Little It is with mixed feelings – sadness but also gratification – that I write this final column for the DeKalb Bar Association. As I underscored at my swearing in last June, it is an honor to serve…
Jason Carter, who was elected to District 42 of the Georgia Senate on May 11, 2010, will speak at the DeKalb Bar luncheon on June 23. He will talk about the latest legislative session and provide us with a legislative…
Be sure to RSVP by Monday, June 20, for the Bar Luncheon on Thursday, June 23, at the Old Courthouse on the Square, 101 E. Court Square in downtown Decatur. RSVP now by clicking here. Here is the delicious menu…
The Younger Lawyers Division of the DeKalb Bar Association is sponsoring a social on behalf of our two new judges, Eleanor Ross and Stacy Hydrick, on June 16, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Eddie’s Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St. in downtown Decatur.…
by Jeri Kagel, M.Ed., J.D.
Trial Synergy, LLC
www.trialsynergy.com
If your case is going to trial, then you and your witnesses have a story to tell and keeping your jurors interested in that story is what leads to the success of your case. Those of us who have worked on trials over the years – be they simple or complex – know the importance of keeping your jurors engaged with the themes of the case.
You start early – whetting jurors’ appetites during voir dire and then grabbing their attention during your opening statement. If only it could end there. But you still have your trial ahead of you. The details of your story must be told. The facts may be boring or complex, the case itself may be tedious with bits of information never fully coming together in ways that people best digest and integrate information. Yet, criminal trial or civil, defense, plaintiff or prosecution, you need them to “get it” if you want a verdict in your favor.
by Daniel DeWoskin
Trial Attorney
www.atlantatrial.com
We have all heard that a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client. Many of us have had occasion to walk into a courtroom, be it in magistrate, state, or even superior court, only to find that the courtroom is packed with pro se parties waiting to have their matters adjudicated. Watching inexperienced people handle their legal matters can at times be entertaining and at other times extremely frustrating. We observe these parties fumbling with rules regarding cross-examination or the admission of evidence. It is almost always apparent that these people are uncomfortable, intimidated, and unaware of how much they do not know about prosecuting or defending a legal action. Out of necessity, desperation, or perhaps stubbornness, many people still choose to represent themselves in court.
by Helen Hamlin
We all have something that we want to change about our lives. Typically, we decide to make a change due to some sort of conflict. Perhaps your doctor warned you about some of the health issues you may have to contend with if you continue on the path that you are currently on. The doctor is talking about your poor eating habits, your lack of adequate sleep, your inability to break away for a well-deserved vacation. You know the doctor is right, but the doctor offers little direction to help you make the changes necessary to get there.