Testifying 201, The Next Chapter
16 hours (2 days)
Service Description
This 2-day class is a follow-up to Demystifying Testifying; Courtroom 101 and picks up where that one leaves off as the witness has just got through with presenting themself to the jury. In Testifying 201, The Next Chapter, we begin by discussing the deposition process and students will provided with information on how to respond to questions they may not know the answer to but think they should, and on what rights they have as a witness being deposed and asked questions that may be unrelated to the case. Professionalism and proper etiquette will be stressed. Next the class is directed back to the courtroom setting where a quick refresher on how you should prepare yourself and your evidence, as well as what to expect when you are asked to authenticate photographs or evidence. By the afternoon of the first day the instruction will focus on cross examination and how to handle the uncomfortable questions and situations while on the stand. Voice control, remaining calm, and starting the habit of waiting briefly prior to answering anything will be stressed as part of the curriculum. The students will review some testimony footage, both good and bad, and will have discussion on what they saw and what they could do differently. Who can ask leading questions and how they are intentionally phrased will be discussed along with tips on overcoming questions that seem unanswerable. During day 2 students will be called to testify as they were in the Courtroom 101 class. In The Next Chapter class though, the students will be more focused on cross examination. Students will be required to submit 2 reports prior to the class of closed criminal cases they worked, and they will be testifying to those cases. Tenured and experienced defense attorneys have assisted in formulating this class. On occasion we will have a defense attorney come to class on one of the days to provide some personal insight. If you are fairly new to testifying, we encourage you to attend the Demystifying Testifying: Courtroom 101 class first as a prerequisite.