Trial Advocacy Webinar Series

This two-part webinar series provides practical litigation skills to attorneys representing victims of domestic violence in contested hearings or trials.  In the first webinar, attorneys learn the steps to laying the foundations for different types of exhibits, and then how to utilize an exhibit after it has been entered into evidence.  The second webinar provides attorneys the basic steps to use when impeaching a witness or refreshing the recollection of a witness on the stand.  As a result of participating in this webinar series, attorneys become better able to execute these techniques in court correctly, and more effectively represent their clients in order of protection and other family law cases.

Part I: Laying Evidentiary Foundations

• Presented by Gillian Chadwick and Madeline Garcia-Bigelow

Attorneys representing clients in orders of protection cases may have access to a wide range of potential exhibits, including photographs of injuries, police reports, text messages, and hospital records.  This webinar provides participants with an overview of how to lay evidentiary foundations for different kinds of exhibits and then, how to use those exhibits after they have been entered into evidence. Participants gain practical strategies to maximize the effectiveness of their exhibits during courtroom proceedings.

Download Powerpoint HERE

Part II: Impeachment by Prior Inconsistent Statement and Refreshing Recollection

• Presented by Oluwemimo Peters and Kelly Behre

Impeachment by Prior Inconsistent Statement is used to establish that a witness’s testimony during a hearing or trial contradicts an earlier statement made by the witness.  Refreshing Recollection is used to assist a witness who has forgotten a fact the witness knew earlier.  This webinar provides participants with an overview of the steps to impeach a witness and the steps to refresh the recollection of a witness, including the rules governing each technique and how to use them effectively during a hearing or trial.  

Download Presentation HERE

This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K026 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.