Trial Prep Tips for Young Lawyers

Attorney Kristin Slonski said that young attorneys often have blind spots for things they didn’t learn in law school, like trial prep.

“One of the things we don’t know at the beginning of practicing law is how difficult it can be to take a client’s story and present it in a way that’s both easily digestible to the trier-of-fact and admissible under the rules of evidence,” Slonski said.

“When it comes down to taking that story apart and putting it back together for someone who’s not steeped in it, it can be a lot more time consuming and expensive than young practitioners realize.”

Slonski, Director of Advocacy and Legal Services at Judicare Legal Aid, spoke the State Bar of Wisconsin at the Young Lawyers Conference in March.

Among her trial prep tips are:

- Know the rules of civil procedure and evidence;
- Consult the relevant jury instructions;
- Write it down.

“They should always be somewhere in the back of your mind when you’re speaking with a client or a witness or looking at a document,” Slonski said about the rules of civil procedure and evidence.

Slonski said she writes down everything she plans to do in court.

“I script it out like it’s going to be on HBO,” Slonski said. “I write out the questions I’m going to ask and the answers I think I’m going to get.”

“The act of writing it out has calmed me, it’s focused me, and having it in front of me is like having a security blanket.”
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This video is for general informational purposes only. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information presented here may be outdated. The State Bar of Wisconsin is not liable for any damages resulting from the use of this material. Statements or expressions of opinion here are not necessarily those of the State Bar of Wisconsin, its members, sponsors, or staff.
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