October 26th

October 27th

  • 7:30a - 8:30aBreakfast In The Exhibit Hall
  • 8:30a - 12:00pLectures and Workshops
  • 12:00p - 1:30pLunch
  • 1:30p - 5:00pLectures and Workshops
  • 5:00p - 8:00pParty Featuring Queen Cover Band sponsored by HMR Servicing and VRDE

October 28th

  • 7:30a - 8:30aBreakfast In The Exhibit Hall
  • 8:30a - 12:00pLectures and Workshops
  • 12:00p - 1:30pLunch
  • 1:30p - 5:00pLectures and Workshops
  • 5:00p - 8:00pHalloween Costume Party Sponsored by McDonald Worley

October 29th

  • 7:30a - 8:30aBreakfast In The Exhibit Hall
  • 8:30a - 12:00pLectures and Workshops
  • 12:00p - 1:30pLunch
  • 1:30p - 5:00pLectures and Workshops
  • 5:00p - 8:00pClosing Party

TLU Live tlu icon Vegas

Friday, October 28th - Breakout Group

How to use dramatic/theatrical techniques in witness examination and closing

Kurt Zaner

Kurt Zaner
  • Limited to 8 attendees but observers are permitted
  • Most lawyers are boring and bore jurors into not caring.
  • Or worse, they try too hard to entertain them and make the jurors hate them.
  • We need to find a happy medium – keeping the jurors entertained and caring about your case, without pushing them away by acting over the top.
  • I trained as a stage actor throughout college and moved to LA upon graduation to purse acting before going back to law school. I have found that learning how to emote and act brings clarity, passion, emotion to your presentations.
  • We will work on some acting techniques and exercises to bring about your natural ability to do these things. You will not be "acting" in the courtroom, you will be living your true self and expressing your full range of authentic emotions and maximizing your presentation skills with an eye towards your listener/watcher.
  • I will take two of my case examples from two recent eight figure verdicts involving CRPS diagnoses and perform portions of closings that illustrate theatrical tools that can create drama and emotion in the courtroom. We will breakdown the different dramatic techniques applied and how to use them. These techniques include speaking directly to your client, using pauses, incorporating defense counsel into the story theatrically, and story telling with emotion and intention.
  • I will also go over theatrical tools to use in witness examination (both cross and direct), providing drama, interest, and pace to examinations, focusing on how to use theatrical tools to make points stick in the jurors’ minds.
  • These tactics include cross examining directly to the jury, using video clips, moving around the courtroom, using facial expressions, using dialogue, using demonstratives and exhibits.
  • You must bring a case you are working on be prepared to practice 10 minutes of your closing related to damages and a portion of either a direct or cross examination.