Through a cooperative deal with NITA, Trial Guides brings you trial consultant Eric Oliver's book Facts Can't Speak for Themselves.
Legal decision makers construct their own case story version when judging a case. In fact, they reauthor their own version of the case story presented to them several times before arriving at the one they use to decide the case. Their individual stories influence the verdict as much as individual backgrounds and beliefs, or the attorney’s case presentation in court. This groundbreaking book offers straightforward steps for trial professionals to identify and use these stories to refine the most compelling presentation for listeners to judge.
Learn:
- how and why legal decision makers construct their own case stories and use them to decide a case
- the importance of crafting and communicating a case to decision makers as a story and why it can be the most direct and influential way to address decision makers
- which focus groups best reveal the range of stories versions listeners can build from your case
- how to run voir dire like focus groups and focus groups like voir dire
- why you should never ask focus group members which side in a case they like
- why you should think twice before ever again asking a “why” question in voir dire or focus groups
- how to take full advantage of the only four channels available to deliver any legal case
Eric Oliver's expertise in psychology, non-verbal communication and trial consulting work helps you develop advanced persuasion skills.
Reviews by leading lawyers:
“After 33 years in the courtroom and a few hundred jury trials, what’s new and worth studying? The short answer is Eric Oliver’s book Facts Can’t Speak for Themselves. Read this book and new explanations for your old losses creep into view. Taking advantage of Eric’s insights requires thoughtful reading and some reflective quiet time. It’s nice to be a 57 year old freshman, newer and better …”-
“In Steven Spielberg’s classic movie, Amistad, the lawyers who are representing the Africans charged with murdering their captors approach John Quincy Adams, played by Anthony Hopkins to ask him to assist in their defense. Adams at first refuses but asks, ‘What is their story?’ He then explains to the entreating trial lawyers what cases are won by the person who has the strongest story. Eric Oliver has reminded us of this principle and carries it one step further: it takes twelve stories to win. The trial lawyer is not presenting the case to an audience of twelve, but rather to twelve audiences. Eric Oliver’s new book is a must read for all those who desire to improve their persuasive skills.” -
“I was not at all surprised at the superior quality of Eric’s new book, having had the pleasure of knowing Eric for a long time and benefitting enormously from his unique and masterful expertise in conducting focus groups. His book achieves a daunting goal - codification of his creative and powerful cutting-edge techniques for communicating with jurors. This book contains powerful tools that will profoundly enhance a lawyer’s most important skills - really talking , and listening, to juries. This may be the most important book a lawyer will ever read.” -