Nicholas Rowley has earned a reputation as one of the country's finest trial lawyers. His record-setting verdicts are the result of the distinctive human approach he takes with his clients, witnesses, judges, and jurors.
In this passionate and deeply personal treatise, Nick and coauthor Steven Halteman, a jury consultant and trial strategist, candidly share their Trial by Human method, an approach that brings brutal honesty and humanity into the courtroom.
In Trial by Human, Rowley and Halteman reveal the importance of stepping out of the conference room and into the homes and lives of your clients—to share a meal, hear their stories, and experience for yourself how they live and breathe. As the authors explain, you can't expect a jury to understand and feel your clients' injustice if you haven’t taken the time to do so yourself.
With their trademark "brutal honesty," Rowley and Halteman share and dissect their methods through stories of their own trials. They explain what has worked, what hasn't, and the lessons they've learned along the way.
Do you want the eBook and print book? After you complete your purchase of the print book you will receive a coupon code via email to purchase the eBook for $20
- Publisher's Note
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Trial by Human Starts with You
- Pick a Case, Find a Human, Learn a Story
- Chapters of the Human Story
- Discovering Your Clients' Human Stories
- Trial and Dealing with the Worst
- Focus Groups
- Mini–Opening Statement
- Nick's View of Voir Dire
- Steve's View of Voir Dire
- Opening Statement
- Bring Life to the Courtroom
- Witness Examinations
- Direct Examination
- Cross-Examination
- Keeping Connected with the Jury during Trial
- Closing Argument
- Talking about Money
- Life Lessons
- Closing Thoughts
- Appendix: The Blunt Trial in Six Acts
- Index
- About the Authors
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What Legal Leaders Are Saying
— Rick Friedman, author of Rules of the Road™, Polarizing the Case, and Becoming a Trial Lawyer. Member of the Inner Circle of Advocates and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, recipient of the 2004 Steven J. Sharp awardThe Rowley/Halteman team has written a smart, exuberant book that shows how they have been able to win jaw-dropping verdicts over and over again. This is a particularly useful guide for lawyers like myself, who tend to stay too much in our heads and need help becoming ‘human’ in the courtroom. A must-read for 2013.
— Paul Luvera, member and past president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial LawyersIn this treasure of a book, the authors offer the real secret for being a great trial lawyer with a trial track record to back it up. Out of all the books about trials, this one is revolutionary because it offers the real secrets of success with examples from actual trials. This is a book with a message every trial lawyer should read and apply.
— Patrick Malone, coauthor of Rules of the Road™: A Plaintiff Lawyer’s Guide to Proving Liability and Winning Medical Malpractice Cases: With the Rules of the Road™ TechniqueA simple but profound formula inspires this book: courage plus compassion plus creativity equal connection to the jury. Nick Rowley and Steve Halteman prove over and over how these elements steer their cases to success, and how the rest of us can become better advocates—and better human beings—by following their signposts.
— Geoffrey Fieger, winner of more multimillion-dollar awards than any attorney in the country, Democratic Party nominee for governor of Michigan in 1998Nick Rowley proves that some young men have old souls, and wisdom to boot!
— Honorable Peter J. Polos (retired)Brutally honest. A must read for any trial lawyer.
— Marc R. Lebed, MD, MDRI salute Nick Rowley and Steve Halteman for their professional dedication and personal courage in the defense of their clients’ rights and to their conviction to their clients. I have had the privilege to work with both authors and can substantiate that the substance of this book is not fictional, but is, unarguably, fact.