Your Client is More Than a Piece of Paper (Telling your client’s story through direct examination)

Parent attorneys often find their clients reduced to a piece of paper: a court report prepared by another party, or a third-party evaluation. While there are often reasons for not putting on evidence (including calling witnesses), too often parent defenders may avoid calling a witness because of lack of practice or uncertainty about how best to tell their client’s story from the witness stand. This session provides practical guidance for choosing a witness, deciding on topics for testimony, designing and arranging questions for witnesses, and making testimony memorable and meaningful for the listener.