Trial and lawyering skills in a nutshell

A short, funny, insightful, and occasionally philosophical guide to what you'll need to know, planning and conducting trials, interviewing and counseling clients, negotiating cases and drafting deals, writing briefs and making oral arguments, solving problems and telling stories and using your computer to make you a better lawyer. And some good poems and bad jokes.

Coming attractions -- Solving problems -- Telling stories -- Mistakes and lies -- Interviewing clients -- Counseling clients -- Planning investigations -- Interviewing witnesses -- Taking depositions -- Defending depositions -- Negotiation: conceptual block-busting -- Negotiation: in the trenches -- Drafting deals -- Legal writing -- Oral argument -- Trials -- Direct: clarity and drama -- Direct: credibility -- Mad dogs and Englishmen -- Friendly cross -- Hostile cross -- Closing argument -- Closing: an illustration -- Opening statement -- Jury selection -- Preparing your witnesses -- Problem witnesses -- Objections -- Questions -- A trial checklist, a review, or merely a badly placed preview -- Epilogue: thanks.