Tell the client's story : mitigation in criminal and death penalty cases

Tell the Client's Story provides litigation teams the best strategies for effective mitigation work in criminal and capital cases. Top mitigation experts provide practical case studies, surveys, checklists, and appendices that are grounded in multi-professional scientific and clinical literatures. In addition to understanding the law and ethics of mitigation, you will learn how to: - Develop consistent arguments for life imprisonment--rather than death--and mitigated sentences in other criminal cases through effective storytelling and theme-building; - Build productive relationships with clients, witnesses, and experts; - Utilize the Capital Jury Project's empirical findings for successful jury selection and persuasion; - Develop robust case theories; - Collect and organize information crucial for compelling mitigation; - Create a winning mitigation team and employ the cutting-edge methodology of structured case review; and much more. This book will benefit seasoned defense professionals, while also providing crucial guidance for attorneys and professionals with limited or no experience in mitigation techniques.

Mitigation matters / John H. Blume and Russell Stetler -- Competency of counsel : mitigation and national standards of practice / Peter A. Joy and Rodney J. Uphoff -- The law and practice of voir dire of capital jurors : ensuring jurors are merciful / Edward C. Monahan and Lorinda Meier Youngcourt -- Setting the stage and listening to what jurors have to tell us about mitigation / Marla Sandys, Elizabeth S. Vartkessian, Heather Pruss, and Sara M. Walsh -- Thinking about the brain : what is the meaning of neuroscience knowledge for capital mitigation? / Valerie Hardcastle, PhD -- Creating and leading the mitigation team / James J. Clark and Edward C. Monahan -- Developing case theories : processes and methods / Robert Walker, MSW, LCSW -- Mitigation practice : turning defendants into persons / Robert Walker and James J. Clark, Suzanne Hooper, Stephen Tripodi, Sean Kennedy, and Edward C. Monahan -- Successful relationship with a capital client : the paramount responsibility of the lawyer / Margaret O'Donnell -- Investigation and discovery strategies for capital sentencing / Emily Hughes -- Integrating experts into the case : a stepwise process / Edward C. Monahan and James J. Clark -- Telling the client's story : developing a consistent theme for life imprisonment without possibility of parole / Stephen B. Bright -- Special challenges in capital trial mitigation : reframing to communicate the essence of your client / Sean Kennedy -- Communicating a client's mitigation in the court of public opinion : a comment on "No comment" / Edward C. Monahan.