Litigation & Appeals

4.3

Questioning Strategies for Litigators: Depositions, Voir Dire, Cross-Examination, and More

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Alaska CLE Reciprocity 6 Total
Alabama CLE Approved 6 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 6 Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
California CLE Approved 6 Total
Colorado CLE Approved 7 Total
Connecticut CLE Approved 6 Total
Delaware CLE Approved 6 Total
Florida CLE Approved 7 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 6 Total
Hawaii CLE Approved 6 Total
Iowa CLE Approved 6 Total
Idaho CLE Approved 6 Total
Illinois CLE Approved 6 Total
Indiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Kansas CLE Approved 7 Total
Kentucky CLE Approved 6 Total
Louisiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Maine CLE Approved 6 Total
Minnesota CLE Approved 6 Total
Missouri CLE Approved 6 Total
Northern Mariana Islands CLE Approved 6 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Approved 6 Total
North Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
North Dakota CLE Approved 6 Total
Nebraska CLE Approved 6 Total
New Hampshire CLE Approved 6 Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 7.2 Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 6 Total
Nevada CLE Approved 6 Total
New York CLE Approved 7 Total
Ohio CLE Approved 6 Total
Oklahoma CLE Approved 7 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 6 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 6 Total
South Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 6 Total
Texas CLE Approved 6 Total
Utah CLE Approved 6 Total
Virginia CLE Approved 6 Total
Vermont CLE Approved 6 Total
Washington CLE Approved 6 Total
Wisconsin CLE Approved 7 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 7.2 Total
Wyoming CLE Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 54 minutes
Raymond Grasing
Mark West
Patrick Richel
Michael Vescio
With Raymond R. Grasing from The Law Firm of Grasing & Associates + 3 others
Recorded June 19, 2025
Product ID 100359

Buy This Course

Course Includes
$389

OnDemand Video

Video Download

Course Book Download

or
Upgrade to Unlimited CLE and Get This Course
$129/month
All Inclusive CLE subscribers save an average of $3,000/year on CLE costs.

Overview

Master the Art of Questioning

Whether you're interviewing clients and witnesses, conducting a cross-examination or questioning potential jurors at trial, being able to draw out the answers you need is a vital skill for any litigator. However, perfecting the art of questioning is an elusive goal. Every witness is unique, and there can be a fine line between drawing out the answer you want and unleashing a torrent of unhelpful or even harmful information. In this program, trial lawyers who have spent years honing their questioning techniques will show you what questions to ask and how to ask them so you can get precisely what you need. Enhance your advocacy skills - register today!

  • Learn how to seamlessly blend psychology into your questioning strategy for better results.
  • Discover questions you should not ask and how to avoid that one question too many.
  • Get jurors talking and find out how to unmask their hidden biases and attitudes.
  • Admit (or exclude) exhibits and expert witnesses by laying the most effective foundations.
  • Draw out admissions and defuse harmful testimony on cross.
  • Find out how to detect and draw honest answers out of the lying or evasive witness.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Questioning Tactics (and Pitfalls) Every Litigator Needs to Know
  2. Deposition Questioning Techniques: Obtaining the Information and Testimony You Need
  3. Cross-Examination: Eliciting Favorable Admissions and Undercutting Harmful Testimony
  4. Voir Dire: Questions and Strategies to Uncover Hidden Biases
  5. Foundational Questions: Getting Exhibits and Testimony Admitted Into Evidence
  6. Making Objections and Preparing Your Witnesses to Avoid Traps
  7. Questioning Experts and Difficult or Special Witnesses
  8. Lies, Evasion, and Omissions: Exposing and Dealing With Deception
  9. Legal Ethics

Related Topics

Product ID 100359

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
Alaska CLE Reciprocity 6 Total
Alabama CLE Approved 6 Total
Arkansas CLE Approved 6 Total
Arizona CLE Approved 6 Total
California CLE Approved 6 Total
Colorado CLE Approved 7 Total
Connecticut CLE Approved 6 Total
Delaware CLE Approved 6 Total
Florida CLE Approved 7 Total
Georgia CLE Approved 6 Total
Hawaii CLE Approved 6 Total
Iowa CLE Approved 6 Total
Idaho CLE Approved 6 Total
Illinois CLE Approved 6 Total
Indiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Kansas CLE Approved 7 Total
Kentucky CLE Approved 6 Total
Louisiana CLE Approved 6 Total
Maine CLE Approved 6 Total
Minnesota CLE Approved 6 Total
Missouri CLE Approved 6 Total
Northern Mariana Islands CLE Approved 6 Total
Mississippi CLE Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Approved 6 Total
North Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
North Dakota CLE Approved 6 Total
Nebraska CLE Approved 6 Total
New Hampshire CLE Approved 6 Total
New Jersey CLE Approved 7.2 Total
New Mexico CLE Approved 6 Total
Nevada CLE Approved 6 Total
New York CLE Approved 7 Total
Ohio CLE Approved 6 Total
Oklahoma CLE Approved 7 Total
Oregon CLE Approved 6 Total
Pennsylvania CLE Approved 6 Total
South Carolina CLE Approved 6 Total
Tennessee CLE Approved 6 Total
Texas CLE Approved 6 Total
Utah CLE Approved 6 Total
Virginia CLE Approved 6 Total
Vermont CLE Approved 6 Total
Washington CLE Approved 6 Total
Wisconsin CLE Approved 7 Total
West Virginia CLE Approved 7.2 Total
Wyoming CLE Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
CLE

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Questioning Tactics (and Pitfalls) Every Litigator Needs to Know

    1. Top 10 Tactics That Should be in Every Litigator's Arsenal
    2. Applying Psychology in Your Questioning Strategy
    3. Common Questioning Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Case

  2. Deposition Questioning Techniques: Obtaining the Information and Testimony You Need

    1. Questioning Techniques, Wording, Question Structure, Order, etc.
    2. Lines of Questioning
    3. Obtaining Crucial Information and Eliciting Concessions
    4. Drawing Out the Evidence You Need to Get Testimony Excluded
    5. Setting Up Later Trial Impeachment
    6. Dealing with Objections and Obstructionist Tactics by Opposing Counsel

  3. Cross-Examination: Eliciting Favorable Admissions and Undercutting Harmful Testimony

    1. Questioning Tips and Tactics for Cross-Examination
    2. Gaining (and Maintaining) Control
    3. Setting Up the Witness
    4. Forcing the Witness to Answer Questions Harmful to an Adversary's Case
    5. Destructive Cross-Examination - Destroying Credibility
    6. Words and Questions That Can Backfire
    7. Knowing When to Stop Asking Questions

  4. Voir Dire: Questions and Strategies to Uncover Hidden Biases

    1. Juror Questionnaires, Research, and Prep
    2. Boundaries and Limits on Questions - Rules and Judge's Preferences
    3. Questioning Potential Jurors - Styles and Techniques
    4. Eliciting Biases and Laying the Groundwork for Cause Strikes
    5. Identifying Their Best Jurors Without Unmasking Your Own
    6. Getting Honest Answers to Tough Questions
    7. Planting Your Own Ideas and Persuading Through Voir Dire Questions
    8. Observing Juror Reactions - Verbal and Nonverbal

  5. Foundational Questions: Getting Exhibits and Testimony Admitted Into Evidence

    1. Proper Lay and Expert Opinions
    2. Qualifying the Expert Witness
    3. Direct Examination: Solidifying Your Story and Witness Credibility
    4. Laying a Foundation for Documentary Evidence
    5. Social Media Posts, Texts, Emails, and More: Sample Foundation Questions/Scripts
    6. Physical, Demonstrative, and Illustrative Evidence

  6. Making Objections and Preparing Your Witnesses to Avoid Traps

    1. Preparing Witnesses for Tricky Questions
    2. Tips for Preparing Difficult Witnesses
    3. Defending Depositions and Making Objections
    4. Objecting to Testimony at Trial

  7. Questioning Experts and Difficult or Special Witnesses

    1. Strategically Questioning an Expert Witness
    2. Exposing Expert Bias and Lack of Qualifications
    3. Types of Difficult Witnesses and the Tactics They Use
    4. Cross-Examining Difficult Witnesses
    5. Controlling the Runaway or Explaining Witness
    6. Questioning Children and Other Special Witnesses

  8. Lies, Evasion, and Omissions: Exposing and Dealing With Deception

    1. Detecting Lies and Deception: Tips From a Seasoned Trial Attorney
    2. Identifying Micro-Expressions and Ignoring False Cues
    3. Confronting Lying Behavior
    4. Dealing With the Lying or Evasive Witness
    5. Questioning Strategies to Draw Out Honest Answers

  9. Legal Ethics

    1. Preparing vs. Improperly Coaching Witnesses
    2. Advocacy vs. Misrepresentation: Applying ABA Model Rules
    3. When Aggressive Litigation Tactics Cross the Ethical Line
    4. Juror Investigation and Communication
      1. Competence and Diligence
      2. Avoiding Jury Tampering
    5. Legal Ethics of Social Media and Data Mining

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for attorneys. Paralegals may also benefit.

Speakers

Raymond R Grasing
Raymond R.
Grasing
The Law Firm of Grasing & Associates
Mark West
Mark
West
Law Offices of Mark West
Patrick Richel
Patrick
Richel
Amundsen Davis LLC
Michael R Vescio
Michael R.
Vescio
Amundsen Davis LLC
Speaker bio
Raymond R Grasing

Raymond R. Grasing

The Law Firm of Grasing & Associates
Raymond Grasing

is an attorney with The Law Firm of Grasing & Associates. He has more than 25 years of trial experience in New York. Mr. Grasing knows how to try a case in a straight forward convincing manner, and how to pare down the facts and issues to their essential parts to help a jury reach the correct decision. His understanding of the law, gained through his trial experience, provides his clients with a distinct competitive advantage, whether or not their case gets to trial. Mr. Grasing practices in the areas of commercial litigation, personal injury, construction disputes, insurance coverage disputes, insurance coverage, collections, subrogation, arson, and fraud cases. He earned his B.A. degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School.

View full profile
Speaker bio
Mark West

Mark West

Law Offices of Mark West
Mark West

is a sole practitioner in San Gabriel, where he practices in plaintiff personal injury and wrongful death, products liability law, medical malpractice, and business civil litigation. He has published several articles and frequently lectures. Mr. West is admitted to practice in the Northern, Central and Southern U.S. District courts in California; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; and Supreme Court of the United States. He has also been admitted pro hac vice in the state and U.S. District Court for Nevada and the U.S. District Court for Minnesota. Mr. West is a member of the American and Los Angeles County bar associations, State Bar of California, Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California (past legislative district coordinator), and the American Trial Lawyers Association. He earned his B.S. degree from New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University) and his J.D. degree from Southwestern University School of Law.

View full profile
Speaker bio
Patrick Richel

Patrick Richel

Amundsen Davis LLC
Patrick Richel

is an attorney at Amundsen Davis LLC. He defends clients in breach of contract issues, indemnity disputes and insurance liability matters. Mr. Richel also counsels clients in risk mitigation. His previous experience working at a plaintiff's firm focusing on personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death cases gives him an insight into how the other side strategizes. Mr. Richel earned his B.A. degree from University of Notre Dame and J.D. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law.

View full profile
Speaker bio
Michael R Vescio

Michael R. Vescio

Amundsen Davis LLC
Michael Vescio

is a partner at Amundsen Davis LLC. His practice includes legal and professional malpractice defense, insurance coverage, appellate practice and complex civil litigation matters. An active member of the defense bar, Mr. Vescio occasionally appeared for amici in appellate proceedings to facilitate the thoughtful development of jurisprudence in state of Wisconsin. He earned his H.B.A. degree from Marquette University and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Marquette University Law School.

View full profile

TOP FAQs

How do I access my courses?
Courses are available within your account. Simply login to your account and click on My Courses. If you require additional assistance please call our Customer Service Department at 800-930-6182.
Do you have options for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing?
Closed captioning is available for all Live Webinars. After you've joined the event room, you can enable closed captioning by clicking the "cc" button in the lower right of the player.
What happens if my course is cancelled?
In the unlikely event that NBI cancels or reschedules an upcoming program, each registered attendee will be contacted via email by a representative of NBI. Outreach to attendees begins as soon as NBI is made aware that a program will not move forward at its originally scheduled date and time.
Are multiple attendee discounts available?
Yes, the more people you bring from your organization, the more you save. After the first registration, each additional attendee receives a special discount off of their total tuition.
When will the OnDemand be available and how long will I have access to the content?
The OnDemand Video will be available to stream within 14 days of live broadcast date. You will have access to the content for 6 months in your account. If you’re a subscriber, you’ll have access to your course recordings until 7 days after the expiration date of the subscription.
What is included with my course purchase?
When you enroll prior to the live event date you will receive access to the live-streaming webinar which will allow you to interact with faculty in real-time. With each course, you will receive access to the content via OnDemand Streaming and the Video Download. Course reference materials are included with each course purchase in a downloadable PDF format.
Will I receive a certificate of completion?
Yes, we'll email you a certificate of completion and store in your account for any future reporting needs.
Can multiple people watch courses and request credit?
While only paid registrants can receive continuing education credit for attending, there are no limitations to the number of viewers at each connection.

Have more questions? Please Contact Us