North Carolina Civil Trial Skills
Credits Available
| Credit | Status | Total | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina CLE |
|
6 Total | 02-28-2027 |
| Tennessee CLE |
|
6 Total | 12-14-2027 |
| NFPA |
|
0 Total | 12-15-2026 |
Buy This Course
OnDemand Video
Course Book Download
or
Overview
Real-World Insights on Jury Selection, Evidence, Cross-Examination, and More!
Countless hours in building a solid case theme and supporting it with admissible evidence are about to crescendo in the all-or-nothing storytelling contest. Are you ready? In this online seminar, experienced trial attorneys will reveal their hard-won insights and show you how to deliver your side of the case to the decision-makers with clarity, persuasion, and force. Gain the edge with these tried-and-true trial skills - register today!
- Prepare a trial notebook that provides all the documents and info you need at a moment's notice.
- Learn how to flush out jurors' true biases and attitudes during voir dire.
- Discover the recipe for opening statements that resonate with jurors.
- Get practical pointers on introducing exhibits and responding to objections.
- Refine your direct and cross-examination skills with tips from veteran trial attorneys.
- Make the most of your last arguments before the jury head into deliberations.
Abbreviated Agenda
- Creating a Trial Notebook - Your Blueprint for Trial
- Voir Dire and Jury Selection Tactics
- The Secrets to a Powerful Opening Statement
- Evidence Presentation, Objections, and Admission
- Direct Examination: Top 15 Tips in 30 Minutes
- Key Cross-Examination Strategies Every Lawyer Must Know
- Closing Arguments and Jury Instructions
- Ethics for Trial Lawyers
Credit Details
Credits Available
| Credit | Status | Total | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina CLE |
|
6 Total | 02-28-2027 |
| Tennessee CLE |
|
6 Total | 12-14-2027 |
| NFPA |
|
0 Total | 12-15-2026 |
Select Jurisdiction
CLE
Paralegal
Agenda
-
Creating a Trial Notebook - Your Blueprint for Trial
- Countdown to Trial: What You Need to Do and When
- Traditional vs. Electronic Trial Notebooks
- What to Include, What to Exclude, and How to Organize
- Developing Key Sections of the Trial Binder
- Using the Notebook and Troubleshooting From the Courtroom
-
Voir Dire and Jury Selection Tactics
- The Written and Unwritten Rules of Jury Selection
- Juror Questionnaires and Research Tips
- How Jurors Think: What You Need to Know
- Building Rapport and Getting Jurors Talking
- Asking the Right Questions the Right Way
- The Big DON'Ts of Voir Dire Questions
- Avoiding Socially Desirable Response Bias
- Jury Selection Strategy: Who to Strike and How
-
The Secrets to a Powerful Opening Statement
-
Evidence Presentation, Objections, and Admission
- Rules and Procedures Governing the Introduction and Exclusion of Evidence
- Motions in Limine: The Trial Lawyer's Best Friend
- Using Documentary Evidence
- Spotlight on Email, Social Media, and Smartphone Evidence
- Lay and Expert Witness Testimony
- Demonstrative and Illustrative Evidence
- Hearsay and Other Objections: When to Use Them and How to Respond
-
Direct Examination: Top 15 Tips in 30 Minutes
-
Key Cross-Examination Strategies Every Lawyer Must Know
- Preparing for the Cross-Examination
- Maintaining Control of the Witness and Direction of the Examination
- Cross-Examining Experts
- Tips for Cross-Examining Difficult and Special Witnesses
- Witness Impeachment Tactics
-
Closing Arguments and Jury Instructions
- Dos and Don'ts of Closing Arguments
- Organizing Your Closing Arguments
- Effectively Using Evidence
- Rebutting Arguments and Addressing Bad Facts
- Practical Insights on Discussing Damages
- Concluding Your Closing
- Jury Instructions: Standard and Special
-
Ethics for Trial Lawyers
- Ethical Duties Toward the Tribunal
- Ethics of Evidence
- Improper Arguments
- Communicating With Witnesses
- Ex Parte Communications
- Juror Investigation, Contact, Bias in Jury Selection, and Jury Tampering
Who Should Attend
This basic-to-intermediate level online seminar is designed for attorneys.
Speakers
Speaker bio
Jeremy A. Stephenson
is a partner with the law firm of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he provides counseling and litigation services to management clients in employment and related corporate matters. He has successfully defended employers before administrative agencies around the country, and the state and federal courts in North Carolina, against claims of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, breach of contract, wage and hour violations, non-compete agreements, trade secrets, and related business litigation. Mr. Stephenson regularly publishes articles and is invited to speak on topics of employment law, litigation and trial tactics, insurance law, and corporate risk management topics. He is a recent past president of the Charlotte Area Society of Human Resource Managers and is currently the Government Affairs director for NCSHRM. Mr. Stephenson has extensive experience providing insurance coverage counseling and litigation services on employment practices liability insurance (EPLI), directors and officers (D&O), general liability (GL), errors and omissions (E&O), and other lines of coverage. He litigates in the state and federal courts of North Carolina in cases pertaining to professional liability, products liability, and other areas of civil and corporate liability. Mr. Stephenson earned his B.A. degree from the University of Virginia and his J.D. degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Speaker bio
John (JJ) Sauve
is deputy city manager with the city of Beaufort. He brings over a decade of public service experience prior to practicing law and has represented clients in a broad array of matters in addition to his experience prosecuting. Mr. Suave served as a firefighter and law enforcement officer for a decade before becoming a prosecutor, general counsel for several public safety organizations, and operating his own firm before returning to Superior Court as an assistant district attorney. He has worked on matters ranging from traffic violations to first degree murders, and everything in between. In the civil realm, he has experience working with family law clients, advising organizations on risk management and employment matters, and litigating civil contract and land disputes. Mr. Sauve earned his bachelor's degrees in psychology and criminal justice from Waldorf University, his Juris Doctor from Charlotte School of Law, and his master's in public administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his formal education, he was an inaugural graduate from the Drucker Institute's Public Sector Leadership program, a graduate of the UNC School of Government's Municipal and County Administration program, and he teaches criminal justice, public administration, and continuing education courses for several schools and fire, rescue, EMS, and law enforcement organizations.
Speaker bio
Brian W. King
started King Law in 2002, in a two-room office above a bar. He had the vision to create a firm that was built around business principles and taking care of clients. It is under his leadership the firm has grown from a small community firm to one of the largest and fastest-growing firms in the Carolinas. Mr. King has served as the attorney for the Rutherford County Department of Social Services, and the McDowell County Department of Social Services, been a member of the North Carolina Child Support Council. He co-authored the book Navigating Adoption and Surrogacy Laws, published by Astapore, a Thomas Reuters business, in 2014. Mr. King is a member of the North Carolina and South Carolina bars, and in 2009 became a family law specialist. He has been elected as president of the Judicial District Bar and has served in various legal leadership positions. Mr. King has been involved in several Court of Appeals cases, with important and often referenced opinions. Community involvement within surrounding counties is also important to him as he actively serves and supports several local organizations including Adjunct Faculty at Isothermal Community College, Board of Directors/past-president Rutherford Life Services, The Robert & Janice McNair Educational Foundation Mentor, McDowell County Chamber of Commerce Guest Speaker, secretary of Rutherford County Bar Association, board member at Kidsenses and The American Society of Legal Advocates Top 100 Family Law Attorneys for 2016. Mr. King earned a bachelor's degree in political science from UNC Charlotte and went on to obtain his J.D. degree from Campbell Law.
Speaker bio
Hon. Christopher W. Bragg
is a retired Senior Resident Superior Court Judge in District 20B.
Speaker bio
Mary F. Parker
is an attorney with The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, P.C., focusing on personal injury, sexual assault and sexual victims' rights, premise liability and negligent security cases. She is known for her personal and intimate attention to her clients and her work in the courtroom. Ms. Parker earned her undergraduate degree from University of Tennessee, Knoxville and her J.D. degree from Nashville School of Law.
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