Courtroom Storytelling: How Trial Lawyers Win with Narrative

Mar 11
2 min read

Updated: Apr 11

Juries don't decide cases based on facts alone. They decide based on the story that makes the most sense to them. That's the premise behind this CLE, and it's one that Michael DeBlis has spent a career proving, first as a public defender in the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, then as a trial attorney at DeBlis Law. His approach is also informed by his work as a professionally trained actor in Off-Broadway shows and Shakespeare in the Park.

In this two-hour program, DeBlis reframes the trial lawyer's role as writer, director, and actor. Really, you are someone who controls the narrative rather than reacts to the other side's script. The course covers how to develop a theory of the case, build themes rooted in universal human experience, use sensory detail to make facts visceral rather than abstract, and structure an opening statement that predisposes the jury before a single witness takes the stand. It also addresses the psychology behind jury persuasion, including the primacy effect and what the research actually shows about the relationship between opening statements and verdicts. Practical and accessible, this session is valuable to litigators at any stage of their career.

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