Melissa M Gomez

September 15, 2010 | The Legal Intelligencer

I recently spoke at a seminar for public defenders about jury selection. One of the attendees made a comment during the presentation that she believed jurors don?t understand what ?beyond a reasonable doubt? means. She said she held this belief because she can?t understand why jurors send her clients to jail after hours of deliberating. If they have to deliberate that long, then they must have doubt.

By Melissa M. Gomez

1 minute read

May 17, 2005 | The Legal Intelligencer

In a recent contract-dispute case regarding an oral agreement, the defense's star witness claimed in a video deposition that although she engaged in negotiations, she never made an agreement with the plaintiff. The defense team was convinced they had a slam-dunk through her powerful testimony: She communicated all the key messages with clear conviction.

By Melissa M. Gomez

7 minute read

March 13, 2006 | National Law Journal

Being a good litigator requires more than just having a strong case; it also requires knowing the best way to present that case to a jury. Check out our communication tips to help ensure that your message is crystal-clear, well organized and memorable. Nobody wants to lose a case because jurors were left scratching their heads.

By Melissa M. Gomez

9 minute read

March 08, 2006 | The Legal Intelligencer

What William Butler Yeats recognized a century ago when he said, Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people, is what any smart Philadelphia litigator can apply today: Communication is all about making your audience understand.

By Melissa M. Gomez

9 minute read

May 29, 2009 | The Legal Intelligencer

It all seems to make perfect sense. In a case with an injured plaintiff, the best jurors for the plaintiff would be folks who could relate to her, and who could picture themselves in her shoes, right?

By Melissa M. Gomez

7 minute read

December 20, 2010 | The Legal Intelligencer

Picture this: An airplane is in a holding pattern over New York for more than one hour because of fog limiting arrivals into John F. Kennedy International Airport. During this hold, the aircraft was exhausting its reserve fuel supply, which would have allowed it to divert to its alternate, Boston.

By Melissa M. Gomez

9 minute read

March 13, 2006 | Law.com

Being a good litigator requires more than just having a strong case; it also requires knowing the best way to present that case to a jury. Check out our communication tips to help ensure that your message is crystal-clear, well organized and memorable. Nobody wants to lose a case because jurors were left scratching their heads.

By Melissa M. Gomez

9 minute read

March 13, 2006 | Law.com

Being a good litigator requires more than just having a strong case; it also requires knowing the best way to present that case to a jury. Check out our communication tips to help ensure that your message is crystal-clear, well organized and memorable. Nobody wants to lose a case because jurors were left scratching their heads.

By Melissa M. Gomez

9 minute read