West Virginia (WV) Trial CLE Course Catalog

Fighting lawyers, fighting witnesses (literally), threats, put downs and other improper behavior – these are just a few of the deposition disasters that have been caught on camera, including infamous celebrity deponents Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne. In this entertaining program, veteran litigator Peter Afrasiabi chronicles some of the worst deposition disasters and the lessons that can be gleaned from the improper behavior of the lawyers and witnesses involved. This program will be useful for litigators of all levels and highly entertaining for lawyers of every stripe.

Handling a lying witness – whether on deposition or on the witness stand at trial – requires both careful planning and consideration of your overall case strategy. Experienced trial lawyer Paul Fraidenburgh gives expert guidance on what steps you should take when a witness you are examining strays from the facts to ensure that you maximize the benefits for the client you represent. Paul will share valuable tips that will help you with your examinations of all witnesses (lay and expert) in all settings (depositions and trial). This program will benefit litigators of all experience levels.

Join Lee J. Hurwitz of Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney and Christopher Cianci of Lagasse Branch Bell Kinkead LLP for an in-depth discussion on the top strategies for winning trials. Our speakers will explore effective cross-examination techniques, the art of presenting complex evidence in an understandable way, and the use of rhetoric to influence courtroom opinions.

This program looks at an actual case of a weaponized legal system, what the Supreme Court called a “crusade,” by exploring the Cold War trials of Harry Bridges. Experienced intellectual property lawyer Peter Afrasiabi, who authored the definitive book on the Harry Bridges trials from National Archive and FBI FOIA records, takes one of the four trials Bridges was subjected to, and looks at how the legal system was contorted to produce what was persecution by prosecution, identifying along the way some of the issues that led the Supreme Court to so conclude.

Listen as we provide the audience with a comprehensive discussion on the top strategies to prepare for success at a trial. The speakers will delve into the fundamental aspects to consider, including proven tactics and defenses.

This CLE presentation seeks to provide practitioners with guidance and advice on how to effectively cross-examine a witness at trial. The panel will discuss the goals of cross-examination, share how to best prepare for the examination, and offer practical tips and tricks for ensuring a strong cross-examination of a witness.

Having spent more than twenty-five years as a law firm and in-house litigator and now as a client, Zach McGee provides critical advice for litigators of all levels who are preparing their clients to testify in depositions in civil cases, with a special focus on the unique issues you tend to face when preparing CEOs, directors and other senior executives.  This program also reviews the many benefits of using a deposition prep video program with your clients to help prepare them to testify.

Despite the old saying, facts do not speak for themselves. People must speak for them. Further, humans learn and store information by stories, not by recitation of facts. Juror persuasion happens when the right story is told the right way. Join nationally respected trial consultant Rich Matthews for an exploration of the crucial but often undervalued part that the right witness with the right preparation plays in moving jurors to vote your way.

From the onset, we must think about What Will the Jury See? First, potential evidence must be preserved then the investigation should strike a balance between privilege and documentation. When outside counsel is involved, they should trust but verify the investigation and identify other investigative needs.