Need to learn Rules of Evidence (in trial) any pointers?
November 4th, 2009 | by admin |I am taking a trial skills class and we are doing trials. I was told that I did not pickup on 1/3 of the objections. Does anyone have any suggestions how I can become better at this?
Repetition, primarily.
I’m assuming you’re provided some detail on areas you’re weak on, so…having an idea of where to focus definitely helps.
If you have a decent grasp of the Rules of Evidence as it applies to general admissibility and the four categories of evidence, you’ve got a good start.
Some of the subtleties of the hearsay/best evidence rule require a bit of practice to get comfortable with.
It may not work for you, but I found some of the trial simulations from Transmedia’s "Objection" series extremely helpful since it places you under the clock to respond, and immediately explains the applicable rule and issue involved if you get it wrong.
Other than that, Cornell used to have a decent flash/interactive site on the Rules of Evidence as well…Can’t find it right now, so I don’t know if they’ve removed it or just moved it elsewhere.
EDIT:
Ok, still can’t find the Cornell thing, but…Couple of items I forgot to mention earlier.
Evidence: Examples & Explanations can be your best friend. If you don’t have it already, pick it up. One of the best in the e&e series.
Pricier, but also very good, is Learning Evidence: From the Federal Rules to the Courtroom casebook from West. We used it for Evidence, the 2006 edition was one of the few casebooks I actually held on to.
One Response to “Need to learn Rules of Evidence (in trial) any pointers?”
By Mark J on Nov 4, 2009 | Reply
Repetition, primarily.
I’m assuming you’re provided some detail on areas you’re weak on, so…having an idea of where to focus definitely helps.
If you have a decent grasp of the Rules of Evidence as it applies to general admissibility and the four categories of evidence, you’ve got a good start.
Some of the subtleties of the hearsay/best evidence rule require a bit of practice to get comfortable with.
It may not work for you, but I found some of the trial simulations from Transmedia’s "Objection" series extremely helpful since it places you under the clock to respond, and immediately explains the applicable rule and issue involved if you get it wrong.
Other than that, Cornell used to have a decent flash/interactive site on the Rules of Evidence as well…Can’t find it right now, so I don’t know if they’ve removed it or just moved it elsewhere.
EDIT:
Ok, still can’t find the Cornell thing, but…Couple of items I forgot to mention earlier.
Evidence: Examples & Explanations can be your best friend. If you don’t have it already, pick it up. One of the best in the e&e series.
Pricier, but also very good, is Learning Evidence: From the Federal Rules to the Courtroom casebook from West. We used it for Evidence, the 2006 edition was one of the few casebooks I actually held on to.
References :