Depositions College: Sharpening Your Skills

Welcome Announcements and Introductions

Developing a Discovery Plan

• Who, what, when, where, and why to depose
• The written plan
• Understanding the legal framework

Techniques of Exhaustion/Boxing-In, and Restating

• Making the witness tell you everything he or she knows
• Summarizing techniques to keep the witness from changing his or her testimony
• Cementing the witness's testimony

Faculty Q&A

Workshop: Exhaustion, Boxing-In, Restating, and Summarization

Welcome Announcements and Introductions

Identifying the Rules and Standards

• Finding and Drafting Rules
• Standards of Care

Structuring the Miller Mousetrap

Faculty Q&A

Workshop: Rules and the Miller Mousetrap

Welcome Announcements and Introductions

Deposing the 30(b)(6) Witness

How to Use Exhibits to Enhance your Deposition Skills and Prepare for Trial

• Document Combining
• Marking Up Exhibits
• Sharing Exhibits

Faculty Q&A

Workshop: 30(b)(6)and Using Exhibits

• Creating a 30(b)(6) outline

Techniques for Dealing with Difficult and Evasive Witnesses

• How to identify and control the difficult witness
• The one fact, one question approach
• How to deal with nonresponsive answers

Ethical Considerations for Dealing with Deposition Obstruction

• Proper and Improper Objections: Legal and Ethical Considerations
• How to Effectively Handle Obstructive Tactics
• Sanctions and Other Creative Tactics to Deter Obstructive Behavior

Faculty Q&A

Workshop: Dealing with Difficult Witnesses, Evasive Witnesses, and Objections