Do you have all the tools to present your best case before the jury? With the Internet and widescreen TVs a staple in most homes today's average jurors expect a show and you need to give it to them. If you don’t and your opponent does, you’re likely to lose—it’s that simple.
In the all new fourth edition of Real and Demonstrative Evidence: A Real World Practice Manual for Winning at Trial, Ronald J. Rychlak combines in-depth legal analysis with practical information to help you learn to use persuasive physical evidence to get your point across.
Written for practicing attorneys, the fourth edition shows the best way to use a variety of tools to sway the finder of fact. Beyond teaching the nuts and bolts on evidence like how to preserve real evidence, or what the difference between real and demonstrative evidence is, it shows you how to go about economically building or obtaining exhibits, how to use current technology to best advantage and provides invaluable advice on equally important details like
— taking the judge and jurors into account, how comfortable they will be and how easily they will interact with the technology you plan to use;
—considering your exhibit, and asking yourself whether it will help your jurors understand or lead them to dismiss it (and worse, you) for merely putting on a "horse and pony show"?
—considering your opponent and where he or she has placed their exhibit; is it out of the jurors' line of sight as you cross-examine a witness or is it, like a billboard, subliminally distracting the jury?
These are just a few examples of the sage advice in this highly successful guide. It points out the many details that make the difference that most manuals leave out. Packed with timing aids, outlines, checklists to ensure you are ready and equipped when you need to be and avoid mistakes, and written in clear language that draws on headline cases you will recognize, the new fourth edition piques your interest as it teaches you all you need to know so that you can master the craft in the shortest possible time, maximize the number of cases you win, and gracefully handle the unexpected when it strikes.
Ronald J. Rychlak is Distinguished Professor of Law and holder of the Jamie L. Whitten Chair in Law and Government at the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he has been on the faculty since 1987. In 2019 he received the university’s highest research and publication recognition, the “Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award” based upon his international reputation built on scholarly activity and leadership roles in professional societies.
For 13 years, Mr. Rychlak served as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and since 2007 he has served as the university’s Faculty Athletic Representative and chair of the University’s standing committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. He is a graduate of Wabash College (BA, 1980, cum laude) and Vanderbilt University School of Law (JD, 1983, Order of the Coif). Prior to joining the faculty at Ole Miss, he practiced law with Jenner & Block in Chicago and served as a clerk to Hon. Harry W. Wellford of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ronald Rychlak is is past-president of the Southeastern Association of Law Schools, a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Executive Committee, and an advisor to the Holy See’s delegation to the United Nations. He is also a member of the Mississippi Supreme Court’s Criminal Law Reform Committee and the Mississippi Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. He serves on advisory boards to Ave Maria Law School, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, and the Society of Catholic Social Scientists. He also serves on editorial boards of Gaming Law Review and Cluny Media.
"Every trial attorney could benefit from reading this book before walking into the courtroom. It has incredible practical value as a guide for taking a case to trial, including everything from dealing with the most preliminary of matters to addressing the most complex challenges that arise during trial proceedings. Attorneys who read and use this book can expect to feel less anxiety upon entering a courtroom because they will be more knowledgeable and comfortable with the use and admission of evidence. That, in and of itself, makes this book an essential read for anyone who wants to be an effective trial lawyer."
-William C. Lamar, former federal prosecutor and trial lawyer in the Northern District of Mississippi
"A very valuable resource for lawyers looking to stay on top of their changing world."
-Lawyers Weekly USA
"A must read for any trial lawyer because electronic evidence and complicated technology issues are now commonplace. Far too many trial strategies go awry because the lawyer doesn't lay the proper foundation during discovery or at trial or fails to make dull, but crucial evidence understandable and memorable. Professor Rychlak's clear and cogent presentation takes the mystery out of this very difficult area of trial lawyering."
-Leo L. Clarke, General Counsel, Washington Federal, Inc.
"I am a litigator. I try cases to juries with the expectation that the verdicts rendered are the result of a well-reasoned analysis of the evidence that was presented during trial. Dr. Rychlak's book takes tactics and practices that have taken me many years to hone and perfect and reduces them into a well written, precise work, useful for the serious practitioner of any age."
-the late Precious Martin, Precious T. Martin and Associates, Jackson, Mississippi
"Real and Demonstrative Evidence: A Real World Practice Manual for Winning at Trial by Professor Ronald Rychlak will in short order become a go-to text for litigators. Demonstrative evidence is a fast moving field where law and science intersect. Without jargon, this book effectively and concisely explains exactly what lawyers need to know to stay on top of this area, and present their cases in the most effective manner possible. it covers a broad range of evidentiary concepts in a user friendly and comprehensive way."
-Michael Waterstone, Fritz B. Burns Dean, Loyola Law School
"This book is an invaluable resource, combining discussion of the legal issues related to admissibility, noteworthy innovations from recent cases, and strategic considerations essential in formulating an effective trial plan, all presented in a clear and engaging fashion."
- Kevin Cole, Professor of Law and former Dean, University of San Diego School of Law; Managing Editor, CrimProf Blog
