Finding The Story - Part 2

People have been communicating by telling stories for thousands of years. Trial lawyers are no different. All trial lawyers are storytellers. At the same time, as trial lawyers we are trained to focus much of our work on research and writing, filing and responding to motions, preparing for expert depositions and the like. It’s the extraordinary effort that goes into a story that appears effortless at trial, that separates that trial lawyer from the rest. That’s what makes a good trial lawyer, a great trial lawyer, the stories that trial lawyer tells. And the extraordinary effort it took to find and tell those stories.  

Unless you find your story, your jurors may be bored and uninspired to act. That’s never good for a plaintiff’s trial lawyer. Afterall, at the end of the case you’ll tell your jurors you want things changed. You’ll have to first inspire them to want things changed too. Fear not though. There is a story there. I assure you. And it’s well worth telling.

In addition to repeatedly asking yourself, “what’s really going on here?” start thinking like a storyteller. Storyteller’s focus on 2 things: characters and plot. In your case perhaps, People and their plight. You’ll be preoccupied with getting in evidence, how your witnesses will do at trial, and whether you’ll ever really be prepared. I know. You’ll have to overcome that though and focus instead on just 2 things, characters and plot. People and their plight. Characters are the lifeblood of a well-told story. Witnesses are the lifeblood of a well-tried case. When stuck, explore the witnesses in your case. Sketch brief bios. Then do it again. And again. For each of the witnesses in your case.

Until next time, 
James Hugh Potts II
We Win.  Things Change.