Your Witness, published by Law Bulletin Publishing Company, is billed on it’s website as follows:

“In YOUR WITNESS, fifty of the nation's top trial lawyers share the secrets of the most engaging, difficult, and dramatic aspect of their work - cross-examination.
These secrets are revealed through richly told courtroom "war stories" with a point. While the stories contain some interesting bits of Chicago "color" - mobsters, corrupt politicians and businessmen, street gangs, mass murderers, sports figures, Nobel Laureates, and Colonel McCormick of the Tribune - many of the stories occur across the nation, and the book has broad appeal to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.”

I had posted my suggested summer reading list for my students on our blawg back in May. That post attracted the attention of Carrie Wallick, and a publicist for Your Witness. Carrie contacted me to ask that I read Your Witness and consider writing a review about the book. Carrie didn’t tell me that several more qualified individuals had already done so and if you go to the book web site you can read their comments.

The list of many of those equally qualified lawyers who have already provided their comments about this book provide an opportunity for a sequel publication.

I will incorporate a few of those quotes into my own thoughts in this review.

“Having been in a courtroom with many of the contributors to Your Witness, I can assure readers that it would be wise to pay careful attention to what they have to say.” — Justice John Paul Stevens, United States Supreme Court

I have had the opportunity to see a few of these individuals in action and meet several others. Some are known outside of Chicago, others are legends within a 5 mile radius. While there are equally competent and interesting characters in central Illinois, downstate and in fact in every community of lawyers, the opportunities to try interesting cases that resulted in interesting court room scenarios and ultimately great stories, were more abundant for these fine Chicago lawyers.

“Wow! The eclectic array of talented authors has truly captured the art—and it is an art—of cross-examination. This book is a must read for the neophyte and the seasoned trial lawyer.” — Phil Corboy, Corboy & Demetrio, Legendary Chicago trial lawyer

I think the major lesson to be learned from this book is duly noted in Phil Corboy’s comments (why wasn’t he in the book?). While great effort towards preparation should be a given for anyone deemed competent to leave law school, and the level of preparation is stressed throughout, the art of cross examination is equally important. This point is made by various authors who stress more than anything the need to be yourself and through your preparation be able to take what comes your way through direct and paint the broad or short strokes necessary to best get your points across to the jury. If I were teaching a trial advocacy course I would make this book a mandatory text. I would encourage my students to not only think about what they read but do as many of the authors suggested they themselves did, go to the court house and watch and learn from the masters. This isn’t something you can read about or do once or twice in a mock trial setting or a few traffic trials and master. Law students and new lawyers should be encouraged to take time to go and watch, to learn from experienced lawyers, to appreciate the art of cross examination.

“After reading The Art of Cross Examination by Francis Wellman, I was moved to
enroll in law school. After reading Molo and Figliulo’s, Your Witness, I want to
become a lawyer all over again. Culled from the experiences of great trial lawyers,
this is the new standard for the art of cross-examination. It’s a fascinating journey
into the inside world of the trial lawyer.” —Bill Kurtis, host of the A&E seriesAmerican Justice

Bill Kurtis is correct, this is a fascinating journey into the inside world of the trial lawyer. It would be great to have as much of this memorialized in video accounts as possible. As well as these stories read, all of these folks are fine story tellers and several of these individuals and their accounts should be preserved for future generations on video. Many of the accounts would be equally compelling on video, some could be full-feature length movies. I would shell out the cost of a movie to see a movie about the life and career of George Leighton. Other stories would make great teaching vignettes for CLE courses and law school courses. Maybe Bill should start a new A&E series?

Go to the book website to learn more.Justice Weighed Here This site is presented as a forum for the Lawyers, Paralegals and Criminal Justice Professionals of Central Illinois, and especially those students, graduates, friends and supporters of the Paralegal and Criminal Justice Programs at Illinois Central College. at Illinois Central College.