Duane Durgeon, a huge, hulking, hardboiled bad-ass, who, against the advice of his counsel (in fact, he threatened to kill one of them), demanded to address the jury during the sentencing phase of his trial. He had been convicted of a double murder. Getting his wish, he insults the judge, his lawyers, the prosecutors, and the jury in a profanity-laced rant that ends with him asking for the death penalty. Naturally, he is sentenced to death.

Jake Clearwater, a law professor, and a former prosecutor, is urged by the Death Penalty Project to help stem the tide of wrongful death penalty convictions in California by agreeing to represent Duane in appealing his conviction, despite Duane’s despicable persona and indifference to his fate. Jake convinces the reluctant Duane to appeal and wins a retrial where he is pitted against his former boss and bitter foe, prosecutor John Tice. Not to mention the lovely, mysterious juror that turns Jake’s head. What follows is a riveting tale of courtroom drama, suspense, and the exquisite workings of Law and, ultimately…justice.

The closing arguments from ten noteworthy cases—“lawyers and nonlawyers will enjoy the passion and eloquence of these counselors; practitioners of law will find much to learn from them” (Los Angeles Times Book Review).

Until now, only the twelve jurors who sat in judgment were able to appreciate these virtuoso performances, where weeks of testimony were boiled down and presented with flair, wit, and high drama. For five years the authors researched every archive, and readers can now lose themselves in the summations of America’s finest litigators.

Clarence Darrow saves Leopold and Loeb from the gallows in the Roaring Twenties. Gerry Spence takes on the nuclear power industry for the death of Karen Silkwood in a modern-day David and Goliath struggle. Vincent Bugliosi squares off against the madness of Charles Manson and his murderous “family” in the aftermath of their bloody spree. Clara Foltz, the first woman to practice law in California, argues passionately to an all-male jury, defending her place in the courtroom. Bobby DeLaughter brings the killer of civil-rights leader Medgar Evers to justice after thirty years and two mistrials. Aubrey Daniel brings Lt. William Calley, Jr., to justice for the My Lai massacre. William Kunstler challenges the establishment after the 1968 Chicago riots in his defense of yippie leaders known as the Chicago Seven.

The second volume in a must-have trilogy of the best closing arguments in American legal history

Every day, Americans enjoy the freedom to decide what we do with our property, our bodies, our speech, and our votes. However, the rights to these freedoms have not always been guaranteed. Our civil rights have been assured by cases that have produced monumental shifts in America’s cultural, political, and legal landscapes.

And the Walls Came Tumbling Down showcases eight of the most exciting closing arguments in civil law — from the Amistad case, in which John Quincy Adams brought the injustice of slavery to the center stage of American politics, to the Susan B. Anthony decision, which paved the way to success for women’s suffrage, to the Larry Flynt trial, in which the porn king became an unlikely champion for freedom of speech. By providing historical and biographical details, as well as the closing arguments themselves, Lief and Caldwell give readers the background necessary to fully understand these important cases, bringing them vividly to life.

The Final Volume in a Must-Have Trilogy of the Best Closing Arguments in American Legal History

In The Devil’s Advocates, Michael S. Lief and H. Mitchell Caldwell turn to the dramatic crimes and trials of criminal law. The eight famous cases in this riveting collection have set historical precedents and illuminated fundamentals of the American criminal justice system. Future president John Adams illustrates the principle that even the most despised and vilified criminal is entitled to a legal defense in the argument he delivers on behalf of the British soldiers who shot and killed five Americans during the Boston Massacre. Clarence Darrow provides a ringing defense of a black family charged with using deadly force after defending themselves from a violent mob – an argument that refines the concept of self-defense. And perhaps the best-known case is that of Ernesto Miranda, the accused rapist whose trial led to the critically important Miranda decision, which underpins procedure at every criminal arrest.

The Art and Science of Trial Advocacy, (First Edition 2003, Second Edition2011) guides the reader through the trial process, suggesting techniques and strategies for each stage of the trial process – pretrial, trial, and post-trial motions; jury selection; opening statements; direct and cross-examination; and closing arguments. Included are illustrative transcripts explaining how to use the various techniques in an actual case, detailed guidance on the effective use of expert witnesses, and practical direction on the incorporation of exhibits and demonstrative evidence into case presentations. The book discusses basic principles of effective communication and persuasion, including the importance of the advocate’s credibility and examples of how to develop case presentations that maximize the persuasive impact on judges and juries. The appendix includes the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Case Files for Basic Trail Advocacy, (Carolina Academic Press; 2nd edition (June 1, 2017)) The second edition of these case files include a variety of civil and criminal fact patterns that provide students the opportunity to try their hand at opening statements and closing arguments, as well as at direct and cross-examinations. The case files also provide opportunities for pretrial motion exercises and jury selection exercises. There is a companion textbook entitled The Art & Science of Trial Advocacy by the same group of authors. These case files are a manageable length for weekly or bi-weekly

This book contains eight realistic mock criminal case files for use in pretrial advocacy, trial advocacy, and mock trial courses. This book is recommended for use in conjunction with the coursebook, Criminal Pretrial Advocacy, but may also be used as a stand-alone resource for practicing trial advocacy. The case files herein provide witness statements, photographs of physical evidence, police reports, charts and other demonstrative evidence, jury instructions, and additional materials that criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys would rely on to prepare a case for trial. These case files can be used for a variety of criminal pretrial litigation exercises, including: developing case theories; drafting and arguing motions; conducting pretrial and preliminary hearings; preparing witnesses for trial; and negotiating case settlements. The case files include a myriad of pretrial motion issues, such as search and seizure issues and suppressing defendants’ statements. This book of mock trials can effectively be used to conduct complete trials, from motions in limine to closing arguments.