Witness Preparation

Helping witnesses provide their best testimony

While many witnesses are prepared to testify about the case issues they discuss with counsel in pre-trial meetings, jurors and judges are resistant to testimony that appears canned or designed to persuade. More than any other qualities, they are looking for clarity, honesty, and authenticity.

Credibility comes with a witness’s ability to help judges, jurors, and mediators understand the case. Additionally, they want to know who a witness is as a person and how their story fits into the overall narrative of the case. Witness preparation can help to identify important and undiscovered case facts or background information to give context for the witness’ testimony and provide the needed credibility.

We assist attorneys with preparing witnesses by asking probing questions, alleviating their concerns about testifying, and giving them listening and communication skills that:

• Increase the witness’s ability to control the deposition and cross-examination.
• Increase credibility by adjusting the witness’s attitude away from advocacy and defensiveness (during cross-examination) toward one of helpfulness.
• Help the witness to use their own personal background, experience, and authentic language to avoid canned or jargon laden responses.
• Help the witness to break down and simplify complex concepts.
• Help the witness to control nonverbal behaviors such as dress, eye contact, facial expression, posture, gesture and vocal variety.
• Help the witness to align their story with the case.