Trial and Practice Skills in a Nutshell: In a Nutshell

by Kenney F. Hegland

Book Overview

Legal Problem Solving; Legal Argument; Legal Writing; Case Planning; Direct Examination; Goals and Ethics of Cross-Examination; Techniques of Cross; Closing Argument; Trial Demeanor; Opening Statements, Jury Selection; Last Minute Concerns; Interviewing; Discovery; Negotiation Process; Negotiating Business Deals and Evaluating Cases; Counseling.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0829920013
• ISBN13: 9780829920017
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: West Publishing Company
• Length: 346 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.

Customer Reviews

very worthwhile read for law school prep

i have read several law school prep books and this is one of my top 3. the book is very detailed, even providing sample exam questions and answers. this book is full of good information, but is easy to read and understand. i would definitely recommend this book.

A Very Helpful Overview of Litigation

This book covers both the skills used in the courtroom and lawyering skills needed to deal with clients and opposing counsel prior to trial. The book gives the law student an overview of the entire legal process from getting a client to winning at trial. The book has humorous anecdotes throughout and the examples are helpful. One overlooked answer to many problems that cause conflicts is addressed here ("Disputes about Deals"), a client in a business dispute sometimes simply has to admit a mistake and say, "I'm sorry." Hegland uses his wit and skill as a law professor to teach beginning lawyers practical skills and share insights so they will have the skills to communicate better with their clients and be successful in the courtroom. This book appears to have evolved into a more recent nutshell, Trial and Clinical Skills by the same author. There is no need to buy both.

This is THE book to read if you are Law School bound

This book is humorous, insightful, and worthwhile.

Not enough can be said of this book

A little book like this might not seem all that useful by its cover, but there is a LOT of content in here. I bought this book halfway through my second semester of law school, after coming out of a very rocky first semester in which I really didn't know what I was doing. Now, I'm actually on top of things, and I believe this book made the difference. Hegland packed this book with strategies: classroom strategies, writing strategies, argument strategies, career strategies. Rather than simply tell you what law school is like, he tells you how to play the system. His three-pronged strategy for shooting down "slippery slope" arguments is an excellent example, as are his stories from people in various legal professions (ranging from judges to librarians). And he stops often to show the big picture of law school, and remind the reader that all their "enormous" mistakes ultimately add up to very little. Very, very highly recommended, preferably for those *considering* law school, but also for those in law school and needing guidance.

This book is an excellent source for 1L's.

This book gave me something that I wanted to hear for a long time, it gave me encouragement. It made me realized that the first year of law school will be a difficult one, but you can get through it. It was insightful, informative and filled with great humor. I think all 1L's feel intimitated during their first year of law school. This book provided everything that the first year student should know during that first year. The humor was the refreshing part, I never knew lawyers had a sense of humor, but this author will surely make you laugh. He gave excellent advice on what to expect the first couple of weeks. This is book is great for students who are scared to death of the first year. This book wil help you realize that you are not the dumbest person in the class if you don't understand the material. I feel I can make it through the first year of law school without having a nervous breakdown.