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Pepperdine | Caruso School of Law

Harry Caldwell, "The Direct Examination Blueprint," American Journal of Trial Advocacy (forthcoming)

March 7, 2017 | By Kylie Larkin -- Professor Harry Caldwell's article, "The Direct Examination Blueprint: Nine Empirically Supported Principles for Maximum Attention, Retention, and Comprehension," (SSRN) has been accepted for publication in the American Journal of Trial Advocacy.

Abstract of "The Direct Examination Blueprint":


There are nine principles trial lawyers should bear in mind in preparing, choreographing, and executing direct examinations. They are (1) using a conversational tone; (2) blocking or segmenting the examination; (3) headlining each block or segment; (4) staging or choreographing the various blocks; (5) personalizing the witness; (6) freeze-framing critical information; (7) eliciting appropriate feelings; (8) introducing visual reinforcement; and (9) mitigating damaging evidence by pricking boils. The discussion of each principle is followed by empirical data supporting that principle.