Trial Coach
Are you ready for trial?
Are you a new lawyer who’s afraid of going to trial because you’re not really sure that you know what you’re doing?
Are you an experienced attorney who avoids trial for the same reason?
Are you a sole practitioner who feels isolated, and would like someone to bounce ideas off of?
Are you a former prosecutor who’s trying to figure out how to win when the deck isn’t stacked in your favor?
Do you feel like your strategies aren’t working?
Are you burned out?
Are you tired of feeling like things could have gone better?
(Are you hungry? Are you sick?)
Do you feel overwhelmed, outgunned, and unappreciated?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you’ve come to the right place. My aim is to be a mentor for criminal defense attorneys who want to answer ready for trial with confidence.
Trial Coach is not an academic site. You won’t find many case cites here, and that’s only partly because most of the caselaw for defendants sucks. Time with Westlaw or Lexis has to happen, but I’ll bet you’ve already gotten plenty of training on how to look for and use caselaw in law school. Trial Coach is for the other stuff – the actual practicing law stuff. It’s by a trial lawyer for trial lawyers.
I make no guarantees. Follow every suggestion on this website, and you still may lose. I’ve certainly lost my share of trials. But, go to trial and you might win. If you don’t go to trial, you can’t win.
So, go to trial when you should, and exhibit one of the essential traits of a great trial lawyer: a willingness to risk defeat.
Finally, before we begin, let me commend you on your decision to defend the dignity and freedom of the accused in court. Make no mistake: you’ve picked a tough row to hoe. In fact, it’s the single toughest job in the law. I truly believe that. But, also know this: you can do it.
Welcome to the jungle community.
Jaime [at] trial-coach [dot] com
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Photo by Anthony Delanoix