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There are 12 jurors in the box waiting to hear your case. In order to win, you need to persuade them to view the facts in your favor—but the approach that will reach the physics professor from State U. may not work for the clerk from the Fifth Ward. Herein lies the key to an effective jury presentation: KISS.

Trial lawyers spend a lot of time talking about justice. They seek justice for their clients. They want a just result. I suggest, however, that talking of justice is not the best way to motivate your jury at trial. Justice is a theoretical concept. On the other hand, correcting an injustice is a motivation to act, a call to arms for the jury to accomplish something beneficial. If you want to motivate your jury, focus on the injustice to your client. It is that injustice that you want the jury to correct through its verdict.

We’d like to get more relatives taking responsibility for deceased residents’ unpaid bills. What is effective to include in admission agreements as to having children sign on as guarantors, etc.? When can we make someone else sign on the dotted line if there is reluctance on relatives’ part?

The owner of our facility apparently is starting a sub-company to take care of housekeeping and/or food services. Isn’t there a danger in sub-contracting or referring business to “yourself,” so to speak?

We have all heard that effective direct examinations use non-leading questions, ask the who, what, why, when, where and how questions; use headlines and looping as attention and memory techniques; and try to tell a persuasive story but in the context of the overall case presentation. “That’s great!” You may think. “But how do I put all of this together in one examination?” This article explores one way to do it—backwards.

What cautions do you have about filling out CMS 2567s for plans of correction?

I realize I need to get a good anti-drug use policy in place quickly what should I do?

The Illinois Supreme Court recently changed how zoning hearings must be conducted. This article discusses the decision and suggests rules municipalities can use to conduct hearings that comply with the court’s mandate of broader due-process rights for objectors to zoning proposals.