Institute For Innovative Trial Techniques
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Loyola Law School - Girardi Advocacy Building
Speakers
Prof. Robert Brain: Prof. Brain began his legal career in the litigation department of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he received a pro bono award from the LA County Bar Association for his work with Public Counsel, and represented the ACLU in a case before the US Supreme Court. He later joined the faculty at Pepperdine University School of Law where he taught contracts, torts, constitutional law, sales and trial practice. While at Pepperdine, he co-taught a course on the history of the Supreme Court with Chief Justice Rehnquist, tried cases on a volunteer basis for the LA District Attorney’s Office and served as a commercial arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He later taught at McGeorge School of Law before becoming a partner at the litigation firm of Howarth & Smith where he tried fraud, defamation, securities, products liability and assault matters, representing clients like the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Suzuki Motor Corporation and the victims of 9/11. He joined the Loyola faculty in 2006.
John “Jack” Daniels: Born in New York City, Mr. Daniels received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 1963. He was the editor of Defense Dialogue, a Monthly Publication of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. Daniels co-author Revised Legal Aspects of Diving Instruction and Diary for Federal Civil Litigation in the Wake of the 1993 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and authored Closing Argument: Using the Special Verdict Form for Equitable Distribution of Fault. He is a member of the Los Angeles Superior Court Arbitration Panel, the Los Angeles County and American Bar Associates, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Federal Insurance and Corporate Counsel. Daniels chaired the Trial Tactics and Procedures Committee of the State Bar of California and was the president of LA ABOTA and the California American Board of Trial Advocates. He is also course director of the Jack Daniels LA ABOTA Trial Academy. Scuba diving and golf are two of Daniels’ passions. He and his wife Susan raise puppies for the blind through Guide Dogs of America.
William Daniels: Bill Daniels was born in San Franciso, California on August 29, 1956. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1994. Before attending law school, Mr. Daniels enjoyed a career as a Business Reporter and media critic at the Daily Variety newspaper. In addition to news articles and analysis, he contributed as a television columnist, critic and box office analyst. He moved on to become a Senior Vice President at Near North National Insurance Group in Beverly Hills, an entertainment insurace brokerage. After graduating from Loyola Law School, he chose a career in litigation, specializing in health, disability and property/casualty insurance bad faith, personal injury, professional malpractice, business disputes and employment discrimination class actions.
Bill Handel: The host of the nationally-syndicated “Handel on the Law” radio program and the No.1 rated morning show program on KFI AM 640, Mr. Handel will explain the communication and persuasion techniques he has learned from over 20 years on the radio explaining, simplifying, and making the law understandable.
Joshua Karton: A pioneer in the application of personal communication techniques from theatre/film/television to the art of trial advocacy, Mr. Karton serves on the faculties of ATLA/AAJ’s Ultimate Course, Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer's College, NITA, JAG Corps, ABA, NACDL, as well as maintaining a case consultation and witness preparation practice. His television writing and acting credits ranged from Forever Fernwood to Beverly Hills 90210. His inter-active technique for achieving one-on-one personal connection to each juror and/or judge is now the standard from from law schools to Supreme Court appearances.
Philip N. Meyer: An expert in storytelling and narrative persuasion, Professor Meyer is the author of a book and numerous articles including: "What Attorneys Might Learn From Popular Storytellers About Narrative Persuasion" and "Retelling the Darkest Story: Mystery, Suspense and Detectives in a Brief Written on Behalf of a Condemned Inmate." He teaches Criminal Law and directs a Legal Writing Program.
R. Rex Parris: A member of the Board of Directors of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers’ College, Mr. Parris is a trial attorney who has successfully represented the injured and wronged for over 20 years. He is an expert in applying cutting edge cognitive science and the newest psychological research to persuading the jury.
Richard K. Sherwin: is Professor of Law and Director of the Visual Persuasion Project at New York Law School. He is the author of When Law Goes Pop (Chicago 2000) and numerous other works on the role of cognition and culture in the construction of visual meaning inside the courtroom and in the court of public opinion. He designed the first law course in the nation to teach law students the importance of visual literacy in the digital age. His website, www.nyls.edu/visualpersuasion serves as a clearinghouse for visuals used in litigation, settlement, and litigation public relations.
Dr. SunWolf: A dynamic national speaker, Dr. SunWolf is a university professor, former trial attorney, and scholar of human behavior, who studies juries from a cognitive-social-psychological perspective (their perceptions, behaviors, and deliberative processes). She teaches relationships, group dynamics, persuasion, conflict, and storytelling and is a Visiting Professor at Santa Clara University’s law school, teaching “Jury Law & Strategies,” devoted exclusively to jury issues. Her three LexisNexis books are Practical Jury Dynamics, Jury Thinking, and Juror Competency, Juror Compassion.