SHOW THE STORY: The Power of Visual Advocacy

Trial Guides has just published the new book SHOW THE STORY: The Power of Visual Advocacy by William and Robert Bailey. This is the quintessential trial advocacy guidebook on how to bring the trial story alive in the courtroom through visuals.

Show the Story has drawn praise from many of the best:

“It’s easy to convince lawyers that visuals are important. It’s not easy to teach lawyers how to create and use visuals well. Show the Story is the fix. This book is beautifully designed and written, and teeming with essential guidance. In the best tradition of Trial Guides, it is a crucial read.”

David Ball, author of Reptile and David Ball on Damages 3

“If lawyers employ the sophisticated visual strategies presented in this book, they will have a distinct advantage over those who do not. All will benefit greatly from this text. Bravo!”

Kathleen Flynn Peterson, fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, past president of the American Association for Justice

The authors certainly know their subject. Bill Bailey is an outstanding trial lawyer in Seattle, author of articles on trial techniques and adjunct professor at Seattle University Law School. His numerous awards include Best Lawyers in America, WSAJ Trial Lawyer of the Year, and National Law Journal Litigator of the Month. Bill teamed with his brother, Robert, to produce the book. Robert, who lives and operates his consulting business Trial by Design in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a nationally recognized trial consultant who concentrates on story development and visual communication.

Show the Story can be obtained by clicking here for the book.

CONTENTS

Part I: Visual Learning

1. Our Visual World

2. Communicating Visually

Part II: Show the Story

3. Thinking Like a Film Director

4. Establishing the Story’s Settings

5. Introducing Characters Visually

6. Presenting the Story’s Rule of Theme

7. Setting Up the Conflict

8. Showing the Standards

9. Identifying Character Choices and Actions

10. Re-creating Climactic Moments

11. Seeing the Big Picture

Part III: Visual Tools and Techniques

12. Making Your Case Stick

13. How Tech Savvy Should I Be?

14. Employing the Locus in Quo

15. Building the Theme

16. Creating Computer Illustrations and Animations

17. Working with Computer-Graphics Specialists

18. Avoiding the Pitfalls

19. Exmaining Computer-Illustration Case Studies

20. Creating Illustrations from Source Material

21. Using Google Earth

Part IV: Visual Foundation

22. Hearing a Judge’s Perspective

23. Dealing with Evidentiary and Ethical Issues

24. Enhancing Reality

25. Expanding Traditional Evidence Rules

26. Winning an Admissibility Knife Fight

27. Turning the Weapon Around: Defense into Offense

28. The Future Is Now

Appendices

A. Defending with Visuals

B. The Defense Playbook