Monday, May 19, 2008

The Ten Commandments of Cross-Examination

In the summer of 1975 NITA’s faculty member, Irving Younger, lectured to 182 program participants of NITA’s National Session. The result of this lecture is the video of Younger’s well-known speech, The Ten Commandments of Cross-Examination. That year, like all years at the National Session, the lecture is given on Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, Colorado.

The Ten Commandments of Cross-Examination:

1. Be brief
2. Use plain words
3. Ask only leading questions
4. Be prepared
5. Listen
6. Don't get into a quarrel
7. Avoid repetition
8. Disallow witness explanations
9. Limit questioning
10. Save the main point for the summation



2 comments:

Dan Gillespie said...

Irving Younger's insights and tips on trial practice continue to be always timely.

Gregory Chandler said...

Yes. I have commented. See Gregory Chandler's The 10 Commandments of Cross Examination on my blog.

Blog: Gregory Chandler's The Weight of the Law


GREGORY CHANDLER, Attorney at Law