By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The point is easy to grasp but hard to put into practice for both politicians and litigators: If something is likely to come out eventually, then you’re far better off skipping the chase, avoiding the drama, and just getting it out. And a close corollary of the principle is this: If […]
Bad Stuff? Get It Out And Get It Over With Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: We are used to seeing compassion as an aspect of character, an ethos, or even as a religious belief. But here is another way of looking at it: Compassion is a behavior. And like other behaviors, it can be evoked in some circumstances and inhibited in others. Rather than simply
Cultivate Compassion Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: As a species, we used to hear tales by the flickering light of a campfire, and now we hear them by the flickering light of a projector in a large darkened movie theatre. Moviemakers have become the storytellers, and many of the stories that now play a role in how
Take Some Storytelling Lessons From Pixar Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The notion of rule of law has taken a beating recently. The outcry from those opposed to the Supreme Court decision on healthcare — in many ways a flip side of the reaction that occurred in response to the Bush v. Gore decision that ended the 2000 presidential election recount —
Address Fundamental Skepticism on Rule of Law Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Once I was looking into the purchase of a new car. So I visited the showroom, not with the intent of purchasing that day, but with the more general goal of gathering information. I wasn’t there for two minutes, however, when the salesman hit me with the question, “So, what
Play It Where It Lies: Throughout Trial, Match the Message to the Mindset Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Your opening is a story, I’ve written before, about what happened and about what kind of case this is. The closing is a different story, not about what happened, but what is about to happen: deliberations and a verdict, hopefully in your favor. It makes little sense to go all
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The Hippocratic oath also applies to doctors caught in the litigation process. In deposition, the rule is “first, do no harm” to your case. No one wins their own case in deposition. But a medical defendant might end up losing it by falling prey to some common mistakes. Depositions are taken in order
Turn in a Powerful Deposition, Doctor Defendant Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Lessons for litigation sometimes come from unlikely sources. Take the recent explosion of attention to the issue of marriage equality for gays and lesbians, ignited by the President’s recent statement of personal support. His evolution of opinion follows an important milestone in public support: The proportion of Americans who agree
Don’t Discount a Motivated Minority Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: In a new law journal article, University of Kansas law professor Melanie Wilson asks us to consider a situation in which a stranger approaches us on the street and politely asks us whether we’ve ever been a victim of sexual assault or abuse, whether we’ve ever been investigated by the
Jury Selection: Probe But Don’t Embarrass Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: I can remember the first time I wrote a theme for a bench trial many years ago. The trial team used the theme, and used it as themes should be used, which is to say, emphatically and repeatedly. And it worked: The judge actually included the theme in his written
Make Your Trial Theme Cinematic…Or At Least Memorable Read More »