By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Everyone loves a second act. In the buildup to the presidential debate on Tuesday, President Obama’s supporters were hoping for turnaround from what was widely described as a lackluster performance in the first debate: He needed to find his edge, fight harder, and call out his opponent Mitt Romney more […]
Be Assertive, Not Aggressive: 2012 Presidential Debate Series, Part Three Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm Amid the spin and analysis in the immediate aftermath of last night’s lead-off Presidential Debate, much of the reaction is focused on appearance and style, with some wondering if Obama was on the receiving end of a kind of “Nixon/Kennedy” moment with Romney looking cool, confident and “presidential” while the President
Look Like You’re Winning: 2012 Presidential Debate Series, Part One Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The reason probably, at least partially, has something to do with justice. The cases that should remind us the most of that can sometimes feel like lost causes, like the tragedy of Adnan Latif. This young man traveled in 2001 from his native Yemen to Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border,
Remember Why You Went to Law School Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: News: Americans still don’t love lawsuits. According to polling conducted in August by Luce Research for the American Tort Reform Association and the group, Sick of Lawsuits, “Americans firmly believe that lawsuit abuse is a problem in our country. They see too many lawsuits and believe that the number of
Take Anti-Lawsuit Attitudes With a Grain of Salt Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Think beyond the stereotypes. That is what you’re used to hearing (and I’m used to saying) about jury selection. But that same need to subvert the stereotypes applies not just to picking panelists, but to persuading as an attorney or an expert witness as well. In each of these situations,
Subvert Stereotypes: Free the Attorney, the Expert, and the Juror Read More »
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: Once again, we’re shocked and saddened. Early Friday morning, another sociopath with access to military-level firepower opened fire on movie theater patrons during a midnight premiere of the latest Batman film in Aurora, Colorado, injuring more than 50 and killing 12. This follows a long list of the previous times that
Don’t Let Concern Substitute For Action Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: On a number of occasions, I’ve been told confidently by mock jurors that they can tell a witness is lying because the witness looks up and to the right while testifying. That is a great reason not to look up and to the right while testifying, but is that actually
Don’t Put Too Much Fizz in Pop Psychology Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: It will not go down as one of the doctor’s smartest Facebook updates. Returning to work at Wales General Hospital last December, Dr. Brendan O’Riordan added a note on his status: “Back and causing chaos,” he wrote, “Been in theatre this week slaughtering the innocent.” That stab at humor is
Vet Your Public Persona Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: Apologies are very much in vogue. If you accidentally run your cruise ship aground, or surreptitiously wiretap phones in order to discover great newspaper stories, then it has become a well-known next step in the script to make a public apology. The shamed politician, loose-lipped celebrity, and the guilty criminal all recognize the
Don’t Make Fake, or Fatal, Apologies Read More »