NUREMBERG: THE MOVIE
By Myron Moskovitz |
I love good movies. My favorite feature film is The Nuremberg Trial. It’s about the first Nuremberg trial, the prosecution of almost all the top Nazis––Goering, Hess, Speer, etc.––22 of these jerks. (Not to be confused with Judgment at Nuremberg, a flick about the later trial of Nazi judges.) The first trial was the big…
Read More THE ETHICS OF DECEPTIVE DRESSING
By Myron Moskovitz |
She: You’re meeting my parents tomorrow night, so wear a suit. He: A suit? I lead a rock band. I don’t have a suit. She: Borrow one. My parents are old school. They want me to marry a banker or insurance executive. So wear a suit. He: I’ll just tell them I’m a banker. OK?…
Read More THE ART OF DEEP PERSUASION
By Myron Moskovitz |
There are plenty of books on the art of persuasion, going back to Aristotle. In this column, I’ll discuss one aspect of this. For want of a better term, I’ll call it The Art of Deep Persuasion. Here’s the core of this concept. Most lawyers cite authority for their arguments and leave it at that. …
Read More TRIAL COURT WINNERS CAN BECOME APPELLATE COURT LOSERS
By Myron Moskovitz |
Besides handling appeals, I also consult with trial lawyers before and during trial – about how to set things up for a potential appeal, either to protect a trial victory or to overturn a trial loss. Things like how to draft a special verdict form that helps lay people produce clear findings that are not inconsistent…
Read More WHEN “THE FACTS” ARE NOT THE FACTS
By Myron Moskovitz |
Most lawyers think you win appeals with erudite dissertations on the law. Not me. The law matters, but the facts matter more. When I was a kid, I used to watch a TV show called Dragnet. L.A. homicide detective Joe Friday (who never smiled) would interview a befuddled witness with this reassurance: “Just the facts,…
Read More ON CRITICIZING JUDGES
By Myron Moskovitz |
Lawyers often find judges’ quirks annoying. And losing is no fun. Plus, it’s human nature to talk yourself into the justice of your cause, and bristle when someone donning a robe doesn’t buy it. So we all get frustrated at the bench once in a while. How should we vent this steam? Mostly we just…
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