California Trial Evidence 2014

October 20, 2014
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
PLI San Francisco Conference Center & Via Live Webcast
$595

Scholarships are available! PLI's scholarship program makes it easy for those working for nonprofit organizations and public interest law firms, law clerks, professors, students, low-income or unemployed attorneys, and others to attend this program for free. Please fill out the application at www.pli.edu/ScholarshipForm and return it by fax or mail. Full scholarships can be used to attend the program in person or to watch it live on your computer via Webcast. As space can be limited, please submit your scholarship application as soon as possible.

To Register:
http://www.pli.edu/Content/Seminar/California_Trial_Evidence_2014/_/N-4kZ1z12f6i?fromsearch=false&ID=181169


Why You Should Attend
Mastering the complexities of California evidence often can be the difference between winning and losing at trial. Recent case law and statutory developments in the law of evidence render this mastery critical in modern litigation and trials. This program is designed to give you the most up-to-date information on California evidence standards. The panelists represent top-flight trial attorneys and judges who will provide winning strategies for your practices.

What You Will Learn
Our expert faculty will lead you through the most pertinent and tricky trial evidence topics such as admissibility of electronic documents and social media, winning with demonstratives, overcoming obstacles to admissibility, expert witness evidence, and how to use or object to character evidence. And our judges will teach how to win the evidence game at trial.

Who Should Attend
Civil and criminal trial attorneys who want to hone their evidence skills and stay on top of recent developments in the field should attend. This program will be highly valuable for newer attorneys trying their first few trials as well as for experienced courtroom advocates who will stay abreast of recent developments. Plan to attend just for the invaluable tips from our experienced faculty.


Program Schedule

9:00
Program Overview and Introductions
Patricia L. Peden

9:15
Evidence in the Online World
• Using social media to undermine damages claims
• Ethical considerations in use of social media
• Using social media for jury selection
• Authenticating evidence from a website
• Overcoming evidentiary obstacles to admitting online evidence
Thomas J. Brandi, Elizabeth Pipkin, Paulette Taylor

10:15
Effective Use of Demonstrative Evidence
• Graphic illustrations and photographs
• Animations
• Foundation for scientific evidence
• Visual recordings
• Jury views
Thomas B. Mayhew, Julie Salamon

11:15
Networking Break

11:30
Evidence and Expert Witnesses
• Privilege and expert communications
• Hearsay and the expert
• The experts reliance on otherwise inadmissible evidence
• Voluminous records
• Cross-examination
Christopher D. Banys, Jennifer A. Huber

12:30
Lunch

1:45
The Use of Character Evidence and Impeachment
• Affirmative evidence of prior crimes or bad acts
• Impeachment with prior convictions
• Cross-examination about bad acts for which there has been no conviction
• Prior inconsistent statements
• Limiting opposing counsel's use of character evidence
Patricia L. Peden

2:45
Overcoming Obstacles to Admissibility
• Making and responding to trial objections
• Laying the foundation
• Hot topics in hearsay
• Ruling the relevance roost
• Short cuts to authentication
• Preserving the record
• Offers of proof
Honorable Jacqueline Scott Corley, Robin G. Workman

3:45
Networking Break

4:00
The Most Common Evidentiary Errors Seen From the Bench and How You Can Avoid Them
• Judges perspective on common evidence issues
• Techniques to impress your judge at trial
• Evidence tips and best practices
• Common evidentiary mistakes made at trial
Honorable Tracie L. Brown, James M. Wagstaffe, Honorable Jeffrey S. White

5:00
Adjourn