Entering the Arena: Five Tips for Successful Depositions for the Young Lawyer

Daniel Pierson of Pond Lehocky Giordano remembers his first deposition as a new attorney, the first time a lawyer presents a witness in court. In the post-pandemic world, depositions have increasingly been remote depositions, but key principles still apply to a successful deposition.

Pierson advises young attorneys on five key steps in preparing for a deposition:

Identifying the Goals of the Deposition

Keeping in mind what the deposition seeks to accomplish from all parties involved. For example: If you’re defending a worker’s entitlement to workers’ compensation benefits, you’ll need the worker’s testimony of her symptoms from her medical provider.

Preparing Your Witness

To establish control of the witness from the start, an attorney needs to prepare the witness for questions in the direct examination and cross examination. An attorney should take note of whether the witness is nervous or too chatty and adjust their demeanor when questioning the witness accordingly. 

Maintaining Decorum Within the Deposition

If you’re presenting a witness against a more experienced adversarial attorney, you’ll still need to maintain control of yourself and your witness regardless.  

Pierson also goes more into depth on these tips as well as advice on the following:

-Active Listening During Cross Exam

–Applying the Deposition Within the Case Context

Are you interested in learning more tips for a successful deposition? Read more in this law.com article.