McElhaney's Trial Notebook, Fourth Edition

by James W. McElhaney

Expanded, updated, and revised by the author, this edition of Trial Notebook includes 30 years of James McElhaney’s clear, graceful, and entertaining writing. Nearly a third larger than the previous edition, the book includes 90 chapters that cover every stage of trial. Topics As a practitioner and professor, author James McElhaney knows his subject better than anyone and he executes eloquently the responsibility of passing on the art and science of trial advocacy. Used again and again by thousands of trial lawyers, Trial Notebook is certain to improve the effectiveness of your advocacy.

Genres: Law, Legal

792 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

Reviews

[Lindy Kolb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book at the recommendation of a couple colleagues when I started doing trial work. It provided a very useful overview of each part of the trial prep process and the trial itself. It is more geared towards civil litigation but, I could easily adapt a lot of it to criminal litigation. Law school did very little to prepare me for actually being in court so I was glad there are resources like this so I didn't go in totally blind. It can be a little dense at points but, that describes pretty much every book for lawyers. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who wants to do litigation, civil or criminal.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

After not practicing for a few years, I took a job as an attorney that was litigation heavy. I found this book and I'm glad that I did. This is a great resource to learn about all the things they don't teach you at law school, and it's invaluable to the practicing litigator. Most of the book focuses on the federal rules, so it won't help in your specific state jurisdiction, but it still contains a ton of gems dealing with evidence, trial prep, examinations, etc. I would recommend this book to any new or old attorney who wants to become a top notch litigator.

[Ktbird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful primer for new lawyers. There is so much to think about, but the examples within this text are hugely practical and relatable. Wish I'd read this sooner.

[Justin Bernstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is very thoughtful and manages to give both practical details and theoretical justifications.