ABOUT THE SITE -
This CCJA web site is about jury argument (some call it final argument, closing argument or summation) in criminal cases. Our goal is to assist prosecutors
and defenders who want to develop their skills in preparing
and delivering persuasive jury arguments.
For advocates who are trying to put it all together for jury argument,
you'll notice that we regularly add new how-to-do-it information.
When every word counts ...
FEATURES
OUR PHILOSOPHY ABOUT JURY ARGUMENT ...
A trial lawyer is a professional speaker. Every advocate who tries cases has the obligation to become a better talker and communicator ... to make every word count. Some of us are not content to make the same old tired arguments time and time again. We recognize that our choice of words and linguistic style may be as important in communicating persuasively with the jurors as the message we want to deliver.
Yet for those of us trying to improve their craft, it makes no sense to reinvent the wheel every time we face the task of preparing and delivering a jury argument. The suggestions and examples contained in this site are here to cheer the argumentative spirit, to awaken enthusiasm, and to stir the imagination. Those lawyers who are born to eloquence will have no need of our resources. But the rest of us, whether trying our first or fiftieth case, may find useful how-to-do-it stuff in the site. Try it out, and judge for yourself.
Ray Moses, DirectorCCJAGreat is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.
This web site is maintained by CCJA as a service to the Bar. All contents are written by Ray Moses. The pages of this web site may not be re printed or republished in whole or in part, electronically or in print, without express written permission.
However, individual users are permitted to print one copy of any page or pages for personal use.
The graphics software on this web site is not compatible with Netscape and Firefox browsers.
Internet Exploer provides better quality viewing.
Inquiries should be addressed to:
Center for Criminal Justice Advocacy, P.O. Box 22642, Houston, TX 77227-2642.
This web site was last updated on: May 2, 2008.
The author of these materials has experience as a federal and state prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, visiting judge, special master, law professor, CLE presenter, and legal writer; he holds law degrees from the law schools of the University of Texas, Northwestern University, and S.M.U. and was a visiting scholar at Harvard Law School and
an academic visitor at the Law School of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
