In Episode 28 of May the Record Reflect, New Orleans trial legend Dominic Gianna introduces the concept of “audience-centric advocacy” and how to reach jurors and judges through effective storytelling, psychological insights, and physical performance. This self-professed “Broadway theater kid” talks about stepping into your own personal style, becoming comfortable in your own skin, why you need log lines and tag lines, and how he became the legal consultant on My Cousin Vinny.'
Topics
3:26 What jurors want
4:44 Audience-centric advocacy
6:37 When jurors are most open to persuasion
8:41 Two stages of trial: framing and scrutinizing
13:44 Central premise
19:11 Importance of jury psychologists
21:45 Jurors’ attribution of fault and judgment of parties’ motivation
23:45 Back story
26:15 Storytelling
28:15 Log lines and tag lines
34:08 Non-verbal communication
37:01 Developing your trial style
38:43 Raising your comfort level with performance
42:55 Don’t do this
45:31 Advocacy during covid
54:11 Signature sign-off questions
Quote
“The framing process takes place right away in the beginning, and that is, in most trials, in the opening statement. That’s why we tell our NITA students, ‘Never ever, ever save a good, persuasive piece of evidence for the trial.’ Never do that, because when the framing part of a trial is over, which is usually the end of the opening statement, 85 percent or so of people who are leaning this way as opposed to another way, never, ever, ever change their mind.” Dominic Gianna
Resources
Dominic Gianna (bio)
Deposition to Trial Skills: New Orleans (program)
David Mann (bio)
Dr. Dan Jacks (bio)
Kevin Newbury (bio)
Opening Statements: Winning in the Beginning by Winning the Beginning (book)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (book)
Joan of Arc trial (transcript)