If you’re looking for some resolutions for improving as a trial lawyer, let veteran prosecutor Steve Wood be your guide. In this episode (originally aired in 2021), Steve shares the top ten trial tips that always brought him luck. Any one of these would make for an ideal goal to shoot for in 2023. Steve also talks about public service and his lengthy career in law.
2:58 Tip #1
5:35 Why law?
7:33 Tip #2
10:46 Recollections of his first trial
13:23 Tip #3
18:23 Favorite part of trial
25:19 Tip #4
27:30 Nerves and anxiety about trial
28:49 Tip #5
33:04 Unwinding after trial
34:31 Tip #6
38:49 Most agonizing career decision
41:04 Public service careers
45:50 Tip #7
48:50 A high-profile case I wish I’d tried
50:11 Tip #8
52:43 Tip #9
54:18 Retirement
54:48 Tip #10
56:41 Signature signoff question
Quote
“Somebody I taught with [at NITA] once said something I thought was brilliant, and it’s this: ‘Time is the measure of importance in the courtroom, whether you want it to be or not.’ And what that means is, we indicate importance by how much time we spend on something.”
Recommended Resources
Steven P. Wood (bio)
NITA On-Demand (free resource)
America’s Constitution: A Biography (book)
So Many Ways to Lose (book)
Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass (book)