Winning at Trial FAQs

Ask your question.

2:30 video of Shane Read - "How to Deliver a Powerful Opening Statement." Click in the video player above to start the video.

Question: Do you have a sample of one of the lectures that you have given?

Answer: Here is a short video of a lecture I gave on "How to Deliver a Powerful Opening Statement."

Question: If I want to learn more about the O.J. Simpson trial, what books do you recommend?

Answer: The best book is Jeffrey Toobin’s Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson (Touchstone 1997). It provides great insight to the politics, characters, strategies and evidence of the O.J. Simpson criminal trial. For the civil trial, Daniel Petrocelli’s Triumph of Justice: The Final Judgment on the Simpson Saga (Crown 1998) provides an inside account of the Simpson civil trial written by Fred Goldman’s attorney.

Question: How long did it take you to write the book?

Answer: That is hard to say. The book is based on lectures I have given to law students and lawyers since 1998. Throughout the years, I have continued to refine the lectures and finally decided to put the ideas in a book.

Question: I am about to give my first opening statement, how long should it be?

Answer: A good rule of thumb is that an opening statement should be no longer than 15-20 minutes for every week you are in trial. Ten minutes is plenty for a two or three day trial. Remember, less is more. Tell a story that is compelling, clear, memorable, and short.

Question: What is contained on the DVDs included with Winning at Trial?

Answer: There are almost three hours of excerpts from the Simpson criminal trial, including everything from opening statement to closing arguments. There is also video (produced by DecisionQuest) of a focus group deliberating a personal injury case that lasts for 37 minutes.

Question: Is your book geared toward beginning law students or experienced attorneys?

Answer: The book was written primarily for law students taking Trial Advocacy in their third year of law school. However, I have had very positive feedback from experienced lawyers who find the analysis of transcripts of actual trials to be very beneficial to their practice.