Civil Litigation & Trial Skills

4.59

Complete Trial Preparation Guide for Paralegals

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
California MCLE Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Delaware Certified Paralegal Program Approved 6 Total
Florida Registered Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Indiana Paralegal CLE Approved 6 Total
NALA Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Credit for Paralegals Approved 6 Total
North Carolina Continuing Paralegal Education Approved 6 Total
New Mexico Paralegal Division, State Bar of Approved 6 Total
Ohio Certified Paralegals Approved 6 Total
NFPA Approved 6 Total
Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division Approved 6 Total
Washington Paralegal Association Approved 6 Total
OnDemand
5 hours 59 minutes
Laura Danielson
William Hartzell
James Susag
With Laura A Danielson from HaystackID, Inc. + 2 others
Recorded May 28, 2025
Product ID 100272

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Course Includes
$319

OnDemand Video

Video Download

Course Book Download

OnDemand content will be available within 14 days of event date.

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Upgrade to IPE Unlimited Pass and Get This Course
$69/month

Overview

Learn How to be an Indispensable Trial Prep Paralegal

Trials can be won and lost based on what paralegals do during trial preparation. Will you have given your attorney the tools they need to succeed - or will you have left them woefully unprepared for their critical moment on stage? This comprehensive trial prep guide will give you all the insights you need to be your attorney's indispensable aid. From initial planning and task lists to that exciting final day, learn real-world tips that no litigation paralegal should do without. Equip your attorney to win - register today!

  • Get a master task list to ensure you're leaving no steps or details overlooked.
  • Receive practical tips for keeping yourself (and the trial team at large) organized and on track.
  • Discover how to be that vital point of contact between your attorney and the client, witnesses, court, and vendors.
  • Create an ultimate trial notebook that will help (not hinder) your attorney in the heat of battle.
  • Gain real-world insights for making visual aids and exhibits stand out.
  • Uncover vital dos and don'ts for pretrial and trial motions and briefs.
  • Learn how to be an effective sounding board for case themes, opening statements, examination questions, and closing arguments.

Abbreviated Agenda

  1. Master Task List and Timeline: Everything You Need to Do and When
  2. How to Stay Organized Amid the Chaos
  3. Creating a Winning Trial Notebook
  4. Motions, Briefs, Citations: Critical Do's and Don'ts
  5. Coordinating With Clients, Witnesses, the Court, and Vendors
  6. Preparing Documents, Exhibits, Visual Aids
  7. Offering Insights and Creative Ways to Help Your Attorney Prepare
  8. The Big Day: To-Do's and Tips for Assisting With Jury Selection and Trial
  9. Paralegal Ethics

Related Topics

Product ID 100272

Credit Details

Credits Available
Credit Status Total
California MCLE Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Delaware Certified Paralegal Program Approved 6 Total
Florida Registered Paralegal Approved 6 Total
Indiana Paralegal CLE Approved 6 Total
NALA Approved 6 Total
Montana CLE Credit for Paralegals Approved 6 Total
North Carolina Continuing Paralegal Education Approved 6 Total
New Mexico Paralegal Division, State Bar of Approved 6 Total
Ohio Certified Paralegals Approved 6 Total
NFPA Approved 6 Total
Texas State Bar of Paralegal Division Approved 6 Total
Washington Paralegal Association Approved 6 Total
Select Jurisdiction
Paralegal

Agenda

All times are shown in

  1. Master Task List and Timeline: Everything You Need to Do and When

  2. How to Stay Organized Amid the Chaos

    1. Creating the Trial Preparation Plan
    2. Indexing
    3. Summarizing and Annotating
    4. Coordinating Schedules
    5. Helping the Trial Team Stay on Track
    6. Monitoring Deadlines
    7. Staying on Top of the Paperwork
    8. Document Storage Tips for Easy Retrieval

  3. Creating a Winning Trial Notebook

    1. What Should Go Into and What Should Stay Out of the Notebook
    2. Litigation vs. Chronological Notebook
    3. Formatting the Trial Notebook
    4. Key Sections and Their Development
    5. Color Coding
    6. How to Cross-Reference Within the Trial Notebook
    7. Electronic Trial Notebooks
    8. Sample Trial Notebook

  4. Motions, Briefs, Citations: Critical Do's and Don'ts

  5. Coordinating With Clients, Witnesses, the Court, and Vendors

    1. Client Prep Insights
    2. Working With Witnesses and Experts Before Trial
    3. Notetaking When Communicating With Clients and Witnesses
    4. Preparing Subpoenas
    5. Communicating With Court Personnel
    6. Working With Outside Vendors

  6. Preparing Documents, Exhibits, Visual Aids

    1. Exhibit and Witness Lists and Binders
    2. How Many Copies Do You Need?
    3. Labeling
    4. Best Practices for Electronic Exhibits
    5. Practical Tips for Perfecting Visual Aids
    6. Knowing Your Trial Software
    7. Getting the Lay of the Courtroom and Judge’s Preferences
    8. Courtroom / Virtual Trial Prep and Set Up

  7. Offering Insights and Creative Ways to Help Your Attorney Prepare

    1. Giving Critical Feedback: How to Express Your Thoughts Diplomatically
    2. Theory of the Case
    3. Opening Statements
    4. Closing Arguments
    5. Line of Questioning
    6. Troubleshooting Evidentiary Issues

  8. The Big Day: To-Do's and Tips for Assisting With Jury Selection and Trial

  9. Paralegal Ethics

    1. Avoiding Unauthorized Practice of Law in Trial Prep
    2. Ethical Communications
    3. Billing
    4. Preserving Confidentiality
    5. Ethical Issues With Evidence (Highly Prejudicial Evidence, Dubious Evidence, False Evidence, Illegally Obtained, etc.)

Who Should Attend

This intermediate level course is designed to teach attendees how to get their attorneys completely trial ready. Those who should attend include:

  • Paralegals
  • Legal Technicians
  • Legal Assistants
  • Legal Support Staff

Speakers

Laura A Danielson
Laura
Danielson
HaystackID, Inc.
William Hartzell
William
Hartzell
O'Connor, Carnathan & Mack
James M Susag
James
Susag
Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd.
Speaker bio
Laura A Danielson

Laura Danielson

HaystackID, Inc.
Laura Danielson

is currently the vice president of sales operations, revenue enablement and HaystackID University at HaystackID, Inc. She brings over three decades of experience and is considered an industry expert in the areas of complex litigation, specializing in consulting; best practices in litigation technology and support; ESI; data management; and trial advocacy for corporations and law firms. Ms. Danielson is a former litigation paralegal, project manager, published author, and frequent speaker/instructor. She has participated in over 100 trials in federal and state courts nationally, and has been on numerous winning trial teams, with her work focused in the areas of intellectual property, product liability, toxic tort, and complex litigation. In addition, Ms. Danielson has worked on mock trials, focus groups and arbitrations, and assisted counsel in preparation for mediations. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and an associate degree in paralegal studies. Ms. Danielson holds the following certifications: Certified Records Manager (CRM), Project Management Professional (PMP) Six Sigma-Green Belt, and Six Sigma-White Belt. She is a member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Association of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA), Six Sigma, and Women in E-Discovery (WiE), where she is past board member of the national leadership team for WiE.

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Speaker bio
William Hartzell

William Hartzell

O'Connor, Carnathan & Mack
William Hartzell

is a paralegal with O'Connor, Carnathan & Mack. He works with case management from client intake all the way through to trial and appeals. Mr. Hartzell took a lead role in standardizing the firm's electronic file name conventions, and in migrating the firm's IT to a cloud-based system. He earned his B.A. degree from Berklee College of Music and his paralegal certificate from Northeastern University.

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Speaker bio
James M Susag

James Susag

Larkin Hoffman Daly & Lindgren Ltd.
James Susag

is a seasoned trial attorney with a focus on franchise and dealer disputes, real estate, and complex commercial matters. He has been the lead attorney in over 100 trials and arbitrations in state and federal courts across the country, and in domestic and international arbitration forums. Mr. Susag has the unique perspective of a trial lawyer who has also managed complex litigation and developed strategic legal plans as in-house counsel. Clients appreciate his boardroom-to-courtroom experience in crafting resolutions for their business disputes. Mr. Susag is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh, Fourth and Eighth circuits. He earned his B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of St. Thomas and his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from William Mitchell College of Law.

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Top FAQs

What is included with my course purchase?

When you enroll prior to the live event date you will receive access to the live-streaming webinar which will allow you to interact with faculty in real-time.

With each course, you will receive access to the content via OnDemand Streaming and the Video Download.

Course reference materials are included with each course purchase in a downloadable PDF format.
How do I access my courses?

Courses are available within your account. Simply login to your account and click on My Courses. If you require additional assistance please call our Customer Service Department at 800-793-5274.
Do you have options for attendees who are deaf or hard of hearing?

Closed captioning is available for all online live courses. Attendees may enable the closed captioning functionality within the event room once they have accessed the event by simply clicking the "cc" button in the lower right of the event room.
Are multiple attendee discounts available?

Yes, the more people you bring from your organization, the more you save. Please call out Customer Service Department to inquire about savings for your team at 800-793-5274.
When will the OnDemand be available and how long will I have access to the content?

The OnDemand Video will be available to stream within 14 days of live broadcast date. You will have access to the content for 6 months in your account.

If you're a subscriber, you'll have access to your course recordings until 7 days after the expiration date of the subscription.

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