Don't Walk the Line: Ethical Considerations in Preparing Witnesses for Deposition and Trial Note 18 Review of Litigation 1999

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18 Rev. Litig. 135 (1999)
Don't Walk the Line: Ethical Considerations in Preparing Witnesses for Deposition and Trial

handle is hein.journals/rol18 and id is 141 raw text is: Don't Walk the Line:
Ethical Considerations in Preparing Witnesses for
Deposition and Trial
Liisa Ren6e Salmi
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ............................... 136
A. Rules of Professional Conduct ................ 138
B. The Role of Witness Preparation ............. 139
C. Attorney Behavior That Raises Ethical Questions... 143
1. Refreshing Recollection Before Probing .... 144
2. Giving Overly Restrictive Admonitions
Not to Volunteer Information ......... 145
3. Telling the Witness the Facts .............. 145
4. Explaining the Legal Effect of Answers ...... 146
II. Witness Coaching and Its Ethical Implications ....... 147
A. Conduct That Is Clearly Unethical ............. 148
B. Borderline Ethical Questions That Arise During
Witness Preparation ................... 154
1. Lecture on the Law ..................... 154
2. Refreshing Witness Memory ............. 157
3. Suggesting Testimony: Word Choice ........ 160
4. Suggesting Testimony: Demeanor .......... 163
5. Repeated Rehearsals ................... 165
III. Proactive Steps of the Ethical Attorney ............. 166
A. A Plea of Ignorance Is Insufficient ............. 166
B. Recommendations for the Witness Interview ...... 170
C. Recommendations For Trial and
Deposition Preparation ................. 175
IV. Conclusion .............................. 178