Drills

Practice makes perfect. That’s true in sports, and that’s true in law. You want to be a better speaker? Practice. Want to be a better writer? Practice. Want to be a better cross examiner? Practice. But where do you practice? And how? First, decide on what skill you want to work on. Then develop drills or exercises to work on that skill. Let’s take cross examination. Practice with friends or colleagues. Read deposition and trial transcripts and ask yourself how certain lines of questioning worked, why others didn’t and how you could improve on them. Watch interviews on television and ask yourself how you would question the guest. What follow up questions would you ask? No matter what skill you’re trying to master, you can create drills and exercises to improve that skill set.