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TIE YOUR CASE TOGETHER
WITH A GOOD THEME
By William S. Bailey, Seattle, WA
Every one of us has themes running through our lives—the
most basic are the needs for love, personal happiness, and a
purpose in life. All of us experience obstacles that bar us
from fulfilling these needs, barriers we must struggle to overcome.
In representing a human being before a jury, a trial lawyer
must identify themes that tap into the collective unconscious
and conscious humanity of the jurors. If a theme fails to connect
the client’s situation to the values jurors hold, they
will not care about the client and will not be motivated to
find in his or her favor.
Too often, lawyers make the mistake of stringing together a
series of facts in a case without a unifying theme. Facts that
are not conscientiously arranged in support of a theme will
not persuade.
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This paper, available free to members of the Criminal Law Section,
was presented at the 2007 AAJ Annual Convention in Chicago.
Copyright © 2007 American Association for Justice. Further
reproduction of any kind is prohibited. For more information,
call AAJ Education at (800) 622-1791. To purchase other papers,
visit the AAJ
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