Barbara Williams Presented Hearsay Insights at National Business Institute (NBI) Seminar

Barbara Williams was a presenter at a National Business Institute (NBI) seminar on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fairfax. The all-day seminar began at 9 am and covered seven relevant topics related to hearsay, email and social media communications, and business records.

The intermediate-to-advanced level seminar offered attorneys advanced skills on how to successfully employ the rules of evidence. Paralegals also benefited.

Full of real-world scenarios and examples, this course not only provided insight into advanced trial skills- but also showed how to successfully employ them during the heat of battle.

Overview of topics covered:

• Learning how to answer and rephrase after hearsay objections with confidence so you’re not subject to another objection.
• Discovery of how to use judicial notice under Evidence Rule 201 as a clever way to get around the hearsay rule.
• Insight from a local trial court judge on what the bench wants to see from attorneys by way of objections.
• Identification of the top hearsay pitfalls made by trial attorneys (and how to avoid them).
• Learn how to skillfully utilize excited, contemporaneous and spontaneous utterance exceptions.
• Discovery of how to creatively apply the business records exception for web-based evidence, market reports and financial quotations.
• Identify the top mistakes that can jeopardize admissibility of email and social media evidence.
• Dig deep into expert witness reports, identify the top admissibility obstacles, and get remedies for how to overcome them.

Discussion of “Hearsay and Expert Witnesses – Creatively Applying the Rules” with Article Author Barbara Williams

Barbara used information from her article, “Hearsay and Expert Witnesses – Creatively Applying the Rules,” to discuss:

• Deposition Strategy
• Admissibility of Expert Testimony
• Attacking Credibility
• Expert Witness Reports
• Hearsay Evidence at Trial
• Character and Competency
• And much more…

Hearsay is one of the most misunderstood types of evidence encountered by trial attorneys. Most trial attorneys understand the rules, but knowing how to apply them in the heat of battle is different. The seminar is designed specifically for attorneys wanting to fine-tune their evidentiary skills, learn clever ways to navigate the rules, confidently rephrase after objections, successfully employ exceptions, and skillfully keep opposing evidence out.

There will be an opportunity to hear about real-life scenarios to help you apply what is learned to cases you encounter. The seminar includes insight from a trial court judge and a discussion of various ethical considerations encountered in a variety of situations.

Attendees received 6.00* continuing education credits, depending on the acceptance of the course materials in each state.