Section 9.4 Trial Notebook

• Library: Civil Trial Practice 2015 Supp

C. (§9.4) Trial Notebook

A case outline or file summary will demonstrate what witnesses and evidence are available to prove a claim or defense at trial. Although some trial lawyers may have the ability to try a case without doing anything more than learning the elements of the claim or defense and arranging for the witnesses to appear in court, others require the security blanket that a trial notebook provides. A trial notebook means different things to different lawyers, and what works for one trial lawyer may not be adequate for another. The author suggests, however, that a trial lawyer prepare some type of trial notebook during the course of trial preparation.

The form and content of the trial notebook will be dictated by the nature of the case and the trial attorney’s need for evidentiary detail. In every case...