Preparing the Pretrial Order

The pretrial order is one of the most important documents that an attorney will create prior to stepping into the courtroom the first day of trial. It sets out what witnesses will testify, what evidence a party may present, the questions that will be posed to the jury to decide, and even the procedures that the parties must adhere to during the trial.

Attorneys are encouraged to attend this program and learn each of the components of the pretrial order, best practices to prepare the parts of the pretrial order,the objections to the contents of the pretrial order and the significance of how the pretrial order is used during the trial.

This course is designed for new attorneys practicing litigation and for more seasoned attorneys who have been out of the courtroom, though all are encouraged to attend to enhance their practice skills.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore the parts of the Pretrial Order setting out the trial issues and relating to the trial witnesses
• Investigate the best practices for developing your list of trial exhibits
• Delineate the parts of the Pretrial Order that directly impact the jury
• Learn the importance of setting out ground rules in advance