If you’re a young lawyer, you may want to improve your deposition-taking skills to prove yourself invaluable to your firm. When working with Minneapolis court reporters like Depo International in the discovery process, you need to use your skills to gather enough relevant information. Although every lawyer has a style of their own, you can still improve your skills with some proven tips and tricks. Here are some of the tips you can use if you want to become great at depositions.

• Know the Law

Some lawyers overlook the importance of researching the law before starting the discovery process. You should know the questions to ask if you want to improve your skills. The construction of a theory for the case will depend on your law knowledge. When you use this technique effectively, you can get the evidence to support your argument with ease.

• Avoid Scripts

One of the biggest mistakes that young lawyers make is spending too much time on scripts and forgetting they need to listen. When deposing a witness, you should listen to everything they say. Sometimes the witness may provide the best testimony that’s not in response to your question. Giving all eyes and ears to the deponent can enable you to concentrate on what they say and improve your deposition-taking skills.

• Understand the Role of the Witness

You should understand the position of every witness in the case. You can go through the initial disclosures or other documents to determine the role of the witness. Your opponent’s experts will provide powerful opinions on some topics.

When you know every witness’s contribution, you can plan your questions accordingly and identify the strategic approach to use for every one of them. You should use open-ended questions when dealing with those who witnessed or are involved in the production to get more information. Avoid open-ended questions when dealing with your opponent’s experts, as they’ll supplement their opinion.

• Evaluate the Probability of the Witness Attending the Trial

A witness can decline to attend a trial, forcing you to use their deposition transcript or video in a trial. Although legal videography will cost you extra money, it’s worth it. The video can help you capture everything during the session, including questions, answers and statements. Nonverbal communication using eyes, tones and facial expressions is best captured in a video.

• Create a List of Questions in Advance

Before taking a deposition, it’s advisable to prepare your questions in advance. You’ll have enough time to familiarize yourself with the questions and be in a better position to know what to expect from the witnesses. You’ll be able to request for clarification when you feel that the witnesses aren’t providing the expected responses.

• Follow Up

You can improve deposition-taking skills by thoroughly exploring your witness’s testimony. Although you may have prepared your outline on how you’re going to handle the witnesses, it’s always advisable to be flexible. If there’s a need to go beyond what you’d included in your outline, don’t hesitate as any new information can matter in the discovery deposition.

Contact Us for Deposition Services

If you’re looking for Minneapolis court reporters, you want to deal with a reputable company. Depo International provides global deposition services. You can reach us anytime and anywhere. You can contact us or visit our offices in Minneapolis and Las Vegas for legal videography and secure remote depositions.