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Podcast: Holland & Knight Legal Podcast
Episode: Miss Lillian "Testifies": The Importance of Witness Preparation
Description: In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer’s Handbook" podcast, litigation attorney Dan Small describes the unnatural environment of the courtroom and the importance of preparing witnesses for the off-putting rhythm of testimony that he summarizes as "question, pause, answer, stop." In the corruption case United States v. Bert Lance, because the defense sought to call numerous character witnesses, the judge limited counsel to four legalistic questions. The most notable witness, Miss Lillian, the elderly mother of then-President Jimmy Carter, had known Lance his whole life and could have played a key role in his defense. However, she was not pr...