Closing Arguments in Injury Cases: Strategies and Practical Tips
Building Credibility, Arguing the Evidence, Facing Bad Evidence, Addressing Opposing Counsel's Contentions, and More
About the Course
Introduction
This CLE webinar will offer practical guidance and strategies for creating clear and credible closing arguments that track the jury instructions and help lead jurors to reach a verdict that feels both fair and legally justified.
Description
Closing argument or summation is effective because it provides jurors with the most recent and most easily recalled information and arguments about the facts, the people involved, and the different stories told by the plaintiffs and defendants. Sympathetic jurors can be shored up and converted into advocates, and undecided jurors can get what they need to resolve doubts. Failing to provide an effective closing—or relying on models well past their expiration date—is a wasted opportunity.
Closing arguments have to offer a mix of logic and emotion but must address certain recurring considerations. Both the plaintiff and defense should be prepared to address how to build credibility with the jury, argue the evidence, address bad evidence, deal with opposing counsel's arguments, and plan for the plaintiff's rebuttal or the inability to respond. There are many battle-tested strategies and methods for each of these goals.
Listen as our panel of trial attorneys offers strategies and practical tips for seizing and maintaining the attention of the jury.
Presented By
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Mr. Gabriel is one of the preeminent trial consultants in the country. Since 1985, Mr. Gabriel has been a leader in the field of jury research, jury selection and litigation communication with experience in nearly 2,000 trials in both the civil and criminal arenas across the country. CBS News has said that Mr. Gabriel is “by reputation, one of the best trial consultants in the country.” He has assisted counsel in the Aaron Hernandez acquittal as well as the Casey Anthony, O.J. Simpson, Phil Spector, Enron, Whitewater, Kwame Kilpatrick, Heidi Fleiss, and numerous other high-profile civil and criminal matters. Three cases he has participated in have resulted in United States Supreme Court decisions. Mr. Gabriel is the author of Acquittal: An Insider Reveals the Stories and Strategies Behind Today’s Most Infamous Verdicts about his high-profile trial work, which was optioned by Warner Brothers and developed for CBS by Jerry Bruckheimer Productions. He is also the co-author of Jury Selection: Strategy and Science, as well as contributing to Bennett’s Guide to Jury Selection and Trial Dynamics. Mr. Gabriel was a regular columnist for Lawyers USA on trial strategy and has authored numerous articles on litigation communication, social science, and jury research for numerous State Bar Journals and other legal publications including the American Bar Association, the Daily Journal, The Jury Expert, Notre Dame, and Loyola Law Reviews. He has also written feature articles for CNN.com and HLN.com on noteworthy trials and political/social issues. Mr. Gabriel appears regularly on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, MSNBC, CNBC, and NPR as a commentator on high-profile trials.
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Ms. Koehler is Senior Managing Partner at Stritmatter Law, a plaintiff trial law firm that exclusively handles catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and civil rights cases. She is past President Washington State Association of Justice (Trial Lawyers Assn). Past Trial Lawyer of the Year WSAJ.
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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Date + Time
- event
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
- schedule
1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT
I. Introduction: why closing matters
II. Preparing for closing throughout the case: methods and processes
III. Common techniques for powerful closings
A. Story structure
B. Simplicity
C. Oratory techniques
D. Turning weaknesses into strengths; flipping the script
E. Using jury instruction language
F. Avoiding pitfalls and fatal flaws
IV. Legally permissible and impermissible closing arguments
V. Recurring issues
A. How to build credibility with the jury
B. How to argue the evidence
C. How to address bad evidence
D. How to deal with opposing counsel's arguments
E. Planning for rebuttal: plaintiff and defense strategies
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- Can closing arguments really make a difference in the outcome?
- Should counsel be prepared for opposing counsel to engage in improper argument?
- How can counsel build credibility with the jury?
- How should one deal with opposing counsel's arguments?
Related Courses
Closing Arguments in Injury Cases: Strategies and Practical Tips
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
1:00 PM ET/10:00 AM PT
