Published by Trial Guides, 2010
As I begin the push toward trial in a case brought by the ?director ?of ?an ?early? college ?program ?for Native American high school students formerly employed by an well-known private university, I turn to ?Trial in Action: ?The Persuasive Power of Psychodrama? for help in preparing for voir dire. ?How do I convey to a jury panel that this sophisticated and educated group of people actually?? fired? ?a? ?long-term? ?faculty? ?member because she is not ?Native? enough to direct the program she designed and ran for years??? This book is a guide to answering that question. Moreover the authors provide techniques and strategies for use at every phase of the trial from voir dire to closing arguments using psychodramatic methods.
Psychodrama is a tool that has been successfully used for decades in therapeutic settings.? ?The authors, ?Joane? Garcia-Colson, ?Fredilyn ?Sison, and Mary Peckham, demonstrate how psychodrama can be used as an effective tool for trial lawyers. ?They describe psychodrama as ?a powerful method that not only brings out the humanity of people, but also the universal stories and truths that connect us all.? ?This book gives the reader concrete examples of how to use psychodrama to better connect with jurors.
These three trial lawyers are also Certified Practitioners of Psychodrama. ?Their book is like a ?travel ?guide ?to ?trials.???? Each ?chapter ?is ?a roadmap of how best to tell your client?s story. After giving some historical perspective of psychodrama, the authors lead us through the labyrinth of a trial weaving together the fabric of storytelling? in ?a ?practical ?and ?understandable way.??? ?They debunk the mythology that we lawyers cannot be human beings at trial?in fact they encourage us to form a group with the jury, stay in the moment, and always listen, which is the key to storytelling.? ?Although I have been involved for the past eight years learning and teaching trial skills using psychodrama methods, this book is the framework for using this method laid out in a practical and useful way.