Federal Rules of Evidence with Cues and Signals for Making Objections

It seemed so simple in law school: object when this happens: opposing counsel is leading the witness; opposing counsel's question calls for hearsay; opposing counsel is assuming facts not in evidence. Then you get into a real courtroom, representing an actual client, and all that step-by-step clarity goes right out the window. Sure, you know the rules and the technical bases for objections. But was that remark really objectionable? And while you're deciding, what about the next question? It's much harder to recognize a good objection in the exact moment your opponent puts an unexpected question to a witness or starts using a document. This handy guide identifies the "cues" to listen for when your opponent asks a question or the witness gives an answer. These cues are words or phrases that tell you instantly when you likely have a good objection. When you know the cues, you can object rapidly and successfully. For documents, this guide also provides the "signals" that support a useful objection--has a foundation been laid for that letter? Is it objectionable "lay opinion" when the writer of a document gives his own view of why something happened? With this guide, you won't have to guess. This new edition of Cues and Signals includes critical updates about the 2017 rules for documents. It has been reorganized to give you quicker access to the details on every objection that has been recognized in federal courts. It sorts out the high-payoff objections from those of lower priority for both oral testimony and exhibits. Everything you need on objections is in one compact volume.