NLG-LA Housing Committee MCLE – Eviction Defense and Trial Preparation
When: Weekend of 11/17-11/18
Where: 6500 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles
RSVP: RSVP and buy tickets online here
Day One: How-to Guide for Unlawful Detainer Actions – Saturday, November 17th (9am-4pm)
Los Angeles is facing a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis, both of which are exacerbated by tenant evictions that destabilize families and uproot lives. Approximately 50,000 eviction actions are filed in Los Angeles County each year. These evictions affect employment, public health, and educational outcomes. Yet, low-income tenants are too often denied justice in court. Lawyers can help people stay in their homes and off the streets. The LA City Council recently voted to move forward on a citywide “right to counsel” for tenants facing eviction proceedings, which will provide funding for many more attorneys to represent tenants in housing court. Get trained now to be part of a growing practice area with a great need for attorneys to close the access to justice gap. This MCLE will cover the basics of eviction defense and trial preparation. It will provide a how-to overview of unlawful detainer actions, including templates/sample pleadings. No prior housing law experience required.No prior housing law experience is required.
9-10: Register/ Breakfast
10-11: Unlawful Detainer Prevention
11-12: Answering an Unlawful Detainer
12-1: LUNCH (provided)
1-2: Discovery How-To
2-4: Negotiation / Settlement How-To
Day Two: Preparing for Trial – Sunday, November 18th (9:30am-3:30pm)
Provides a how-to guide to preparing for trial in any field of law. Led by renowned trial consultant Karen Jo Koonan. See her bio and a detailed description of the topics below.
9:30-12pm: Creating the Story of the Case + Client/Witness Prep
12-1pm: LUNCH (provided)
1-3pm: Guide to Jury Selection (with practice/role play) + Q&A
(*Day includes one hour of MCLE Bias Credit)
About Karen Jo Koonan:
Ms. Koonan has worked on more than 1,600 cases. Her expertise is highly regarded in the areas of strategic case analysis and theme development, focus group and mock jury research, and in-court assistance with jury selection. She has also developed a unique and effective methodology for witness preparation for trial testimony and deposition. Her specific areas of emphasis include personal injury, employment discrimination and civil rights, products liability, commercial litigation, and criminal defense. Ms. Koonan is a frequent speaker for many local, state and national legal organizations. She has also conducted training programs on jury selection and voir dire sponsored by the U.S. District Court and is a contributing author of Jurywork®: Systematic Techniques.
About Story-Telling:
Story telling is the oldest form of human expression. People have always used stories to make sense of the world around them. Decision making by fact finders in litigation is no exception. In this MCLE, Karen Jo will work with you to develop case themes and a story sequence that maximizes the persuasiveness of your message to the broadest audience possible. The details of the facts and the legal elements of claims have more power when they are understood within the framework of a story that appeals to the fact finder’s world view and common sense.
About Jury Selection:
With the wrong jury, your case can be over before it begins. Effective jury selection is both an art and a science. This MCLE will cover many aspects of picking a jury, crafting voir dire questions, jury questionnaires, or judicial voir dire that will identify problematic potential jurors without revealing to the other side those favorable to your case. Time permitting, it will cover social media research of potential jurors in the pool.
About Witness Preparation:
The testimony of key witnesses is essential to convincing a jury or judge that the story of your case is the one that should prevail. Preparing witnesses begins with helping them to understand their role in the process and in the trial narrative. This MCLE will cover the most common testimonial mistakes, and discuss ways to properly prepare and give feedback to both expert and lay witnesses for depositions, hearings, and trials.