Contents PART ONE: THE LAW Chapter One MECHANICS OF TAKING AND DEFENDING DEPOSITIONS 1.1 Whose Deposition May Be Taken?......... 4 1.2 Rule 30(B)(6) Depositions.............. 4 1.3 Timing........................ 5 1.4 Priority........................ 6 1.5 Scheduling of the Deposition............ 6 1.6 Giving Notice of the Deposition........... 7 1.7 Geographic Location of the Deposition....... 8 1.8 Number of Depositions................ 9 1.9 Length of Depositions............... 10 1.10 Compelling the Witness s Attendance....... 11 1.11 Requiring Documents to Be Brought to the Deposition..................... 13 1.12 The Deposition Itself................ 14 PART TWO: TAKING DEPOSITIONS Chapter Two PURPOSES OF TAKING DEPOSITIONS 2.1 Gathering Information............... 21 2.2 Preserving Testimony............... 24 2.3 Facilitating Settlement............... 26 Chapter Three ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DEPOSITIONS 3.1 Advantages..................... 29 3.2 Disadvantages................... 34 viii
Chapter Four PLANNING AND SCHEDULING DEPOSITIONS 4.1 The Discovery Plan................. 37 4.2 Coordinating Depositions with Other Discovery. 39 4.3 Coordinating Depositions with Each Other.... 46 4.4 Scheduling the Deposition............. 48 4.5 Duration and Intervals............... 48 Chapter Five PREPARING TO TAKE THE DEPOSITION 5.1 Your Frame of Mind................ 51 5.2 Creating the Deposition Outline.......... 53 5.3 Research the Law.................. 53 5.4 Identify All Available Facts............ 54 5.5 Construct Your Theory of the Case........ 55 5.6 Identifying the Opponent s Factual and Legal Theories................... 56 5.7 Generating Questions............... 57 5.8 Organizing the Deposition Outline........ 63 5.9 Using the Outline at the Deposition........ 63 5.10 A Final Word About Preparation......... 63 Chapter Six BEGINNING THE DEPOSITION 6.1 Stipulations..................... 65 6.2 Set-up and Commitments............. 68 6.3 Speculating or Guessing.............. 74 Chapter Seven QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES 7.1 Information-gathering Questioning........ 77 7.2 Exhaustion..................... 80 7.3 Eliciting Conversations............... 83 7.4 Listening...................... 85 7.5 Recapitulating and Summarizing......... 87 7.6 Gaining Admissions................ 90 ix
Chapter Eight STYLE, ORGANIZATION, AND OTHER MATTERS 8.1 Style......................... 93 8.2 Organization: Background of the Witness..... 95 8.3 Getting an Overview................ 98 8.4 The Logical (or Organized) Tour or the Leapfrog Approach................ 99 8.5 Impeachment at Depositions........... 101 8.6 Handling Objections and Instructions Not to Answer................... 102 8.7 The Witching Hour of 4:00 P.M........... 105 Chapter Nine USING DOCUMENTS 9.1 Using the Documents to Prepare......... 107 9.2 Compelling Production of Documents for Use at Depositions................ 109 9.3 Marking and Handling Documents at the Deposition................... 110 9.4 Laying Foundation for Documents at the Deposition................... 116 9.5 Inquiring about Documents Used to Prepare for the Deposition................. 117 9.6 Requesting Documents Identified During the Deposition................... 119 9.7 Refreshing Recollection.............. 122 Chapter Ten CONCLUDING THE DEPOSITION 10.1 Making Sure You Have It All........... 127 10.2 Arrests and Convictions.............. 128 10.3 Completing, Adjourning, Recessing, Terminating, Ending, Continuing the Deposition: How Do You Know If You Are Done When It s Done?............... 128 x
Chapter Eleven OBNOXIOUS OR OBSTRUCTIONIST DEFENDING COUNSEL 11.1 Irritating or Obstructing Behavior........ 132 11.2 The Irritating Opposing Counsel......... 132 11.3 The Obstructing Opposing Counsel....... 136 11.4 Obstructing Behavior That Isn t......... 142 Chapter Twelve PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND APPLICATIONS TO THE COURT 12.1 Protective Orders................. 145 12.2 Applications to the Court............. 147 PART THREE: DEFENDING DEPOSITIONS Chapter Thirteen PREPARING THE WITNESS TO BE DEPOSED 13.1 The Wrong Way.................. 158 13.2 Burden-Reducing Preparation.......... 161 13.3 Making Witness Preparation Stick........ 162 13.4 Addressing Questions About the Preparation Session...................... 163 13.5 Answering Questions............... 164 13.6 Explaining the Issues............... 167 13.7 What to Do When Objections Are Made..... 168 13.8 How to Handle Documents in Preparation.... 169 13.9 Practicing Answering Questions......... 171 13.10 Getting Used to Aggressive Cross-Examination................ 174 13.11 Using Videotape to Prepare............ 175 13.12 Final Instructions................. 177 13.13 Conclusion..................... 179 xi
Chapter Fourteen DEFENDING THE DEPOSITION 14.1 Supporting and Protecting the Witness..... 182 14.2 Entering Into Stipulations............ 184 14.3 Preserving the Record............... 185 14.4 Conferring with the Witness........... 185 14.5 Stating Objections................. 187 14.6 Instructions Not to Answer............ 197 14.7 Questioning and Clarifying and Correcting Answers................ 200 14.8 Concluding the Deposition............ 202 Chapter Fifteen REVIEWING, CORRECTING, EDITING, AND SUPPLEMENTING THE TRANSCRIPT 15.1 Reviewing, Correcting, and Editing....... 203 15.2 Supplementing the Deposition.......... 206 PART FOUR: USING DEPOSITIONS Chapter Sixteen USING DEPOSITIONS 16.1 Motions for Summary Judgment......... 211 16.2 Preparing for Trial................ 212 16.3 Seven Ways to Use a Deposition at Trial..... 214 16.4 The Designation Process and Obtaining Rulings on Objections.............. 227 16.5 Presentation of Deposition Testimony at Trial. 228 PART FIVE: SPECIAL TYPES OF DEPOSITIONS Chapter Seventeen DEPOSITIONS FOR USE AT TRIAL 17.1 Preparing to Take the Trial Deposition..... 234 17.2 Taking the Trial Deposition............ 236 17.3 Defending the Trial Deposition.......... 237 17.4 Using the Deposition at Trial........... 238 xii
Chapter Eighteen VIDEOTAPE DEPOSITIONS 18.1 When to Take a Videotape Deposition...... 241 18.2 Advantages of Videotape Depositions...... 242 18.3 Disadvantages of Videotape Depositions..... 244 18.4 The Law...................... 247 18.5 Scheduling the Videotape Deposition...... 248 18.6 Preparing to Take the Videotape Deposition.. 249 18.7 Conducting the Videotape Deposition...... 255 18.8 Preparing to Use the Videotape Deposition at Trial....................... 257 18.9 Using the Videotape Deposition at Trial..... 258 18.10 Defending a Videotape Deposition........ 260 Chapter Nineteen OVERVIEW OF THE EXPERT DEPOSITION 19.1 The Substance of the Opinions.......... 264 19.2 The Bases..................... 265 19.3 Assumptions the Expert Made.......... 267 19.4 Other Experts................... 271 19.5 Things Left to Be Done.............. 273 19.6 Things Not Done.................. 276 19.7 Evaluation of Own Expert............ 280 19.8 Qualifications................... 281 19.9 A Final Thought.................. 282 Afterword........................ 284 Appendix SELECTED RULES, FEDERAL RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE... 285 Index........................... 315 xiii