Mastering the Courtroom Attorney in Marietta, Georgia
Closing Argument
Closing Argument
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There’s a lawyer here in Atlanta who calls that the hootin’ and hollerin’ part of the trial and I’ve always liked that kind of explanation because that’s kind of what it is. And it’s kind of similar to openings from the standpoint of you can’t really win a trial in closing because if you haven’t won it by the time you get to that part then you’ve probably not done something correct along the way. But it is a chance to talk to the jury about what the case was about, how you see it, and kind of wrap all the pieces up together so that the jury understands your story and what you’ve been trying to tell them and what your client has been through.
Oftentimes, the hardest part of or certainly it used to be for me a long time ago the hardest part was the money ask. How do you ask for money? How do you go to a jury, look 12 people in the face, and ask them to award your client millions of dollars? And it’s gotten easier over the years for me because I’ve started to understand not that I’m asking for a million dollars or more but that that’s what my client deserves in many of these cases. My clients in many of these cases have been through just horrific losses whether it’s the loss of a loved one in a wrongful death case, whether it’s having to persevere through a surgery or whatever it may be.
Being in a wreck is no fun, tripping and falling because somebody else didn’t do something correctly or didn’t protect their property is no fun and the process in, and of itself is just not a fun process. It’s not something that anybody should be forced to go through. And when you start understanding those things that I was talking about getting to know your client and getting to know their story once you understand that then asking for the money becomes a lot easier because you understand they really in many cases deserving of large dollar figures because of simply what they’ve been through.
So the closing is your chance to talk to the jury about why your client is deserving of significant compensation for what they’ve been through. And it’s a really important part because there’s only two times in a trial where you do get to talk directly to the jury and one of them is opening statement and the last is closing argument. And it is the last thing that the jury will hear before they go back into the jury room to deliberate on the final verdict. And so it is a very important part they call it summation kind of closing everything together or looping everything together so that the jury understands what the client has been through and why they’re deserving of compensation.
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Marietta, GA personal injury attorney Michael R. Braun talks about the importance and underappreciated effectiveness of a good closing argument. He explains that in Atlanta, there is a lawyer who refers to the closing argument as the “hootin’ and hollerin’ part of the trial,” and I find that description fitting. Similar to opening statements, closing arguments alone cannot win a trial. If you haven’t built a strong case by that point, something may have gone wrong along the way. Nevertheless, closing arguments provide an opportunity to address the jury directly, explaining the essence of the case, tying all the pieces together, and ensuring that the jury comprehends the story you have been telling and the experiences your client has endured.
In the past, I used to find the hardest part of the trial to be asking for monetary compensation. How does one approach the jury and request them to award millions of dollars to your client? Over the years, it has become easier for me because I have come to understand that in many of these cases, my clients truly deserve substantial compensation. They have gone through unimaginable losses, whether it be the wrongful death of a loved one or the challenges faced during a recovery from surgery, among other circumstances.
Car accidents, slips and falls due to someone else’s negligence, or any form of harm are not pleasant experiences. The legal process itself is far from enjoyable. Nobody should be forced to endure such situations. When you genuinely grasp the depth of what your client has gone through, taking the time to understand their story, asking for appropriate compensation becomes more natural. In many cases, they truly deserve significant financial redress based on the hardships they have faced.
Closing arguments provide you with the chance to advocate for why your client deserves substantial compensation for their experiences. This is a crucial part of the trial because you only get two opportunities to directly address the jury: the opening statement and the closing argument. The closing argument serves as the last words the jury hears before they retire to the jury room to deliberate on the final verdict. It is a moment where you bring everything together, providing a summation that helps the jury comprehend the client’s journey and why they deserve compensation.
In essence, the closing argument is a significant opportunity to convey to the jury the reasons why your client deserves significant compensation for what they have endured. It holds great importance as one of the few instances where you can directly engage with the jury, ensuring they understand the client’s story and the justifications for their deserved compensation.
