The opening statement is a valuable contributor to the persuasion process at trial. Through opening statements, each side lets the jury know what evidence they will present and what this evidence is supposed to prove. This is the primary opportunity for attorneys to present their positions to the jury prior to the introduction of the evidence upon which the jurors will base their decisions.

An opening statement provides the framework through which jurors should view a case and process evidence. Information that fits into the framework is easily remembered. Thus, a major battle is won when the attorney gets the jury to view the evidence in the case from his or her perspective….”

This is the opening paragraph to Jeffrey T. Frederick’s concise article on the persuasive power of opening statements. To read the entire article, follow this link: Persuasion at Trial – Opening Statements