Trial Skills Section
The Trial Skills Section is devoted to the art, science and practice of trial advocacy. The Section promotes the continuing advancement of trial skills of members of the legal community by the open exchange of ideas, continuing legal education, communication between the bar and bench, and the mutual respect and collegiality between members of the bar.
The Trial Skills Section generally meets at the Belo on the second Friday of each month for CLE presentations, which are free to our members. For questions or comments regarding upcoming presentations, please contact Bill Mateja at mateja@fr.com.
Meeting Schedule:
January 11
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
June 14
July 12
No Meetings Scheduled in August
September 13
October 11
November 8
December 13
DBA Trial Academy
The Trial Academy is a hands-on civil trial skills training program intended to improve advocacy skills for solo and small firm lawyers licensed five years or less through a combination of lectures and demonstrations by seasoned attorneys and live exercises by participants. It is jointly sponsored by the Trial Skills Section and the Morris Harrell Professionalism Committee. Enrollment for 2013 is closed, but please watch for announcements about the Trial Academy for 2014.
Videos of the lectures and demonstrations from the Trial Academy will be accessible by non-Trial Academy participants as they become available for viewing. The lectures and demonstrations cover voir dire, opening statements, direct examination, cross examination, and closing arguments. To watch the available Trial Academy Videos, click here.
Section News:
The DBA Trial Skills Section Invites You to
A CLE on Friday, June 14th:
Oral Advocacy
with Professor “Coach” Dean
T. Gerald Treece
(South Texas College of Law
Distinguished Professor of Advocacy)
Please join us at the Belo on Friday, June 14, 2013 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., when Coach Dean Treece, the Distinguished Professor of Advocacy at South Texas College of Law will discuss "Oral Advocacy."
Dean T. Gerald Treece obtained his J.D. with honors from the University of Houston in 1969 and is a Vietnam Veteran. He began his legal career as a law clerk for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Kansas City, Missouri, then joined the faculty at Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California. In 1978, Dean Treece moved back to Texas and soon joined the South Texas faculty. During his tenure, he has taught constitutional law, torts, trial advocacy and appellate advocacy. He is the recipient of the A.B.A. Silver Key Award and the holder of the W. James Kronzer Distinguished Professor of Advocacy endowed chair and serves as Associate Dean, Vice President, Special Counsel to the President and Director of Advocacy. Treece is also the legal commentator for Channel 11 News, the local CBS affiliate.
Coach Dean Treece helped build the South Texas Advocacy Program into the powerhouse that it is today – with over 100 national advocacy championships. South Texas has been ranked number-one law school in the country in trial advocacy by U.S. News and World Report, and the advocacy program’s facilities are named after him - T. Gerald Treece Courtroom Complex. Coach Dean Treece’s approach is advocacy is expression: “The educational value of competition is that it teaches students to express themselves orally and in writing. The successful South Texas style is to help students find within themselves their unique ability to persuade others on matters of importance. It’s conversational, and replaces formality with sincerity and oratory with logic.”
Please mark your calendar to attend this great CLE!
Section Officers:
Name: Bill Mateja
Officer Position: Chair
Firm: Fish & Richardson, P.C.
Firm Address: 1717 Main Street, Suite 5000
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 214.760.6101
Email: mateja@fr.com
Name: Michael K. Hurst
Officer Position: Vice Chair
Firm: Gruber Hurst Johansen Hail Shank
Firm Address: 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 2500
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75202
Business Phone: 214.855.6802
Email: mhurst@ghjhlaw.com
Name: Dena DeNooyer Stroh
Officer Position: Secretary
Company: Murchison Oil and Gas, Inc.
Company Address: 1100 Mira Vista Blvd.
Company City, State, Zip: Plano, TX 75093
Business Phone: 972.931.0700
Email: dstroh@jdmii.com
Name: Robert Tobey
Officer Position: Treasurer and DBA Board Advisor
Firm: Johnston + Tobey, P.C.
Firm Address: 3308 Oak Grove Avenue
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75204
Business Phone: 214.741-6260
Email: rltobey@johnstontobey.com
Name: Roy Atwood
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Jones Day
Firm Address: 2727 North Harwood Street
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 214.969.2924
Email: royatwood@jonesday.com
Name: John Cox
Officer Position: Director
Firm: John M. Cox & Associates, P.C.
Firm Address: 325 N. St. Paul Street, Suite 1200
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 214.939.9000
Email: jmc@coxtriallaw.com
Name: Joseph M. Cox
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Bracewell & Giuliani
Firm Address: 1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 3800
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75202
Business Phone: 214.758.1077
Email: joe.cox@bgllp.com
Name: Aimee Perilloux Fagan
Officer Position: Director
Firm: McKool Smith
Firm Address: 300 Crescent Court, Suite 1500
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 300 Crescent Court, Suite 1500
Email: afagan@mckoolsmith.com
Name: Richard S. Krumholz
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Firm Address: 2200 Ross Avenue, Suite 2800
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 214.855.8022
Email: rkrumholz@fulbright.com
Name: Mary Goodrich Nix
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.
Firm Address: 3800 Lincoln Plaza, 500 N. Akard Street
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 214.855.7578
Email: mnix@munsch.com
Name: Rob Radcliff
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Langley Weinstein LLP
Firm Address: 901 Main Street, Suite 600
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75202
Business Phone: 214.722.7187
Email: rradcliff@lwllp.com
Name: Mike Sawicki
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Sawicki & Lauten, LLP
Firm Address: 4040 North Central Expressway, Suite 850
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75204
Business Phone: 214.468.8844
Email: msawicki@sawickilauten.com
Name: Britta Stanton
Officer Position: Director
Firm: Lynn Tillotson Pinker and Cox, LLP
Firm Address: 2100 Ross Avenue, Suite 2700
Firm City, State, Zip: Dallas, TX 75201
Business Phone: 214.981.3828
Email: bstanton@lynnllp.com
Resource Links
Section Membership
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Trial Skills Section, please send a letter of request and a $20.00 membership fee to:
DBA
2101 Ross Ave
Dallas TX, 75201
Please note that you must be a member of the Dallas Bar Association to join a section. If you have any questions regarding sections membership, please contact the membership department at the Dallas Bar.
Section Admin-Mass E-mail/Roster
