What Rick Friedman’s “Beyond Technique” Teaches Trial Lawyers

“Lawyers with nearly flawless technique can lose case after case while lawyers who appear clumsy and bumbling can win repeatedly,” writes Rick Friedman in Becoming a Trial Lawyer — Brendan Lupetin’s favorite book of all time. In this solo episode, Brendan digs into Friedman’s chapter “Beyond Technique,” exploring why mastering courtroom mechanics is only part of the equation. Drawing on his own experience trying cases — including a close federal trial where a juror later told him she could tell he truly cared — Brendan makes the case that personal investment and vulnerability in the courtroom can be the deciding factor in cases that hang in the balance.