The Value of Checklists for Every Deposition.
By Leonard Bucklin

This thesis is simple: Never leave the office for a deposition without a checklist!

Here is the short story, a deposition checklist, with your outline of the subjects and questions to be covered, does these things.

• Prevents you from missing points;
• Gives you a predetermined "probable best order" for inquiring about the subjects;
• Makes you more effective in the in the deposition;
• Gives you confidence in discovery depositions;
• Prevents you from missing points (I know, we mentioned that before); and
• Makes you look good to the witness, your client, and the adverse attorney!

It's even better if you wrote this checklist by using a good legal form for the deposition subject. Why? Because a form checklist outline of the common questions saves you time in preparation. A good form checklist is better than you probably would be in predetermining a "probable best order" for inquiring about the subjects. A good form checklist is better than you probably would be in preventing missed points.

Never leave the office for a deposition without a checklist!

This is a PowerLitigation™ article of Leonard Bucklin. This article was adapted for LawyerTrialForms™ from his multi- volume text of discovery, litigation, and trial advice and tactics, titled Building Trial Notebooks. Bucklin is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, limited to 500 top trial lawyers in the U.S, a  member of the Million-Dollar Advocate’s Forum (for plaintiffs work), and recommended in Best’s Recommended Attorneys (for defense work).

Bucklin's multi-volume, discovery, litigation, and trial advice and tactics text is now available through the James Publishing site

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