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Facilitator Guide

Deposition Witness Prep: Reviewing Facts and Documents

What’s covered

  • The parts of witness prep
  • Reviewing the witness’s unaided recollections
  • Reviewing documents with the witness
  • Mock Q&A

Before the session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/discussions/deposition-witness-prep-reviewing-facts-and-documents/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

  • still frame from Deposition Witness Prep: Reviewing Facts and Documents

    Course

    Deposition Witness Prep: Reviewing Facts and Documents

    Discussion of how to conduct a witness prep meeting, focusing on preparing the witness for the substantive aspect of the deposition—reviewing the substantive topics and potential exhibits with the witness, and conducting mock questioning.

  • Icon of a document

    Exercise

    PDF

During the session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

  • How do you organize a deposition prep session?
  • What’s the goal of a prep session?
  • How would you use a witness prep outline?
  • What documents are important to have at the prep session?
  • What would be the goal of practicing questions and answers with the witness?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: War Stories and Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

  • Anecdotes and war stories (e.g., about a near-disaster or a tough negotiation)
  • General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
  • Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the session

To continue their learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Depositions topic.