Training Guide

Preparing a Corporate Deposition Witness

Training Guide

Preparing a Corporate Deposition Witness

Topic: Depositions
Duration: 1 hr
Format: Remote or in person

What’s Covered

Selecting a corporate witness
Things to do before the prep meeting
Prep materials
Discussing the corporate witness’s preparedness at the prep meeting
Preparing the corporate witness on the substantive testimony at the prep meeting

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/trainings/preparing-a-corporate-deposition-witness/attendee

Prepare Yourself

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

Course

Preparing a Corporate Deposition Witness

Rules and tips for selecting the corporate witness; how a corporate witness’s role differs from a fact witness; assembling materials for corporate witness prep; reviewing the topics with the witness; and tips for reviewing the topics and practicing Q&A with a corporate witness.
Exercise

Preparing a Corporate Deposition Witness
PDF

During the Session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

How do you select a corporate witness?
What steps would you take to prepare a corporate witness for the deposition prep session?
What’s different about preparing a corporate witness from preparing a fact witness?
What are your goals when preparing a corporate witness for deposition?

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.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.