Nothing but the Truth

A Novel And Engaging Analysis Of The Role Of Storytelling In Trial Advocacy The best lawyers are story-tellers, Steven Lubet says, who take raw, disjointed observations of witnesses and transform them into coherent, persuasive narratives. He demonstrates that the craft of storytelling helps to establish a "theory of the case"--a plausible explanation of the underlying events presented in the light most favorable to the client--and also develops the "trial theme, " the lawyer's way of adding moral force to the desired outcome. Yet, Lubet points out, storytelling may be misused. Every story must ultimately be based on "nothing but the truth." Lubet elaborates the stories of six trials. Some of the cases are real, including John Brown and Wyatt Earp, while some are fictional, including Atticus Finch and Liberty Valance. The overall conclusion is that purposive storytelling proves a necessary dimension to our adversary system of justice.