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The Trial Lawyer's Handbook

The Trial Lawyer's Handbook

Written by: Holland & Knight
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About this listen

The Trial Lawyer's Handbook is a Courtroom Preparation podcast series brought to you by Holland & Knight. This series is hosted by litigation attorney Dan Small and is based on a longstanding article series he co-authored with Judge Dennis Saylor for Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Listeners of this series will gain a fresh perspective on how attorneys can address various trial preparation issues and set themselves up for success in and out of the courtroom.

Holland & Knight
Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • "Nature Abhors a Vacuum." So Does the Media
    Feb 24 2026

    In a high-profile case, if you do not fill the silence, someone else will. In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook," litigation attorney Dan Small continues discussing his representation of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards and the challenge of managing public opinion in a case that drew intense media attention. Mr. Small explains how his arrival from Boston quickly became a story of its own, fueling speculation that he had been hired to negotiate a secret deal. He recounts how, without clear information, rumors escalated into a televised narrative involving then-U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. Mr. Small describes a courthouse press moment where Edwards used humor and timing to debunk the false storyline, and he closes with a reminder that in major cases, even offhand moments can be observed and turned into headlines.

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    8 mins
  • Cases Come in Many Ways
    Feb 17 2026

    Sometimes, cases arrive when you least expect them. For litigation attorney Dan Small, one such moment involved stepping into an already high‑profile federal matter. In the latest episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, he recounts being brought in from Massachusetts to Louisiana to represent former Gov. Edwin Edwards in a criminal proceeding. Mr. Small shares the background of the case and how it ultimately landed on his desk, offering an inside look at a complex legal challenge.

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    6 mins
  • Victories and "Losses" in the Courtroom
    Feb 10 2026

    In this episode of "The Trial Lawyer's Handbook" podcast series, litigation attorney Dan Small continues the story of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) civil case against internet game company SG Limited, recounting how an initial courtroom win was undone when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed the lower court decision against a motion to dismiss. Mr. Small uses this moment to explain the critical difference between "losing" narrow legal rulings and prevailing in the broader narrative, showing how the appellate court's own words validated SG's central theme: no reasonable player could have believed the game's "stocks" were real or profits guaranteed. He then walks through how that story powered settlement negotiations, culminating in a very unlikely outcome: return of most of the frozen funds, a face-saving escrow proposal for any truly misled "victims."

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    7 mins
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