Advocacy Toolkit (Annual Access)

The Advocacy Toolkit contains a series of video demonstrations of oral advocacy skills. It acts as a practical instruction and a refresher to lawyers of all ages and experience levels who have limited recent experience in court or before administrative bodies.

The toolkit follows a single fact pattern from theory of the case to closing argument. It includes segments on:

  • Developing a theory of the case
  • Opening submissions
  • Chambers applications
  • Examination for discovery
  • Direct and cross examination, including excerpts on refreshing memory, marking an exhibit and impeaching a witness
  • Objections
  • Closing submissions

For most segments, there are two versions of the demonstration, one effective and one ineffective. Please note that in each video, the lawyers or the witness may be played by different people.

The toolkit can be viewed skill by skill as needed, or as a whole. Only short segments of the case are demonstrated because the focus of the toolkit is on development of the oral advocacy skill being demonstrated.

Planning Committee, Authors and Actors:
The Honourable Chief Justice Robert Bauman, BC Court of Appeal
The Honourable Madam Justice Susan A. Griffin, Supreme Court of British Columbia
Wendy A. Baker QC, Miller Thomson LLP, Vancouver
Brook Greenberg, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver
Jacqueline D.Hughes, Hunter Litigation Chambers, Vancouver
Jan Lindsay, QC, Lindsay LLP, Vancouver
Matthew Nathanson, MN Law, Vancouver
Additional Actors:
Elizabeth A. Reid, Boughton Law, Vancouver
Isabel Romeral, Miller Thomson LLP, Vancouver

Video total run-time: 138 minutes