Understanding and mastering the art of cross-examination is critical in any trial setting. This program addresses foundational theory and explore practical applications. Topics include: the theory of cross-examination within the adversarial advocacy system, effective planning and preparation for cross-examination, cross-examination of sexual offence complainants and vulnerable witnesses, impeachment, and dealing with difficult witnesses. Faculty includes experienced counsel who practice in the areas of civil litigation, criminal law, and family law, along with members of the judiciary. These on-demand programs were originally presented on March 5, 2024. The total running time for each presentation ranges between 36 minutes and 1 hour, 5 minutes.

Understanding and mastering the art of cross-examination is critical in any trial setting. From the perspective of experienced counsel, this roundtable discussion explores topics of interest to litigators in their early years of practice including advice the panelists would give to themselves if they could go back to their early years of practice, common mistakes they see counsel make in cross-examination, and how they organize their cross-examination materials. This on-demand program was originally presented on March 5, 2024 as part of Practice Foundations: Cross Examinations.  Total running time is 55 minutes.

From the perspectives of senior litigation counsel and the bench, this presentation provides tips and pointers to help litigators of all levels of experience hone their advocacy skills. This on-demand program was originally presented as an in-person conference from May 4–7, 2023 as part of LESA's Refresher 2023: Family Law. Total running time is 1 hour, 19 minutes.

Topics from LESA's Refresher 2023: Family Law include: Child Support Update Cross-Examination and Questioning Dealing with Experts in Family Law Developments since the Divorce Act Amendments Early Intervention Case Conferences, JDRs, Pre-Trial Conferences, and Appeal Conferences Family Property Matters Imputing Income: An Update Since Peters v Atchooay Mediation & Arbitration Considerations Spousal Support Update Starting with the End in Mind – Managing Family Law Matters Summary Trials and Oral Hearing Orders: Resolving Matters without a Full Trial Written Advocacy These on-demand programs were originally presented as an in-person conference from May 4–7, 2023 as part of LESA’s Refresher 2023: Family Law.

Develop strong appellate advocacy skills. Learn tips and strategies for effective advocacy in the Court of Appeal. Hear from Justice Mahmud Jamal of the Supreme Court of Canada and other judges from the Court of Appeal of Alberta, and other experienced practitioners on a wide variety of topics.

Discuss appellate practice in family law matters. Consider procedural and substantive issues on appeals from arbitration awards, appeals from Provincial Court to the Court of Queen’s Bench, and appeals from the Court of Queen’s Bench to the Court of Appeal. Learn about the standard of review, how to write a persuasive factum, and effective appellate oral advocacy. Hear from our esteemed faculty and walk away with tips from sitting Justices at the Alberta Court of Appeal in this highly informative program.

The single most important document in any appeal is the factum. A strong factum will do most of the heavy lifting on an appeal. Alternatively, a bad factum may sink your case. This on-demand program provides tips for writing an appellant’s factum and contains an overview of the technical requirements.

Examining the purpose and intent of both direct examination and cross-examination, this paper provides tips and pointers to help litigators of all levels of experience hone their advocacy skills. It also provides helpful information when dealing with child witnesses and when making objections generally. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA's Refresher 2023: Family Law in Jasper from May 4–7, 2023.

The single most important document in any appeal is the factum. A strong factum will do most of the heavy lifting on an appeal. Alternatively, a bad factum may sink your case. This paper provides tips for writing an appellant’s factum and contains an overview of the technical requirements. This paper was presented at LESA’s Family Law Appeals webinar series on October 28, 2021 and November 18, 2021.

This short paper provides practical tips for conducting an effective cross-examination and includes discussion about impeaching a witness on inconsistent statements. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Family Law Trial Fundamentals program in Edmonton on March 11, 2020 and in Calgary on March 18, 2020.

This short overview paper offers practical tips for making effective opening and closing statements when conducting a family law trial. This paper is part of a collection presented at LESA’s Family Law Trial Fundamentals program in Edmonton on March 11, 2020 and in Calgary on March 18, 2020.