Lawyers, Liars and the Art of Storytelling

Storytelling - what it is, why it matters, how to do it - is not a metaphor for legal advocacy. It is legal advocacy itself, and it is not limited to jury trials or court appearances: It relates to every aspect of a lawyer's work.

The practice of law is the business of persuasion, and storytelling is the most effective means of persuading. A credible lawyer capable of telling a well-reasoned story that moves the listener will always beat the lawyer who cannot. But just recognizing the centrality of storytelling to the legal profession is not enough. Lawyers should also study the basic structure and elements that apply to stories, how they work and why, as well as the principles that have guided great storytellers for thousands of years.

Part prescriptive teaching, part memoir, always entertaining and never lecture, Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling provides storytelling lessons gleaned from years of trial practice and television writing, wrapped inwhat else?great stories.

Praise for Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling

"Nobody I knowand I mean nobodyis funnier, smarter, or has a wider breadth of references than my friend Jonathan Shapiro. This book is a bit of a miracle: informative, insightful, poetic, and funny."
- Paul Reiser, comedian, actor, and bestselling author

"Jonathan Shapiro's Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling is so intriguing and witty that for a while I was certain that I had written it."
- Alan Zweibel, original Saturday Night Live writer and Thurber Prize winner for his novel The Other Shulman

"Storytellingthe art of connecting with, captivating and persuading one's listenersis the key to courtroom success. For the new generation of lawyers raised on texting, tweeting, and e-mailing, the art of old-fashioned storytelling has proven elusive, as those who can truly teach this ancient art form are fast disappearing. Thankfully, here comes Jonathan Shapiroone of America's greatest trial lawyers and storytellersto the rescue."
- Steve Zipperstein, General Counsel, Blackberry

"Jonathan Shapiro is a terrific writer: incisive, informative, entertaining, and always engaging."
- Erwin Chemerinsky, U.S. constitutional law and federal civil procedure scholar and current and founding dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law

"Lawyers, Liars, and the Art of Storytelling is a masterful book about storytelling by the master himself. Shapiro reveals the rewards of storytelling in the real and fictional legal worlds. Most importantly, he divulges the secrets to being a successful storyteller. It is a fun and interesting read for lawyers and non- lawyers alike."
- Laurie L. Levenson, professor of law and David W. Burcham Chair of Ethical Advocacy, Loyola Law School, California

"This is an important read for anyone who appreciates telling or hearing good stories, which should include anyone who cares a fig about the art of human communication. Thinking of this book as simply a "how to" guide for trial lawyers is as misguided as thinking of Norman McLean's classics as field manuals for anyone who plans to do some firefighting or trout fishing in Montana."
- Ralph Alldredge, president of the California Newspaper Publishers Association and California Magazine Trial Lawyer of the Year

"The art of advocacy is the art of taking the truth and fashioning it into a compelling story. No one does this better than Jonathan Shapiro. Shapiro jumps from story to story so quickly that you don't realize how much you've learned until the book ends."
- The Honorable Jeffrey Bleich, U.S. Ambassador to Australia

"If Jonathan did not exist, one might have