Robert Musante's CLE Seminars |
| Comments from Houston area attorneys who attended "Great! Adverse Depositions: Principles and Principal Techniques" and/or "The 25 Credibility Arguments for Deposition and Trial "  Return to Home Page |
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"Great! Adverse Depositions: Principles and Principal Techniques" I took this killer adverse deposition course because I'm a first-year
lawyer and needed some guidance on how to take a deposition. I took my
first adverse deposition about a month after taking this course. The deponent
was the president of a carpet and tile company in Houston. Using these
techniques, not only did I get the information I needed to "try the
case," but I made him literally break down in tears. Too bad it
wasn't a videotaped deposition. The transcript only shows where
his counsel had to ask if he needed to take a break. Thanks
for such a wonderful course!!! Excellent. There is such a lack of training in firms these days and this
course was crucial to preparing for and taking a good deposition. Musante
is excellent; very motivating and taught me invaluable information. Very
intense compared to other one-day seminars; a lot of other CLE courses
seem to merely be a series of monotonous talking-heads and breaks. As with many professors, we're taught rules and sometimes lose sight of why we follow rules. This seminar freed me with logical rationale, from feeling that I must take depositions as if there were no trial. Musante is passionate about this topic and is the wordsmith that he strives to be. How will this seminar improve the quality of my adverse depos? I will not consider depos to be discovery fishing expeditions but will instead treat them as a chance to lock the deponent into the testimony most favorable to my client. Very good for cross-examination wherever it may be used. Should be required for all litigators. You will not leave this seminar without some useful tool for adverse
depositions. Musante's teaching ability is superb. Combining useful tactics,
sort of good humor and entertaining clips, he has created a very educational
program. Will improve my adverse depos 100%. Excellent! I wish I'd had Musante as a professor in law school! Excellent. Very intellectually stimulating. Musante is informative, entertaining
and obviously smarter than most. Excellent practical content. Musante is very credible with a down-to-earth
style. More practical and entertaining than other one-day deposition seminars.
Should greatly improve my ability to limit deponent's "wiggle-room." Very useful information regardless of the number of years in litigation.
Very lively presenter who maintained my attention throughout the one-day
seminar. Will definitely improve the quality of my deposition and thereby
improve the result of my case. By far superior to any other one-day seminars I've taken. Essential for
anyone desiring to be a successful trial lawyer. Unlike most CLEs, there
was never a boring or unnecessary moment. Musante is fantastic! He should
be teaching law professors these techniques as well! Shifting my focus
from "discovery" to "cross-examination" with depositions
made complete sense. I can't wait to get back into that conference room! Educational! Practical, entertaining and essential to our profession.
Greatest powerpoint presentation I've ever seen. This will be the way
I do adverse depositions. Excellent and logical application of deposition tactics. An entertaining
and informative presentation; no nodding off possible! Provides substantially
more information than other one-day seminars. Excellent practical content; great instructor. Having only taken one
adverse depo, I believe that this seminar has presented me with the skills
necessary to not only make my adverse depos awesome (and impress my bosses),
but to truly serve my clients by creating the possibility of winning the
trial before setting foot in the courtroom. As good as the best, and better than the rest. Forceful instructor. Excellent combination of everyday events to breaking
down material and content in order to develop his case. Will improve my
depos by "closing the deal and slamming the door!" Very helpful. It seems we have all been taught or learned the wrong approach
when rational thought would lead us to Musante's conclusions. Very entertaining
instructor. Actually learned from him, rather than going home with the
book to read. Excellent content; tools I will use immediately. No more "discovery"
depositions! Outstanding. A fine warning order for any litigator in the early stages
of his/her career and a ready reference for the more seasoned practitioner.
Musante has an excellent ability to convey a skill set that is critically
important to first-rate representation of clients. Among the best. Excellent practical content. Will greatly improve the
quality of my adverse depos. Most seminars ebb & flow from good to mediocre; this seminar stayed
at excellent all day. I make my money in depositions and use them to put
fear in a defendant, which usually equates to a more favorable settlement.
This seminar was a teaching tool of the discipline required to reach the
level of truly taking an effective deposition. If "deposition is
trial," then a deposition is either won or lost, and Musante has
helped me ensure I will always win. Very useful in understanding the dynamics that occur during deposition.
Musante is very good; able to hold listener's attention well Excellent practical content. Musante is entertaining and informative.
Far better than other "expert" depos. Will change my approach
and treat the expert depo like trial. This seminar couldn't be better ... and I am a trial lawyer, adjunct
advocacy professor and frequent CLE speaker. Musante cuts to the quick;
excellent ability to eliminate fluff without self-promotion. Excellent! The type of practical training one rarely gets in a CLE course.
Mr. Musante is excellent! Litigators need to learn these skills. Fabulous, insightful seminar. Musante is fabulous, incredibly analytical.
This was my second time taking the class; got even more; a treasure trove. Out-of-the-box thinking at its best. Superb instructor. This is one of the best seminars that I have attended. Very good well
thought out, practical advice. Good instructor, enthusiastic and interested
in the subject matter. Outstanding seminar, helpful hints. Musante is great! High energy and
great mix of humor. Excellent presentation with practical advice. Outstanding, practical and helpful. Musante is excellent. Fabulous seminar! Packed with good information. Love the logical approach. Impressive. As important as depositions are to our practice, I can't
believe no one (at least known to me) has attempted to distill maxims
or rules for success, as Mr. Musante has. He demonstrates clear competence.
My suspicion is that he enjoys this seminar and teaching more than the
grind of litigation. I have made a 180 degree change in my perspective
on "hiding" impeachments. Musante's reasoning is compelling. Extremely helpful. As a young associate this should help me start off
on the right foot, and not have to unteach myself the mistakes that the
unskilled deposer will. Musante is excellent; made a tough subject enjoyable. Very informative. Really proved wrong a lot of my prior ideas about depos.
Great instructor; powerpoint and lecture very effective. He teaches a
better way to prepare. Entertaining and informative ... A must for lawyers who intend to enhance
their deposition skills. Musante is tactful, entertaining and presents
the material clearly & quickly. Important information that should be mandatory for young "trial"
lawyers. Musante is entertaining and persuasive. Very good. Well prepared. Musante obviously cares about the subject and
has concern for attendees to improve skills. Very informative, places big-picture ideas in context. Very good seminar. Changes one's perspective on how to take adverse depositions. As a young attorney, I will feel more confident after this course that
I am doing my depos right. Excellent practical content; high quality instructor. Seminar does a
great job of providing an analytical framework for a critically important
skill that is commonly shrouded in mystery by experienced practitioners. Wonderfully theatrical, vibrant and literary. Robert Musante exemplifies
my ideal of a genuine trial lawyer wedded to little legal societal or
political orthodoxy. A true example of Socratic thinking. This seminar
is better than any I recall. Will improve the quality of my depos a lot;
will add much focus. No other such seminar compares with the content or quality of this one.
It is excellent: has the effect Younger's approach had on me almost 30
years ago, but it is much more empirically valid. Best teaching ability
I've ever seen. These "rules" are revolutionary compared to
those I've previously used. The content of this seminar is excellent and can be applied in every
deposition from here on. Musante is good ... he knows what he's talking
about and delivers instruction with humor. I anticipate this will improve
the quality of my depos tremendously. Musante is excellent. Nothing drags; keeps interest; highlights key areas.
Excellent practical content. I now have a much greater ability to box
in deponent. Better than others. Musante is great. Visuals and high profile case examples
great. Excellent! Far better than other CLEs. Until now I have never had such
a practical lesson in the mechanics of cross-examination. These are the
first "rules" I've seen with the flexibility to apply to any
scenarios. I will now treat the depositions as trials, as my only chance
to impeach the witness and to ensure no room for his escape. Musante's
use of video and practical applications of the lessons illuminated the
topic well. Good combination of practical discussion with illustrations. Musante
is excellent. This seminar's approach is very different from NITA. Top notch. The best compared to others. The best I have encountered. Great practicality not only in depositions
but in evaluating witness statements and pre-litigation investigation.
If I objectively apply the principles, I have no doubt I will be successful. One of the best. A whole new way of thinking ... much more logical. I
expect to improve dramatically. Perhaps the best, most practical seminar I have attended. Much more useful
from a practical standpoint than other CLEs. Musante if first-rate. I
expect it will improve my skills exponentially. Enjoyed the energy. Great use of real-world examples. I look forward
to my next deposition! Great! In that it advocates a change in my reason to take a depo and
really forces me to evaluate my past depo practice. Very good [practical
content] in theory. I will give it a try! Food for thought and change. Very informative and innovative. Musante kept my attention the whole
time. Will make a dramatic difference. The content is fantastic and conveys deposition tactic very well. Musante
is much better than most boring CLE instructors. He is very passionate
about that which he speaks. Full of tactics that I will be able to put into practice immediately.
Mr. Musante is an excellent communicator. His style is bold, fresh and
invigorating. Best I've been to. Musante is interesting, colorful, and does what few
seminar speakers cannot do...keep your attention and teach practical skills
at the same time. My depositions will be much better. This is the best CLE I can recall attending. Excellent [practical content].
Can use it tomorrow in a deposition. Great teacher -- very animated and
engaging. [Seminar's set of deposition rules] are far better, albeit substantially
different than what I've used previously. Excellent practical content. Musante is superior. I wish I had taken this seminar 23 years ago and every year after. This
was better than any state bar seminar. It fills a gap the size of the
Grand Canyon. This is the fourth seminar on depositions and trials I have
attended this year and the only on to tell me what I wanted to know...what
I am doing wrong and how to fix it! Much more practical information than usual seminars. [Practical content]
very useful. This seminar really undercuts the casual attitude many seasoned
practitioners have re depos. [Musante] excellent. Very engaging, wisely
avoids bullshit "war stories" and the typical self-aggrandizement
practiced by seminar speakers. Many of "Robert's Rules" reflect
"instincts" that I have developed over the years. Others reflect
"instincts" that I wish I had developed. This is the best seminar I've taken. Would highly recommend this to all
my friends and other attys. [Practical content] excellent. With these
concepts I feel I have a good groundwork on which to prepare for a depo.
[Musante] Top-rated! Wish my law professors could have been as effective.
His efficiency and humor are a treat. Musante's enthusiastic explanations
were excellent! His enthusiasm is contagious! This seminar is a practice seminar, therefore it provides much more value
because it allows the participant to view procedure to evaluate his skills.
I rate this seminar very, very highly, in my top ten. [Musante] one of
the best I have seen because he combines understandable examples with
concise terms to help you remember and apply the logical rules. Musante
presents rules more comprehensively and in an organized fashion. Like
many attorneys, I use some rules well but not in a consistent manner. [Musante] is very excited about [his] material and that gets me excited.
Thanks for keeping the excitement level up. Overall excellent [practical
content]. I honestly cannot wait until my next deposition. More bang for the buck than other CLEs. I thought it was more practical.
Substantive and entertaining. This seminar makes the [deposition] rules
explicit and useful. Video excerpts were great. Different, better pace than most CLEs and great use of video examples.
Turns most old rules on their heads. Far more valuable [than other CLEs] to anyone who regularly takes depos
and tries cases. Extremely practical. It's the sort of stuff that should
be taught in law school. Mr. Musante is very effective. Logical rules to follow that make clear sense. Musante is very able.
Great examples, illustrations and power-points. Focused and entertaining. Effective use of examples and video demonstrations. I didn't know that
I had it all wrong until now. Very good. Liked the use of video clips as examples. Musante is excellent.
Very energetic, interesting speaker. Good movement, voice inflection and
action throughout. Excellent, excellent! Interesting to hear from someone with a liberal
arts background rather than the "usual" "real" education
lines. Excellent instructor. I have felt insecure and countercultural
in the way I depose until now. This helps the confidence level. Very effective, although I agree with all propositions set forth, inexperienced
attys may not appreciate the truth of Musante's message. Superb [practical
content]. Excellent [instructor] - very entertaining, doesn't waste time.
Interesting speaking on political and current events. [This seminar's
set of deposition rules] were comparable to mine, although it's easy to
be subsumed in the average way that things are done. The seminar and written materials are very beneficial. The teacher is
easy to listen to and keeps your attention. Very common sense practical
techniques. [The seminar] convinced me that I was correct to set aside
my ego and attend something that should be basic training for every trial
attorney. Excellent. Very energetic, entertaining presentation. Would recommend
to others. Practical examples and recollections highlighted the importance and necessity
of closing out all answers. I have several depositions scheduled over
the next month and made a number of notes for great questions/topics during
the seminar. Very good dynamic speaker. Law school never teaches you the mechanics
of dealing with lying/evasive witnesses. That was very useful. Compare to other deposition seminars? There is no comparison. I "attend"
litigation seminars. I learn from this one. Excellent. Raised my enthusiasm for trial practice again. Really good. Really useful. (I brought billable work with me and never
touched it.) This seminar lived up to the excellent recommendation made to me. It
gets to the heart of the matter of depositions rather than dealing with
the superficiality we normally see. It showed the preparation for an adequate
cross examination goes beyond the mere marshaling of the facts and provides
a more detailed examination of the area of depositions than on normally
finds in the average seminar. I will refresh my old skills and hone my
skills even more. Musante is good and energetic. I enjoyed his use of historical references.
I'm reevaluation my own past performance and am very optimistic about
using these rules! Musante is very engaging; as good as any seminar I've ever attended.
Much more substantive, more effective. I now have a roadmap to press the
lying witness on every lie! Better than most. Very good [practical content]; very good [instructor].
Provides more of an "on hands" teaching method. It puts a finger
on things that we experience but haven't really articulated and addressed
in a specific way. Extremely helpful for a relatively new litigator looking to avoid building
bad habits in the first instance. Musante is excellent, very entertaining.
This seminar's set of deposition rules is superior -- I have not had extensive
training and was looking to acquire some systematic knowledge. This will
vastly improve my depositions as a system to follow instead of working
blindly. Probably the best and most useful CLE seminar I've attended. Musante
is superb. His rules offer a far better organized and deliberate approach.
I anticipate that this seminar will dramatically improve the quality and
effectiveness of my adverse depositions. This is the only CLE that I have ever attended twice! Better than most. Imminently practical. Very energetic and insightful
[instructor]. Excellent seminar. Very good instructor. I needed this course to recharge
my battery and get me excited to take a depo. Excellent seminar…fantastic speaker.
Definitely gave me ammunition to drop the evidence bombs sooner. Very useful seminar. This is my second time and I got more out of it
the second time than the first. Excellent speaker. This seminar is the
most informative and useful for applying it to your legal skills. One of the best! Musante is a highly capable teacher who brings his personal
experience and feel for the practical side of trial practice together
with a simple, logical theory for taking better adverse depos. The tools
taught in this seminar promise to improve my deposition-taking skills.
I can't wait to put them into practice! Great seminar…excellent speaker. Best seminar. Very entertaining seminar and speaker. Excellent seminar…"A+". "A+" speaker. Best seminar. Much better than other seminars on same subject matter. Speaker very
interesting; teaching technique combines humor with valuable information
that has given me vital tools to make a great improvement in my adverse
depos. Excellent seminar…excellent speaker. Excellent skills to focus any
litigator's approach to depos. Will definitely give me ammunition to drop
the evidence bombs sooner. Very helpful seminar in distilling practical aspects of obtaining good
results in depos. Speaker very effective…has obviously tested and
developed his seminar. Will improve the quality of my adverse depos immensely;
good techniques to trap the opposing witness. The content is extremely practical. I've always known a deposition could
make or break a case ... I am glad to learn more about throwing out the
"Stupid Orthodoxy." The logic makes sense! Excellent speaker…not
only educational but engaging and entertaining. Seminar changed my approach to taking depos by 180 degrees. Excellent
speaker. Great seminar…material encapsulates lessons and reasoning that would
have taken me an entire career to reach on my own. [Musante] is good.
This seminar will change the system by which I approach and take depos,
and use them afterward. Excellent seminar. This is my second time to attend. That you use the
same principles really made this course even more effective for me the
second time around. Musante is very good…eloquent, funny and great
at making the point. Very helpful seminar…useful info to help in my everyday practice.
Musante is awesome…quite talented. Compared to other seminars, it's
more interesting, more lively, more energy, action-packed! Will improve
my adverse depos a ton! Great seminar…very polished speaker. This seminar is useful in every
day practice of a litigator. Useful techniques presented clearly and with humor and enthusiasm. Good
speaker, and good powerpoints. Multiple approaches to eliciting information
and protecting it. This seminar is more interesting and involving than
others. Very absorbing. Practical skills that I have never been formally taught.
I am glad I took this seminar before I take additional depositions--at
an early stage in my deposition practice. Informative, entertaining seminar. Great use of multimedia and integration
with material. Will hopefully improve my depos dramatically. Superior seminar…we have a heavy deposition practice and can use
these principles and techniques on a daily basis. Very good seminar…high speed, very visual content teaching needed
everyday techniques, not academic stuff that can be looked up. Musante
is a very good communicator. A very good and useful seminar…many practical tips. Excellent speaker.
Better than most seminars…I would recommend it. Good content…excellent speaker. Theory involved in depo cross-exam
is an art. Practice and experience of the discipline is necessary to compete
successfully. Excellent practical content; excellent instructor. Excellent practical content. Confirms a lot of notions that I have had
and has encouraged me to use them. "The 25 Credibility Arguments for Deposition and Trial" Great seminar. It is a lesson in cross examination techniques that are
useful in trial just as much as in a deposition. Musante is extremely
clear and logical. His best skill is in helping us students sort the many
answers that we might get in a deposition into the 25 archetypes. This
is the best deposition seminar I have seen. Quite useful seminar…captivating and informative speaker. Gives
me a more systematic construct from which to approach deponents. Excellent speaker…I've been twice and will go again. The videos
provided a real life example of poor responses, and the instructions on
how to disable them were enlightening. This seminar takes the next step
in utilizing the "Logic & Whack" rules to damage the credibility
of an adverse deponent. Will help me immensely. Content rated extremely high. I wish I'd had even one professor in law
school who'd been 1/10th as good as Musante. Video clips used were vital.
If I ever take another deposition, it will be much better than it would
otherwise be. Great seminar…the memory portion is the most helpful aspect of the
seminar. My depos will improve a ton! It's very helpful to have a system and discipline to apply to the depo
process. Musante is good. Video clips helped to illustrate his points,
and (more importantly) the context to help remember the points. The quality
of my depos will improve hugely. Excellent practical examples…excellent speaker. Good stuff…excellent speaker. Very helpful videos. Great seminar…really informative as to techniques and practical
tips to take adverse depos. Good use of powerpoints and real-life cases
that were analyzed to import the subject matter. This seminar expounded
upon the previous seminar session [Logic & Whack!] and fortified my
understanding of the principles taught. Very helpful to think about how to handle the credibility arguments.
Musante is very effective…good examples from politics and celebrity
cases. I expect marked improvement in my next depo based on this seminar. Outstanding speaker. Helpful seminar. The quality of my adverse depos will improve a lot. Excellent speaker--very focused. The seminar validated a lot of what
I do and gave me some excellent new approaches and ideas that take what
I do a step further. Very refreshing change from "war stories."
Validated a lot of what I do and gave me some excellent new approaches
and ideas that take what I do a step further. Excellent practical content; excellent instructor. Will improve my depos
greatly. Musante told us how to apply the deposition record we were taught yesterday
[Logic & Whack!]. I understand that these credibility arguments are
explored attest time of the depo and then used to WHACK the witness at
trial. Gave me a more complete understanding of the purpose and effectiveness
of depositions at trial. My objectives at depositions have been redefined. Very useful information; excellent instructor.
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