Ever since the United States introduced depositions into civil litigation practice in 1938, they have been an invaluable tool of law. They are also a constantly evolving component of the American legal system. As Anthony J. Bocchino and David A. Sonenshein note in The Modern Deposition, the role of depositions may be changing, but lawyers and practices are still mired in the same staid techniques used in preparing them. Their new guide to depositions shows the need for a radical change in the way lawyers think about depositions.

Bocchino and Sonenshein examine several key components of the deposition and its transformation:

• The factors that have led to major changes
• The usage of deposition testimony in modern litigation
• The case theory for depositions
• The keys to deposition preparation
• The importance of witness preparation
• The step-by-step process of a modern deposition
• The substantive issues of witness testimony
• The techniques of defending depositions
• The most important tools available to a civil litigator

Bocchino and Sonenshein's exploration of the law demonstrates the need for innovation in civil litigation. Depositions must be both complete and comprehensive. The Modern Deposition shows you how to guarantee that they will be!

Anthony J. Bocchino has been a member of the full-time faculties at UCONN, Duke and Temple University Law Schools. At both Duke and Temple, where he was named the Feinberg Professor of Litigation in 1997, he conceived, designed, and implemented award winning advocacy programs, while winning multiple teaching and scholarship awards. For over thirty-five years, Bocchino served as a faculty member, editor in chief and director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy, achieving an international reputation for excellence as a teacher and scholar. He is the author of over sixty articles and books about civil litigation, evidence, and advocacy.

David A. Sonenshein has taught at the Boston University, DePaul University, George Washington University, and Temple University Law Schools. At Temple, he has received every law school and university teaching accolade available, and he was named the Feinberg Professor of Litigation in 2011. He has taught skills at over thirty-five law firms, and evidence to newly named US District Court Judges and served as the skills education director for ALI. Sonenshein is an internationally recognized expert on procedure and advocacy.