During 2007, Brown, Brown & Young principal Augustus F. (Gus) Brown again served as a faculty member for the American Association for Justice (AAJ -- formerly The American Trial Lawyers Association), and a juror consultant, as a member of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC).
His most recent AAJ case workshop seminars were in April 2007, in Kansas City, Missouri, and in September 2007, in Louisville, Kentucky. These were attended by highly-experienced trial attorneys from around the country. All cases studied in the seminars were injury cases, and included medical malpractice cases, products liability cases and fatal vehicle and tractor-trailer collision cases.
At these case workshops, Mr. Brown lectured on some of the intricacies frequently encountered in trial work, facilitated jury focus group deliberations and discussions, and more.
He reviewed and recommended alternative methods of presenting and ordering the evidence, helping his fellow attorneys explore key issues, pinpoint strategic strengths, minimize potential weaknesses and develop their stories.
Other useful topics covered by Mr. Brown included how to use visual storytelling, how to demonstrate themes, and how to best present issues of liability and damages.
"I helped my colleagues explore key issues and identify their own strategic strengths, then learn how to minimize any apparent or potential weaknesses in themselves or their cases," says Mr. Brown. "It's really a question of how to develop and present a story so that it's clear, compelling and memorable to the jury."
Gus Brown also expects to continue to teach fellow trial attorneys the more subtle nuances of the craft. "Several AAJ Education Sessions are already scheduled for 2008," he says, "and I'm working on coordinating my schedule here with the requests I've received to participate as a faculty member."
