Do You Really Wanna Get Caught Being Out of Trial-Shape?

Actors are constantly searching for truth and honesty in their performances.  Great improv actors are the same. By living in the moment, we are looking to react authentically as we discover our story on stage.  We’ve taken the best theater tools and techniques that translate directly to your craft as a trial lawyer, so you can also be completely locked in and honest in the courtroom… because your best super power is being YOU.

Your work is serious and we’re NOT trying to turn any of our students into comedians. However, we do believe that people learn best when they’re having fun. Our goal is to help you strengthen proven trial techniques for client consults, depos, directs and constructive cross-examinations. If you’re interested in creating quirky characters or speaking gibberish, this class is not for you.

Absolutely. In some ways, you are at a huge advantage by starting to learn trial skills with us. These techniques are used by some of the preeminent trial lawyers in the country.  Since you don’t have years of bad habits, you’ll start your journey as a trial lawyer more disciplined and focused.

If you’ve ever been to the gym, you know it takes time to build lasting muscle strength. Building strong trial skills requires the same attention. Although you may not be surprised by the material covered, you’ll be surprised at how much more you’re able to master these skills by revisiting them over and over again. Many of our participants return to class 3-4 times per year.

Although there’s some universality to improv techniques, you haven’t experienced them like this before. We’ve cut out anything that doesn’t translate to your work as a lawyer- like being a comedian. Instead, we teach Haus-made improv exercises you won’t see anywhere else. In fact, some improv exercises have been custom made as a direct response to challenges participants face in client consults, depos and cross-examination.

Yes!  Just like virtual depositions or trials, Zoom has become an effective way to conduct your practice and learn trial skills.  We’ve perfected the experience so the virtual environment melts away. The win- all the benefits of a trial skills class without sitting in traffic. Plus, you can meet attorneys from all over the country.

Check out these quotes from participants about the zoom environment:

“With Zoom, we may not be able to use full-body movement but we can use our faces, heads and hands. And the courts increasingly require us to appear on a monitor anyway, so it’s good to be home on screen for examining witnesses. You managed the occasional technological hiccups really professionally with minimal disruption.” – Susie I., Berkeley, CA

“I was pleasantly surprised at how well zoom improv worked :)” – Danielle S., San Diego CA

“I think in-person is tough to beat. I do not however enjoy the time to travel and Zoom works better than I would have thought prior to the pandemic. I feel the workshop is very beneficial via Zoom.” – Russ G., Santa Barbara, CA

Although you’ve probably been instructed to use similar techniques, the methods we use to weave performance and practical trial skills will elevate your ability to command the courtroom and react effectively to the unexpected.  After working with several law schools and their mock trial teams, we can speak with confidence that this training is unlike anything being taught in law school.

Yes, it’s perfectly normal. In fact, we still get nervous before performing improv on stage. Most class participants usually feel any nervousness melt away after the first exercise.  Our priority is to make every workshop a positive and supportive environment so you are fully focused on learning career-changing-skills.

Yes! And… Our specialty is creating improv exercises that directly translate to a problem or challenge that trial lawyers face, and in the last 9 years we’ve seen just about everything you’re up against. Each exercise has been specially curated to make you a better advocate for your client- even when all the odds are against you. Whether you’ve never been to trial, want to get pumped for an upcoming depo/cross, or just want to get passionate about your work again- this class is designed to benefit you.

That’s right and we don’t pretend to be lawyers. That’s why we invite one of our workshop alumni to be our “lawyer moderator” during our 4-hour workshop. They take part in the exercises and discussions to help connect the techniques and strategies you learn in this class to your actual experience in the courtroom.

And while we may not be lawyers, we are trial consultants. Since 2022 we’ve contributed to our clients’ successes in the courtroom by providing consultation on cases leading to over $27 MILLION in verdicts.

Yes! No experience is needed.  We clearly introduce and model each exercise, so you can maximize your time learning the techniques and strategies instead of trying to figure out how to complete the exercise.  Our aim is to make every part of the class accessible to all our students.