Combating Plaintiff Reptilian Tactics in Complex Litigation: Discovery, Voir Dire, Direct and Cross-Examination
Recording of a 90-minute CLE video webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will guide litigators on combating the trial strategy commonly known as the "reptile theory." The panel will educate counsel about identifying and responding to "reptile" tactics at every stage of a matter, from discovery through closing argument.
Outline
- Reptilian tactics in litigation: how to spot them
- Defense strategies: from discovery through closing argument
Benefits
The panel will review these and other key issues:
- What is the underlying basis for "reptilian" theory trial tactics?
- How are plaintiffs' attorneys leveraging reptile tactics to influence jurors?
- How can defense attorneys counter plaintiffs' use of reptilian tactics?
Faculty

Beth C. Boggs
Managing Partner
Boggs Avellino Lach & Boggs
Ms. Boggs concentrates her practice in civil litigation involving construction defect, insurance coverage, employment... | Read More
Ms. Boggs concentrates her practice in civil litigation involving construction defect, insurance coverage, employment law, premises liability, transportation, defense of pharmacy cases, civil rights defense, professional negligence, toxic tort defense, asbestos exposure defense and insurance defense. She is a frequent author on a variety of insurance and trial topics and speaker at national conferences on trial-related topics. Ms. Boggs was selected to be a Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, an honorary society honoring the top one-half of one percent of American lawyers.
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Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm, Ph.D.
Senior Litigation Consultant
Persuasion Strategies
Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm has provided research and strategic advice on several hundred cases across the country for the past... | Read More
Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm has provided research and strategic advice on several hundred cases across the country for the past 21 years, applying a doctorate in communication emphasizing the areas of legal persuasion and rhetoric. As a tenured Associate Professor of Communication Studies, he has taught courses including legal communication, argumentation, persuasion, and research methods. He has trained and consulted in 19 countries around the world and is Past President of the American Society of Trial Consultants.
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Cheryl A. Bush
Founding Member
Bush Seyferth
Ms. Bush has extensive first-chair trial experience and has obtained exceptionally positive results for her clients,... | Read More
Ms. Bush has extensive first-chair trial experience and has obtained exceptionally positive results for her clients, including Fortune 500 companies, by winning 95.97% of her jury trials. She serves as national counsel for a major automotive manufacturer, handling catastrophic air bag trials and coordinating discovery throughout the country. Ms. Bush’s cases, which have spanned 30 states, often involve high-level nationwide media exposure. She teaches regularly on trial advocacy and is a Fellow in both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers.
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